First class? I hear you say...that's awfully expensive, isn't it?
No, it's not. By the power given by a young person's railcard, I can get cheaper tickets. This isn't the same on all trains, but on particular lines, at particular times and days. I just happen to know that the Preston-Rugby line on every weekday at this time - means I can get a first class seat for a little over £15.
I wondered where Virgin get their money from - then it came to me...Virgin are actually very smart.
They charge non-students full rate for a first class ticket...and students are amazed at the price. Standard seat for £12ish! Awesome! But then, just slightly lower down it offers a first class seat at £15. Even more awesome!
It costs them nothing to have you in first class, yet they draw people in using those two words, 'First Class'. It's quite nice having a clean doily on the back of my seat, and electricity - but I've been cheeky before in standard and been able to plug into a socket. They bring you a sandwich in first class (approx £0.30 cost for them)...but they are making an extra £2.70 from every student who is sucked into their marketing scheme.
But full credit to them, they sucked me in.
I like being able to sit here and have a free cup of tea (approx £0.05 cost for them)...and I like being able to say I travel first class. But, in the end, Virgin are the winners here...I'm out of pocket £3 extra but have a sandwich, and they are raking it in from the thousands of students doing the exact same thing as me.
Well done, Richard Branson, well done.
first class also gives you more space, better fold out tables, and more privacy as unless you're travelling around rush hour, there's usually hardly anyone in there.
ReplyDeleteI will miss it greatly when I no longer have my free pass. It's worth trying it out on some other service providers though because Virgin have by far the poorest long distance first class that I've experienced. If you're on a voyager as opposed to a pendolino that is. You want to try GNER which runs down the east coat to and from London... they are SWISH. :D