After my daughter's experience of on-board train treatment last weekend, she decided that booking her LondonMidland Weekend First at the station prior to departure might be wise. Alas, on the Friday, neither Birmingham Snow Hill nor Birmingham New Street (Victoria Sq exit) LondonMidland staff could oblige as they hadn't been told where to find the ticket on the booking system...
So it was that she 'rocked up' at Euston for one of LM's hourly 'fasts' back to Birmingham early Saturday evening. The train was 'rammed' (to use her picturesque description) in Standard Class so she was glad to be taking advantage of LM's new upgrade. First Class was fairly busy, or at least it was until the Conductor came along prior to departure to check tickets. Only four passengers had pre-booked First Class tickets but the conductor seemed to be reluctant to sell upgrades to the Standard Class ticket holders, preferring to send them back to Standard Class...
My daughter stood her ground - after all LM had promised that all would be well this weekend - and, after departure, he returned and she was, at last, sold a Weekend First upgrade on a LondonMidland train! But, you can guess what came next... No further ticket checks on the journey north meant of course that standard class passengers drifted back into the compartment so that after Northampton it was virtually full whilst the standard class accommodation was relatively quiet! She was not pleased, nor, I suspect, were the other passengers who had bothered to buy a First Class ticket or upgrade.
Yet again @londonmidland was sympathetic and helpful but clearly the message about Weekend First is not getting through to those who actually staff the LondonMidland weekend services. Fortunately for LM (and for my daughter's sanity), she has finished her current travelling south. I wonder if matters will be sorted come to the autumn?
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