A passenger who paid a significant upgrade fee for first-class travel on Avanti West Coast trains was repeatedly denied the advertised hot breakfast service due to staff shortages.
The passenger, identified as D.F. from Birmingham, described two separate incidents in June and July. In June, after booking a standard premium ticket from Edinburgh to Birmingham, he paid an additional £77 to upgrade to first class specifically for the hot breakfast and drinks service.
Upon boarding, he was informed by the train steward that due to a lack of staff, only cold drinks and snacks were available. He received a can of Coke and shortbread for his breakfast, with the onboard cafe also closed.
A similar experience occurred in July on a mid-morning service from Birmingham to London Euston. The train manager informed passengers that there would be no hot food available because of staff shortages.
Avanti West Coast initially offered the passenger a 25% discount on future travel, stating that while food was not served, he had still benefited from a larger seat with enhanced legroom and a table. The passenger countered that the seats in first class were identical to those in standard premium and that he would have saved money by not upgrading if he had known the service would be subpar.
The operator then increased the offer to 50% off future travel, maintaining that the meals and drinks were complimentary. However, the passenger argued that the price of the first-class ticket inherently included the cost of these advertised amenities.
After the passenger contacted Helen Crane, a consumer champion for This is Money, Avanti West Coast ultimately refunded the £77 upgrade fee for the first incident.
Despite the refund, the passenger encountered the same issue again a few weeks later on a Birmingham to London journey. This time, the assistant train manager announced the lack of hot food due to insufficient staffing. Following intervention from the consumer champion, Avanti West Coast issued an apology and a 50% off voucher for future travel.
An Avanti West Coast spokesperson stated they were sorry for the passenger's experiences and had been in touch to apologize and offer a gesture of goodwill. The passenger, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the company's response, noting that such incidents appear to occur frequently, contrary to the company's assurances that they are rare.