Virgin 1st Class

sarahluv

fatboyonadiet wrote:

I'm not too sure about that, I've found in the past if the trainline doesn't have it neither does Virgin, if the total cost is over £50 you do get 1% cashback from Quidco, the Virgin site is powered by thetrainline.

thetrainline now charge you for using a credit card, if you are only looking for virgin value fares, virgin doesn't. also, there are sometimes slight differences between availability on the two sites. It is also easier to look at virgin value availability over an entire day on the virgin site.

bunking_off

sarahluv wrote:

thetrainline now charge you for using a credit card, if you are only looking for virgin value fares, virgin doesn't. also, there are sometimes slight differences between availability on the two sites. It is also easier to look at virgin value availability over an entire day on the virgin site.

This is bizarre. Both use the same booking engine, and the Trainline is owned by Virgin nowadays. Don't doubt what you say though - I've noticed different availability myself in the past (though it quite often dries up when you go from browsing fares to actually buying them). One top tip - speaking as someone who spends approx £1000 of my employer's money a month on Virgin trains - if you look at the value singles and can't see the fare you'd like, go away and try again later. Particularly if the page is showing no availability on any of the value fares. Quite often when you go back a couple of hours later, they've miraculously re-appeared....

One final thing. Haven't tried this myself, but if you're travelling on the west coast mainline (Wigan/Warrington/Preston) and end up wanting a late afternoon train but want flexibility, you might think you're snookered because saver fares aren't valid on trains leaving London from 1500-1830 (value fares are, but have no flexibility). There is a cunning way out : saver fares are valid to Lancaster and beyond. A £61 saver single to Lancaster is considerably cheaper than a £120 open single to Preston...

PUREHOMES

first class service about a month ago.

£27 each way. Free newspaper, free drinks (alcoholic included :beer: ) and free food.

If I remember correctly we had a cold meat salad, cheese and biscuits and some cakes and stuff.

I had a beer and a couple of vodka lemonades.

Pity really it ran on time (almost to the second!) About 2hrs 20

gingerdad

We travelled on the train from Oxenholme to London, for only about 100 first class return for both of us, found the fair cheaper booked via the phone as it was a one of the advance purchases and wasn't available on the web. we travelled on week days one peak one not, free food and drink on both, very good service and excellent value for money

bunking_off

? I didn't realise there were any advance purchase fares available by phone but not web? Can you elaborate?