Treat yourself to first class.
Bid for a last-minute upgrade to relax and travel in style with Grand Central.
The new way to travel first class.
How to upgrade on Grand Central:
Add your trip.
Enter your train via our ‘Train Search’ option to get started. We’ll show you which upgrades are available.
Start bidding.
Select the number of upgrades you’d like to bid for, set your price for each upgrade and you’ll only pay if you win!
Upgrade in seconds.
The moment you win we’ll send your upgrade barcodes straight to your phone. It’s that easy.
More opportunities to travel in style.
We’ve teamed up with Grand Central to give you the perfect environment to work, relax, or simply enjoy the view in quiet comfort. Experience first class with a last-minute upgrade on your next trip.
Download to upgrade
Everything you need to know:
Book with Grand Central.
You just need to book your standard class ticket on the Grand Central app or grandcentralrail.com. Simple.
First class at the last-minute.
Auctions start 24 hours before departure and you can bid right up to 30 minutes before your train leaves.
Available every day of the week.
On selected peak and off-peak Grand Central services across the network.
Upgrade with family and friends.
Select how many seats you need before you bid for an upgrade.
Grab yourself a deal!
You can bid to travel first class from just £5, or select ‘Buy Upgrade Now’ to upgrade instantly.
The really important bit.
Upgrades can only be used for the train you have won the upgrade for. So only bid for the train you and your group are travelling on.
45 seconds
That’s the record for the fastest upgrade on Seatfrog.
Yeow, that’s fast!
The ‘zen’ of first class.
Wherever you’re travelling across our network, you're only a winning bid away from enjoying all the perks of travelling first class.
First class refreshments.
Complimentary snacks and drinks served at your table – using local produce when available.
Stay connected.
Free wi-fi keeps you in touch with work, the world or what’s on-demand.
Space to spread out.
Stretch out and unwind with wide, reclining seats, and extra legroom.
Have a question?
The Seatfrog app enables customers who have purchased any Grand Central standard class ticket to bid for an upgrade to first class when they are travelling on an eligible train, with first class availability. Customers who hold the highest bid when the Seatfrog auction ends, will win the first class upgrade for the journey they are making.
Yes! You can upgrade as part of a group using our group bidding feature. Just specify how many seats you’d like to upgrade from the Seatfrog bidding screen before placing a bid. You can access this page once you have added a trip to the app.
The number of upgrades in each auction are subject to availability, and while we’ll make our best efforts we can’t guarantee everyone in a group will be seated next to each other once upgraded. Find out more information about group bidding here.
As Seatfrog provides last-minute upgrades, we cannot guarantee the availability of accessible areas in first class coaches. Travellers who require assistance should contact the Grand Central Passenger Assistance team and check availability for their journey prior to participation in a Seatfrog upgrade auction. Find out more information here.
There are two ways you can purchase an eligible ticket for Seatfrog upgrades:
- Book directly through the Grand Central website or app.
- Book through a website authorised to sell Grand Central tickets.
You will also need to ensure:
- You must be over 18 years of age
- Book a service operated by Grand Central
- Book a standard class ticket
Once you have booked an eligible ticket, you can add your trip to the Seatfrog app by using the Train Search feature on the Seatfrog app.
As Seatfrog is a last-minute upgrades service, availability of upgrades on your service are confirmed closer to your date of departure.
Seatfrog upgrades are available on selected peak and off-peak Grand Central services across the network, with availability dictated by expected passenger volumes in both first and standard class carriages.
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You're just a few taps away from better train travel
Download the Seatfrog app and buy tickets, upgrade to first class, change train times and much more all in one app.
