Cross Country (XC) First Class service

[Deerfold]

I'm a reasonably regular user of LNER First Class and reader of the thread in this subforum.

I couldn't find a similar one for XC, so thought I'd start one.

For the first time we decided to splash out on First Class advances on XC, having looked at the offering on their website.

We travelled yesterday from just after 1200 for over 2 hours and I was surprised that that didn't get the "lunch" option, but just 2 mini-cans of pop and a packet of crisps (only about half the items on the "snack" menu online were available).

Today we're heading back and 45 minutes into the journey have had a ticket check, but no sign of any catering.

Is this normal on XC?

Their fares and their premium for 1st are not low

 

[Blindtraveler]

Pre-Pandemic I found cross country first class. One of the better ones on intercity but haven't done it since. And yours is not the only report of things going rather downhill

 

[Deerfold]

Another 45 minutes into the journey (and nearly 30 late) and still no sign of any staff since the ticket check within 10 minutes of boarding.

 

[LittleRedTrain]

I've found it very hit and miss when I've used it on the Reading-Birmingham axis.
Usually get a cup of tea, and often a biscuit, but often when asking about food I'm told that there was none onboard.
Did once get a bacon roll, but have never managed more than that.

The XC catering staff are not always very proactive, often doing one run down the coach then sitting chatting to their mates for the next hour.

 

[zero]

Currently on a Eurail pass.

Leeds to Birmingham - train had been delayed around Berwick and I was starving when it finally arrived and departed. The host quickly came out with a trolley to serve me and the other passenger in 1st (but there was another 1st section in the other 4 coaches) with drinks and biscuits.

He asked if I wanted anything more substantial and assumed I was familiar with the offerings. But when I asked what was available he went away and came back with a handheld tray which contained a selection of packaged sandwiches and rolls. Returned two more times to offer top ups of drinks.

At Derby there was a set swap and there didn't seem to be a guard or 1st class host in the new set.

 

[route101]

0748 Glasgow Central to Plymouth, I was surprised to see catering from Glasgow from this service rather than Edinburgh.

 

[yorkie]

I'm a reasonably regular user of LNER First Class and reader of the thread in this subforum.

I couldn't find a similar one for XC, so thought I'd start one.

For the first time we decided to splash out on First Class advances on XC, having looked at the offering on their website.

We travelled yesterday from just after 1200 for over 2 hours and I was surprised that that didn't get the "lunch" option, but just 2 mini-cans of pop and a packet of crisps (only about half the items on the "snack" menu online were available).

Today we're heading back and 45 minutes into the journey have had a ticket check, but no sign of any catering.

Is this normal on XC?

Absolutely yes.

Currently on a Eurail pass.

Leeds to Birmingham - train had been delayed around Berwick and I was starving when it finally arrived and departed. The host quickly came out with a trolley to serve me and the other passenger in 1st (but there was another 1st section in the other 4 coaches) with drinks and biscuits.

He asked if I wanted anything more substantial and assumed I was familiar with the offerings. But when I asked what was available he went away and came back with a handheld tray which contained a selection of packaged sandwiches and rolls. Returned two more times to offer top ups of drinks.

At Derby there was a set swap and there didn't seem to be a guard or 1st class host in the new set.

Indeed, most XC hosts in my experience do not offer much, and you have to "know" what to say to get anything other than a minimal offering of unhealthy snacks.

If you do ask, then there is a possibility of something more substantial, such as a basic quality sandwich. However, there is also every chance that they won't have any; typically not because they have run out, but because they were never loaded.

I've even had staff deny that sandwiches were included and had to be paid for. After a crew change at Birmingham, the next host was a very rare proactive one, who said that there were loads of sandwiches going spare and handed them out because otherwise they'd have to get rid of them when they got to Leeds. That was the only ever time I recall sandwiches being proactively offered (unless it's been a host I know!)

 

[mrcheek]

One thing I will say for XC First Class:

The Taylor's coffee bags that they now use are a massive improvement on the Starbucks coffee they used to serve!

