Avanti West Coast: Standard Premium

[Bletchleyite]

It sounds to me like First want to show they've actually done something since 2019. I understand this been a pandemic, but things could've worked behind the scenes. SP could've easily been rolled out in early 2020 or when restrictions eased for the first time.

Other than that, Avanti haven't did very much. The staff still wear the Virgin colours, and the trains (bar the voyagers) are still Virgin coloured on the inside.

Agreed, it's lackadaisical and bare-minimum in the extreme. After the glitz of Virgin (I accept this isn't to everyone's taste!) quite disappointing, really.

 

[Merseysider]

Other than that, Avanti haven't done very much. The staff still wear the Virgin colours, and the trains (bar the voyagers) are still Virgin coloured on the inside.

And the catering in First Class is still ridiculously hit and miss!

 

[Scotrail314209]

And the catering in First Class is still ridiculously hit and miss!

Agreed, it's lackadaisical and bare-minimum in the extreme. After the glitz of Virgin (I accept this isn't to everyone's taste!) quite disappointing, really.

Also the seat backs on the Pendolinos still have the "Hello! We're Avanti West Coast" stickers on the back of the seats.

It's not a very good show, especially since they promised things to happen.

 

[Mag_seven]

And the catering in First Class is still ridiculously hit and miss!

Indeed - I was offered a cup of tea in a plastic cup in Avanti First today!

 

[Grumpy Git]

As I said before, when travelling FC on Avanti from Euston after 6 pm, I've only been offered an awful box of cheese and biscuits. It really is a pathetic attempt.

The breakfasts are better, but a really small portion.

As someone who pays his own fares I've only ever partaken as part of an international pass.

 

[philosopher]

It sounds to me like First want to show they've actually done something since 2019. I understand this been a pandemic, but things could've worked behind the scenes. SP could've easily been rolled out in early 2020 or when restrictions eased for the first time.

Other than that, Avanti haven't did very much. The staff still wear the Virgin colours, and the trains (bar the voyagers) are still Virgin coloured on the inside.

At the moment, you are almost certain to get two seats to yourself in standard, so why would you want to pay more for a bigger seat. Perhaps after the 19th July more will be tempted to use Standard Premium.

 

[D6130]

Was it a franchise commitment? Have First perhaps decided they don't want it after all and so are deliberately botching it?

....or was it a Trenitalia initiative? Don't forget they have four different classes of travel on their Frecciarossa high speed trains.

 

[Merseysider]

At the fares Virgin/Avanti have been charging for First Class, anything less than the three-course meal ATW/TFW offer/offered before the pandemic (for a much lower price!) feels like a shakedown.

The current derisive tea and biscuits on offer certainly don’t encourage you to pay over the odds. I accept with staff needing to isolate at short notice it might be difficult at the moment, but longer term they need to really ensure the advertised offering in First Class is provided.

 

[py_megapixel]

It sounds like, which is disappointing as if it does well it could be really good.

Was it a franchise commitment? Have First perhaps decided they don't want it after all and so are deliberately botching it?

....or was it a Trenitalia initiative? Don't forget they have four different classes of travel on their Frecciarossa high speed trains.

I wonder if they intend to relaunch it - maybe under a different name - once the Pendo refurbs come out. That way they can get the basics as close as possible to sorted now, and then start afresh with a properly refined product and possibly a new batch of media coverage to give it a jump-start.

 

[Journeyman]

It sounds like, which is disappointing as if it does well it could be really good.

Was it a franchise commitment? Have First perhaps decided they don't want it after all and so are deliberately botching it?

I do wonder if the problems are being over-reported here. A lot of people seem to want it to fail.

 

[takno]

I do wonder if the problems are being over-reported here. A lot of people seem to want it to fail.

Agreed. Once the trains are back to being properly full on standard, the higher priced first tickets are on sale, and the logistics of consistently running a proper first class have been addressed, then both classes will be able to sell themselves.

The actual customers for the product are mostly still acclimatising themselves to seeing local friends and not feeling terrified in the pub. They're not back yet, so won't have any opinion on how the two classes are looking at the moment

 

[vlad]

And the catering in First Class is still ridiculously hit and miss!

It's improved from Virgin days, then!

 

[Blinkbonny]

Foolish man today heading North asked if he could have both porridge AND the bacon roll!

