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Heathrow Express fares and T&C changes from May 20th

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Joe Paxton

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Looks like I've opened up quite a can of worms here :D

I guess my question now boils down to - would a Z1-6 travelcard be valid on the free shuttle, or am I expected to get a free inter-terminal ticket? Strange one I know, but I'd rather get this out in the clear before someone rocks up to T5 with a travelcard having done it legitimately and being accused of taking the express!


Not a strage question at all, in fact a very sensible one.

My gut feeling is that for passengers with a z1-6 Travelcard changing from TfL Rail (and Crossrail in the future) to the free inter-terminal shuttle there would not be a requirement to go and get a feee transfer ticket at T2&3 station, instead they can just wait on the platform. But that's a gut feeling, not a statement of fact, and is solely based on how clunky the system would otherwise be!
 
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swt_passenger

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Not a strage question at all, in fact a very sensible one.

My gut feeling is that for passengers with a z1-6 Travelcard changing from TfL Rail (and Crossrail in the future) to the free inter-terminal shuttle there would not be a requirement to go and get a feee transfer ticket at T2&3 station, instead they can just wait on the platform. But that's a gut feeling, not a statement of fact, and is solely based on how clunky the system would otherwise be!
All the stations served by TfL rail at Heathrow are now in Zone 6. Why wouldn’t a 1-6 travelcard work?
 

Brucey

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All the stations served by TfL rail at Heathrow are now in Zone 6. Why wouldn’t a 1-6 travelcard work?
The journey between Terminals 2-3 and Terminal 5 would be on Heathrow Express. Travelcards would not be valid on Heathrow Express to Paddington, so staff at the Terminal 5 gateline may question a Travelcard on the basis of it not being valid on Heathrow Express.
 

Joe Paxton

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All the stations served by TfL rail at Heathrow are now in Zone 6. Why wouldn’t a 1-6 travelcard work?

Brucey gives the answer above - but just to be clear, at present Terminal 5 is not served by TfL Rail, and the question involves a journey via TfL Rail to T5 via a change at T2&3.
 

Bletchleyite

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Cuz it's more convenient to just hop on the shuttle at T2/3 (having arrived via TfL rail) rather than go out the barriers and back in again. (Plus, some people might think "just hop on it's free" not knowing you need to go out and get a transfer ticket, should you need to)

I thought the 1-6 Travelcard wouldn't be valid to Heathrow anyway? If they are going fully within the TfL fares system I give HEx a year at most.
 

Brucey

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I thought the 1-6 Travelcard wouldn't be valid to Heathrow anyway? If they are going fully within the TfL fares system I give HEx a year at most.
Marketing is a poweful thing and that's probably what keeps HEx afloat. Every corner you turn after arriving at Heathrow (or sometimes even on the flight itself), you will be offered "Heathrow Express tickets" and signs to HEx. If you aren't familiar with London or it's fare structure, you may consider the expensive HEx option as being the only way to quickly reach central London.
 

gray1404

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So a higher fare charged when using TfL Rail vs LU on Oyster. Similar to the different amounts one could be charged when going to Gatwick.
 

Joe Paxton

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I thought the 1-6 Travelcard wouldn't be valid to Heathrow anyway? If they are going fully within the TfL fares system I give HEx a year at most.

It's a fusion - special (pricier) single fares will apply on TfL Rail / Crossrail for journeys to & from Heathrow, but the z1-6 daily cap will kick in for Oyster & contactless and a z1-6 Travelcard will also be valid for TfL Rail / Crossrail travel to & from Heathrow.

This is a new arrangement that hasn't been done before. It's a fairly neat compromise I think.
 

Joe Paxton

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So a higher fare charged when using TfL Rail vs LU on Oyster. Similar to the different amounts one could be charged when going to Gatwick.

Kinda, though Gatwick unlike Heathrow is very much outside of Greater London and is obviously also not served by the Tube. I think the non-GatEx Oyster/contactless fares to & from Gatwick are reasonable enough though.
 

Bletchleyite

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It's a fusion - special (pricier) single fares will apply on TfL Rail / Crossrail for journeys to & from Heathrow, but the z1-6 daily cap will kick in for Oyster & contactless and a z1-6 Travelcard will also be valid for TfL Rail / Crossrail travel to & from Heathrow.

This is a new arrangement that hasn't been done before. It's a fairly neat compromise I think.

