Ticket to Heathrow via Heathrow Connect

[jon0844]

Just out of interest, is there a direct ticket you can get to Heathrow T123 via Heathrow Connect? In this case, from Welwyn Garden City? But it could be from anywhere.

I asked this morning for my wife, and was told there was no ticket (well, there was - but it would be expensive and mean using Heathrow Express). No matter how many times I mention it, staff seem to have never heard of Heathrow Connect.

I saw the list of tickets on the screen and some did say 'NOT Heathrow Express' yet were far more expensive than they should be.

When I suggested the extension, I was issued with one saying 'From: Hayes + Harlington To: Heathrow Rail * Route: Not London' and the lady warned me about the 'Not London' and suggested I couldn't combine them - but I could try my luck. I then bought a WGC to Hayes & Harlington ticket as normal (both to be used tomorrow evening).

Of course, I've done this before and it works just fine (especially as the trains all stop there) but why isn't there a direct ticket - and if there is, why can't they find it?

Annoyingly, by splitting the ticket, the cost of each ticket was under £13 (the minimum for her network card) so she couldn't get a discount - but if both had been combined then she could have saved a bit of money.

 

[island]

As you say, splitting the ticket is perfectly fine. Route "NOT LONDON" means that particular part of the journey can't involve travel through or via any of the London terminals. Since the Heathrow Connect calls at H&H it is of course valid to travel via there. I would suggest writing to FCC asking for the ticket clerk to be retrained on split ticketing rules.

I shall check later on, if nobody has done so in the meantime, whether there is a direct ticket that applies. Can't at the moment due to not having Avantix at hand.

Not sure what a WGC is though.

 

[dzug2]

The NOT Heathrow Express one is the option. It's cheaper than the sum of the three fares WGC to Kings Cross, Underground to Paddington and Heathrow Connect to Heathrow so I'm not sure why you think it's expensive.

£18 anytime day single from WGC

Splitting is cheaper though..... £12.50 plus £4.90

 

[island]

A ticket from Welwyn Gdn City to Heathrow Term123 route +NOT HEATHROW EXP is available and costs £13 (£11.90 on weekends) anytime day single/£23.75 anytime return with a Network Railcard.

 

[jon0844]

The NOT Heathrow Express one is the option. It's cheaper than the sum of the three fares WGC to Kings Cross, Underground to Paddington and Heathrow Connect to Heathrow so I'm not sure why you think it's expensive.

But that's the problem, on the screen there was no fare anywhere near that cheap. The first ticket was £12 exactly by the way, to Hayes & Harlington.

With the separate £3.xx extension (can't remember exact amount), with Gold Card discount she (I) paid too much. I can't understand why this ticket doesn't show up when heathrow is entered as the destination at the station. The cheapest fare was over £20 and I saw it myself. What were they doing wrong?

If a £13 fare showed up, I am sure a lot more people would be offered this as an option when asking for a ticket. As it stands staff seem to think it is Heathrow Express or the tube as the only options. I am probably the only one that ever asks for this!

Sent from my MB525 using Tapatalk

 

[island]

Are we talking about a Network Railcard or a Gold Card? The answer will be different in each case.

 

[jon0844]

I asked at Potters Bar this morning and was told that the ticket would be £18 (without any discount). Given the discount that becomes around £12, which is exactly what I paid for a ticket to Hayes & Harlington - before having to get an extension that cost £3.45 (with Gold Card).

The discount for a Network Railcard and Gold Card is the same, but the former has a £13 minimum. Thus, had Hatfield sold me the right ticket my wife would have paid £13, instead of £12+£3.45 (£15.45). Not a huge increase, but an unnecessary one nonetheless.

As I came into work this morning, I checked my National Rail app on my phone and entered WGC as the start and Heathrow (All Stations) as the destination. What's odd is the services offered, and nowhere does it offer the service with Not Heathrow Express.

It either offered, WGC to KGX, tube to Paddington and Heathrow Express or WGC to KGX and tube to Heathrow. In one case, it even offered WGC to Stevenage first and then back in to London! Fair enough, I'd set it to show slower or non-direct trains (otherwise HEX might always 'win') but why suggest a route that is clearly going to cost more by going in the wrong direction first?

The fares varied, but it's set to show with Gold Card, with the tube route being around £9 and then increasing to £20+ for those with Heathrow Express.

I will now see what Trainline and EC suggest.

Update:

East Coast shows the cheapest ticket as £30.50, and is - unsurprisingly - Heathrow Express. Route: WGC to KGX, tube to Paddington and then HEX. BUT if you click the 'select a route' icon within the 'Show Me' box, you then get a 'Not via Heathrow Express' box which when ticked DOES show the route. Finally! (Route: WGC to London, Tube to Paddington and HEATHROW CONNECT - £18)

Talk about well hidden! And, clearly the 'show all fares' part of the EC website isn't showing all fares when there's a hidden box you will almost certainly miss.

