surreal experience on virgin trains

littlerock · 26 October 2017 at 11:57PM

Today we travelled up to Scotland on a Virgin train.

Shortly after departing, there was an announcement on the PA that there was free WiFi for everyone onboard who had booked online with Virgin Trains - remember that, Virgin Trains. We managed to log in only to be met with a screen saying we had 15 free minutes but after that a charge was required. Unless you had booked on line with Virgin Trains in which case the access code was in your confirmation email. Only there wasn't one in mine.

So I found the "train manager" and showed him my confirmation email from Virgin Trains. TM: "Oh yes well your email is from Virgin Trains not Virgin North East". " Me: Well you just announced free WiFi for everyone who booked online on Virgin Trains .Here is my email." Guard: " No we aren't Virgin Trains, we are a different company" Me: "Excuse me? isn't this a Virgin train?". TM: "No this is Virgin east coast, which is a different company". Me:" but the PA announcement said Virgin Trains." TM: " but it meant Virgin east coast because this is a Virgin east coast train. The free WiFi does not apply because you did booked direct with Virgin Trains which is a different company".

It seems that when I booked online, I did so with Virgin Trains, not Virgin east coast which is separate company which refers to itself as Virgin Trains in its on board announcements.. Waste of time anyway as it was a crappy wifi service.

katejo · 27 October 2017 at 2:20PM

littlerock wrote: »

Today we travelled up to Scotland on a Virgin train.

Shortly after departing, there was an announcement on the PA that there was free WiFi for everyone onboard who had booked online with Virgin Trains - remember that, Virgin Trains. We managed to log in only to be met with a screen saying we had 15 free minutes but after that a charge was required. Unless you had booked on line with Virgin Trains in which case the access code was in your confirmation email. Only there wasn't one in mine.

So I found the "train manager" and showed him my confirmation email from Virgin Trains. TM: "Oh yes well your email is from Virgin Trains not Virgin North East". " Me: Well you just announced free WiFi for everyone who booked online on Virgin Trains .Here is my email." Guard: " No we aren't Virgin Trains, we are a different company" Me: "Excuse me? isn't this a Virgin train?". TM: "No this is Virgin east coast, which is a different company". Me:" but the PA announcement said Virgin Trains." TM: " but it meant Virgin east coast because this is a Virgin east coast train. The free WiFi does not apply because you did booked direct with Virgin Trains which is a different company".

It seems that when I booked online, I did so with Virgin Trains, not Virgin east coast which is separate company which refers to itself as Virgin Trains in its on board announcements.. Waste of time anyway as it was a crappy wifi service.

Have just read your complaint. As I have a similar booking for next week to Edinburgh, I have just looked at my confirmation email (which also gave me the collection reference number to collect tickets from the machine). It definitely comes from Virgin East Coast and gives me a Wi fi login for the day.

es5595 · 27 October 2017 at 2:52PM

The “virgin trains” is a brand which covers the west coast trains franchise (who you purchased your ticket from) and the east coast franchises. At one point it also covered Virgin Crosscountry franchise.

Despite them using the same branding, they’re separate franchises and legal companies, so it’s a bit like buying your ticket from ScotRail and then wondering why you can’t use the wifi on Great Western. It’s the branding that’s confusing, although all virgin trains east coast generally have east coast branding.