 

[Deerfold]

2 hours into the journey we did get a run where I got a flapjack and a single 150ml can of pop.

20 minutes later the host came round saying she had a few sandwiches and offering them, but none were vegetarian. The woman sharing our table who had connected from another XC train had her first substantial food in 4 hours (she'd had crisps when I had a flapjack).

 

[yorkie]

2 hours into the journey we did get a run where I got a flapjack and a single 150ml can of pop.

20 minutes later the host came round saying she had a few sandwiches and offering them, but none were vegetarian. The woman sharing our table who had connected from another XC train had her first substantial food in 4 hours (she'd had crisps when I had a flapjack).

This is actually not bad by XC standards! Did they proactively say they had sandwiches (very rare, if so), or did you have to ask?

On the rare occasions when sandwiches are available, the range is typically extremely limited.

 

[Deerfold]

This is actually not bad by XC standards! Did they proactively say they had sandwiches (very rare, if so), or did you have to ask?

On the rare occasions when sandwiches are available, the range is typically extremely limited.

They came round but made it clear there were only a handful left (though when there were more I'm not sure as they weren't offered in the 2.25 hours earlier). There were 2 of the 6 advertised types.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Catering restock points are I believe Birmingham, Plymouth, Edinburgh and possibly one other.

 

[bengolding]

Travel regularly in First with Cross Country and whilst I’m not overly first about complimentary offerings when travelling First, I do agree that the at seat offering is incredibly inconsistent. On Friday morning, I was proactively offered a bacon roll on departing Reading but was offered nothing earlier in the week on the same peak service to Oxford.

Pity they have done away with First on the selected Turbostar roots, including Cambridge. Presumably these compartments of nine seats will be converted into Standard seating soon?

 

[yorkie]

Pity they have done away with First on the selected Turbostar roots, including Cambridge. Presumably these compartments of nine seats will be converted into Standard seating soon?

I would assume they will be left as they are and declassified until they are next refurbished.

 

[Zerothebrake!]

Catering restock points are I believe Birmingham, Plymouth, Edinburgh and possibly one other.

Bristol & Leeds.

 

[route101]

Are the sandwiches offered in first class the same that are for sale on the trolley?

 

[Deerfold]

Bristol & Leeds.

In that case we boarded at a restocking point in both directions.

 

[Discuss223]

It's a mixed bag on CrossCountry. Some of the Hosts are great, very professional and attentive, others cannot be bothered and aim to do as minimal as possible. The seats nearest to the galley are often hogged by staff wishing to avoid work and engage in a gossip, in my experiences.


There used to be menus printed and placed on the tables to explain what was available but I've not seen these for some years onboard XC now.

The main offering is tea, coffee, hot chocolate, miniature cola, Schweppe's lemonade & Sunmagic orange juice for drinks with Border biscuits, crisps and iced fruit cake for snacks. A sandwich is offered to customers making significant journeys, though I've made journeys of over an hour and not been offered one.

I once actively asked what food was available and was told that they had a chilli con carne or a biryani available, despite their website only offering sandwiches, so it is worth enquiring with your Host.

The ambience and comfort in CrossCountry Voyagers' First Class is great and much preferable to that on a Hitachi unit on other operators.

 

[800Travel]

It's a mixed bag on CrossCountry. Some of the Hosts are great, very professional and attentive, others cannot be bothered and aim to do as minimal as possible. The seats nearest to the galley are often hogged by staff wishing to avoid work and engage in a gossip, in my experiences.


There used to be menus printed and placed on the tables to explain what was available but I've not seen these for some years onboard XC now.

The main offering is tea, coffee, hot chocolate, miniature cola, Schweppe's lemonade & Sunmagic orange juice for drinks with Border biscuits, crisps and iced fruit cake for snacks. A sandwich is offered to customers making significant journeys, though I've made journeys of over an hour and not been offered one.

