Great video mate and also great to see you back! Love standard premium as a concept, but like you said at the end, it probably isn't so good for them trying to sell First Class - taking your own food and getting the comfy seat with fewer passengers crammed in is always the way to go. I've only used Avanti a few times but always been impressed.
Got to say Roger, having heard about your prices for this trip I'm a bit sceptical of the Standard Premium product, similar feelings on the Premium Economy product being introduced on long-haul Airlines. I'd rather find a good deal on First Class (and possibly get lounge access at the right stations) or go in standard to save the £££ and just get a snack if I want to or not. It's a no from me if I was faced with the same price as you for this. Great vlog though, enjoyed watching it!
Thanks Jett. It’s interesting that it maybe comes down to the food rather than the bigger seat. I’m sure that’s not what Avanti intended but maybe that’s why those carriages are empty. 🤔
Another very engaging video Rog, well done as ever. I'm off to that Hub by Premier Inn in Shoreditch tomorrow, then flying out of Southend Airport Monday morning to complete my collection of using all 6 of London's airports. I think it's a bit of a push calling Southend a London airport but I'm much more at home in a smaller place than Heathrow or Gatwick I do know that. Should be fun I think. 🙂
Another informative and educational video Roger. You mentioned the lack of awareness of standard premium amongst the average rail traveller. Well remember that airlines' premium economy was launched over 30 years ago and it took over 20 years before the product eventually took off ! As for Avanti's standard premium the problem is that it is not displayed on the Trainline booking pages so customers booking Trainline (and the several other TOCs it powers including Scotrail) will be unaware it exists. (Trainline is by far the main online booking site for UK rail) So you have to book direct with Avanti West Coast to see standard premium displayed alongside the standard and first class fares.
Thanks, Alex. The lack of support from all the booking apps is a major issue, which I hadn’t appreciated. The other 2 people who were in that carriage with me were upgrading on the train and paid the conductor the extra, so they obviously hadn’t been able to book in advance either. In fact the conductor was quite surprised when I presented my ticket and saw I’d already bought SP.🤔
Hi Roger. Never heard of Standard Premium, certainly worth looking into. As you say, needs to be highlighted more! On longer trips, First Class still better? The seats on the return journey looked fine. Thankfully, LNER have taken away those headrests in First Class, which never stayed in place! 😊 👍.
Thanks Alan. Yeah I noticed that LNER have taken away the headrests. I thought they could have added some FC antimacassars to make the seats look a little more classy! 😂
Hope you were not over the yellow line in the intro 😜 Great video and as a budget traveller, doubt I would go premium. Was lovely to see Preston as well. Still rate York as my favourite station after Glasgow Central
I actually totally messed up the first shot. It was totally out of focus and unusable. I didn’t notice until I got home. If you look very closely you’ll see I used a green screen to reshoot the first scene. So, as I was actually in my garden, I was technically about 9 miles away from the yellow line! 😂😂 Yeah, York is hard to beat!
I remember you posting about the green screen as we had the red warning next day. It actually works well, come a long way since CSO on old 70s Doctor Who
Hi Roger. I would pay for the Standard Premium simply because of the extra space, and peace and quiet! It's a lot cheaper than 1st for the same level of comfort. Of course it's without the catering, but I always like to take a bit of a fancy picnic on the train, ( pate, cheese, crackers and wine etc.) And then just get a coffee from the buffet. However, it's nice to see that if you were on a tighter budget, the Standard class on Avanti looks very comfortable too. I wouldn't pay for the 1st class product if it was as expensive as you said. So the Standard Premium would be my choice. Thanks for the great vlog, and I hope your other half is on the mend.
My god they look so modern and smart inside compared to anything we get in Inverness (average age of a train in and around Inverness over 40 years old), with the exception to the one daily LNER service.. look more comfortable too. Great video 😊
Indeed. Those ancient HSTs are much-loved by rail fans but not so much by the ordinary rail traveller. It's rumoured that the EMR mainline diesel trains will be transferred to Scotrail after EMR receives its Hitachi bi-mode 'Aurora' units later in 2025.
