Globaliser

From the TfL website:-

kaizenflying

thejohn

My vote would be by HEX even Elizabeth Line from Paddington...unless those lines are affected by Bank Holiday Engineering works too.
John

Geordie405

I'm glad that, for once, I am actually flying in to LGW this weekend instead of LHR as is the norm when returning home from LAS. Now I just have to hope that Thameslink is operating normally so I can get to KGX for the rest of the trip up north

ocprodigy

BA FlyerTalk forum members use the tube?! From some of the complaints and comments I cannot imagine the disdain towards, or even disgust when using, forms of public transport where the cleaning standards are even lower than that of our beloved BA's! Likely to be more than a few sightings of McDonald's wrappers, alongside other particularly aromatic foods...

ajeleonard

Given it's the slowest way to the airport I'm not sure how you need to "allow extra time" because it's closed. Surely you'll end up on one of the faster options...?

kingstontoon

At certain times of day, the rail replacement coach from Hammersmith to T23/T5 will be quicker than the Piccadilly line!

My choice would be TfL Rail though. I've never taken a taxi in London and never will, and the HEx is too expensive for what it is.

Jagboi

I have done this before, we landed at LHR and found the tube wasn't running. The coaches were comfortable and had plenty of space for luggage underneath. I was into central London faster than I would normally have been if the tube was running.

Jagboi

I have taken a taxi once to LHR and it was £80. Never again. I personally find the HEX useless as it's expensive and then I still have to change to the tube to get anywhere. My usual hotel is a few blocks off the Pic line, so it's an easy run from LHR with no changes. I'd rather do that than have to change to the tube at Paddington anyway and save myself a lot of money.

:D!

Unless starting near to Paddington, the coach from Hammersmith is probably the fastest way to Heathrow from most of West London. I wish the coach would run all the time! Once I was so late that I had to take a black cab from Hammersmith, which cost £50 and took 16 minutes. I don't think the coach will get stuck in much traffic, it's basically 2/3 lanes all the way and it's weekend

rcspeirs

:D!

But arriving into London is not such a problem, it's mainly people wanting to catch their flights who are in a rush.

Globaliser

Whether the Tube is slower or much slower than any of the other options depends on where you're starting from. Although I'm in the luxurious position of being able to afford the HEX even without advance planning, experience taught me that if I splashed out ten times the Tube-only fare on a journey that includes the HEX, I saved about 10 minutes over the Tube-only journey.

All of the other "faster options" are more expensive than the Tube. So there are plenty of people for whom taking the Tube is the most sensible - or perhaps the only sensible - option. They will have to deal with the interchange at Hammersmith onto the coaches. If all goes well, the overall journey may be faster than if they could stay on the Tube, as some on this thread have reported. But if there's a queue for the coaches, then it may take more time. Hence the sensible advice from TfL if you are planning to use the replacement services.

Those within the FT bubble may like to sneer at hoi polloi, but there is actually a real world out there.

BearX220

I would ride an express bus Hammersmith-LHR all the time if it were offered all the time, and not more expensive than my usual go-to, the Service Formerly Known as Heathrow Connect.

Flying Yazata

Most certainly using the Tube, as well as all other forms of TfL mass transit. Smart costwise and there's plenty of options. My most recent arrivals to LHR for premium cabin flights on revenue tickets (iterating myself in detail, as someone would probably otherwise assume I'm a poor pauper on award tickets): TfL bus and TfL bus. And I combined those trips with a free Piccadilly line terminal transit.

Taking a Hackney carridge or e.g. Addison Lee doesn't really feel like the quickest form of transportation in a congested metropolis, so I too never take a cab in London. As for HEX, I certainly agree with you. I guess as a GGL you could consider it for the First perk, but then again First on commuter trains has very little added value IMO. Perhaps at times during rush hours. TfL Rail does the same as HEX and is cheaper.

I certainly could afford cabs and HEX, but why waste good money on it, when something cheaper does the trick? More money left for other virtues. And I personally enjoy making economically sound judgements and choices, rather than always paying a premium, even when I would get bad value for the price paid. The same goes for groceries, restaurants, hotel stays etc.