I once actively asked what food was available and was told that they had a chilli con carne or a biryani available, despite their website only offering sandwiches, so it is worth enquiring with your Host.

The ambience and comfort in CrossCountry Voyagers' First Class is great and much preferable to that on a Hitachi unit on other operators.

Was this on a voyager or on a HST? Was under the impression that they only ever had sandwiches etc. on the voyagers

 

[Discuss223]

Was this on a voyager or on a HST? Was under the impression that they only ever had sandwiches etc. on the voyagers

It was a Voyager on the Manchester-Bournemouth route.

 

[father_jack]

Can I jump in at this point and ask are Seatfrog first class passengers treated as "second class" first class passengers ? 2 and a half hour journey ending in Derby out and back last week in a host attended carriage, tickets studiously checked and scanned and then one can of Coca Cola and a biscuit one way and zilch on the return...........

 

[Discuss223]

Can I jump in at this point and ask are Seatfrog first class passengers treated as "second class" first class passengers ? 2 and a half hour journey ending in Derby out and back last week in a host attended carriage, tickets studiously checked and scanned and then one can of Coca Cola and a biscuit one way and zilch on the return...........

I've been on a service, had my ticket checked and then not been offered anything before. The Train Manager on XC tends to leave Hosts to their own devices, which is why the service can be variable.

That said, you should have been offered refreshments and snacks if a Host was in active presence. I would recommend sending an Email to Seat Frog and raising a complaint.

Sympathies.

 

[Blindtraveler]

The news of decent coffee bags in cross country first, which I haven't used for ages is really positive. Someone somewhere has put some thought into that and certainly sets them a cut above some others in terms of coffee offered in first, trivial maybe, but I'm sure I'm not the only coffee snob on here

 

[rocrat]

If you do complain, you'll either get a £10 voucher or a trip to the Ombudsman for similar...

It is ridiculous that TOCs that advertise catering as "subject to availability" believe that they can get away with providing nothing at all.

 

[sh24]

IME it is variable, but the baseline is pleasant but rather disengaged host who expects you to know what the options are.

Contrast with GWR where the hosts are normally excellent and very proactive in offering everything they have.

 

[Blinkbonny]

Are the sandwiches offered in first class the same that are for sale on the trolley?

They might be the same but are certainly not interchangeable. Presumably anything off the trolley has to be costed and accounted for separately.

Host once had to walk the length of the train in order to get me the slightly smaller "first class" packet of crisps!

 

[fairlie]

Hadn't travelled 1st on CrossCountry for ages until the other day. Not sign of any food at all, mixer size lemonade and a small sparkling water. Feels very stingy!

 

[Blinkbonny]

It is. Always was!
You can get more by asking for it - but where's the fun in that?

I think they know that their trains are often so crush-loaded that they can sell First Class with just the offer of a seat.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

One thing I will say for XC First Class:

The Taylor's coffee bags that they now use are a massive improvement on the Starbucks coffee they used to serve!

I completely disagree. I did Aberzance in first the other day and the coffee bag drink made me gag. It tasted exactly like the boiled potatoes I remembered disliking from school dinners, I can't explain it. It was foul.

 

[duffield]

I completely disagree. I did Aberzance in first the other day and the coffee bag drink made me gag. It tasted exactly like the boiled potatoes I remembered disliking from school dinners, I can't explain it. It was foul.

Meanwhile, I think the coffee itself is excellent, but the "apparatus" is messy and wasteful. The little baskets for putting the coffee bag in are, bizarrely, not at all watertight, I didn't realise initially and it leaked on the table. And when you've finished you typically end up with the cup and lid, a stirrer, the bag, the bag basket, a "soaker" napkin that you had to put under the basket, a couple of plastic milk sachets and some empty sugar packets. It's a lot of waste, especially compared to LNER or Arriva West Coast where the only disposables are the sugar packets. Even EMR, who do use disposable cups, don't use wasteful milk sachets.