AIBU to prefer first class for a long train journey?

You must be travelling at different times to me!

I’ve gone back to just paying for first class.

uncertainty and a £40 fee aren’t worth it - my most recent journeys it was £79 for std. £109 for first at booking.

We bought train tickets last week to travel this week on Tuesday. From Bath to London, it would have been about £30 single standard class, and £48 first class. So we went first class. Well worth it for the little bit of extra room, but the best bit is coming home, and access to the first class lounge at Paddington. As anyone from the west can tell you, Paddington is a zoo, and to be able to get away from the racket and crowds is priceless. The staff in there always announce the platform number before it’s on the general board in the concourse, so you can get through the barriers before the scrum. Helps me stay sane!

I always do it when going to see family in Cornwall. The single seats and cups of tea make it so worth it for me.

I think this probably should have been your actual AIBU, because of course youre not U to prefer it, surely absolutely everyone would - that's like saying "Aibu to prefer winning £1000 on the lottery rather than £1"! Having a preference is very different to refusing to travel if you cant go first class!

Either way, if its your money who cares what your partner thinks about it? I'm impressed you can get it for only £40 more, whenever I see first class theyre usually far more expensive.

Why does he even care? Presumably you're paying for your own ticket. Of course first is nicer

Well, of course, it’s nicer.

That said, Exeter to London was my regular 3x weekly commute and I didn’t find it difficult to work in standard class. Especially when you get on in Devon/Cornwall, the train is usually still not packed and there is reserved seating most of the time.

The last 3 times I've travelled from London first class has been declassified, I definitely wouldn't want to be relying on it.

It's nothing to do with your husband anyway, you do you, he's not paying your fare.

I would prefer first class if I could afford it, for a long train journey like that.

Surely we earn money in order to make life more comfortable. Go for it.

I’d buy first class if I could. Travelling standard last weekend was unpleasant because of the fat man in filthy joggers next to me necking cans of lager and sleeping, the young woman opposite messily and noisily eating hot smelly food and cakes, and the spaced out drunk/junkie making incomprehensible conversation with everyone as he wandered the carriage. Is it different in first?

Why is this an issue to discuss? You do you. Whatever works for you is ok. Unless you are
putting yourself in debt over it, then why does it matter?? Your DP sounds judgemental for no reason.

My OH has to travel once a month for a similar amount of time to see his elderly mum. He does the same so he’s able to work properly for the whole time. He’d definitely not always be able to do that in standard - I know because we’ve done the journey with the kids and often not got a seat etc

If you can afford it then of course you should travel 1st class! Why be uncomfortable if you don't have to?

I'm taking the train with my children next month and I've booked a private cabin for us so I don't have to worry about our luggage being difficult to get to (short changeover time at the next station) and no one else has to be bothered by my noisy DS (previously I would book the play carriage but he's a bit old for it now I think and don't want him getting in the way of smaller children). By myself I like to sometimes book ekstra class (our version of first class) as a treat. There's two kinds, ekstra above the restaurant car where you can get meals to your seat and an ekstra quiet carriage.

During covid times we had a long train journey down from lapland with my kids and my parents and a mask policy on the train so I coughed up the extra for the 1st class private 6 person cabin at the front of the train. No need to wear masks because no one else would be coming in and there was a tea and coffee machine just outside the cabin. Wonderful journey!

Its just a no brainer. £40 for 5 hours is a very much worth it.

I recently travelled London to Glasgow return. First class was so good - food service, space and peace. Compared to the previous journey where I was squashed up next to a family on a four seat configuration around a table. Their youngster blasted tiktok videos without headphones for four hours and it was a constant round of food, drink spilled, arguing. There were people sat on the floor, as the train was overbooked. Never again.

Generally anything over 2 hours book 1st or upgrade. The only times I've stayed in cattle recently have been journeys where I've traveled with multiple colleges and not had work to do.

The space, the comfort and the quiet are worth it for me.

Why wouldn’t you if you can afford it. I have just booked a number of train journeys in Europe this year and I automatically booked first. I didn’t even check the price difference tbh I just knew I wanted my travel to be as comfortable as possible.

i’m more if it has 1st class I’m booking it if the journey is 2+hrs cos I’d rather have the comfort

that being said I think I get the train much less now & its at the point where it is hard to justify the extra cost. I have been looking at trains in Italy for a trip & first class for like a 2.5hr journey is €35

Do you have other commuting costs?

I don’t, I have to go to Scotland every 6 months and client only pays standard. I pay my own first class £160 return as part of my normal commuting costs I don’t pay now.

Well your not unreasonable for preferring it, surly everyone would. The only way it would be unreasonable is if the additional cost of the ticket was causing financial difficulties, in which case your DH might have a point in expecting you to such it up in standard class.

Why would anybody think this was unreasonable. Everyone would prefer first class.

When I travel for work I use standard premium (first class without the food and drink) for the same reason - space to work and more comfortable generally.

What 'too many passengers' translates to is 'not enough coaches'. I.e. they booked the reservations for a 5 coach train but they're only using a 4 coach one.

I travel from the NE to Kings Cross lots but generally at peak times. Generally £40 is my cut off for an upgrade. I can claim back standard class most of the time and I pay for the upgrade. I can work, I will turn up rested and relaxed.

I normally find that is inevitably over lunchtime too, and I need to eat something so the free food is very welcome. Yes I could pack my own lunch, but a)I don't always have time and b)both the free lunches in first class and stuff I can buy at the station is generally a bit nicer and a little treat makes long distance travel a bit less depressing.

We travelled back from Scotland 1st class yesterday. I've never been 1st class before. It was lovely. Only downside, it'll be hard to go anything other next time..

Crikey. I don’t relate to your experience of first class at all.
People in first class will usually go out to the lobby area if on a call. Laptops but not noisy ? A full carriage is possible but not usual. No free drinks is unacceptable. Not sure what line you are on but that sounds very poor.

But isnt that each way