Avanti West Coast First Class

[dave87016]

Today I’m first class on the 0814 Preston to Glasgow Avanti service pendolino 390010 “Cumbrian Spirit “ first class is quiet about 7 passengers

As soon as we departed Preston a nice polite gentleman came round taking breakfast orders i ordered a full English he then asked if I would like brown or white toast with it I went for white, 5 minutes later tea/coffee and juice trolley came round I got a coffee and orange juice , looks like it is the only drinks run until departure from Carlisle as currently passing Tebay and no second run yet but believe me the breakfast was every bit as good as it looks ( see attached picture ) and the service has been provided by a friendly happy and polite Scottish crew a message via messenger and Avanti website to praise them including the nice young female Train manager beckons after this

Left Carlisle 09:22am on time and another drinks run again I had coffee and was also asked if I would like another orange juice , this was a nice change as usually they clear the juice glasses away after Carlisle

 

[Bletchleyite]

It looks nice but I can't help but wonder where the rest of it is?

Far too often First Class meals appear to be small taster plates rather than actual meals. A full English isn't worth the name if it only has one sausage, though there at least seem to be two pieces of bacon.

 

[dave87016]

It looks nice but I can't help but wonder where the rest of it is?

Far too often First Class meals appear to be small taster plates rather than actual meals. A full English isn't worth the name if it only has one sausage, though there at least seem to be two pieces of bacon.

Yes I know but what was on the plate was every bit as good as it looked , I will post my return journeys offerings later on ( 18:40pm ex Glasgow )

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yes I know but what was on the plate was every bit as good as it looked , I will post my return journeys offerings later on ( 18:40pm ex Glasgow )

I don't doubt the quality of them as taster plates, but the problem with taster plates is that you end up buying a meal as well. To me it needs to either be a full, generously portioned meal as you'd buy in a pub or cafe, or just make it an optional paid-for extra and I'll pay for a meal elsewhere. That's one reason I favour the Standard Premium or "Euro 1st" model.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

One thing I always noticed, as silly as it sounds, is on the full English you’d often get nice lean crispy bacon on the West Coast, and horrible greasy thick stuff with stringy fat on the East Coast

Mind you, LNER always did nicer bacon rolls with brioche buns instead of the dry buns Virgin produced, but with much nicer options like the much missed Eggs Benedict on the menu, who was ordering those on the morning 390 anyway?

 

[dave87016]

One thing I always noticed, as silly as it sounds, is on the full English you’d often get nice lean crispy bacon on the West Coast, and horrible greasy thick stuff with stringy fat on the East Coast

Mind you, LNER always did nicer bacon rolls with brioche buns instead of the dry buns Virgin produced, but with much nicer options like the much missed Eggs Benedict on the menu, who was ordering those on the morning 390 anyway?

No one did , I was the only one who wanted a full English after Preston , three othered went for bacon or sausage in granary bread

 

[dave87016]

So this evenings 18:40pm departure from Glasgow to Preston - where I alight ( train continues to Euston and is worked by 390011 “ City Of Lichfield “

We departed on time seems to be short staffed as only one lady has been seen on first class duty , about twelve people in coach J

Alcoholic and soft drinks trolley arrived about 5 minutes after departure , I asked for a cider and she accidentally opened a bottle of becks !! Not sure how she managed that but she was polite and friendly and gave me a cider aswell she took food orders and they didn’t arrive till 7:15pm I chose the Cheese & tomato croque which was fantastic sorry forgot the picture will take one when I do the 16:40pm from Glasgow on Friday

Just passed Lockerbie no dessert yet and no further drinks not a single hot drinks run yet either

Oh and Glasgow Central first class lounge shut again it’s been shut every time I’ve been Glasgow this year and I have raised the issue with Avanti despite their insistence that it is still open

On departure from Carlisle the same first class hostess came round with tea/coffee and gave us a lemon shortbread and a marbled dark and white chocolate bar , see attached pic for those , once she took trolley back she came round with alcoholic/soft drinks again

Overall not bad but no dessert for the second successive time is the only blot on the journey

Spoke to the first class hostess surprisingly not short staffed there is only one person booked to work first class on this service definately seems to me like they are trying to do away with first class

 

[dave87016]

Tommorow ( Friday 30th ) I’m booked on the 08:14am from Preston to Glasgow and 16:40pm Glasgow - Preston I will take a pic of the mains and post with my thoughts on my experience

Just received a message the 0814am is now cancelled due to lack of train crew

 

[dave87016]

Well that’s me finished with Avanti West Coast. To add insult to injury with the 08:14am from Preston to Glasgow cancelled no breakfast at all on the 08:54am from Preston

Just 2 drink runs from Preston what an absolute shambles

 

[voyagerdude220]

Well that’s me finished with Avanti West Coast. To add insult to injury with the 08:14am from Preston to Glasgow cancelled no breakfast at all on the 08:54am from Preston

Just 2 drink runs from Preston what an absolute shambles

I do hope Avanti offers you suitable compensation for the lack of breakfast considering the extra you've had to pay for First Class and only receive a couple of drinks.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I do hope Avanti offers you suitable compensation for the lack of breakfast considering the extra you've had to pay for First Class and only receive a couple of drinks.

