Train Delays, Open Returns and First Class Upgrades

SilverE

If you get an open return ticket (standard class), but might get a 1st class upgrade (it's good value at weekends on East Coast), then you may well need to keep your outbound ticket until you have returned so that you can make a full delay claim (of which there's a good chance on East Coast).

If you're delayed enough for a refund on the outbound, and on the return you get an upgrade, you can include the cost of the return upgrade in your delay claim - which will make it even better value. So a) keep the outbound ticket and b) don't claim until after the return (so long as it's within 28 days - if you're using the full 31 days of the ticket's validity you don't want to wait).

And if you got an upgrade on the outbound, then even if you weren't delayed then you can include the upgrade in a claim if you're delayed on the return. So always keep an upgraded outbound ticket until you're back.

This is because the upgrade is treated as part of the cost of the return ticket and is not applied to the one journey that got upgraded. At least according to East Coast's claims people although I can't see how they work that out from the wording of their policy statement. They simply apply half of the upgrade cost (along with half the base ticket cost) to each journey - even though the upgrade only applies to one. So even if a journey one way in standard class is delayed, you can end up getting a partial refund for an upgrade going the other way.

But, contrariwise, if your upgraded journey is delayed, only half the upgrade cost goes to the refund - because the other half is applied to the other journey.

If you're confused by this, then so am I. It could even be a deliberate ploy to confuse passengers and stop them claiming all they're entitled to. Just keep all tickets until you've been out and back, and if you make a claim, send them all in and claim against the total cost including any/all upgrades.