Emirates Air Line - usage by tourists

[jon0844]

Went on the cable car at long last today, and was quite surprised at how popular it was. Relatively speaking that is.

Ultimately, every car had people in it - but many went out with just a few people. Nevertheless, there were a lot of people doing the 'experience' and paying the extra for the exhibition, guide and whatever else it comes with.

We just opted for a single trip, and then on to the DLR and making our way back into London. My son loved it and I'm sure we'll be back in the future, perhaps on a nicer day.

Funny thing was my wife needed to get a paper ticket, so as to get the discount by having a Travelcard. However, I asked if I needed to get one or could get the discount by having a Gold Card on my Oyster.

The lady was very confused, so I had to explain a few times to no avail. I then showed that I had an Oyster and that it had a Gold Card railcard on it. She then said 'What's that?' so I had to explain it was an Oyster card! It was then that she confessed it was her first day and she only knew Oyster cards as being blue and didn't realise they could look different.

So nice to see a good level of training there. In the end, as I was getting nowhere, I got my wife her ticket and just chanced it - and, sure enough, got charged just £3.30. Not that the gates show this, so I had to check a machine later on.

Anyhow, besides staff not knowing what Oystercards look like, I do have to wonder if the plan by TfL to promote it as a tourist attraction may be paying off? In our car, we had a couple who had come specially for it. They were going straight back and I expect a lot of others were too (having started at North Greenwich).

 

[causton]

Indeed, it seems they are marketing it for tourists as opposed to the original commuter vision (really?)

You can also get the discounted tickets from the TVMs which is better than speaking to the ticket office staff think it's in the same place a railcard discount would be on a normal TVM on the bottom row

 

[jon0844]

Indeed, it seems they are marketing it for tourists as opposed to the original commuter vision (really?)

You can also get the discounted tickets from the TVMs which is better than speaking to the ticket office staff think it's in the same place a railcard discount would be on a normal TVM on the bottom row

I did go to the TVM. The assistant came to me, and indeed everyone else, who tried to use it.

To be fair, she did show me where the discount for Travelcard option was - but the whole Oyster query totally threw her. I assume they give staff very minimal training there compared to elsewhere.

(My Oyster BTW is a 150 year of the bus one. Still quite clearly an Oyster card but obviously not as she's seen one - until now!).

 

[causton]

I did go to the TVM. The assistant came to me, and indeed everyone else, who tried to use it.

To be fair, she did show me where the discount for Travelcard option was - but the whole Oyster query totally threw her. I assume they give staff very minimal training there compared to elsewhere.

(My Oyster BTW is a 150 year of the bus one. Still quite clearly an Oyster card but obviously not as she's seen one - until now!).

Ah yes! Probably more customer service and be friendly and less actual knowledge based training

Perhaps I should go there with my 150 LU one and confuse them even more I believe you get the £3.30 fare with any Oyster card though, travelcard, gold card, railcard or otherwise! Would rather have the pretty looking ticket though

 

[jon0844]

D'oh, so if she'd said that then there was no need to use the TVM at all. My wife has an Oyster, but we'd travelled in with paper Travelcards!

And I meant Year of the Bus, not the 150 year one. Damn, even I don't recognise it!

 

[Hophead]

On a Monday in July, I got a car to myself. There were plenty completely empty that day. Not impressed with the hazy weather, but I can't really blame the operators, TfL or Boris for that. Well worth it, though.

I just used my Oyster (I was doing PAYG) at the gate and got charged the expected £3.30. I can't remember if it counted towards any daily cap - I don't think it did and there's nothing on the Air Line page to suggest that it would. Nor was I expecting a further Gold Card discount.

 

[Tetchytyke]

D'oh, so if she'd said that then there was no need to use the TVM at all. My wife has an Oyster, but we'd travelled in with paper Travelcards!

That's probably what threw her, you get the discounted rate using Oyster PAYG, it doesn't matter if you have a Travelcard loaded on it.

I'm not surprised it was being used on a Saturday afternoon. Go there in a midweek evening and you have the place to yourself. Quite nice night-time views too.

 

[jon0844]

They could make it clearer on the signs there. It said £4.40 and then mentioned discounts, but not that merely having an Oyster gets you the discount! Even tourists are quite likely going to have an Oyster and wouldn't need to queue up.

But the cynic in me says it's a way to engage with people and try and sell them the experience tickets...

 

[Greenback]

We were a bit confused when we did the trip last year. But we found the staff to be very proactive in coming to offer help, and they didn't even attempt to flog us anything extra.

I thought the journey itself was better than the London Eye!

 

[jon0844]

I'd recommend doing both. You can get a 2 for 1 on the London Eye too.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I have a standard blue Oyster card; is this valid on the Air Line, please?

Thank you.

 

[causton]

I have a standard blue Oyster card; is this valid on the Air Line, please?

Thank you.

Yes. £3.30

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Yes. £3.30

Thanks.

