First Class Upgrade for Expectant Mothers

[whole diary]

[devonian]

I'm with Mookiemoo here. It is a personal choice and I don't really see why the free upgrade is deserved as such.

That said, if the train were full and a pregnant woman boarded, I would more than willingly give up my seat for her.

[zebedee]

If you actually read it, it's full of conditions - it's not just like every pregnant mother is going to be pilling into first class and stopping you from sitting in there drinking your lattes.  What a shame our society has become so uncaring and divisional that we have to worry about what other people might be getting for "free" or at "our own cost".  It's up to the more educated amongst us (and I assume you are as you run your own business) to show a bit of maturity.

[Tim]

point is - u don't go to tesco and get milk for half price or pepsi for 5p just because u are a kid or poor

Yes you do actually get a version of this in Tesco.  If you are poor Tesco targets their "value" range at you.  If you are rich, they target their "Finest" range at you.  This is not charity but the application of an economic theaory called "differentiation". Tescos makes much more profit from their Finest range (because it is four times the price but only twice as good) and ideally would like to sell that range to everyone but Tesco realises that poor people would not be able to afford it so they sell them the value range even though their mark-up is only a few pence because the alternative is not making any profit from that potential customer at all.   The economic theory behind this strategy is called product differentiation and if it makes good business sense for Tescos then it might also make sense for FGW^▸ (First Great Western).  They would rather expectant mothers travelled in a First class seat at waht is in effect a subsidised fare (and have a positive feeling about First of the type that is currently rare among customers) than didn't take the train at all.

[vacman]

I'm in two minds, I don't really agree with it but at the end of the day the TM^‡(resolve) can make a decision and use his/her disgression at any time and let a pregnant woman sit in first class and I think this decision should be left to the Train manager. I've seen it before on busy trains where the TM has allowed a pregnant woman into first class.

[Mookiemoo]

point is - u don't go to tesco and get milk for half price or pepsi for 5p just because u are a kid or poor

Yes you do actually get a version of this in Tesco.  If you are poor Tesco targets their "value" range at you.  If you are rich, they target their "Finest" range at you.  This is not charity but the application of an economic theaory called "differentiation". Tescos makes much more profit from their Finest range (because it is four times the price but only twice as good) and ideally would like to sell that range to everyone but Tesco realises that poor people would not be able to afford it so they sell them the value range even though their mark-up is only a few pence because the alternative is not making any profit from that potential customer at all.   The economic theory behind this strategy is called product differentiation and if it makes good business sense for Tescos then it might also make sense for FGW^▸ (First Great Western).  They would rather expectant mothers travelled in a First class seat at waht is in effect a subsidised fare (and have a positive feeling about First of the type that is currently rare among customers) than didn't take the train at all.

Not the same thing at all

The value product is a different product to the finest - they are charging different based n the product that is being purchased.

However, a seat in first is a seat in first - and FGW are differentiating based on the person renting it for the duration of their journey

[BandHcommuter]

However, a seat in first is a seat in first - and FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are differentiating based on the person renting it for the duration of their journey

And interestingly, it could be argued that the value of the differentiated 1st class service to the premium fare payer is eroded if they share an identical service with other users who are paying much less, and whom they might suspect value the service attributes rather less.

But how far do we take this - as a season ticket holder I pay far less per journey than a full-fare payer. Then again, many full fare payers are on expenses (often public sector, so taxpayer financed -  do they value the service less than someone like me who pays out of their own pocket?

[devon_metro]

Not everybody who travels on trains are benefit cheats 

Personally I think its a good idea. Crowded trains aren't suitable for pregnant people!

[vacman]

Not everybody who travels on trains are benefit cheats 

Personally I think its a good idea. Crowded trains aren't suitable for pregnant people!

Crowded trains aren't really suitable for anyone but they are a fact of life!

[smokey]

[/quote]



The value product is a different product to the finest - they are charging different based n the product that is being purchased.

However, a seat in first is a seat in first - and FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are differentiating based on the person renting it for the duration of their journey


[/quote]


I used to work in a Bakery, bread came out of the coolers, (it's cooled straight after baking, to prevent a Hard crust) onto a conveyor system which automatically diverted the Bread to any one of FOUR slicing and bagging machines.
First machine might be loaded with Vaule Bags,
The 2nd with Top of the range Bags,
The 3rd with the Mid range bags,
The 4th with a very well known National Brand of bread

ALL the same Bread but sold at that time for 16p Vaule up to about 54p for top of the range.
38pence for a colourful bag!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The same bread went into Various DIFFERENT supermarket branded bags, the only time it was a different bread was when it came to Marks & Sparks, it was a bread that had added MILK POWDER.

