London North Eastern Railway (LNER) First Class service

[westv]

Why is it so hard to provide a bit of toast?? It's literally just a couple of slices of bread warmed up for a bit!

Do you realise how expensive toast is?!
Crafted from the finest ingredients, hand blended via ancient ritual and finally caramelised on flames that have been in existence since prehistory.

 

[30907]

Contrasting experiences:
Friday last - ECML was badly disrupted and the Leeds service was halved from late morning. As a result First was declassified from Doncaster (rightly - the TM did an excellent job) and food service stopped (drinks had been round). Not that anyone told us - when I asked about food, "we don't know" was the reply, twice. A fter an hour I got up, asked the crew who were sat in their little compartment, and they told me. Went to the buffet and got a couple of sandwich packs, which at least they refused to charge me for. I am waiting to get the feedback request mail

Tonight, 1903 off KGX - sampled the gammon (nice, if less interesting than the trout last time) and jam sponge, while my wife enjoyed her curry. All perfectly OK and friendly staff. The train wasn't particularly busy, not that I expected otherwise.

 

[rg177]

On a very busy 1530 Kings Cross to Glasgow which is doing the "Dine" menu. This is actually the first time I've managed to get said menu as usually it's kept getting substituted for something else.

Gammon was tasty and the dish was well-seasoned. Sponge pudding was fine though the jam inside was a bit stingy.

The Geordie crew are great and certainly no slacking off on their part. They've been constantly on their feet either clearing up or bringing one of the trolleys around. The chef is even having a whip around with a bin bag.

 

[Willie Bee]

Would you get a meal on the 16:56 or the 18:36 LNER services from York to Newcastle (on a Thursday)

I see the train options we might book for next year both have the 'Dine' menu, which I think is the better option

My wife and I have never been on LNER First Class, so this may be a good opportunity

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Would you get a meal on the 16:56 or the 18:36 LNER services from York to Newcastle (on a Thursday)

I see the train options we might book for next year both have the 'Dine' menu, which I think is the better option

My wife and I have never been on LNER First Class, so this may be a good opportunity

Reflecting on what I know LNER staff to be like, I think there's a very good chance they'll deny you "DINE" if they know you're getting off at Newcastle, and if they don't take orders straight away after York you risk not having enough time to wait for and eat the food. That said, I've had hot meals on London to Stevenage runs before (when very young, I'd be too embarrassed to accept food for such a short journey nowadays) so never say never.

 

[rg177]

Would you get a meal on the 16:56 or the 18:36 LNER services from York to Newcastle (on a Thursday)

I see the train options we might book for next year both have the 'Dine' menu, which I think is the better option

My wife and I have never been on LNER First Class, so this may be a good opportunity

York is almost always a point where the staff do another full run of the trolleys and do food orders. I haven't had them deny anyone anything or not bother since the days of Virgin.

The only thing is not being reliant on the Dine menu - it can and does get downgraded if there's no chef.

 

[Willie Bee]

York is almost always a point where the staff do another full run of the trolleys and do food orders. I haven't had them deny anyone anything or not bother since the days of Virgin.

The only thing is not being reliant on the Dine menu - it can and does get downgraded if there's no chef.

I'll keep my fingers crossed, as I've just booked the tickets this morning. £38.50 for my wife and I (with railcards) which isn't too bad at all. Having first-class lounges in both stations is probably a plus too .. I like my coffee

 

[Willie Bee]

Reflecting on what I know LNER staff to be like, I think there's a very good chance they'll deny you "DINE" if they know you're getting off at Newcastle, and if they don't take orders straight away after York you risk not having enough time to wait for and eat the food. That said, I've had hot meals on London to Stevenage runs before (when very young, I'd be too embarrassed to accept food for such a short journey nowadays) so never say never.

Thank you for your reply.
I've booked now, so we'll just keep our fingers crossed.

 

[Deerfold]

I'll keep my fingers crossed, as I've just booked the tickets this morning. £38.50 for my wife and I (with railcards) which isn't too bad at all. Having first-class lounges in both stations is probably a plus too .. I like my coffee

I've never had anyone check I've actually got a First class ticket in the Newcastle lounge.