 

[WatcherZero]

Looking at Tfl accounts they booked £5m of revenue from the cable car in the year 13/14, not sure what the annual operating cost is but after running costs the £60m construction cost will take decades to pay off.

edit: looked it up, running cost is £6m a year so its losing £1m a year.

 

[Deerfold]

They could make it clearer on the signs there. It said £4.40 and then mentioned discounts, but not that merely having an Oyster gets you the discount! Even tourists are quite likely going to have an Oyster and wouldn't need to queue up.

But the cynic in me says it's a way to engage with people and try and sell them the experience tickets...

I can't see the £4.40 fare being appropriate for many. You get discounts with Oyster, Travelcards, or for being local.

 

[jon0844]

Maybe I can add some money to reduce the losses next year. I am sure I'll try it again and perhaps take friends and relatives on it when they come and visit and we go into London.

Still not sure about doing the experience thing though.

 

[Starmill]

£3.30 seems awfully expensive to me however you square it. It's a very short journey that isn't that hard to make by conventional means, and is very unlikely to be the quickest way of making very many journeys. Furthermore, it is a tourist attraction - but the view, though good, I recall was kinda just mud and industrial estates on one side. Also its very short for a tourist attraction, at least you can tell on the London Eye that they milk it!
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Looking at Tfl accounts they booked £5m of revenue from the cable car in the year 13/14, not sure what the annual operating cost is but after running costs the £60m construction cost will take decades to pay off.

edit: looked it up, running cost is £6m a year so its losing £1m a year.

Who paid the £60m construction cost? Was there ever a plan for it to make a profit, or even break even? How do Emitated contribute financially?

 

[Deerfold]

Who paid the £60m construction cost? Was there ever a plan for it to make a profit, or even break even? How do Emitated contribute financially?

Emirates appear to have paid £36 million. There was a time when Boris said the project wouldn't cost the taxpayer anything.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-15217173

 

[Tibbs]

Do you get it for £3.30 on contactless?

I haven't used it yet, but would quite like to.

 

[Clip]

£3.30 seems awfully expensive to me however you square it. It's a very short journey that isn't that hard to make by conventional means, and is very unlikely to be the quickest way of making very many journeys. Furthermore, it is a tourist attraction - but the view, though good, I recall was kinda just mud and industrial estates on one side. Also its very short for a tourist attraction, at least you can tell on the London Eye that they milk it!

Not nearly expensive as a journey in zone 1, underground where you see nowt and where walking is a much more pleasant experience. And you can see much more than just mud and industrial estates.

I think you may have had your eyes closed because theres a cluster of massive shiny phallic gifts to the gods and an upside down bowl right next to it. Plus you can also see the DLR snake its way off into the distance too.

I like it, is what Im really trying to convey here.

 

[Greenback]

I don't think it's expensive for something that is pretty unique. I think almost all visitors would be prepared to pay more.

 

[Starmill]

If that's the case, why is it not very very busy, and why does it appear to be loss-making? Of course, there's a chance increasing the price would boost it's appeal to tourists, because although it's not really worthwhile in my opinion, it is many, many times cheaper than the London Eye. Sometimes things an appear too cheap. I'd love to see an analysis of demand for it.

 

[Greenback]

I would too, as when I travelled on it all I noticed were people who were obviously tourists or visitors, cameras at the ready, or people who were nipping between Excel and the O2 for whatever reason.

Admittedly that was a Saturday, so I'm not jumping to any conclusions base don that, but I'd be interested to know how many regular commuters there are.

 

[Mojo]

Do you get it for £3.30 on contactless?

You cannot travel using CPCs on the Emirates Air Line. But you can buy an "ordinary" ticket with one.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I'd be interested to know how many regular commuters there are.

In November 2013 there were four regular commuters.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...regularly-by-just-four-commuters-8954646.html

 

[Deerfold]

In November 2013 there were four regular commuters.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...regularly-by-just-four-commuters-8954646.html

Hang on, going to have to complain about your accuracy there.

In October 2013...

 

[Greenback]

Oh dear, that's so low as to be negligible!

 

[Deerfold]

Oh dear, that's so low as to be negligible!

They might have picked a bad week - who, knows it could be as high as 6 in other weeks.

 

[jon0844]

It's a shame it doesn't go directly to the ExCeL building but I assume the nearby runway prevented that. There are often some very good events there and the O2 provides great evening entertainment and food for all attendees who have worked or walked around halls all day.

Having it just one stop away on the DLR or a fairly long walk (especially when cold/wet) probably puts off a fair few people that might otherwise use it.

But it's still a nice experience in itself and incredibly quiet and comfortable. You don't even feel when you're going over the pylons (or whatever they're called).

But I don't think a few more uses next year by me will make up the £1m deficit!

 

[PeterY]

I rode on it last year. It was a pleasant experience. Like most things, I've done it once, no real need to do it again.