LNER conveying passengers for free due to Gatwick disruption (20/12)

[43055]

With all the disruption at Gatwick due to drones over the airfield LNER have decided that passengers due to fly but have a cancelled flight can use there trains between London and Scotland today (this includes Edinburgh, Inverness, Aberdeen and Glasgow). Well done LNER!


https://twitter.com/LNER/status/1075665317156786176

Has your flight between London #GatwickAirport and Edinburgh been cancelled today? If so, you can use your flight tickets to travel on our trains today for FREE. #HomeforChristmas

 

[Bletchleyite]

Good bit of publicity there. Presumably the hope is that they'll realise the train is better and do that next time. I hope there isn't massive disruption on the rails today to knacker that!

 

[robbeech]

It would be interesting to see how many people (given they must have initially chosen their mode of transport) chose to fly based upon a time saving, in which case they’re going to be disappointed and those who chose it based upon a cost saving who therefore may be happy to get a train.

I’ll also be interested to see if Scotrail suggest they’ll accept tickets. I don’t know the flight times but people have been told they can travel to Inverness but of course that’s only good if they get the 1200.

 

[IanD]

It would be interesting to see how many people (given they must have initially chosen their mode of transport) chose to fly based upon a time saving, in which case they’re going to be disappointed

You'd think they would just be happy to get home but no doubt some will be bleating about their disappointment on social media.

 

[robbeech]

You'd think they would just be happy to get home but no doubt some will be bleating about their disappointment on social media.

I suppose the risk is that they won’t get a seat and there will be limited room for luggage due to increased luggage at this time of year and increased passengers but I’d certainly be happy just to get home. I landed at The wrong airport due to an incident before and have been glad of the effort people put in to getting you where you needed to be. On that ocassion there was limited space on buses so they hired a car for me and had it picked up from my house the following day.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Meanwhile, passengers on diverted fights to Gatwick are being bussed there from the diversion airport instead, even from Luton (with frequent through trains to Gatwick) and Newcastle.
The airlines generally don't like to send their passengers by train, and lose control of the costs.

 

[HullRailMan]

So if I decide to travel today long distance on LNER I could pay hundreds of pounds for my trip yet the person sat next to me could be travelling for free having not even being a rail passenger in the first place. Is that fair?

 

[Bletchleyite]

The airlines generally don't like to send their passengers by train, and lose control of the costs.

You can of course go by train yourself, which most people on expenses probably will do. And if their car isn't at Gatwick they may just go straight home. And for some, who have selected the airport based on cost rather than the location of it, it might even be *more* convenient!

 

[eisenach]

So if I decide to travel today long distance on LNER I could pay hundreds of pounds for my trip yet the person sat next to me could be travelling for free having not even being a rail passenger in the first place. Is that fair?

Oh, come on! What happened to empathy and solidarity!
Good on LNER.

 

[Bletchleyite]

So if I decide to travel today long distance on LNER I could pay hundreds of pounds for my trip yet the person sat next to me could be travelling for free having not even being a rail passenger in the first place. Is that fair?

They may have paid £10 for an Advance, too. Bothered about that?

They have of course paid for a flight they can't use. Might well be more than you paid.

 

[mmh]

So if I decide to travel today long distance on LNER I could pay hundreds of pounds for my trip yet the person sat next to me could be travelling for free having not even being a rail passenger in the first place. Is that fair?

Nope, it's not fair at all that the person could find themselves sat next to someone as mean-spirited as you due to no fault of their own.

 

[bengley]

So if I decide to travel today long distance on LNER I could pay hundreds of pounds for my trip yet the person sat next to me could be travelling for free having not even being a rail passenger in the first place. Is that fair?

Yep. Deal with it.

 

[Ben Bow]

Interesting that LNER can find space on their services for potentially hundreds of airline passengers a few days before Christmas. Meanwhile Hull Trains passengers have been 'personae non grata' at busy times.... Hmm....

 

[markindurham]

It's nice to see that the season of goodwill to all has kicked in, isn't it? Oh, hang on...

Far better to direct one's ire towards the cockwombles who thought it a jolly jape to fly drones so close to Gatwick Airport

 

[Nora93]

c2c are also passing stranded passengers or if anyone is re-routed via Southend Airport.

 

[GB]

So if I decide to travel today long distance on LNER I could pay hundreds of pounds for my trip yet the person sat next to me could be travelling for free having not even being a rail passenger in the first place. Is that fair?

I assume that if the guard said you could travel for free or they upgraded you to first class free of charge you would refuse their offer?

