Gatwick Express, Boundary zone ticket and Oyster

[RichHuBB]

Hello all,

I have a zones 1-5 annual season ticket on my oyster card. Can I buy a BZ5 to Gatwick Airport off-peak return and travel from London to Gatwick and back on the Gatwick Express? And can I use my Gold Card discount?

I am returning back late evening when most trains back from Gatwick are the express so I really need my ticket to be valid on those trains.

Many thanks,

R

 

[Tetchytyke]

Yep, perfectly valid. So long as you're travelling after 0930 then you can get your Gold Card discount too.

If you don't want to queue at a ticket office to buy a Boundary Zone ticket, an East Croydon to Gatwick ticket is the same price.

 

[RichHuBB]

Great, thank you.

 

[bb21]

If you have an annual Travelcard season, bring your Gold Record Card with you. It is not an absolute requirement but helps with showing what you say you have.

 

[TEW]

Yep, perfectly valid. So long as you're travelling after 0930 then you can get your Gold Card discount too.

If you don't want to queue at a ticket office to buy a Boundary Zone ticket, an East Croydon to Gatwick ticket is the same price.

Southern TVMs at Victoria will sell you a ticket from Boundary Zone 5 anyway.

 

[talldave]

If you're buying an Anytime Day Return, it would be cheaper to buy a Gatwick Airport to BZ5 Anytime Day Return and use it backwards.

The ticket barriers at Gatwick won't allow Gold Card Discount tickets through until just before 10am because Southern can't be bothered to re-programme them to reflect the 2015 Annual Gold Card rules.

And Southern's TVMs randomly refuse to offer Annual Gold Card discounts on BZ tickets, for which Southern have no explanation.

 

[Tetchytyke]

If you're buying an Anytime Day Return, it would be cheaper to buy a Gatwick Airport to BZ5 Anytime Day Return and use it backwards.

You may not use the outward portion of a return ticket unless you have an unused return portion of the ticket to go with it.

 

[RichHuBB]

Thanks for everyone's input.

I'll be travelling down to Gatwick from Blackfriars so I need to make sure I don't get sold an 'FCC only' ticket from the window. I need maximum flexibility on the way back hence my choice of ticket.

I'll be travelling to Gatwick at about 2pm on a Thursday and back at about 11pm on the following Monday so I think BZ5 to Gatwick off-peak return is the right ticket.

I've been reading some horror stories about entering/exiting the Gatwick Express gates at Victoria without the premium price ticket so I hope I'll be ok with my oyster/BZ5 combination.

 

[bb21]

There is no Boundary Zone 5 - Gatwick Airport Off-Peak Return. You will need an Anytime Return at £10.40 (£6.85 with Gold Card). Due to rounding effects, two Anytime Day Singles would be marginally cheaper with Gold Card discount at £3.45 each.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I'll be travelling down to Gatwick from Blackfriars so I need to make sure I don't get sold an 'FCC only' ticket from the window. I need maximum flexibility on the way back hence my choice of ticket.

For the reasons bb21 says, I'd go for a Thameslink Only East Croydon-Gatwick anytime day single (£2.95 with discount) on the way down and an Any Permitted anytime day single GTW-BZ5 or ECR (£3.45 with discount) for the way back, as it saves about 40p.

 

[bb21]

He wants to use Gat Ex, although I don't think there is much to be gained on the way to the airport, especially if leaving Blackfriars so that is a good suggestion imo.

 

[talldave]

I've been reading some horror stories about entering/exiting the Gatwick Express gates at Victoria without the premium price ticket so I hope I'll be ok with my oyster/BZ5 combination.

Paper Travelcards work the platform 13/14 barriers without any problem, but I can't vouch for an Oyster season. However, as long as your season has "Any Permitted" status, it should be valid? I've never had my paper Travelcard/BZ ticket combination challenged when travelling on the Gatwick Express.

I hope you get the cheery driver I had yesterday who thanked the passengers "on behalf of Southern, himself and the rest of the cabin crew for travelling on the Gatwick Express" ! .
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

He wants to use Gat Ex, although I don't think there is much to be gained on the way to the airport, especially if leaving Blackfriars so that is a good suggestion imo.

Depends if you want to lose the will to live as the Thameslink train trundles around SE London at a walking pace. It's quicker to take the tube to Victoria and use the Gatwick Express (except for last night when "someone on the track" caused my tube train to stop at Embankment and I got out and walked)

 

[bb21]

Depends if you want to lose the will to live as the Thameslink train trundles around SE London at a walking pace. It's quicker to take the tube to Victoria and use the Gatwick Express (except for last night when "someone on the track" caused my tube train to stop at Embankment and I got out and walked)

All depends on where the OP starts from.

If actually from Blackfriars and thereabouts, then Thameslink is fine, as it takes about 45 minutes, and the OP can time it so he doesn't have to waste time hanging around there. By the time you got the tube to Victoria, gone up to the platform, waited for the train to leave, and taken 30 minutes to get to Gatwick, Thameslink would probably have been quicker.

 

[RichHuBB]

Ah, thanks so much for making it clear about there not being an off-peak ticket, that will make the conversation with the ticket seller simpler!

Will I be able to buy the Any Permitted anytime day single GTW-BZ5 at Blackfriars, 4 days before using it? I think I may forego the 45p saving and get the anytime return ticket, at least for ease of purchase reasons.

I intend to get the Thameslink down (though probably GatEx back) as my gf works by Blackfriars and has an irrational dislike of changing trains, even when it is notably quicker.

 

[bb21]

Yes, you can buy both tickets at Blackfriars if you prefer, but only from the ticket office and not the machines.