Train business enterprise has canned first-class upgrade deals, accusing customers of “abusing” the £10 provide of more legroom – and, more importantly, endless complimentary food and drink.
Greater Anglia formerly allowed first-class ticket holders unlimited tea, coffee, water, fruit juice, biscuits, and crisps. It has discontinued the carrier, pronouncing its miles due to it “being abused” by passengers, making it “now not commercially viable.”
First-class season ticket holders will nevertheless be allowed to have free food and drinks. However, those with one-off tickets will not.
Customers can still experience the perk at some point in the week once they display their tickets inside the buffet carriage.
While they did not reveal how much the average passenger ate and drank, they say it turned out to be too high-priced to carry on as weekend First Class tickets are so much less expensive in common.
Other rail corporations, including Virgin, LNER, CrossCountry, Great Western, and Grand Central, still provide complimentary snacks and liquids.
One passenger from Ipswich, Suffolk, who asked not to be named, stated: “It is a case of Greater Anglia looking to make even extra money out of us.
“The education service is quite awful, and the unfastened refreshments had been a small way of assisting in making up for it.
“I am not aware of the carrier having been abused. It is just penny-pinching.”
Another teaches consumer from Colchester, Essex, tweeted: “Great now not. Is this what Greater Anglia thinks of clients like me who use the first-class service and complimentary refreshments on weekends?”
A Greater Anglia spokesperson said the carrier was partially restrained due to first-class travel being a lot cheaper at weekends if booked in advance.
The spokesperson delivered: “We have reviewed our first magnificence product offer and made some modifications.
“Unfortunately, we found that the machine of imparting complimentary refreshments changed into being abused at weekends, and it did not turn out to be commercially possible.
“However, complimentary refreshments are available to first-class season ticket holders on weekends and all first elegance customers on weekdays.
“For non-season price tag holders, we’ve partially modified the provision. Complimentary refreshments are no longer to be had at weekends. However, a much wider range of liquids and snacks are available to buy from the café bar on board.”
