Paying for first class when there is no first class accommodation on the train

Trainjane

I recently booked a rather convulted return trip to Liverpool from Plymouth with Trainline. Half of the trains had no first class. Trainline are refusing to offer any refund. Who do I go to next?

flaneurs_lobster

Were the missing First Class carriages on services where First Class would normally be available?

When I've booked First Class with Trainline, there may be a part of the journey with no FC offering (usually the local bit to the mainline station), but the overall journey cost reflects this. Are you sure FC was ever an option to you for the whole journey?

la531983

The price paid will reflect the fact only some of the journey is in FC, as per above. Same as when you book a flight with, for example, BA from Manchester to Los Angeles, the Manchester-Heathrow shuttle bit wont be FC.

Which operators arent offering a FC option?

flaneurs_lobster

la531983 said:

 the Manchester-Heathrow shuttle bit wont be FC.

...but you get to sit in the front row and there's a free biscuit!

MSE_James

What exactly was the ticket type involved?  Was it a flexible ticket, or an Advance? 

If it was a flexible ticket, even though you travelled on trains that didn't convey first class accommodation, it may have equally been possible to use the same ticket on trains that did have first class.

EnPointe

flaneurs_lobster said:

Were the missing First Class carriages on services where First Class would normally be available?

When I've booked First Class with Trainline, there may be a part of the journey with no FC offering (usually the local bit to the mainline station), but the overall journey cost reflects this. Are you sure FC was ever an option to you for the whole journey?

Indeed,  typically if you book from Lincoln to King's Cross, unless your train is one of  half-dozen  each day LNER departures from Lincoln you only get first class on the LNER (Newark to KX)   phase of the journey, the lincoln to Newark (either station) on EMR  is standard class only  unless you  get the one train in the morning that is a convoluted EMR  service to London from Lincoln 

daveyjp

Having just booked a 300 mile or so single journey in 1st class, involving 4 TOCs and thanks to splits, six tickets, the tickets are a combination of Advance singles where there is no first class and Advance 1st class where it is provided.

The absence of first class on one of the services was highlighted during the booking process.

Yarmy

I've occasionally had this issue when travelling on Greater Anglia trains between Norwich and London. Once I've contacted GA they'll then provide a partial refund of the ticket.