"Andrea" wrote:

From my recent First Class journeys in the South East, I have found
that demand for it is practically non-existent on suburban routes
outside of peak hours - this is particularly my experience on the FCC
Bedford-East Croydon service.

However, I have found that these operators now have an off-peak 'First
Cheap Day Return'. FCC have this, as does FGW. Why do very few
people take up these offers, which seem to be good value for money?

Because First Class is rarely enforced in the south east - SWT are an
exception - and is therefore frequently invaded by kids/yobs/druggies,
making it less pleasant than travelling with the great unwashed in steerage.

Chris