Great vlog, Rog! Avanti's Standard Premium is definitely great for getting the perks of a first class seat without having to pay for the First Class catering. Whilst you were travelling to Blackpool North, I noticed the Class 323 you were on still has the former West Midlands Railway interior from when they use to run around Birmingham's Cross City Line!
Welcome back Rog, good video. Funny side note, i once went to a cousins wedding in Preston early 80s. It was a Teddy Boy wedding they were all there looking like Stray Cats and Showaddywaddy rejects in their big American cars. 😂
It's not really new as Eurostar have,or had,3 classes of travel.Plus in around the 1980's British Rail introduced something called Super Standard which was sort of a more up market second class it was only available on the Inter City sector and only on certain routes.If you go to the Railway Museum in York they have a window sticker with Super Standard on it.
I agree with you about LNER Azuma seats, designed by Fred Flintstone. Do you look for the last standard class coach and get in the first 1st class coach?
Well, you've just answered a question I was wondering! Standard Premium is an interesting proposition, but it is really worth double the normal standard class? To an extent, with the normally insane cost of on-board catering these days, its almost worth the cost of first class just to get the included food! I saw another UA-cam vid where someone got a 1st class ticket for only £3 more than standard class, and probably got through £25 worth of drinks and snacks on the journey. On your example, an extra £50 for proper 1st class means you aren't going to get your money back in food. As for Standard Premium, an extra £25 for a slightly nicer seat and no food isn't a great bargain, though the extra cost might keep the worst of the riff-raff passengers away! So, I'd probably pay a bit more for Standard Premium, but not a huge amount.
Hey mate.... you know I love Avanti but I would travel 1st class full with food 😆 🤣 😂. As for LNER 1st class is great but it's true what you say about 2nd. As for 1st class premium.... Avanti are definitely not advertising it enough and if it continues to be this way it might be goodbye Avanti. ..COME ON AVANTI. .... GET SOME MEAT AROUND YOUR PRODUCT!!! Great video Roger..... stay strong mate😊
Hi Roger, lovely straight forward video as per usual thanks. If I wanted to travel by train to Edinburgh from London, what company would you recommend? How is Mrs E by the way? ❤ I'm Cathy Bonner, we've chatted before, would love to meet you both
Cheers Cathy. Mrs E is walking with one crutch now and is recovering well. For trains to Edinburgh it depends what you want. Value for money and decent seats I’d go with Lumo. If you want a treat go First Class with LNER. 😀
No way could I (or i guess most people) justify paying twice as much simply for possibly a slightly comfort seat in maybe a quieter carriage. You’re paying the extra for no guarantee of anything better. But in more shocking scenes.. you had coffee.. a lager .. but no wine ?! What’s the Malbec done to upset you? 😄
Great video mate and also great to see you back! Love standard premium as a concept, but like you said at the end, it probably isn't so good for them trying to sell First Class - taking your own food and getting the comfy seat with fewer passengers crammed in is always the way to go. I've only used Avanti a few times but always been impressed.
Cheers Steve. It’s been a pretty brutal couple of months behind the scenes, but we’re getting through it and should be out and about more soon. ❤️
Good to see you back great video as always
@davidneilhaggart9739 thank you so much. 🙏🏻
Got to say Roger, having heard about your prices for this trip I'm a bit sceptical of the Standard Premium product, similar feelings on the Premium Economy product being introduced on long-haul Airlines. I'd rather find a good deal on First Class (and possibly get lounge access at the right stations) or go in standard to save the £££ and just get a snack if I want to or not. It's a no from me if I was faced with the same price as you for this. Great vlog though, enjoyed watching it!