He was obviously soon disabused of such a ridiculous notion, with the vague promise of perhaps a second serving after Preston.

I'm sure he was told they only had four portions of each - but surely that can't be right?

Bring on those higher First Class fares say I!

 

[voyagerdude220]

Foolish man today heading North asked if he could have both porridge AND the bacon roll!

Someone recently posted a video on Avanti's Facebook page of their extremely watery excuse for Porridge.

I don't know if it was one they were offered in First Class or if they bought it from the Shop.

 

[Merseysider]

Someone recently posted a video on Avanti's Facebook page of their extremely watery excuse for Porridge.

Yep I’ve had it too! Personally I’d rather drink troll piss

I don't know if it was one they were offered in First Class or if they bought it from the Shop.

I may have just been unlucky the last few times I’ve gone Avanti but the food in the shop wasn’t particularly appetising either... sandwiches slumping in their packaging with a cloud of condensation visible on the plastic for example...

 

[Journeyman]

I may have just been unlucky the last few times I’ve gone Avanti but the food in the shop wasn’t particularly appetising either... sandwiches slumping in their packaging with a cloud of condensation visible on the plastic for example...

It's a bit OT, but I'm really not convinced the shop concept has ever worked very well, and it seems like a typical Virgin gimmick I'd like to see pensioned off. Put a conventional buffet in.

 

[Butts]

At the fares Virgin/Avanti have been charging for First Class, anything less than the three-course meal ATW/TFW offer/offered before the pandemic (for a much lower price!) feels like a shakedown.

The current derisive tea and biscuits on offer certainly don’t encourage you to pay over the odds. I accept with staff needing to isolate at short notice it might be difficult at the moment, but longer term they need to really ensure the advertised offering in First Class is provided.

Has the service deteriorated over the last month or so ?

I was on 4 Journeys during May which were reasonably well provisioned - hell even the alcohol (apart from the spirits) had returned.

Perhaps as it 's getting busier the problems are increasing. My coaches were that quiet the staff were pleased to give something away.

Someone mentioned the fabled cracker poppadum boxes but on top of that we got crisps, uglies and various other bits.

It is a bit tight not offering two rolls in place of the plated breakfast.

Anyone remember the "Toast Famine" of a few years back ?

It seems SP is resulting in 1st Class getting worse rather than discernibly better to differentiate it.

 

[Wolfie]

Yep I’ve had it too! Personally I’d rather drink troll piss

I may have just been unlucky the last few times I’ve gone Avanti but the food in the shop wasn’t particularly appetising either... sandwiches slumping in their packaging with a cloud of condensation visible on the plastic for example...

Can't resist inquiring how you know what troll pee tastes like....

Seriously, sounds absolutely woeful.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's a bit OT, but I'm really not convinced the shop concept has ever worked very well, and it seems like a typical Virgin gimmick I'd like to see pensioned off. Put a conventional buffet in.

I'd have a smaller buffet and a small area of standing tables, a bit like Eurostar.

 

[Jimini]

Travelled in first tonight from Euston at about 9:45pm, and the service was impeccable. Chicken BBQ wrap was fresh and tasty, accompanied by the cheese and biscuit box, crisps, cookies and chocolate. Oh, and two bottles of Becks

 

[Blinkbonny]

"Accompanied by" the cheese and biscuit box? I was offered that as my main course!

(As an aside, it is worth noting that if, like me, you ask for a vegetarian option it is remarkable the number of staff who don't realise that the Vegan offering is ALSO a vegetarian option!)

 

[Ianno87]

I'd have a smaller buffet and a small area of standing tables, a bit like Eurostar.

I'd not have it at all, and move to at-seat ordering.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'd not have it at all, and move to at-seat ordering.

That's an interesting point. In my experience at-seat ordering (not just in the rail industry) is clunky and awkward (though it needn't be, I suppose - but I'm yet to see an implementation that isn't) while the trolley doesn't pass often enough so I would still prefer to have some sort of cafe area on full sized long distance trains.

I'd settle for having a steward/ess in every couple of coaches, but that would be much more costly - perhaps fine for Standard Premium* but not the rest of Standard. Trolleys and the likes work fine on 2 and 3-car DMUs but become impractical on long trains - my "hit rate" of a cup of tea on GWR 80x services is appalling**, and that's including a couple of Paddington<->Penzance journeys.

