first class train travel - when is it worth it?

[Bahnhof Strasse]

I've taken to getting first class when travelling on rammed Friday evening train. If I get an advance single ticket from Brockenhurst to Waterloo it's just a tenner - works out cheaper than a regular ticket from Southampton (where I actually board the train, even though it's a shorter journey). I had no idea about free food/drink though, never been offered it.

So you regularly defraud Southwest Trains huh?

No wonder my season ticket is so expensive.

 

[mango5]

Defraud by buying a ticket and only using it for part of the journey by getting on at a later station? Yes, I've done that twice now on a journey I've do 3 times a week for a year. Although I quite often get off early going the other way (at Southampton Airport rather than Central) so perhaps I'm a regular criminal. I'm to blame for your expensive fares, no doubt.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Defraud by buying a ticket and only using it for part of the journey by getting on at a later station? Yes, I've done that twice now on a journey I've do 3 times a week for a year. Although I quite often get off early going the other way (at Southampton Airport rather than Central) so perhaps I'm a regular criminal. I'm to blame for your expensive fares, no doubt.

Doesn't Southampton have ticket gates?

 

[toggle]

If I'm going any distance I split tickets. I had to go to Birmingham from Hayle last year. I split Hayle to Plymouth (Going anywhere up country from Cornwall just by splitting at Plymouth you save a fucking fortune), Plymouth to Newton Abbot, Newton Abbot to Bristol, Bristol to Cheltenham, Cheltenham to Birmingham and saved nearly half. Between Bristol and Cheltenham it was cheaper to get First Class which I did and stayed there until Birmingham. Also went to a gig in Plymouth once and got a First Class ticket for £2.30. The MP for Camborne area at the time was also on the train. My mate had cross words with her when she didn't know who his band were despite them being her favorites on her Myspace. First against the wall.

i had to do truro to birmingham. I flew out of newquay. 70 quid or so return. would have been cheaper if i'd done what ever other bugger did and get on the plane with my massively oversize and overweight bags. but i paid for additional luggage

 

[scifisam]

On the train from Liverpool St to wherever it goes after my stop, which is two stops and six minutes along; the train goes a long way eventually, which is why they have first class.

If they ever checked (they never have) I'd show my freedom pass, my crappy legs and hands, point out that the platform announcements only come in at a time when I can barely make it to the first First Class carriage, and TBH I'd be very surprised if they made an issue of it.

It's such a long way from First Class to Second Class that I've seen people miss the train. Just get on that first First Class carriage! If you then see a ticket inspector arrive, you were taking a break while moving to one carriage to another.

Otherwise: book in advance, get first class deals that are little more than second class, or ask for an upgrade on the day you travel.

Can you still ask for an upgrade while you're in an actual first class seat now? People used to that - does it still work?

 

[mango5]

Doesn't Southampton have ticket gates?

Airport doesn't. Top tip for valid ticket-holding fraudsters. Odd that the ticket inspecting guards on every train have never accused me of defrauding ShitWest trains.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Airport doesn't. Top tip for valid ticket-holding fraudsters. Odd that the ticket inspecting guards on every train have never accused me of defrauding ShitWest trains.

Guards on SWT hate Revenue Protection Inspectors, they'd do you soon as look at you.

Bungle73 could explain why I'm sure.

 

[mango5]

What's fraudulent about getting off early or getting on late?
eta and how does that inflate fares? Someone's going to tell me I'm wrong for giving away unwanted 'plusbus' passes and return portions of tickets next

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

What's fraudulent about getting off early or getting on late?
eta and how does that inflate fares? Someone's going to tell me I'm wrong for giving away unwanted 'plusbus' passes and return portions of tickets next

I'm sure bungs can explain why, but if Brockenhurst to London is £10 and Southampton to London is £15, buying a Brockenhurst to London ticket and getting on in Southampton violates the contract you agree to when buying the ticket and means SWT loses £5.

It's a fucking stupid system that I wouldn't dream of defending, but the system is there and you defraud it and once the revenue protection bods have finished rectally water-boarding you I'm sure you'll never do it again

 

[EastEnder]

I only travel first class when it's a journey I can book months in advance (like Xmas family visit) to get it as cheap as poss, and for a journey I suspect may be horribly crowded (also like Xmas family visit). I'm travelling out of London mid-afternoon on Xmas Eve this year to visit family - guaranteed to be a hideously crowded train from hell - bought my tickets in October, 1st class was only about 18 quid more than cattle.

 

[mango5]

I'm sure bungs can explain why, but if Brockenhurst to London is £10 and Southampton to London is £15, buying a Brockenhurst to London ticket and getting on in Southampton violates the contract you agree to when buying the ticket and means SWT loses £5.

It's a fucking stupid system that I wouldn't dream of defending, but the system is there and you defraud it and once the revenue protection bods have finished rectally water-boarding you I'm sure you'll never do it again

OK gotcha. Violation of contract may not be fraud though. Phew. Next time I do it I'll split the difference with you on what I save, might offset 0.005‰ of your season ticket.

 

[sim667]

My freind gets the train every day to london, and sometimes ends up in first class because there simply isn't any room.

Anyway a few of them were in it the other day and some bloke kicked up a fuss for no reason at all, and insisted on banging his hands really hard on the table for the whole 45 minute journey home, and singing a bit, when people asked him to stop he got confrontational....... My mate assumes its because he thought he was the only one in there with a first class ticket(he hadn't asked anyone), but still, what a wanker.

My mate got it on film, but thinks its unfair to put it on t'internet.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

OK gotcha. Violation of contract may not be fraud though. Phew. Next time I do it I'll split the difference with you on what I save, might offset 0.005‰ of your season ticket.

You can keep the money, I'm happy with my £3.5k season ticket, atones for the 18 months I commuted daily with no ticket at all

 

[laptop]

Anyway. Back on topic.

Eurostar.

Note that for the past couple of years Daily Mail Class Upgrade has been significantly worse than First. But you can still get sozzled within your ticket price.

 

[SpookyFrank]

So you regularly defraud Southwest Trains huh?

No wonder my season ticket is so expensive.

Fuck them if they're charging more to travel a shorter distance.

 

[Flavour]

never when paying.

 

[Dogsauce]

Had to rebook a ticket from a couple of weeks back, because the rebooked journey was at a less popular time it was only a fiver extra for first class. Free Tunnocks teacake and the lumbar support is pretty nice too. Feels worth it. Only second time ever in first class.