 

[matt_world2004]

this is quite an out of the box form of marketing for a nationalised rail operator

 

[Coolzac]

I think this is great from LNER- I am surprised they haven't imposed a restriction, like only valid on off peak services.

But we need more goodwill gestures like this from the railways. It would probably in the long run benefit as it would encourage more people to use the train!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

this is quite an out of the box form of marketing for a nationalised rail operator

Virgin (WC) did something similar during the ash cloud event, as well as running extra trains.

 

[LeeLivery]

So if I decide to travel today long distance on LNER I could pay hundreds of pounds for my trip yet the person sat next to me could be travelling for free having not even being a rail passenger in the first place. Is that fair?

What's unfair is an idiot flying drones over an airport and people being stranded all over the place, possibly missing funerals, weddings, work, etc.

 

[Mag_seven]

Virgin (WC) did something similar during the ash cloud event, as well as running extra trains.

They did indeed - I'm surprised beardie hasn't got in on the act this time as well.

 

[DanDaDriver]

They did indeed - I'm surprised beardie hasn't got in on the act this time as well.

It’s almost like he just franchises the Virgin branding and marketing rather than sitting on his private island fretting about pathing, rosters, and getting stock back for its C exams etc etc .....

But well done LNER nonetheless!

 

[Darandio]

Interesting that LNER can find space on their services for potentially hundreds of airline passengers a few days before Christmas. Meanwhile Hull Trains passengers have been 'personae non grata' at busy times.... Hmm....

Yet we haven't a clue what conversations have gone on behind the scenes between LNER and the airlines.

Regardless, Hull Trains could have solved the issue multiple times recently when they couldn't run a service by giving new tickets to their passengers. Then they could have travelled on LNER regardless of how busy they were supposed to be.

 

[cjmillsnun]

Even GTR have decided to be charitable. For once some good PR for them. https://mobile.twitter.com/SouthernRailUK/status/1075725039251668993

Have you been affected by the #drones at Gatwick? If your travel plans have been changed, we’ve made the following arrangements to help get you on the move without any further hassle.

 

[cuccir]

I think this is great from LNER- I am surprised they haven't imposed a restriction, like only valid on off peak services.

LNER's services to Aberdeen (except the 16:00) and Inverness already have - for today and Friday - restrictions making them drop-off only for their calls south of Berwick so these restrictions may have fortuitously helped to generate the capacity to offer this.

 

[Howardh]

I think worse than sitting in an airport (usually knowing nothing) are the poor souls who are trapped in an aircraft on the ground for hours on end - often airlines refuse to sell them the goods on the tollies which IMO is appalling.

I would like a law where if pax are stuck on an aircraft on the runway then aftre an hour that HAVE to be released back to the terminal unless there's an imminent departure slot. Of course that slot may come immediately aftre disembarking (sod's law) but you can't keep animals inside a lorry indefinately; why humans?

 

[pdeaves]

So if I decide to travel today long distance on LNER I could pay hundreds of pounds for my trip yet the person sat next to me could be travelling for free having not even being a rail passenger in the first place. Is that fair?

It's no more 'unfair' than someone buying something in a sale that I got for full price just before the sale started.

 

[IceAgeComing]

So if I decide to travel today long distance on LNER I could pay hundreds of pounds for my trip yet the person sat next to me could be travelling for free having not even being a rail passenger in the first place. Is that fair?

I booked a Stirling-London advance for £17.50 a month ago; is that fair? Besides its Christmas, I'd rather that people get to where they need to go in plenty of time and limited stress than end up stuck in Gatwick Airport for days before; which might screw up any further connections or plans if they're only going somewhere for a very short time. I've flown home for Christmas before and I know the worry about theoretical delays so I'm more than fine to be sat with people who weren't meant to get the train if it means that they get to where they need to for Christmas.

I just hope that Scotrail do the decent thing and have acceptance up to Inverness for those people; although if LNER staff at Kings Cross give a person permission to travel to Inverness then doesn't that mean that they have that permission regardless of the train company?

 

[vicktrick]

that's good of them!

 

[tiptoptaff]

I just hope that Scotrail do the decent thing and have acceptance up to Inverness for those people; although if LNER staff at Kings Cross give a person permission to travel to Inverness then doesn't that mean that they have that permission regardless of the train company?

I don't think it would be quite that straightforward as they don't hold rail tickets - I guess that LNER would be accepting airline tickets as proof. I'm not convinced ScotRail would have to accept them just because LNER staff said they're valid on LNER trains. I'm equally not convinced that ScotRail would leave potentially 100s of people stranded in Edinburgh, either.