They'll probably claim it's complimentary despite it being the only material difference from Standard Premium. Would love to see someone challenge the concept of "complimentary refreshments" in Court - they are very clearly part of the offer as it is marketed and thus not complimentary at all but included in the price. Thus if not provided a partial refund should be due.

 

[dave87016]

I do hope Avanti offers you suitable compensation for the lack of breakfast considering the extra you've had to pay for First Class and only receive a couple of drinks.

So do I , but I won’t hold my breath as Bletchleyite said they will claim it’s complimentary and the previous issues I raised with Avanti got me nowhere they just wouldn’t budge even when they was clearly wrong

 

[dave87016]

Well the 16:40pm ex Glasgow has been a hit and miss so far , after departure from Glasgow food orders and drinks orders taken run by two ladies , again I went for the cheese & tomato croque , it was hot but not as good as it was Wednesday , they did ask if I wanted another drink I politely declined until we leave carlisle

Again no raspberry tart ( has anyone actually had it ? ) I don’t think it exists I think it’s on the menu to entice passengers as the 4 or 5 times I’ve done it there has been no sign of the raspberry
tart instead it was a lemon shortbread or marbled chocolate today unlike Wednesday we was only offered one or the other to sum it up I won’t be travelling first class in Avanti for the foreseeable future unless things improve drastically

 

[Huntergreed]

Well the 16:40pm ex Glasgow has been a hit and miss so far , after departure from Glasgow food orders and drinks orders taken run by two ladies , again I went for the cheese & tomato croque , it was hot but not as good as it was Wednesday , they did ask if I wanted another drink I politely declined until we leave carlisle

Again no raspberry tart ( has anyone actually had it ? ) I don’t think it exists I think it’s on the menu to entice passengers as the 4 or 5 times I’ve done it there has been no sign of the raspberry
tart instead it was a lemon shortbread or marbled chocolate today unlike Wednesday we was only offered one or the other to sum it up I won’t be travelling first class in Avanti for the foreseeable future unless things improve drastically

I presume it will be a no - but was the lounge at GLC open?

For the past 3 months, I’ve travelled Lockerbie - GLC and back almost daily to commute to/from Uni (finished 2 weeks ago) and I don’t think I’ve seen it open once!

 

[voyagerdude220]

Again no raspberry tart ( has anyone actually had it ? ) I don’t think it exists I think it’s on the menu to entice passengers as the 4 or 5 times I’ve done it there has been no sign of the raspberry
tart instead it was a lemon shortbread or marbled chocolate today unlike Wednesday we was only offered one or the other to sum it up I won’t be travelling first class in Avanti for the foreseeable future unless things improve drastically

In my opinion that sounds incredibly stingy, offering you either shortbread or chocolate, particularly when they didn't have the advertised Raspberry Tart available.

 

[dave87016]

I presume it will be a no - but was the lounge at GLC open?

For the past 3 months, I’ve travelled Lockerbie - GLC and back almost daily to commute to/from Uni (finished 2 weeks ago) and I don’t think I’ve seen it open once!

You presume correct mate as at beginning of this thread on the occasions this year when I’ve been it’s been shut despite Avantis social media and customer relations insistence that it’s open!!

Fair play to the ladies on first class duty on the 16:40, 3 drink runs , and they went round for food orders to passengers who boarded at Motherwell , Carlisle, Penrith and Oxenholme prob only once in years have I seen that happen.

 

[dave87016]

In my opinion that sounds incredibly stingy, offering you either shortbread or chocolate, particularly when they didn't have the advertised Raspberry Tart available.

Indeed it is stingy I feel mega ripped off based on the whole experiences today mate

 

[m4tt]

They still offering the uglies chocolates? You could always tell what mood the staff were in based on the amount you got, I once recieved 6 on an evening trip, retrieved from a big bag stored in the overhead luggage rack!

 

[dave87016]

They still offering the uglies chocolates? You could always tell what mood the staff were in based on the amount you got, I once recieved 6 on an evening trip, retrieved from a big bag stored in the overhead luggage rack!

Afraid not - I’ve certainly not seen them or been offered them, I think they have replaced them with the marbled chocolate fancy word for a small thin block of white and milk chocolate imo they are tasteless the packaging is better than the chocolate itself - I’m a big fan of uglies I used to ask for a couple before getting off and was successful nearly everytime

 

[Unstoppable]

What is everyone's view? Recently travelled first class on the 0428 Glasgow to Wigan. Breakfast was ordered before we left Glasgow Central and once served there was no more service. I got off 3hrs later at Wigan. I got a breakfast and one orange juice. I complained to avanti that the host sat on her arse when she only had to 2 pax and the reply is the service doesn't seem great but it is complimentary. How the hell can food and drink be complimentary when you pay the difference between std premium and first class?

 

[Butts]

What is everyone's view? Recently travelled first class on the 0428 Glasgow to Wigan. Breakfast was ordered before we left Glasgow Central and once served there was no more service. I got off 3hrs later at Wigan. I got a breakfast and one orange juice. I complained to avanti that the host sat on her arse when she only had to 2 pax and the reply is the service doesn't seem great but it is complimentary. How the hell can food and drink be complimentary when you pay the difference between std premium and first class?

