southwest trains "first class"...

ukphd

I just had a conversation with Southwest trains about their first class tickets. I was about to buy a first class ticket from Twickenham to Exeter. Before I did so I called them to find out what extras I would get in first class.

I was told the only difference was that the seats were a bit bigger and that the area wasn't separated from from standard class. No coffee/tea, no guarantee of a power point, etc.

I then asked why I seemed to be unable to reserve a seat when booking and was told that they no longer allow you to reserve a seat. Apparently it's first come first served and if it's full I can stand anywhere. So my first class ticket for which you pay an extra £30+ guarantees you nothing.

I'm staggered that they can get away with this. If they limited sales of first class tickets but didn't allocate specific seats that would be fine but to openly admit that paying for a first class ticket doesn't guarantee me a first class seat (or in fact any seat) is unbelievable.

Perhaps this is old news - I rarely travel with them and rarely first class. This was meant to be a treat from the OH to go down to visit his relatives but we'll save out money and go for a cheap ticket I guess!

Shocking!

Stigy

The First Class accommodation on SWT services certainly isn't on a par with other operators who offer free tea/coffe, newspapers and wi-fi etc. On the whole I think it's because SWT don't generally operate long distance services....Or not as long a distance as other operators who go from say, London to Scotland. I think the longest SWT journey is from London to Weymouth, or London to Exeter/Bristol (although you can get there quicker from Paddington probably...), and takes nowhere near as long as some of Cross Contry's routes!

If it's any consolation, I've never known an SWT First Class accommodation to be "full and standing", although in peak times you might have to sit next to a smelly "Mr pin-stripe" type communter.

ukphd

Stigy wrote: »

The First Class accommodation on SWT services certainly isn't on a par with other operators who offer free tea/coffe, newspapers and wi-fi etc. On the whole I think it's because SWT don't generally operate long distance services....Or not as long a distance as other operators who go from say, London to Scotland. I think the longest SWT journey is from London to Weymouth, or London to Exeter/Bristol (although you can get there quicker from Paddington probably...), and takes nowhere near as long as some of Cross Contry's routes!

If it's any consolation, I've never known an SWT First Class accommodation to be "full and standing", although in peak times you might have to sit next to a smelly "Mr pin-stripe" type communter.

Thanks - yeah I'm going very early in the morning so I doubt it would be full but I'm just shocked that they can get away with selling first class seats which offer nothing (not even a seat!). I would take the other route to Exeter (via reading) as it's far quicker but there are engineering works for that time period (with replacement buses).... hurrah for the trains!

wealdroam

ukphd wrote: »

...we'll save out money and go for a cheap ticket I guess!

Shocking!

Seems like a good idea.

After all, this is a money saving forum.

Stigy

ukphd wrote: »

Thanks - yeah I'm going very early in the morning so I doubt it would be full but I'm just shocked that they can get away with selling first class seats which offer nothing (not even a seat!). I would take the other route to Exeter (via reading) as it's far quicker but there are engineering works for that time period (with replacement buses).... hurrah for the trains!

Unfortunately, unless it's a reserved seat, you're paying for carriage on a train, not a seat. I think even resevations can be subject to this, which seems a tad contradictory!

For the record, the seats on the trains that run from Waterloo to Exeter St. Davids are about as sumpcious as SWT First Class gets!

ukphd

wealdroam wrote: »

Seems like a good idea.

After all, this is a money saving forum.

yeah I did wonder about posting about this! but it was a very cheap first class ticket... guess I know why now! :rotfl:

ukphd

Stigy wrote: »

Unfortunately, unless it's a reserved seat, you're paying for carriage on a train, not a seat. I think even resevations can be subject to this, which seems a tad contradictory!

For the record, the seats on the trains that run from Waterloo to Exeter St. Davids are about as sumpcious as SWT First Class gets!

It's just funny that everyone accepts it, if you'd paid for a business class airfare and you got on the plane and they told you that you'd have to stand I doubt anyone would accept it and yet the train companies get away with it... I'm just glad I checked before I booked!

PasturesNew

Welcome to the Wild West, where stuff's just not the same as they skimp.

timbo58

Unfortunately (as I am sure most TOCs would tell you if they were being truthful) duting peak times there are always going to be more passengers than seats, if you legislated against carrying anyone without a seat booked then you'd be waiting a heck of a long time (ie next morning in the PM peak and next week/month if near xmas!) if you didn't reserve such a seat during busier times.
Season tickets and all 'turn up & go tickets' would also cease to exist as there would be no point having one as you wouldn't be able reserve seats with them.
This is where any comparison with flight operators falls down: the railway is, by and large, an immediate travel option, airlines are, by and large, not.
I don't think it's all in the TOCs favour either, as they could save a small fortune in staff and admin costs by having airline style check in and compulsory reservations, rather than checking on the train.
They could (would have to?) close a lot of smaller stations as they would be too infrequently travelled from/to to make economic sense.

The Tocs have always got away with the arguments that they: allow passengers to make the 'choice' (some choice! to be fair) upon seeing a train rammed to the gunnels as to whether they then join it or not.
I was always amazed on my old regular commute at the number of people who would complain loudly about how dangerous and unsafe it was being rammed in when they were there night after night, often travelling to a much nearer station than me and not waiting 15 minutes for the next train, where they would, presumably be early enough to have got a seat at least!

geordieracer

First Class on SWT was a major after thought when they ordered their new trains.. And they are very much a commuter railway in essence so like the other TOCS in the South you get sweet FA.

timbo58 wrote: »

The Tocs have always got away with the arguments that they: allow passengers to make the 'choice' (some choice! to be fair) upon seeing a train rammed to the gunnels as to whether they then join it or not.
I was always amazed on my old regular commute at the number of people who would complain loudly about how dangerous and unsafe it was being rammed in when they were there night after night, often travelling to a much nearer station than me and not waiting 15 minutes for the next train, where they would, presumably be early enough to have got a seat at least!

They done a computer generated study once about the impact of train crashes with packed to the gunnels trains and ones that were not so packed. Given the nature of how people were crammed in there were fewer injuries and deaths predicted then there was on a train that had fewer people on them..

timbo58

Yes, I saw the results of that study, I remember someone asking a guard once where the 'crumple zones' were on the train! (probably trying to make a point?)
I think he answered somewhere along the lines of 'you're stood in it mate!'