Mikhaila Friel explored the first-class lounge at Glasgow Central Station in Scotland. Mikhaila Friel/Insider I took a first-class train from Glasgow, Scotland to London, England for $257. Included in the ticket was access to Glasgow Central’s first-class lounge.
The lounge was not as luxurious as I expected, but nonetheless enjoyable. On June 1, I took a first-class train from Glasgow, Scotland, to London, England. Glasgow Central Station in Scotland.
Mikhaila Friel/InsiderI spent just over five hours on an Avanti West Coast train from Glasgow Central Station to London Euston Station earlier this month before attending the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in the UK capital. The one-way ticket cost $257, or around £209, while a standard ticket costs upwards of about $40, or £32. 80, depending on the day and time.
Insider paid for the trip, as per our reporting standards. It marked my first time traveling first class, and I was able to experience a number of exclusive perks including access to Avanti West Coast’s first-class lounge at Glasgow Central before departure. I arrived at the lounge around an hour and 30 minutes ahead of my train’s departure, giving me plenty of time to explore.
There were many things that surprised me about the experience, from the lack of luxury to the decor and snacks. I purchased my ticket around six weeks before departure, and there was no mention of the first-class lounge during the booking process. A screenshot of my train ticket.
Avanti West CoastI didn’t realize that some train stations had first-class lounges until I read a review of Amtrak’s Acela train by Insider’s Joey Hadden, my colleague in the US who visited the Metropolitan Lounge at New York City’s Penn Station. Hadden’s review prompted me to check Avanti West Coast’s website, which informed me there’s a first-class lounge in Glasgow Central. There was no mention of the first-class lounge on my ticket or in the confirmation email.
This could easily cause passengers to miss out, as I learned from one person on the same train as me who said he didn’t visit the lounge because he didn’t know it existed. The door to the first-class lounge was locked, but I was buzzed in by a staff member who didn’t ask to see my ticket. The entrance to the first-class lounge at Glasgow Central Station.
Mikhaila Friel/InsiderThe entrance to Avanti West Coast’s first-class lounge is across from the train station’s information desk. The door was locked when I arrived, and a staff member at the desk buzzed me in without asking to see my ticket. It surprised me that just anybody was able to walk in without showing their ticket.
The first-class lounge at Glasgow Central Station. Mikhaila Friel/InsiderOnce inside, I noticed several customers who entered after me also weren’t asked to show their tickets. I spoke to one person, who said she was asked by a staff member what train service she was due to travel on, but wasn’t asked if she was a first-class customer or required to show her ticket.
A representative for Avanti West Coast declined to comment on the record when contacted by Insider regarding access to the first-class lounge. There were no staff members inside the lounge, and signs directed customers to help themselves to food and beverages. The kitchen area in the first-class lounge.
Mikhaila Friel/InsiderAt the back of the lounge there was a kitchen area with signs that directed customers to help themselves to food and beverages. The snacks on offer were fruit, oatmeal, muesli bars, and muffins, and beverages available were bottled water, soft drinks, tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. Upon closer inspection, the kitchen area appeared to be a little worse for wear.
Both the coffee machine, left, and the fridge, right were broken. Mikhaila Friel/InsiderThere were two refrigerators in the kitchen area. Both were filled with soft drinks, however I noticed one of them was broken as the door wouldn’t close completely.
Similarly, there were two coffee machines, and while one was working fine the other had an “out of use” sign attached to it. I didn’t understand why the broken one hadn’t yet been removed. In my opinion, it used up unnecessary space and took away from the luxury and pristine aesthetic that I imagined a first-class lounge to have.
The walls didn’t reach the ceiling, so the lounge ended up being a lot more noisy than I anticipated. The Glasgow-themed decor in the first-class lounge. Mikhaila Friel/InsiderThe lounge almost seemed like a movie set because the walls didn’t reach the ceiling.
This meant that the lounge was actually very noisy, as I could hear the buzz of customers and staff at the information desk which was located just outside. I expected the lounge to provide a peaceful bubble away from the hustle and bustle of the train station, and was rather disappointed to find it was the opposite. The snacks were tasty, but I had expected more options.
The snacks I chose at the first-class lounge. Mikhaila Friel/InsiderI opted for a bottle of water, a muesli bar, a muffin, a banana, and a hot chocolate (not pictured). The snacks tasted good, and I liked the fact that they were in the original packaging so that there was the option to take them on the train with you.
That being said, I had expected a wider variety of snacks to try due to the higher price point of the first-class ticket. The experience wasn’t as luxurious as I had expected, but it was nonetheless enjoyable. Mikhaila Friel photographed at the first-class lounge at Glasgow Central Station.
Mikhaila Friel/InsiderOverall, I was left feeling a little underwhelmed by my first experience in a first-class lounge. Considering the ticket cost $257, I had assumed that the lounge would be more pristine and peaceful than it actually was. However, I still enjoyed the experience and wouldn’t be opposed to trying other first-class lounges in different train stations in the future.
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From: insider
URL: https://www.insider.com/surprising-things-about-first-class-lounge-scotland-train-station-2022-7
