EMR to use app that lets customers upgrade to first class from £10

East Midlands Railway (EMR) has partnered with Seatfrog to allow Standard Class Ticket customers to bid for an upgrade to First Class - starting from just £10.

The Seatfrog app, which can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play, allows customers to bid for a last minute seat upgrade - beginning 24 hours before departure and up to 30 minutes before the train is due to depart. They can also buy an instant upgrade once they are on the train.

Seatfrog upgrades are available on selected peak and off-peak services on EMR's Intercity route between London and other Intercity destinations, including Leicester, Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield and East Midlands Parkway.

The availability of the upgrades will be dictated by expected passenger volumes in First and Standard Class carriages.

Interested customers need to open the app and enter their booking reference or use Seatfrog’s handy train search feature. Seatfrog will then show them the upgrades available on their journey.

Customers need to then select the number of upgrades they would like to bid for and set their price for each upgrade. They can place as many bids as they like in each auction at no cost. 

If they win, Seatfrog will notify the customers and take payment. The customer will then receive a First Class upgrade barcode straight to their phone.

Neil Grabham, Customer Services Director at East Midlands Railway, said: "Seatfrog offers our customers the flexibility to upgrade to First Class at short notice and bid for ticket at a price they want to pay.  

"It is quick and simple to use and provides the chance for customers to enjoy all the perks of First Class travel at a reduced rate - starting at just £10."

Iain Griffin, Founder of Seatfrog, said: “We're excited to be bringing Seatfrog to millions of East Midlands Railway customers to enable first-class savings from today. By using our app, they will be able to upgrade to first class for as little as £10, and get the best seat on the train.

"There are 570 million unused seats in first-class across Europe every year, which means people are missing out on the best train experience available. So we’re on a mission to fill those seats and put delight back into a billion journeys.”

For a limited time only, all Seatfrog users who bid for an upgrade on an EMR service will be entered into a prize draw to win 2x First Class EMR tickets. Three winners will be selected in total - more information can be found here:  https://help.seatfrog.com/hc/en-gb/articles/4931609889679