First class travel - Over rated?

[Julian Hornby]

We're all aware that first class is a nice thing to be able to have but... On a train is it really worth it? I travelled on Southern trains class 377 from Southampton to Brighton and went first class to see the difference. I payed £120 more and all I got was a free bottle of water and a slightly larger seat. The compartment wasn't even separated from standard. The only way I'd ever travel first class again is on East coast if I book in advance. It's ludicrous that they can get away with this!
If you've had bad or good experiences in first class please comment on the thread and also say if you think it's worth it.
Thanks for reading,
Julian

 

[SS4]

We're all aware that first class is a nice thing to be able to have but... On a train is it really worth it? I travelled on Southern trains class 377 from Southampton to Brighton and went first class to see the difference. I payed £120 more and all I got was a free bottle of water and a slightly larger seat. The compartment wasn't even separated from standard. The only way I'd ever travel first class again is on East coast if I book in advance. It's ludicrous that they can get away with this!
If you've had bad or good experiences in first class please comment on the thread and also say if you think it's worth it.
Thanks for reading,
Julian

The bit in bold is your problem. First Class on Virgin (VT) [and I'm led to believe East Coast (EC) and First Great Western (FGW)] is much better than Southern or London Midland for example.

Typically walk up fares for first class are not worth it unless it's one someone else's bill of course! Whether you think Advance Firsts are worthwhile depends on what you want from the journey - me wanting a bit of quiet is worth paying an extra £20 for. Proper food and drink means nothing to me except for tea as I can get it from the station for cheap.

 

[Goatboy]

We're all aware that first class is a nice thing to be able to have but... On a train is it really worth it? I travelled on Southern trains class 377 from Southampton to Brighton and went first class to see the difference. I payed £120 more and all I got was a free bottle of water and a slightly larger seat.

How did you pay £120 more for this journey on Southern?! The most expensive fare you would need to buy to travel on the Southern service from Brighton to Southampton is a First Class Anytime Day Return route Barnham for £39 return. it is £13, not £120, more than the equivilent Standard class ticket.

Travelling offpeak the First Class offpeak day return is £22.50.

If you did something ridiculous like purchase a fully flexible any permitted fare at a huge cost then you really shouldn't have.

 

[hassaanhc]

We're all aware that first class is a nice thing to be able to have but... On a train is it really worth it? I travelled on Southern trains class 377 from Southampton to Brighton and went first class to see the difference. I payed £120 more and all I got was a free bottle of water and a slightly larger seat. The compartment wasn't even separated from standard. The only way I'd ever travel first class again is on East coast if I book in advance. It's ludicrous that they can get away with this!
If you've had bad or good experiences in first class please comment on the thread and also say if you think it's worth it.
Thanks for reading,
Julian

Southern are known for this unfortunately, on most 377s the driving coaches have exactly the same seats as First Class but not usually classified as such, just the ends of the coaches which are separated by a partition.

 

[Julian Hornby]

It was a peak ticket I bought the ticket for the fear of not getting a seat in standard

 

[Goatboy]

It was a peak ticket I bought the ticket for the fear of not getting a seat in standard

You bought an Any Permitted ticket with validity via London when the right ticket would have been a Route Via Barnham First Anytime Return, which allows peak travel on the Brighton to Southampton Southern service and costs just £39.

You didn't pay a fortune because it was First Class, you paid a fortune because you bought a ticket with considerably more validity than was required for your journey.

Even that still isn't £120 more - the most expensive Any Permitted First Class Return is actually only about 50 quid more than the equivalent Any Permitted Standard Class Anytime Return, not £120 more.

 

[swt_passenger]

I'm rather puzzled by the 'free bottle of water' and 'slightly larger seat' on a SN service. There's no catering on the route at all is there?

 

[GatwickDepress]

This seems to pop up every few months.

Southern is primarily a commuter TOC. First class primarily for giving one a greater chance of getting a seat; any bonuses such as a plug socket or a complimentary drink is dependent on the route and rolling stock involved.

 

[Julian Hornby]

Indeed, there is. A bottle of water is their idea of catering I guess.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
OK, thanks for explaining that! I only bought first class there and then because the trains was packed with football fans and I wasn't keen on standing on a peak time train for 1 and a half hours.

 

[yorksrob]

The OP is entirely correct.

Had he caught his train ten years ago, he would have got a comfortable armchair style seat and a cosy compartment for his supplement.

Unfortunately it boils down to the sad fact that modern trains are crap.

 

[yorkie]

We're all aware that first class is a nice thing to be able to have but... On a train is it really worth it? I travelled on Southern trains class 377 from Southampton to Brighton and went first class to see the difference. I paid £120 more ....

For Southampton to Brighton you paid £120 more? Edit: I can't work out any fare that is £120 more, even the difference between a Std & 1st 7 Day Season is £30.

The difference for a Single ticket is £7.70. There are various return options depending on what time you travelled and whether you returned in the same day.

But without knowing the full details of what time(s) and day(s) you made this journey it's difficult to judge.

I'd say the difference you paid must be for extra routeing validity, which is only justifiable if you need and use it.

For a single journey at peak times the £7.70 may well be worth it, but I wouldn't expect any catering on this route and would have no expectation of the seats being any wider than some of the Standard class seats.

 

[swt_passenger]

Indeed, there is. A bottle of water is their idea of catering I guess.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
OK, thanks for explaining that! I only bought first class there and then because the trains was packed with football fans and I wasn't keen on standing on a peak time train for 1 and a half hours.

Where were you when they handed out bottled water - and where did it come from?

What day of the week and what time of day was this?

Offpeak fares are available on the direct route from Southampton to Brighton from about 0930 on weekdays. Was a train really full of football fans at 0930 on a weekday?

 

[Hadders]

I suspect the OP is comparing the CDR route: Barnham fare at £15.50 with the FDR route: + Any Permitted at £134, which is a difference of £118.50.

I have a friend who (despite my advice) turns up at the booking office on the day of travel and 'pays what they tell me to pay.'

Perhaps the OP has done something similar, saying something like 'I want to travel first class and have the availability to travel on any train'.

 

[jon0844]

Perhaps the OP has done something similar, saying something like 'I want to travel first class and have the availability to travel on any train'.

Getting sold an All Line Rover in the process!