That sort of is, because it means most people travelling to the Airport for a holiday or business trip will pay a premium (because they're unlikely to hit a cap) whereas commuters will pay the same as if they were commuting to anywhere else in Z6 (as they likely will hit the cap or they will have a Travelcard or similar).
 

Joe Paxton

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That sort of is, because it means most people travelling to the Airport for a holiday or business trip will pay a premium (because they're unlikely to hit a cap) whereas commuters will pay the same as if they were commuting to anywhere else in Z6 (as they likely will hit the cap or they will have a Travelcard or similar).

Yes indeed (FWIW 76,600 people work within the airport boundary as per this 2011 report).
 

Bletchleyite

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Is this already in place? I'm going to Ee'throw in a month or so, and if it is it sounds like booking a couple of outboundary 1-6 ODTCs, one on the outward day and one on the return, would be a sneaky best value option avoiding the Picklydickly :)
 

MikeWh

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That sort of is, because it means most people travelling to the Airport for a holiday or business trip will pay a premium (because they're unlikely to hit a cap) whereas commuters will pay the same as if they were commuting to anywhere else in Z6 (as they likely will hit the cap or they will have a Travelcard or similar).
Depends where they come from. If it's a NR-set station and they use the Underground in zone 1 then the daily cap limits the single fare.
Is this already in place? I'm going to Ee'throw in a month or so, and if it is it sounds like booking a couple of outboundary 1-6 ODTCs, one on the outward day and one on the return, would be a sneaky best value option avoiding the Picklydickly :)
Yes, it started today.
 

ForTheLoveOf

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Depends where they come from. If it's a NR-set station and they use the Underground in zone 1 then the daily cap limits the single fare.

Yes, it started today.
Would a day teavTravel qualify for inclusive TfL Rail service to Heathrow?
 

matt_world2004

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Heathrow terminal 5 is in zone 6 only if you change from tfl rail at heathrow central to heathrow express. It will he updated on the fare finder soon. But the tfl api is already pushing this information out.
 

swt_passenger

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I thought the 1-6 Travelcard wouldn't be valid to Heathrow anyway...
It definitely is.
I linked to the TfL source (via a post in the earlier thread) yesterday evening,
in post #26 of this thread...

“1.8 The Elizabeth line train stations at Heathrow will be placed in Zone 6, the same zone as the Heathrow Piccadilly line stations, though special fares will apply on TfL Rail services. Travelcards, Oyster PAYG and Contactless, the one-day and seven-day PAYG caps and all TfL concessions, including the Freedom Pass, will become valid for travel.”
 
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TEW

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I used a Zones 1-9 Travelcard to enter the station at Heathrow Terminal 5 today, they are accepted by the barriers (although mine wasn't as I had exited the station too recently). The gateline staff did initially state that it was an Underground ticket and not valid, but were happy to allow me in when I explained I would be changing at Terminals 2&3 for the TfL Rail service.
 

Western Sunset

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Just a point of clarification please.

The latest TfL/National Rail map of services around London shows the "new" service to Heathrow (ie the former HEC) to T4. This is all totally within Zone 6 so Travelcards are accepted. There is an interchange shown at T2 & T3 with the HEX and this line from there to T5 is also in Zone 6. However, the preamble on the map states that Travelcards are not valid on HEX.
But can they be used on HEX between T2 & 3 to T5?

Yours, wonderingly..........
 

lightbulb

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It's a moot point, as travel is free on HEX between T2 & 3 to T5 (in Express Class only, not Business First). So technically yes, Travelcards are valid on HEX between T2 & 3 to T5, but by default.
 

mattdickinson

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Work has now started at Paddington platforms 6 & 7 to install gates for Oyster and Contactless acceptance on Heathrow Express.
 

BluePenguin

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5 gates? That'll take a while to empty a 9 car train through. HEx is about to lose some of its journey time trump card...
Exactly! There is no time saving at all now. I thought they preferred people to board without tickets so those passengers could be sold even more expensive tickets at the Standard fare anyway so these barriers will lose them money
 

swt_passenger

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Exactly! There is no time saving at all now. I thought they preferred people to board without tickets so those passengers could be sold even more expensive tickets at the Standard fare anyway so these barriers will lose them money
It’s supposed to be by popular demand though. Or at least that’s probably what their survey or consultation will have been designed to prove...
 
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