KARFA

I would agree, and it's not like the thistle is that great a hotel anyway. stayed there again at Christmas but only because it was cheaper than the sofitel and i was going to be staying on a day when there was no public transport.

there is always the TfL bus if one wants to avoid the charge as you can get the 423 from T5.

mikebg

Regardless as to whether you or I think the charge is too high, that's the charge the operator makes. Deliberately "fiddling" with it is known as "stealing". I can't see any difference between that and someone taking a newspaper without paying because "they charge far too much for it".

scottishpoet

If people believe the charge ia too high then use the free buses. The 423 and the 7 can be used to get into T5 for free

FeedbirdNiner

I wonder what the business arrangement for use of the pod is? Do Thistle pay HAL per person, or an annual payment for use, which they recoup through the individual charges? If it's the latter, then add a couple of quid to each room charge and advertise the hotel as enjoying free access to the pod, imo.

chistery

It's gone up to £6 now, according to HfP.

Wong Jnr

I know a few people who used to work at Thistle who explained the workings of the pod arrangement.
Thistle pay HAL per person, not per gate opening. HAL have their own recorded numbers (not sure how) and charge the hotel accordingly.
The fee's the hotel receive from the customers offset the charge they get from HAL.
When the gate was first introduced there were massive discrepancies between the hotels and HALs numbers. After investigation it was discovered that staff were popping down to T5 to get lunch. HAL were recording and correctly charging those numbers....
Now whether it's changed or not now, building the £5 into the room rate was tried and did not work as Heathrow hotel room rates are too price sensitive. It's revenue management where the hotel were willing to accept a slight loss on the Pods via incorrect or lack of charging all customers so that they can get greater occupancy.

armouredant

I do this all the time at airport lounges, tbh.

sunshinebob

I used the pods last week staying at the Thistle and its now £6. When I checked out the following morning the code they gave me did not work but I just "bunked in" with the passenger walking just behind me.

FWIW the thistle was £45 and the sofitel wanted £200. Also a Gin and Tonic is about half the price at the Thistle compared to the Sofitel ( where I stayed last night courtesy of Ba and another cancelled flight ).

armouredant

You can get the Sofitel for ~£94–104 on Lastminute.com Secret Deals, fwiw.

I was hovering between Thistle and Sofitel for my next early LHR departure; the pod price increase sends the wrong message to me. At £59 + £6 + £6 + £6 + £6 (for two people each way in a pod) = £83, I'd rather pay the extra £11–21 for the two of us to stay at a much more comfortable, more convenient and much less dated hotel. For drinks and runway views, we can get off the HX a little earlier and enjoy the rooftop bar at the HGI Atrium T23.

scottishpoet

you can avoid the extra £24 by taking the free bus that stops virtually outside the hotel

Raffles

Where's the fun in that? :-)

armouredant

Exactly! If I wanted to sit on a bus to a hotel I might as well save a few quid and get breakfast included at the Premier Inn M4 J4.

As it is, after rooftop drinks at sunset, we'll stop off for a quick bimble on the pods to Business Parking and back, gratis, before a nightcap at the Sofitel

scottishpoet

Or even the premier inn T5 across the road from the Thistle.

You can stand in the bus to the hotel if you don't like sitting on a bus. Whats wrong with sitting on a bus?

armouredant

I mean... I sit down in the pod, too. But it's driverless!

scottishpoet

so the issue is not that the £6 is too much to get you to the Thistle, but too much to sit in a driverless vehicle?

fly into LCY and take the DLR, a much better driverless experience