 

[Willie Bee]

I've never had anyone check I've actually got a First class ticket in the Newcastle lounge.

I quite believe it.

last November for my wife's 60th we had a trip to London, our first train journey for probably 20+ years and we loved it. We've had a few trips since then (Edinburgh, Glasgow, London again and a couple of weeks ago Manchester & Liverpool and despite having a two Together railcard, i think we have shown it once.

We travelled to Manchester via Doncaster (on LNER) then on TPE first class. Nobody even checked our tickets, let alone railcards.

For long, city-to-city trips it's probably a case that very few folk are cheating, but you would still think tickets / railcards would be checked every time. I would imagine the extra cost of an invalid ticket plus maybe a fine would be worth the effort.

On the Tyne & Wear Metro, you see inspectors once in a blue moon and the stations are not manned .. so the ease of travel without a ticket is high. It would seem to me sensible to have more regular checks.

 

[Merle Haggard]

I've never had anyone check I've actually got a First class ticket in the Newcastle lounge.

Most Lounges have staff at a desk immediately inside the entrance. Before Covid at Newcastle the staff member was often around the lounge filling up supples but they always checked, in my experience.
At Virgin/Avanti lounges that are manned (and that's most - the 'show your ticket to the camera' ones have mostly closed, apart from International) if there's no staff available they are closed, so there's always someone to check.

 

[Butts]

Most Lounges have staff at a desk immediately inside the entrance. Before Covid at Newcastle the staff member was often around the lounge filling up supples but they always checked, in my experience.
At Virgin/Avanti lounges that are manned (and that's most - the 'show your ticket to the camera' ones have mostly closed, apart from International) if there's no staff available they are closed, so there's always someone to check.

Last couple of times I have been in the Avanti Birmingham International Lounge there has been someone in there. However this was in the Morning around 8am.

The camera device is still in situ so it may be different later in the day.

Never been in the York Lounge but the Newcastle one was a "tea and biscuits" job - limited fayre on offer.

 

[Gwr12345]

I'm thinking of going from Darlington to Berwick-upon-Tweed in January. What are the odds that I would get the complimentary food offering?
I'm looking at the 0924 which is a Dine service. It's over the 60 minute baseline at 72 mins.
I've taken this train to Edinburgh before in first class, but my order wasn't taken until Newcastle and it didn't arrive until just before Berwick due to the crew changeover at Newcastle.

 

[Travelmonkey]

I've never had anyone check I've actually got a First class ticket in the Newcastle lounge.

I had it for a Newcastle-Newton-Le-Willows ticket on tpe, she said "oh I'll let you off this time"

I don't think she could say no to the monkey,

*photos of a brown monkey in a grey stripy shirt on a large black chair and infront of the LNER First Class Lounge sign in silver lettering*

 

[Willie Bee]

Would you get a meal / food on these Dundee to Edinburgh LNER trains ?

16:10 - 17:19 on Wednesday 3rd January 2024 (Dish)

19:34 - 20:43 on Wednesday 3rd January 2024 (Deli)

 

[westv]

Currently sat on the 17:18 from Kings X to Hull
Just been announced no hot food! "Staff shortages"
Announcement suggested travelling on 17:30 or 17:33 trains if want hot food. No bleedin'' good if you have an AP ticket.

 

[Butts]

Currently sat on the 17:18 from Kings X to Hull
Just been announced no hot food! "Staff shortages"
Announcement suggested travelling on 17:30 or 17:33 trains if want hot food. No bleedin'' good if you have an AP ticket.

Could have been worse "No Staff - No Food"

I'm sure the Alcohol will be free flowing to ameliorate the disappointment.

 

[westv]

Could have been worse "No Staff - No Food"

I'm sure the Alcohol will be free flowing to ameliorate the disappointment.

Well yes but still a pain if the food was going to he your main meal of the day.

 

[westv]

The "dessert" offering

 

[Butts]

The "dessert" offering

View attachment 147148

I was going to comment you must have a very light appetite if LNER's finest "happy meal" is enough to sate your culinary requirements.

