Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Destinations > Europe > U.K. and Ireland
Reload this Page >

Heathrow Express finally implements sensible prices

Community
Wiki Posts
Search

Heathrow Express finally implements sensible prices

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Sep 15, 2015, 12:33 pm
  #1  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: From ORK, live LCY
Programs: BA Silver, EI Silver, HH Gold, BW Gold, ABP, Seigneur des Horaires des Mucci
Posts: 14,209
Heathrow Express finally implements sensible prices

Heathrow Express now offers advance tickets exclusively online through its own website. Fares start at £10.99 return when booked 90 days before the outbound journey and are valid on any service on the nominated date.

No further discounts are available, such as for Railcard holders.
stifle is offline  
Old Sep 15, 2015, 4:51 pm
  #2  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 2,833
Originally Posted by stifle
Heathrow Express now offers advance tickets exclusively online through its own website. Fares start at £10.99 return when booked 90 days before the outbound journey and are valid on any service on the nominated date.

No further discounts are available, such as for Railcard holders.
90 days in advance ?
They're being dragged kicking and screaming into reality.
Clint Bint is offline  
Old Sep 16, 2015, 1:44 am
  #3  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: From ORK, live LCY
Programs: BA Silver, EI Silver, HH Gold, BW Gold, ABP, Seigneur des Horaires des Mucci
Posts: 14,209
Intermediate tiers of fares apply 30 or 7 days in advance.
stifle is offline  
Old Sep 16, 2015, 2:59 am
  #4  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
Posts: 23,433
With prices like that, who in their right mind would use the Piccadilly Line.
Swanhunter is offline  
Old Sep 16, 2015, 3:50 am
  #5  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 2,833
Originally Posted by Swanhunter
With prices like that, who in their right mind would use the Piccadilly Line.
Or the Ghost Train.
AKA Heathrow Connect.
Clint Bint is offline  
Old Sep 16, 2015, 3:56 am
  #6  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London & Sonoma CA
Programs: UA 1K, MM *G for life, BAEC Gold
Posts: 10,224
Originally Posted by Swanhunter
With prices like that, who in their right mind would use the Piccadilly Line.
Those of us who live near Piccadilly Line stations. Getting the Circle Line to Paddington takes forever. So the Piccadilly Line still wins for much of central London.
lhrsfo is offline  
Old Sep 16, 2015, 6:32 am
  #7  
:D!
Hilton Contributor BadgeIHG Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
Programs: BA Diamond, Hilton Bronze, A3 Diamond, IHG *G
Posts: 6,344
Originally Posted by lhrsfo
Those of us who live near Piccadilly Line stations. Getting the Circle Line to Paddington takes forever. So the Piccadilly Line still wins for much of central London.
And a large part of NW and SW London.

It takes me a hour to get to LHR by Piccadilly, but getting to Paddington takes an hour as well and requires 3 changes and 10 minutes' extra walking.

I don't think anything can beat the £1.50 fare.
:D! is offline  
Old Sep 16, 2015, 1:54 pm
  #8  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Malaga, Spain
Posts: 1,077
Originally Posted by stifle
Heathrow Express now offers advance tickets exclusively online through its own website. Fares start at £10.99 return when booked 90 days before the outbound journey and are valid on any service on the nominated date.

No further discounts are available, such as for Railcard holders.
Heathrow Express is operated by the Heathrow Express Operating Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Heathrow Airport. It's not part of the railway system and not subject to government fares control.

That's what you get when you privatise an essential utility like rail. Rememebr this when you next vote
dlffla likes this.
farci is offline  
Old Sep 16, 2015, 2:13 pm
  #9  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,110
I doubt I'll have my travel plans for getting to the airport in order 90 days before and most travellers won't either - because most airline tickets are booked within 90 days of travel.

This, like other onerous advance purchase schemes, is mostly a marketing show and will have little applicability to the average passenger and little effect on revenues. Which I'm sure is the idea.

The HEX should cost about GBP10 each way maximum.
flatlander is offline  
Old Sep 16, 2015, 2:32 pm
  #10  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
Posts: 23,433
In part it's a way of attracting leisure travellers. Many people do book their holidays more than 90 days out and this potentially locks in revenue for a more price sensitive segment.
Swanhunter is offline  
Old Sep 16, 2015, 4:04 pm
  #11  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: SNA
Posts: 18,240
I had travel booked 90 days out, but it is not at 90 days anymore!
VickiSoCal is offline  
Old Sep 16, 2015, 5:59 pm
  #12  
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: HPN
Posts: 777
Originally Posted by flatlander
I doubt I'll have my travel plans for getting to the airport in order 90 days before and most travellers won't either - because most airline tickets are booked within 90 days of travel.

This, like other onerous advance purchase schemes, is mostly a marketing show and will have little applicability to the average passenger and little effect on revenues. Which I'm sure is the idea.

The HEX should cost about GBP10 each way maximum.
... which it now does as long as you book 30 days in advance. (OK, £10.75 one-way, but £17.50 return.)

The 90-day price is only a little cheaper than the 30-day price -- the 30-day price is half the walkup price.

Eight years from now, when the Heathrow Express concession expires, all this should be different, but even before that I suspect Crossrail will shake up services at Heathrow anyway, possibly leading to more reasonable fares. Even if Heathrow doesn't land up in Zone 6, it may be in a Zone H with something closer to normality in pricing.
marlborobell is offline  
Old Sep 16, 2015, 11:31 pm
  #13  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London & Sonoma CA
Programs: UA 1K, MM *G for life, BAEC Gold
Posts: 10,224
Originally Posted by farci
Heathrow Express is operated by the Heathrow Express Operating Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Heathrow Airport. It's not part of the railway system and not subject to government fares control.

That's what you get when you privatise an essential utility like rail. Rememebr this when you next vote
At the venture of straying into bad OMNI, I would add that you should also remember, when you next vote, that the nationalised British Rail could never be bothered to build a railway line to LHR - so if we were back in those days there would be no HEX at all.
lhrsfo is offline  
Old Sep 18, 2015, 9:51 am
  #14  
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,641
There will probably be extensive works on the line anticipated for three months' time, hence the reduced prices.....
oscietra is offline  
Old Sep 18, 2015, 10:34 am
  #15  
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: London
Posts: 1,117
Originally Posted by lhrsfo
At the venture of straying into bad OMNI, I would add that you should also remember, when you next vote, that the nationalised British Rail could never be bothered to build a railway line to LHR - so if we were back in those days there would be no HEX at all.
The whole Heathrow Express project actually started as a 50/50 joint venture between BAA and the Network SouthEast sector of British Rail, however at the time of rail privatisation BAA assumed full control of it (I think by buying out BR's interest in it).
Mizter T is offline  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.