First Class tickets for £25 on East Coast trains

My post about getting a free upgrade to first class on the train continues to be popular, so I am pleased to revisit the topic.

The East Coast Main Line has launched a time-limited special offer: book between now and 19 March 2012, for travel between 10 April and 31 May 2012, and you can travel first class for just £25.

After I published my last post about travelling first class, Miss Thrifty reader Tim reported in the comments that East Coast had come up with a cunning ruse to prevent passengers from getting the free upgrades. Well, £25 isn’t free – but it isn’t to be sniffed at, is it?

You can book your £25 first class rail tickets here.

The East Coast Main Line covers a thick swathe of the country: from Aberdeen, down through Edinburgh and Glasgow into Northumberland and Yorkshire, all the way to London. Please note, however, that for reasons unbeknownst to me the offer is not available if you are travelling from Hull, Brough, Selby, Skipton, Keighley or Bradford. Also excluded from the offer are the few days leading up to Easter: 4 – 7 April 2012.

The fare includes a complimentary meal if your journey is greater than 70 minutes, and the official terms and conditions are as follows:

Terms and Conditions

Complimentary offer varies depending on time of day and the journey being made and a reduced service will be available on weekends and Bank Holidays. Passengers travelling for 70 minutes or less will receive complimentary drinks and snacks. To see what’s available when, click here.

£25 First Class one way fare is subject to availability. 100,000 £25 fares will be made available for the offer. For travel on East Coast trains only, from 10 April to 31 May 2012, excluding 4-7 April; availability may be limited on Fridays and Sundays; book by midnight 19 March 2012 only at eastcoast.co.uk/25reasons; no other offers or discounts can be applied, including Railcard or child discounts; £5 supplement applies for access to First Class Lounges; travel on booked train only; no changes, no refunds and no break of journey permitted.

[East Coast Main Line: booking page for £25 first class tickets]

Image credit: The Field Museum Library.