Welcome to a really drizzly day here at Edinburgh Waverley Station.
I'm taking a train trip today.
I'm heading down to Preston
and then on to St Anne's On Sea in Lancashire, in England.
I'm traveling with Avanti West Coast.
And today I thought I'd try that new Standard Premium service.
It's a sort of halfway between first class and standard.
Fancy joining me.
Welcome to RogVlog.
Okay, let's.
See what it's like.
Now, I still says first class on the door, so they've not updated the signage.
So it's a standard 1x2 lay out.
And the seats have got the Standard Premium
Anti-macassars on the top.
So this is the seat I've chosen.
This Standard Premium is actually a really clever idea.
Now these are fancy West Coast Pendolino trains, the Class 390,
about 12 carriages long.
Four of those carriages are first class.
Now, of course, not every day they sell all those first class seats.
So what they've done is they've introduced this almost like variation function.
So if they don't sell all the seats in first class,
they just change the seat back to say standard premium and they sell
those are standard premium instead of first class.
Obviously, you don't get the food and the drinks that you get in first class
and you don't get access to the first class lounge, but you still get the seat
and you still get the first class style environment.
And the upgrade fee is a lot less than you might think.
And were off bang on time.
Okay, let's take a look around
and about the seat.
Quite comfortable. Padding. On your back.
And on your bum.
A wide and sturdy armrest,
lots of leg room.
Plug socket.
And reading lamp.
The process for buying a standard premium ticket is a little bit complicated.
I have to say.
You've got to buy a standard ticket on the Internet or on the app,
and then once you've bought your standard ticket,
you've got to upgrade it either on the Internet or in the app.
Now, I found that after I bought my standard ticket,
the app wouldn't work and the website wouldn't work.
So I've had to purchase my upgrade here on the train today.
But it's not a problem.
This carriage is absolutely deserted.
There's only two of the people in the entire carriage, so I needn't have worried.
Well, I think it's time for a coffee now.
If I'm to usually have at seat service where you order coffee and food and via
the app because of the industrial action, that's not working at the moment.
So we're going to have to take a trip to the on board cafe.
Well, these are the standard premium coaches completely deserted.
Oh, no. One person, just one.
Let's have a look how busy standard classes
are now for the buffet car.
Do they call them buffet cars anymore? The cafe?
Oh, no, the shop.
Actually, that's not a bad
cup of coffee, to be perfectly honest.
In future on the West Coast line,
I think standard premium is going to be my preferred way of travel.
Just compare how empty this coach is
compared to the cramped and very busy standard coaches behind me,
and only for an extra 15 to 25 quid.
And before you know it, we're approaching Preston.
Well, just as I'm getting off at Preston, just look at this.
It's still almost completely empty in standard premium.
Well, that was a really comfortable journey down from Edinburgh to Preston
on that Avanti West Coast Pendolino train.
Standard Premium is definitely worth the upgrade.
I paid £41.50 for the standard class ticket, plus a £25
upgrade fee for all that space and almost completely empty carriages.
I reckon that is extremely good value for money and as I said earlier,
I think that is going to be my preferred class of travel from now on.
I really don't think you need to pay the extra
for the free food that you get on board first class.
The rest of the experience is pretty much the same
as well.
I've got about 20 minutes now until my connecting service to St
Anne's on the Sea.
Welcome to St Anne's on the Sea.
And what a glorious day it is here.
It's a little windy now.
This is an English seaside resort you've probably never even heard of,
let alone visited.
But there's a glorious Victorian pier here and a fabulous beach.
I'm going to be taking a walk around and doing a log of the sights
and sound of St Anne's.
So please do subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don't miss that
next Vlog - a walkabout of St Anne's on the Sea.
Well, I've had a fabulous journey down from Scotland this morning.
Thank you so much for watching.
And till the next video, remember, there's always something to see.
So get out there and find it.