On Trainline, I couldn't find any option to show any destination other than ZHJ (tube) or HWV until clicking 'More Options' and then, without changing anything, you then get the same list but with a new option: "Click here to check if slower routes with cheaper tickets are available" which does then present an Anytime Day Single, Not Heathrow Exp, for £18. What's odd is that there's also a Anytime Day Single ANY PERMITTED for £14?

To clarify; I did not enter ANY railcard for these price comparisons above.

Bloody hell, this is confusing.

Is Heathrow Connect meant to be a secret? I know some will argue that it's probably as quick to take the tube as Heathrow Connect (taking into account having to wait for the train to leave at xx03 or xx33) but it's a far more pleasant route than the Underground and a lot cheaper than HEX. Coming back, given the likelihood of being able to get the tickets in reverse, I think we'll just stump up for HEX!

Also, trainline shows a 'Railair Hatfield' route which is £8.40, going WGC to Highbury & Islington, Overground to Richmond, South West Trains to Feltham and Bus from Feltham to Heathrow T4! Now there's a route that's subject to all sorts of potential delays to ensure you miss check-in!

 

[hairyhandedfool]

According to the FRPP, through fares to Heathrow Airport via Heathrow Connect are available:

• From London Terminals, 'rte Not Heathrow Express'.
  
• On all flows not passing through London.

For all other journeys a ticket to Hayes and Harlington and a ticket from Hayes and Harlington to Heathrow Rail ('rte Not London') should be issued.

 

[jon0844]

WGC to Heathrow goes via London, and there IS an £18 fare that can be discounted. I am unsure how the man at Potters Bar found it so easily (I didn't see the screen this time) and at Hatfield it wasn't there (plenty of far more expensive ticket options under 'Not Heathrow Exp') and now I've found it with some messing around on various websites.

The ticket extension works, but it's more expensive. Only by a few quid, but every little helps, right?

One key difference was that the man at Potters Bar did know what Heathrow Connect was. Perhaps there's a similar option on the FCC system to show slower trains like the websites?

 

[island]

Is Heathrow Connect meant to be a secret? I know some will argue that it's probably as quick to take the tube as Heathrow Connect (taking into account having to wait for the train to leave at xx03 or xx33) but it's a far more pleasant route than the Underground and a lot cheaper than HEX.

Quite possibly. For a long time the departure boards at PAD advertised Heathrow Connect services with a destination of Hayes & Harlington.

 

[Deerfold]

I suspect most systems assume you want the fastest service (HEX) or the cheapest service (via Piccadilly line). This may be why they're a bit confused if you want one in between. Doesn't mean they should make it hard to find of course.

 

[jon0844]

I will now just book the ticket online (via EC) and collect at the station.

The problem with asking for the ticket at the station is that it will need staff to know how to search for the ticket and actually accept that there IS another way to get to Heathrow that isn't Heathrow Express or the tube. As a result, it's going to be incredibly hit and miss (or, at worst, take so long you'll p**s off everyone else behind you and potentially miss your train and have to wait another 30 minutes).

Goodness knows what the options are on a TVM!

Wouldn't it just make more sense to make Heathrow part of Z6 for the Heathrow Connect too? Many people will still opt for the tube, as it doesn't involve changes (and they are more regular) and HEX can still charge a premium as a special service. That would also mean I could travel there for free with my season ticket!

 

[Wolfie]

Wouldn't it just make more sense to make Heathrow part of Z6 for the Heathrow Connect too? Many people will still opt for the tube, as it doesn't involve changes (and they are more regular) and HEX can still charge a premium as a special service. That would also mean I could travel there for free with my season ticket!

Jon

Never going to happen. As I understand it BAA paid for the rail-link from Hayes and Harlington to Heathrow and they receive the premium for use of that link. Until or unless someone buys them out Heathrow will not be part of Z6 for rail (as opposed to tube) services.....

I have no idea how Crossrail will be handled!

 

[LexyBoy]

I have no idea how Crossrail will be handled!

Similar to the current situation AFAIK (including HeX clogging up the mains with 4 tph). BAA aren't likely to sell the rail link (at a realistic price) any time soon.

Also, I think they don't just get a premium - they are the outright owners so get to decide who runs over it - HeX are after all a BAA subsiduary (and not bound by the NRCoC, for example), and HC are part owned by BAA.

 

[paulravuslante]

BAA aren't likely to sell the rail link (at a realistic price) any time soon.

Too true. HEx is one of the more profitable parts of the BAA empire.

 

[bnm]

Too true. HEx is one of the more profitable parts of the BAA empire.

I should blinking well hope so at the prices HEx charge!!!