Passengers can now bid for an upgrade shortly before departure using a smartphone app, with prices from £5

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Rail passengers unhappy at the prospect of a journey in standard class can now bid for an upgrade.

Empty first-class seats on selected Virgin Trains East Coast services are being auctioned through a smartphone app shortly before departure.

Prices start from £5 for a seat in first-class carriages featuring complimentary food and drink, free Wi-Fi, reclining leather seats and extra legroom.

Should first-class train travel be abolished? Read more

Upgrades are initially available on some weekday services from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh, Leeds, Newcastle and York, with more routes expected to be added soon.

Regular walk-up first-class fares for London to Edinburgh journeys can cost almost £90 more than standard class tickets.

Each auction opens approximately two and a half hours in advance and closes about half an hour before the train departs.

Suzanne Donnelly, commercial director at Virgin Trains East Coast, said: “We are really excited to be partnering with Seatfrog to offer customers more opportunities to experience first class.

“Passengers can get upgrades from as little as £5 and there are real deals to be had. The live bidding element means you can decide at the last minute if you fancy treating yourself.”

The Seatfrog chief executive, Iain Griffin, said people wanting to guarantee first-class travel should buy a regular ticket, as auctions would not be held for all trains.

“For passengers who travel standard class and maybe want to experience first class now and again, or be a little spontaneous on the day, then Seatfrog is the perfect platform,” he said. “We give them the chance to get a really good deal.”

Griffin said he was in discussions about rolling out the service with a number of other travel firms. “I’d be really interested in working with any train service in the UK,” he added.

“I see this working perfectly for a business like Eurostar. We’re already talking to rail operators in mainland Europe. Outside of rail, we’ve also got a big airline capability.”

Passengers who want to use the system for a first-class upgrade enter their booking reference into the app and start bidding. Successful participants are instantly sent a new ticket direct to their smartphone or tablet.