New Renfe ( Spanish trains) first class (dis)advantages
 

After purposely buying first class tickets on a TALGO train from Barcelona to Valencia, we were denied access to the VIP lounge. It seems there is no longer any first class access for those who have bought reduced fare tickets. Neither is there any food/drink cart on those trains or the Euromed, I was told. This has all been eliminated. I rarely travel first class on trains so I was unaware of these changes.

Therefore, the first class ticket advantage is now reduced to simply a more comfortable seat. JFYI.

There may be some other bits and pieces of info, but I am unaware if 1st class on the AVE, if not a full fare first class ticket, also does not give you access.

I don't know why this is so since the lounge was totally empty and it seems very petty to have removed the VIP lounge portion of the perk. I can understand the no more food carts with free drinks in time of crisis, but a lounge that is already open.. a real shame and unnecessarily stingy.

We bought a first class from London to York add when we went to the First Class Lounge, we were told we were NOT first class.

Although the trains themselves are wonderful, the people that run them care little about the customers. An AMerican SIL wanted to book an on-line ticket and was told she could not use the on-line site because she had not purchased tickets there in the last six months. With that logic only six Spaniards who use it regularly will be able to use it.

There are two types of new fares on Renfe, the P and P+ fares. The Preferente P fare does not allow access to the lounge, nor is the ticket exchangeable, but for a few Euros more, you can purchase the P+ fare, have access to the lounge and pay a modest fee should you need to change the ticket. On the EUROMED 01081 train, Barcelona to Valencia, the difference in price on a one-way Preferente ticket is only 3,70€. On the TALGO 00463 it's only 2,70€. It makes no sense, but then it's Renfe 2013.

The full fares are now called Flex fares.

Here's is the information on the new ticket schemes:

Billete Promo: http://www.renfe.com/viajeros/tarifa...ete_promo.html
Billete Promo+: http://www.renfe.com/viajeros/tarifa...promoplus.html
Billete Flexible: http://www.renfe.com/viajeros/tarifa..._flexible.html
Tarifa Mesa: www.renfe.com/viajeros/tarifas/tarifamesa.html
Turista Plus: www.renfe.com/viajeros/tarifas/turista_plus.html

There may be some other bits and pieces of info, but I am unaware if 1st class on the AVE, if not a full fare first class ticket, also does not give you access>

Well it's not really first class but first-class light and folks, probably briefcase crowds who pay full fare do not want folks with discounted tickets next to them - much like first class on airline would not.

If you want first class travel you must pay first class fares - full fares and that is understandable or else the cachet of first class becomes cheapened when the masses gain access.

Am I wrong or the new system P, P+, F, M allows for smaller discounts on AVE than W rate available in the past?

The discounts vary, but yes, smaller discounts in general and fewer seats. But the price difference between Preferente P and P+ fare is minor, so not need to book a P fare.

"There may be some other bits and pieces of info, but I am unaware if 1st class on the AVE, if not a full fare first class ticket, also does not give you access>" The P+ fare in Preferente gives you access to the lounge.

wow.. ridiculous that I couldn't easily see all that. Never gave it a thought. Can you believe I bought the 1st class Talgo for 4 euros more than tourist Euromed to GET what I thought was lounge access,etc? That sure backfired! Actually, the timing was a bit better for my daughter to pick us up, but I DID really do it basically for the perks!

Live and learn..

I should have looked into it more with all these new classes.. should have suspected SOMETHING! Thanks for the links Robert and comments PalenQ and everybody.

Definitely won't happen again!.