Some Hosts are better than others - you were probably a little unlucky- did you get toast with your breakfast ?

Did you ask her for a Coffee after the initial service ?

From my experience breakfast service is often inferior to when they get onto All Day Menus later in the day.

 

[Unstoppable]

Some Hosts are better than others - you were probably a little unlucky.

Did you ask her for a Coffee after the initial service ?

Nope, I don't see why the customer should need to chase staff when paying a premium. Good ol First Group have sure ruined the legacy Branson created. First Group destroy everything they get their hands on

 

[richa2002]

What is everyone's view? Recently travelled first class on the 0428 Glasgow to Wigan. Breakfast was ordered before we left Glasgow Central and once served there was no more service. I got off 3hrs later at Wigan. I got a breakfast and one orange juice. I complained to avanti that the host sat on her arse when she only had to 2 pax and the reply is the service doesn't seem great but it is complimentary. How the hell can food and drink be complimentary when you pay the difference between std premium and first class?

Mad. But then I don't really know why anyone is travelling first anymore when you can just go much cheaper in standard premium without the meagre and unreliable refreshments.

 

[Huntergreed]

What is everyone's view? Recently travelled first class on the 0428 Glasgow to Wigan. Breakfast was ordered before we left Glasgow Central and once served there was no more service. I got off 3hrs later at Wigan. I got a breakfast and one orange juice. I complained to avanti that the host sat on her arse when she only had to 2 pax and the reply is the service doesn't seem great but it is complimentary. How the hell can food and drink be complimentary when you pay the difference between std premium and first class?

I’m afraid technically it is correct. You are theoretically buying the privilege to sit in a first class carriage.

Sadly this doesn’t extend to complimentary catering, which isn’t an exclusive “right”, but I agree it certainly devalues the outrageous margin they charge for first.

That said, there are too many AWC first class hosts who seem to believe their job is to sit and relax in coach K after doing one service for their whole journey.

I’ve had many exceptional hosts, but there are sadly a few who are clearly not interested in customer service or doing their jobs properly.

I only use first when I can do so for free (interrail and/or the club Avanti complimentary tickets), and so far I’ve had very mixed experiences with Avanti.

I agree that the small difference between SP and first doesn’t justify the ridiculous increase in price between the two classes.

Indeed, I would say SP is much better at weekends than first when it’s only coach K!

 

[Butts]

Mad. But then I don't really know why anyone is travelling first anymore when you can just go much cheaper in standard premium without the meagre and unreliable refreshments.

Well on my last journey in August from Edinburgh to Sandwell & Dudley I had a diametrically opposed experience documented on another thread.

There was no at seat service until we reached Preston but prior to that we were invited to the Shop to help ourselves to whatever we liked on production of a 1st Class Ticket.

I had a can of Stella, Cappuccino, proper pre=packed Ploughman's Sandwich, Grab Bag Crisps, Twix and a Chocolate Bar.

Once the host joined us in Preston I added to the above with a toasted cheese sandwich, crisps, cake, coffee and three or four scotches.

This knocked a big dent in the price difference between SP and 1st and made for an enjoyable journey.

This was on a Saturday - the full "Coach K" experience and perhaps the exception to the rule due to the circumstances.

 

[Unstoppable]

Just off the early morning Glasgow to London Via West Mids. 2 x full breakfast and a bacon sandwich with at least a full carton of orange juice rounded up with a visit to Euston first class lounge. I would say it was a decent service but they definitely need to provide biscuits and light nibbles for after your breakfast, especially to go with hot drinks

 

[Butts]

Just off the early morning Glasgow to London Via West Mids. 2 x full breakfast and a bacon sandwich with at least a full carton of orange juice rounded up with a visit to Euston first class lounge. I would say it was a decent service but they definitely need to provide biscuits and light nibbles for after your breakfast, especially to go with hot drinks

So are you going to retract your comments from #52 ?

 

[Unstoppable]

So are you going to retract your comments from #52 ?

Well, it is showing both ends of the scale. For those who pay walk up fares they expect an exemplary service

 

[Sleepy]

The wander down the train with the enormous wicker basket of toasts and croissants was always a lovely touch, so it's a shame if they've ditched it. They've scrapped the classy Eggs Benedict option too. Two nice little touches that always set Virgin aside from the more run-of-the-mill range on LNER. That said, as I regularly complain about, I'd far rather go back to the days of having LNER's (in my opinion vastly inferior to Avanti's) full English on every train, before the bacon-rollification But I've moaned about that enough already.

are you going to give us feedback on the catering on your recent journey ?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

are you going to give us feedback on the catering on your recent journey ?

I'm still sat on the up 390, give us a chance!

I will add I'm onto my third bottle of mini vodka today, unclassy as it sounds.
I've also had two of the raspberry tarts which according to some on here are lesser-spotted, and they are sensational. You don't expect something like that to be as moist as it is, you'd think the crust would be dry but oh no. No, no, no.