Thanks Jett. It’s interesting that it maybe comes down to the food rather than the bigger seat. I’m sure that’s not what Avanti intended but maybe that’s why those carriages are empty. 🤔
Guess we'll have to wait and see what the future holds! Maybe LNER & Transpennine will take note! 😃
Another very engaging video Rog, well done as ever. I'm off to that Hub by Premier Inn in Shoreditch tomorrow, then flying out of Southend Airport Monday morning to complete my collection of using all 6 of London's airports. I think it's a bit of a push calling Southend a London airport but I'm much more at home in a smaller place than Heathrow or Gatwick I do know that. Should be fun I think. 🙂
Thanks Phil. Have a great trip. Let me know what you think of the Hub. 😀
@RogEdwardsTV surely will 👌
In fact there are eight airports officially certified as London airports. There is also Biggin Hill and Oxford.
Another informative and educational video Roger. You mentioned the lack of awareness of standard premium amongst the average rail traveller. Well remember that airlines' premium economy was launched over 30 years ago and it took over 20 years before the product eventually took off ! As for Avanti's standard premium the problem is that it is not displayed on the Trainline booking pages so customers booking Trainline (and the several other TOCs it powers including Scotrail) will be unaware it exists. (Trainline is by far the main online booking site for UK rail)
So you have to book direct with Avanti West Coast to see standard premium displayed alongside the standard and first class fares.
Thanks, Alex. The lack of support from all the booking apps is a major issue, which I hadn’t appreciated. The other 2 people who were in that carriage with me were upgrading on the train and paid the conductor the extra, so they obviously hadn’t been able to book in advance either. In fact the conductor was quite surprised when I presented my ticket and saw I’d already bought SP.🤔
Hi Roger. Never heard of Standard Premium, certainly worth looking into. As you say, needs to be highlighted more! On longer trips, First Class still better? The seats on the return journey looked fine. Thankfully, LNER have taken away those headrests in First Class, which never stayed in place! 😊 👍.
Thanks Alan. Yeah I noticed that LNER have taken away the headrests. I thought they could have added some FC antimacassars to make the seats look a little more classy! 😂
Hope you were not over the yellow line in the intro 😜 Great video and as a budget traveller, doubt I would go premium. Was lovely to see Preston as well. Still rate York as my favourite station after Glasgow Central
I actually totally messed up the first shot. It was totally out of focus and unusable. I didn’t notice until I got home. If you look very closely you’ll see I used a green screen to reshoot the first scene. So, as I was actually in my garden, I was technically about 9 miles away from the yellow line! 😂😂
Yeah, York is hard to beat!
I remember you posting about the green screen as we had the red warning next day. It actually works well, come a long way since CSO on old 70s Doctor Who
@boothmonkey Ha Ha! Can’t beat a CSO Maggot! 🐛
Hi Roger. I would pay for the Standard Premium simply because of the extra space, and peace and quiet! It's a lot cheaper than 1st for the same level of comfort. Of course it's without the catering, but I always like to take a bit of a fancy picnic on the train, ( pate, cheese, crackers and wine etc.) And then just get a coffee from the buffet. However, it's nice to see that if you were on a tighter budget, the Standard class on Avanti looks very comfortable too. I wouldn't pay for the 1st class product if it was as expensive as you said. So the Standard Premium would be my choice. Thanks for the great vlog, and I hope your other half is on the mend.
My god they look so modern and smart inside compared to anything we get in Inverness (average age of a train in and around Inverness over 40 years old), with the exception to the one daily LNER service.. look more comfortable too. Great video 😊
Cheers! Hopefully the trains ScotRail eventually get to replace the HSTs will be of a similar quality! 😀
Indeed. Those ancient HSTs are much-loved by rail fans but not so much by the ordinary rail traveller. It's rumoured that the EMR mainline diesel trains will be transferred to Scotrail after EMR receives its Hitachi bi-mode 'Aurora' units later in 2025.
@ Ach! Wouldn’t it be nice if ScotRail got some brand new long distance trains rather than cast offs from elsewhere?
Great video, might give that a try next time rather than LNER! Hope things are getting back to normal for you both.
Cheers Martin. 😀
Great vlog, Rog! Avanti's Standard Premium is definitely great for getting the perks of a first class seat without having to pay for the First Class catering.
Whilst you were travelling to Blackpool North, I noticed the Class 323 you were on still has the former West Midlands Railway interior from when they use to run around Birmingham's Cross City Line!
