Seatfrog’s Ticketing Types – Explained

Upgrades

On Seatfrog, you can bid on upgrades to First Class in our auctions to level up your standard train seat.

To start off, you’ll need to add your trip to Seatfrog. If you’ve booked your train ticket through Seatfrog, it will be listed in the ‘Your Trips’ section – the luggage/suitcase icon in the menu bar. The quickest and easiest way to add a trip that has been booked through a third party, like Trainline, is with our Train Search tool. It’s simple to use. Just, tap in your trip details and we’ll show you which auctions are available. Once you’ve added your trip you can bid for an upgrade!

To enter an auction for a bum-cushioning First Class seat, do this:

1. Open the Seatfrog app and tap on ‘Your Trips’ or the luggage/suitcase icon in the menu bar.

2. Tap on the trip you want to bid on. Remember, if you have a return trip or stopovers, you may have several trips available for upgrades within the app.

3. Tap on ‘Place a bid’ and check the current price. Happy? Decide on a bid above this price and submit. We hope you win.

How bidding works
Enter the maximum amount you’re willing to pay (per upgrade). We’ll place your bids automatically (aaand relax), £1 at a time, up to your maximum.

Getting outbid instantly
If you get outbid straight after placing a bid, another bidder has probably set a maximum bid higher than yours (that sneaky so and so). So, to get ahead, you’ll need to increase your maximum bid limit.

Being an instant winner
Enter a price above what we call our ‘magic amount’, and you can skip the auction, winning your upgrade instantly (yay). But, get your bid in early as we only have a few seats to offer as instant wins during each auction. Go go go.

Upgrade now

‘Upgrade Now’ is a pre-set price that immediately secures an upgrade. This is an excellent option if you want a quick upgrade without the risk of being pipped to the post in an auction.

If the ‘Upgrade Now’ option is available, you’ll see this on your auction details screen.

Upgrades Availability

Available on Greater Anglia, Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Grand Central, GWR, LNER, Transpennine Express. Find out more about routes, tickets and what’s included here. 

You can find out all about Upgrades here.

Secret Fare

Secret Fare is a rail ticket that gives you a brilliant price to travel on trains with spare seats.

🕒 Just book a time window you want to travel.
🚂 Our technology decides which train you travel on.
🎟️ We send you your ticket the day before.
🤑 (And this is the most important step) You get a huge deal.

Secret Fare tickets are eligible for single or return journeys on multiple routes across the TransPennine Express network. Whether you’re off for ‘a neet on the toon’ in Newcastle or looking to soak up some culture in Edinburgh, there’s a Secret Fare for you. Go get it.

Secret Fare tickets must be booked at least 3 weeks in advance.  We recommend booking early to avoid disappointment. The early frog generally catches the worm. Ribbit.

Train Swap

Train Swap is our solution helping you to seamlessly shift your departure time for a same-day Northern service, all in 3 taps and 20 seconds.

🚄 How It Works: Easy as 1-2-3
1️⃣ Plan your day without constraints! Got an unexpected meeting or a last-minute change of plans? No worries!
2️⃣ Swap your advance train ticket’s departure time with a same-day Northern service, up to 10 minutes before your original train is set to leave.
3️⃣ Enjoy unparalleled freedom without the hefty price tag.

Find out more about Train Swap here.

Tickets

You can buy your standard rail tickets on Seatfrog. We currently sell Advance, Super Off Peak, Off Peak and Anytime ticket fares.

Find out more about our rail tickets here.