* I quite like the DB First Class approach of "order paid stuff from the buffet but have it served on proper plates etc" and think that would work well for SP
** It's actually zero, in fact; best I've managed is a can of warm Coke having had to go and track the trolley down for it - truly useless

 

[island]

In my limited experience the Standard Premier on Eurostar trumps Avanti First Class weekday by miles, particularly in the afternoon/evenings, where the Avanti food offering is/was a complete joke.

I haven't travelled Avanti 1st class, though in the Virgin days the weekday 1st class was miles better than Eurostar SP. Eurostar offered (and still offers) a cold postage stamp-sized portion of chicken or salmon and a blink-and-you'll-miss-it salad, with a bread roll and some trivial dessert.

 

[jfollows]

I haven't travelled Avanti 1st class, though in the Virgin days the weekday 1st class was miles better than Eurostar SP. Eurostar offered (and still offers) a cold postage stamp-sized portion of chicken or salmon and a blink-and-you'll-miss-it salad, with a bread roll and some trivial dessert.

However, Eurostar SP used to be better, it offered a hot meal in its original incarnation which lasted beyond the move to Saint Pancras, but in the last few years it's become significantly worse as you describe.

 

[VauxhallandI]

I haven't travelled Avanti 1st class, though in the Virgin days the weekday 1st class was miles better than Eurostar SP. Eurostar offered (and still offers) a cold postage stamp-sized portion of chicken or salmon and a blink-and-you'll-miss-it salad, with a bread roll and some trivial dessert.

You are describing the present Avanti 1st Class offering I'm afraid.

 

[Grumpy Git]

I haven't travelled Avanti 1st class, though in the Virgin days the weekday 1st class was miles better than Eurostar SP. Eurostar offered (and still offers) a cold postage stamp-sized portion of chicken or salmon and a blink-and-you'll-miss-it salad, with a bread roll and some trivial dessert.

The Eurostar offering is very good quality food in my experience, the Avanti offering is dire.

Some folk don't seem to give a damn what crap they eat so long as they have a plateful (and seconds if possible), I'm not one of them.

 

[VauxhallandI]

The Eurostar offering is very good quality food in my experience, the Avanti offering is dire.

Some folk don't seem to give a damn what crap they eat so long as they have a plateful (and seconds if possible), I'm not one of them.

It was combo of both small and rotten on Avanti.

I wouldn't mind but the food and drink services are so badly times that by the time you receive your dry as a bone wrap you have no drink to swallow it with.

 

[Butts]

The Eurostar offering is very good quality food in my experience, the Avanti offering is dire.

Some folk don't seem to give a damn what crap they eat so long as they have a plateful (and seconds if possible), I'm not one of them.

I fall into that category when it is accompanied (or was) by Branded Spirits.

After a few you tend not to notice the food quality

 

[jfollows]

From The Times today, Saturday 10 July 2021 (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/pay-an-extra-75-to-travel-in-peace-you-bet-we-will-xwq35jc8t):

CAROL MIDGLEY | NOTEBOOK

Pay an extra £75 to travel in peace? You bet we will​

Carol Midgley

Saturday July 10 2021, 12.01am, The Times

Try to contain your envy but I’ve had my first experience of premium economy, Avanti’s move to three-tier travel. It wasn’t intentional. I’m normally strictly “economy” but at Euston with husband and daughter we’d done the usual inelegant dash past the long sweep of totally empty first class carriages to fight like bantam cocks for space in “goat”, finding nowhere to sit, at least not anywhere remotely together. M&S gin and tonics were winking from my bag which needed drinking before they got warm (an appalling waste) so we bit the bullet and paid the weekend upgrade, which I dimly recall used to be £15 each to sit in first class with free drinks and snacks. Now? It’s £25 each to sit in premium economy with . . . naff-all except an antimacassar behind your head. Initially hopes soared: the tannoy told of a free biryani being served. Ooh. But that was only for the elite in first. However if we used the first class lavatory and hovered at the sliding door we could inhale the curry aroma we weren’t allowed to have. “PE” was empty save for us and one other person. Was it worth paying £75 to escape battery chicken class and sip G&Ts in peace for two hours? Totally. I’d do it again.