All over the UK, there’s a CrossCountry train waiting to take you on your journey. We’ll take you home once you’ve touched down at Stansted Airport, we’ll whisk you off on holiday to Cornwall, we’ll get you to a business conference in Birmingham. Students, commuters, families, and solo adventurers choose us every day, so to show our gratitude, we offer First Class upgrades with Seatfrog from as little as £10.
What is Seatfrog?
Seatfrog is an app that enables you to bid for First Class train tickets, when you already have a Standard class ticket and are travelling on an eligible service that has availability in First Class.
Eligible CrossCountry Routes for Seatfrog Upgrades
You can use Seatfrog to upgrade your comfort on some of the longest routes on the CrossCountry network. First Class is only available on our Voyager fleet. Eligible routes are as follows:
• Bournemouth to Manchester
• Bristol to Manchester
• Penzance to Edinburgh
• Reading to Newcastle
How does Seatfrog work?
Once you’ve downloaded the Seatfrog app, you’re just a few steps away from First Class tickets.
Add your Trip
Enter your journey details or booking reference and tap Find an auction. If it is more than 24 hours before departure, you may not see an active auction yet. Instead, you’ll be notified when the auction opens closer to departure time.
Start Bidding
Select the number of upgrades you’d like to bid on and set your price for each one. It’s completely free to take part, and you’ll only be charged if your bid is successful. Please make sure you already have a valid ticket for the journey you’re bidding on.
You can place or update bids up to 30 minutes before the train departs.
You can place as many bids as you like before the auction closes. Each new bid must be higher than the reserve price or the current highest bid.
When the auction ends, the highest bid wins!
Enjoy the First Class Experience
If you win an auction, Seatfrog will send you an upgrade barcode. This will be available in the Seatfrog app and will be sent to you as an email confirmation. You can show this barcode to our on-board train manager alongside your original ticket.
Why Upgrade to First Class with CrossCountry?
The First Class carriage on our Voyager trains has more spacious seating with more table space. Some of our services also provide complimentary snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, meaning you can enjoy your CrossCountry journey to its full potential.
*Terms and conditions apply.
Seatfrog FAQs
Seatfrog currently supports all Standard train tickets when purchasing an upgrade for CrossCountry. If you want to learn more about the tickets available to buy with CrossCountry, explore our ticket types.
You can pay for an upgrade without needing to place a bid on the Seatfrog auction. Just tap the Upgrade now button. You can upgrade anytime up to 30 mins before departure.
Auctions start approximately 24 hours before the train departs. Auctions close around 30 minutes before the train departs from its starting station.
It is free to bid for an upgrade. You only pay if you win.
You can bid for multiple upgrades on the Seatfrog app. Just select how many upgrades you want and start bidding. The app won’t let you select more upgrades than are available on the service, and each person you are bidding for must hold their eligible ticket to travel.
Seatfrog will try to accommodate your group as best as possible; however, due to seating being allocated in advance, it can’t be guaranteed that you will be sitting together with your travelling companion(s).
We make sure your bid is hidden from other bidders, so you can’t see theirs either.
When you decide to place a bid on Seatfrog, you will be prompted to register your preferred payment card. This will be charged if you win the upgrade.
Seatfrog generates a tax receipt with your First Class ticket and emails you a copy, so you don’t need to do anything.
Seatfrog will place you in the best seat available as soon as you win the upgrade.
If you are travelling with someone, Seatfrog will do its best to seat you with your travel companion(s), but it can’t always be guaranteed.
You cannot use your Seatfrog barcode to open ticket barriers at any station. Instead, use your original Standard Class ticket to enter and exit.
If your trip is delayed but you still travel on that train, your upgrade will remain valid.
If your trip is cancelled and you decide to travel on a later train, we will endeavour to honour your upgrade depending on seat availability. However, we cannot guarantee you will be able to upgrade on the next train. If your upgrade was not used because of a cancellation, please request a refund through Seatfrog.
Seatfrog will try to stop auctions where possible if there is any expected disruption.
For more detailed information and additional scenarios, consult Seatfrog’s guidance on delays and cancellations.
You can only use your Seatfrog upgrade on the selected service, so if you miss your train, you won’t be able to use that same upgrade on a later service. However, you can bid for an upgrade on the new train, as long as it is more than 30 minutes before departure.
We urge you to ensure your phone is fully charged. If you can't present your Seatfrog upgrade and your original ticket to our train manager, you may be asked to pay the full cost of a First Class ticket.
You can access Seatfrog’s help centre in their app and on their website. Alternatively, you can email Seatfrog at [email protected].
