Saving money by travelling first class

Pound

I noticed when taking a train journey that it was only 80p extra to go first class. Given that you can get a drink and snack thrown in this seemed like good value, e.g.

Stoke-on-Trent to Stafford via Cross Country.
Standard class
Single ticket: £5.40
Drink and snack: £3
Total: £8.40

First class
Single ticket: £6.20
Drink and snack £0
Total: £6.20

Does anyone have any other examples of this?

dggar

Pound wrote: »

I noticed when taking a train journey that it was only 80p extra to go first class. Given that you can get a drink and snack thrown in this seemed like good value, e.g.

Stoke-on-Trent to Stafford via Cross Country.
Standard class
Single ticket: £5.40
Drink and snack: £3
Total: £8.40

First class
Single ticket: £6.20
Drink and snack £0
Total: £6.20

Does anyone have any other examples of this?

Would the drinks trolley have time to get to you between Stoke and Stafford?

p00hsticks

dggar wrote: »

Would the drinks trolley have time to get to you between Stoke and Stafford?

Even if it doesn't your ticket would give you access to the first class lounge at Stoke station which includes free tea, coffee and nibbles

agrinnall

A few days ago I bought a 1st class ticket for Aberdeen to Edinburgh for £10, the cheapest standard class ticket on the same train was £8, well worth the extra £2 I hope.

Mids_Costcutter

In the last few years I've found first class tickets £1 cheaper than standard class equivalents on VT from Birmingham Int and Coventry to London Euston. These were always off-peak departing mid-morning or early afternoon.

Why do the train operators do this? I guess they want passengers to try first class in the hope that they'll like it so much that they're prepared to pay extra at other times?

bap98189

Mids_Costcutter wrote: »

In the last few years I've found first class tickets £1 cheaper than standard class equivalents on VT from Birmingham Int and Coventry to London Euston. These were always off-peak departing mid-morning or early afternoon.

Why do the train operators do this? I guess they want passengers to try first class in the hope that they'll like it so much that they're prepared to pay extra at other times?

I suspect because the first class sections on most of these regional trains are completely empty most of the time and it is not a simple job to get rid of the first class sections. So they try to flog a few first class tickets by reducing the price.

wongataa

bap98189 wrote: »

I suspect because the first class sections on most of these regional trains are completely empty most of the time and it is not a simple job to get rid of the first class sections. So they try to flog a few first class tickets by reducing the price.

I wouldn't really call Virgin Trains West Coast a regional service. London Midland would be the regional service that covers Euston, Coventry, and Birmingham.