There's a lot of wool pulled over peoples eyes, there may be a big differerance between the Vaule and Finest range in some cases but some times NONE at all.

Ps Thin slice bread is 1/2 the thickness of Thick sliced, simply take one of the two knife cartridges out of the slicer.
Likewise Extra thick sliced bread is twice as thick as normal sliced bread.

[Mookiemoo]

The value product is a different product to the finest - they are charging different based n the product that is being purchased.

However, a seat in first is a seat in first - and FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are differentiating based on the person renting it for the duration of their journey


[/quote]


I used to work in a Bakery, bread came out of the coolers, (it's cooled straight after baking, to prevent a Hard crust) onto a conveyor system which automatically diverted the Bread to any one of FOUR slicing and bagging machines.
First machine might be loaded with Vaule Bags,
The 2nd with Top of the range Bags,
The 3rd with the Mid range bags,
The 4th with a very well known National Brand of bread

ALL the same Bread but sold at that time for 16p Vaule up to about 54p for top of the range.
38pence for a colourful bag!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The same bread went into Various DIFFERENT supermarket branded bags, the only time it was a different bread was when it came to Marks & Sparks, it was a bread that had added MILK POWDER.

There's a lot of wool pulled over peoples eyes, there may be a big differerance between the Vaule and Finest range in some cases but some times NONE at all.

Ps Thin slice bread is 1/2 the thickness of Thick sliced, simply take one of the two knife cartridges out of the slicer.
Likewise Extra thick sliced bread is twice as thick as normal sliced bread.
[/quote]

That may be true - put the customer is paying for different products - even if the difference is only in the packaging - hence the pricing differential

A first class seat is a first class seat regardless of who sits in it - the service being provided is Identical

[Chris from Nailsea]

Not everybody who travels on trains are benefit cheats 

Personally I think its a good idea. Crowded trains aren't suitable for pregnant people!

Crowded trains aren't really suitable for anyone but they are a fact of life!

... and it's because of the facts of life that some people are pregnant? 

[Shazz]

This scheme has existed for quite some time on SWT^▸ (South West Trains) - so certainly nothing new.

As for Mookiemoo, I get the impression you're against anything that may help people in any way. In a roundabout way in this compensation culture that exists nowadays, if a train was cramped with standing room only, it could cause high levels of stress, which could cause a miscarriage or injury... and knowing people these days they'd likely sue as a result.

no, I'm against anything that helps people when IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion) they got themselves into that mess in the first place (especially when it inconveniences me)

Being pregnant is a choice you make (up to 22 weeks no one forces you) so you live with it and you certainly do not deserve any perks just because you managed to spread your legs and get knocked up and then you end up expecting the rest of the workforce to make allowances for you and your little brat - if little Johnny is sick, dont expect me to cover your work and dont expect me to cover your maternity leave

PS I run my own business am female and 31 but I certainly would never employ a woman of child bearing age

Oh i cant wait for the day when someone sues you for discrimination when they apply for a job 

[Mookiemoo]

This scheme has existed for quite some time on SWT^▸ (South West Trains) - so certainly nothing new.

As for Mookiemoo, I get the impression you're against anything that may help people in any way. In a roundabout way in this compensation culture that exists nowadays, if a train was cramped with standing room only, it could cause high levels of stress, which could cause a miscarriage or injury... and knowing people these days they'd likely sue as a result.

no, I'm against anything that helps people when IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion) they got themselves into that mess in the first place (especially when it inconveniences me)

Being pregnant is a choice you make (up to 22 weeks no one forces you) so you live with it and you certainly do not deserve any perks just because you managed to spread your legs and get knocked up and then you end up expecting the rest of the workforce to make allowances for you and your little brat - if little Johnny is sick, dont expect me to cover your work and dont expect me to cover your maternity leave

PS I run my own business am female and 31 but I certainly would never employ a woman of child bearing age

Oh i cant wait for the day when someone sues you for discrimination when they apply for a job 

You can come up with any number of legitimate reasons for not giving someone a job - Proving a non-internal applicant did not get the job because of discrimination is almost impossible - unless you are stupid enough to document it.

[Chris from Nailsea]

- unless you are stupid enough to document it.

Erm ...

... but I certainly would never employ a woman of child bearing age

 

[Mookiemoo]

- unless you are stupid enough to document it.

Erm ...

... but I certainly would never employ a woman of child bearing age

 

\
Most of you dont know who I am (staff may do if they work my line ) you certainly dont know the name of my company

So its not documented anywhere they could find out