Standard or First Class Travel to client site

[kal]

Morning

Was wondering if any of you who do a daily commute by train elect to travel first class rather than cattle (standard). At the moment I travel on Virgin between Birmingham International and Watford/Euston on a daily basis. Its costs me approx £1070 a month on standard class. I was thinking of maybe upgrading to first class, a months travel is £1490, roughly £100 a week more. It does mean that I get to avoid the huddled masses (some of those trains are full to bursting, especially in the evening), free wifi and I hear that they serve breakfast and dinner/drinks as well (which may offset the extra £££).

Any of you do this? Is it worth the extra money for a more pleasant journey. Are the food/drinks on offer of a good standard or is it similar to the ropy buffet car subsistence on offer in standard?

[SimonMac]

First day it will be a nice novelty, but will soon wear off and £100 a week in someone else's pocket means £100 a week less in yours

[original PM]

it depends - do you normally use the wifi in cattle class?

If I recall when i do my Manc to Glasgow trips it was about 6 quid for 3 hours - which if doing it every day it would be 30 quid a week - so already you have made a saving and add in the free food you may get up to £100 per week benefits? (which is better than buffet cart but I found sometimes they try a bit to hard to make it gourment when really just a good chicken sandwich would be fine)

.....

[Old Hack]

First day it will be a nice novelty, but will soon wear off and £100 a week in someone else's pocket means £100 a week less in yours

I tend to use first class on the way home if I am in the smoke, as I get a meal and some wine, and you can work in the, largely, sparsely populated carriages (spreading your tulip around more). Also, you avoid the crush that is the reading commuters squeezing into every possible space.

[kal]

it depends - do you normally use the wifi in cattle class?

If I recall when i do my Manc to Glasgow trips it was about 6 quid for 3 hours - which if doing it every day it would be 30 quid a week - so already you have made a saving and add in the free food you may get up to £100 per week benefits? (which is better than buffet cart but I found sometimes they try a bit to hard to make it gourment when really just a good chicken sandwich would be fine)

.....

I can live without wifi as I usually pre-download the iplayer progs I watch when I'm on the train. Main lure is less people and complimentary food/drink offsetting the cost. And as I get the train at 6.40 am every day free breakfast and coffee would be nice

[stek]

Standard or First Class Travel to client site

I can live without wifi as I usually pre-download the iplayer progs I watch when I'm on the train. Main lure is less people and complimentary food/drink offsetting the cost. And as I get the train at 6.40 am every day free breakfast and coffee would be nice

I tried first class Leeds Manchester - wasn't worth it. Most of the time the train was so rammed they allowed the proles into first class.

[Old Hack]

I tried first class Leeds Manchester - wasn't worth it. Most of the time the train was so rammed they allowed the proles into first class.

You can claim the money back when this happens

[Troll]

I tried first class Leeds Manchester - wasn't worth it. Most of the time the train was so rammed they allowed the proles into first class.

WSS

[Troll]

You can claim the money back when this happens

Do they do that on planes too?

[SimonMac]

I can live without wifi as I usually pre-download the iplayer progs I watch when I'm on the train. Main lure is less people and complimentary food/drink offsetting the cost. And as I get the train at 6.40 am every day free breakfast and coffee would be nice

So £20 a day for "free coffee and breakfast"