With this illustration of their parsimony you have negated the need for that to occur

 

[westv]

I have just noticed the the sandwich I had is shown as having more calories than the Dine meal I was going to have. The dessert would have roughly doubled the total though.

 

[Andy Pacer]

I'm thinking of going from Darlington to Berwick-upon-Tweed in January. What are the odds that I would get the complimentary food offering?
I'm looking at the 0924 which is a Dine service. It's over the 60 minute baseline at 72 mins.
I've taken this train to Edinburgh before in first class, but my order wasn't taken until Newcastle and it didn't arrive until just before Berwick due to the crew changeover at Newcastle.

I would expect orders to be taken after departure from Newcastle.

 

[Bungle73]

Paupers' menu trotted out for the whole of December by LNER again! No cooked breakfast again! Glad I travelled in October now, even though it would have been nice to have been in York during the Christmas events.

https://www.lner.co.uk/globalassets/christmas-2023-first-class-menu.pdf

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Paupers' menu trotted out for the whole of December by LNER again! No cooked breakfast again! Glad I travelled in October now, even though it would have been nice to have been in York during the Christmas events.

https://www.lner.co.uk/globalassets/christmas-2023-first-class-menu.pdf

The usual dressing up of a cutback as something beneficial to the customer infuriates me. LNER and EMR are the two usual offenders of this.

If you want to downgrade something, just do it quietly without fanfare and hope it isn't noticed, or even be honest and say that a reduced offering will be provided over the festive season, but have enough respect for your customers' intelligence not to advertise an obvious reduction/scaling down of the food service as something exciting or beneficial "Our Christmassy festive menu is here" etc etc.

 

[Gwr12345]

Paupers' menu trotted out for the whole of December by LNER again! No cooked breakfast again! Glad I travelled in October now, even though it would have been nice to have been in York during the Christmas events.

https://www.lner.co.uk/globalassets/christmas-2023-first-class-menu.pdf

Why is this done? Is it because they expect more first class travellers over the festive period, so adjust to cope? or to give the chefs the entire month off?

 

[Bishopstone]

Why is this done? Is it because they expect more first class travellers over the festive period, so adjust to cope? or to give the chefs the entire month off?

Less business travel during December and the holiday period, so fewer first class Advance fares sold within the higher pricing tiers?

And then, over the core holiday fortnight (corresponding with schools being out), the need to manage the service on more limited staff availability.

Ultimately, first class has to be operated on a strictly commercial footing, so they’ll offer whatever they feel they can get away with.

 

[Butts]

Less business travel during December and the holiday period, so fewer first class Advance fares sold within the higher pricing tiers?

And then, over the core holiday fortnight (corresponding with schools being out), the need to manage the service on more limited staff availability.

Ultimately, first class has to be operated on a strictly commercial footing, so they’ll offer whatever they feel they can get away with.

BA don't reduce their onboard or Lounge offerings during the Festive Period.

 

[rg177]

Seeing as the whole lot says 'available all day' - does that mean they'll be doing ravioli at 6am?

As a daytime/Off-Peak menu, it's fine - dare I say not the worst Festive attempt I've seen from LNER. if I was paying top dollar for a Peak service though, I'd not be awfully impressed.

I agree, though, they could just be honest about things (or have a slightly less naff meat-based hot option).

 

[Sleepy]

The usual dressing up of a cutback as something beneficial to the customer infuriates me. LNER and EMR are the two usual offenders of this.

If you want to downgrade something, just do it quietly without fanfare and hope it isn't noticed, or even be honest and say that a reduced offering will be provided over the festive season, but have enough respect for your customers' intelligence not to advertise an obvious reduction/scaling down of the food service as something exciting or beneficial "Our Christmassy festive menu is here" etc etc.

Appalling to offer this menu for 5 weeks !! Could just about understand it for 2 weeks from 18th December. What are the chefs doing during this period ? Hot options very poor too IMO. Bailey's Chocolate truffles for breakfast - must be Christmas.

 

[westv]

And no doubt there will be more money saving in January when they force Veganuary on everybody again.