Cheers Reece. I was quite surprised at the number of trains going to Blackpool North. Pretty much one every 10 minutes or so. 😀
Welcome back Rog, good video. Funny side note, i once went to a cousins wedding in Preston early 80s. It was a Teddy Boy wedding they were all there looking like Stray Cats and Showaddywaddy rejects in their big American cars. 😂
Ha ha! I used to work at Pontins in Blackpool in the 80s and there were quite a lot of those folk about then! 😂
blackpool is amazing! especially when i seen that ice cream you like on one of your blackpool videos and i tried it it was amazing :D
I did go to Notarianni (off camera) but it’s closed for the winter. 🍦
It's not really new as Eurostar have,or had,3 classes of travel.Plus in around the 1980's British Rail introduced something called Super Standard which was sort of a more up market second class it was only available on the Inter City sector and only on certain routes.If you go to the Railway Museum in York they have a window sticker with Super Standard on it.
Thanks for watching and for the info! 🚆
Yes that's correct. In BR days I travelled on that third class London-Manchester InterCity.
Will be on that very train in 2 weeks time all the way down to London Euston. Never realised it existed.
Have a good trip and let me know what you think! 😀
I agree with you about LNER Azuma seats, designed by Fred Flintstone. Do you look for the last standard class coach and get in the first 1st class coach?
Yes, it’s the first FC coach. “H” on the 11 car Pendolino. 😀
I've been on Avanti west coast before, I've got to try out standard premium when I get back on them next time.
Let me know what you think of Standard Premium once you’ve tried it! 🚊
@@RogEdwardsTV I will indeed.
Well, you've just answered a question I was wondering! Standard Premium is an interesting proposition, but it is really worth double the normal standard class? To an extent, with the normally insane cost of on-board catering these days, its almost worth the cost of first class just to get the included food! I saw another UA-cam vid where someone got a 1st class ticket for only £3 more than standard class, and probably got through £25 worth of drinks and snacks on the journey. On your example, an extra £50 for proper 1st class means you aren't going to get your money back in food. As for Standard Premium, an extra £25 for a slightly nicer seat and no food isn't a great bargain, though the extra cost might keep the worst of the riff-raff passengers away! So, I'd probably pay a bit more for Standard Premium, but not a huge amount.
Cheers Tim! Thanks for your thoughts! 😀
Hey mate.... you know I love Avanti but I would travel 1st class full with food 😆 🤣 😂.
As for LNER 1st class is great but it's true what you say about 2nd.
As for 1st class premium.... Avanti are definitely not advertising it enough and if it continues to be this way it might be goodbye Avanti. ..COME ON AVANTI. .... GET SOME MEAT AROUND YOUR PRODUCT!!!
Great video Roger..... stay strong mate😊
Cheers Richard. 🥃
Hi Roger, lovely straight forward video as per usual thanks.
If I wanted to travel by train to Edinburgh from London, what company would you recommend?
How is Mrs E by the way? ❤
I'm Cathy Bonner, we've chatted before, would love to meet you both
Cheers Cathy. Mrs E is walking with one crutch now and is recovering well. For trains to Edinburgh it depends what you want. Value for money and decent seats I’d go with Lumo. If you want a treat go First Class with LNER. 😀
@RogEdwardsTV thanks, something for me to think about. I've not seen much of England or Scotland so now's my chance.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend
@Camelotgirl27 🙏🏻
Standard is the way forward on on a Avanti West Coast . LNER is 1st class .
Yup 😀
But I find the Avanti trains to be dark and oppressive until the Azura trains.
They are definitely darker with more mood lighting. I don’t mind that at night.
Doing the same journey for free in standard premium Roge, in March, wish you were here? lol
How did you bag the freebie? 😂
Hey there!
Hello!
No way could I (or i guess most people) justify paying twice as much simply for possibly a slightly comfort seat in maybe a quieter carriage.
You’re paying the extra for no guarantee of anything better.
But in more shocking scenes.. you had coffee.. a lager .. but no wine ?! What’s the Malbec done to upset you? 😄