Issue with Luton Airport (LUA) to Canterbury West ticket

[alex397]

Hi, i've been trying to book a train from Luton Airport (NOT Parkway) to Canterbury West in about a weeks time, but it doesn't seem possible on either the Southeastern or Thameslink websites. It just says 'no trains available - please change search parameters'.

It does however work if I search for Luton Airport to St Pancras, or from Luton Airport Parkway to Canterbury West. (which I don't want to do, as I want to bus ticket included). I'm just curious as to why its not possible for me to buy this ticket?

Its not a major issue - I can always just buy a ticket on the day at Luton Airport (apparently there is a rail ticket machine at the actual airport). I just like to have all my tickets in advance so I'm not faffing about.

I have actually asked Thameslink about this but they haven't been helpful.

 

[Paul Kelly]

You won't be able to buy a ticket at Luton Airport or anywhere else, as there are no fares set from Luton Airport to Canterbury West: http://www.brfares.com/#!fares?orig=LUA&dest=CBW

Your cheapest option is probably to buy separate fares from Luton Airport to London and London to Canterbury via your preferred route.

 

[Muzer]

It is simply that there are no fares defined for Luton Airport to Canterbury West. So I doubt you'll have any more luck at the machines.

From a little experimentation it seems there are fares defined to GTR-served stations, so perhaps you could get one "most of the way" to Canterbury. Not sure though.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There are fares from Luton Airport Parkway, so another option is just to pay £2 cash for the shuttle bus on the day and to book from there. Where there are through fares to a given destination they're generally just £2 single/£4 return + the fare from Parkway anyway.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Hi, i've been trying to book a train from Luton Airport (NOT Parkway) to Canterbury West in about a weeks time, but it doesn't seem possible on either the Southeastern or Thameslink websites. It just says 'no trains available - please change search parameters'.

It does however work if I search for Luton Airport to St Pancras, or from Luton Airport Parkway to Canterbury West. (which I don't want to do, as I want to bus ticket included). I'm just curious as to why its not possible for me to buy this ticket?

Its not a major issue - I can always just buy a ticket on the day at Luton Airport (apparently there is a rail ticket machine at the actual airport). I just like to have all my tickets in advance so I'm not faffing about.

I have actually asked Thameslink about this but they haven't been helpful.

There simply are no fares defined from Luton Airport (LUA) to Canterbury West (CBW). As the Airport (vis Parkway) is an extra fare which the train companies are not obliged to offer, it is entirely down to them where they do and don't sell fares to/from. A quick look on my own databases suggests that Barming (BMG) is the nearest station to CBW which has fares defined from LUA.

As others have suggested, this is an example of a journey where the rail industry forces you to obtain split tickets. Examples of splits could include at Luton Airport Parkway (LTN, confusingly also the IATA code for Luton Airport!), or at London Terminals/Thameslink.

www.trainsplit.com will suggest a good combination of tickets for your given journey time and date, which may include Advances (as Advances aren't defined for all journeys, even if they are available for the same 'stretch of track' if you make a longer or shorter journey).

 

[alex397]

Thanks for the information everyone!

This must catch out quite a few people and cause frustration, especially as airports have many people who have never used this particular route before.

I've now just booked two tickets - Luton Airport to St Pancras, and St. Pancras to Canterbury West, all for just £17.40 with my railcard, so I can't complain. Especially considering I often pay more than £17.40 just from Canterbury to London.

 

[Joe Paxton]

Thanks for the information everyone!

This must catch out quite a few people and cause frustration, especially as airports have many people who have never used this particular route before.

I've now just booked two tickets - Luton Airport to St Pancras, and St. Pancras to Canterbury West, all for just £17.40 with my railcard, so I can't complain. Especially considering I often pay more than £17.40 just from Canterbury to London.

Though to get that price you must have booked an Advance ticket from St Pancras to Canterbury, and so run the risk of either hanging around for ages at St Pancras (or Luton Airport itself) or otherwise missing the train if you are arriving off a flight given the potential for air travel delays and passport control meltdowns.

It's a bit shabby there aren't through fares (i.e. including the LTN bus shuttle) to Canterbury, which is hardly a niche journey (especially since HS1 domestic services started to St Pancras). I'd think there should be through fares defined to all destinations in London, Kent and the wider south east at the very least.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Though to get that price you must have booked an Advance ticket from St Pancras to Canterbury, and so run the risk of either hanging around for ages at St Pancras (or Luton Airport itself) or otherwise missing the train if you are arriving off a flight given the potential for air travel delays and passport control meltdowns.

It's a bit shabby there aren't through fares (i.e. including the LTN bus shuttle) to Canterbury, which is hardly a niche journey (especially since HS1 domestic services started to St Pancras). I'd think there should be through fares defined to all destinations in London, Kent and the wider south east at the very least.

I think the the simple reason behind it is that the list of possible destinations from LUA depends on the fare setter from LTN. If the fare from LTN would be set by Great Northern/Thameslink, Great Western Railway, South Western Railway, East Midlands Trains, London North Eastern Railway or Greater Anglia then there is a fare from LUA. But destinations whose fares from LTN are set by other TOCs don't have a fare from LUA.

It is therefore because the fares from LTN to CBW are set by Southeastern, that there is no through fare from LUA to CBW. It is a rather silly situation, especially as it is very passenger unfriendly for those foreigners (and less travelled residents) who can't buy a ticket from the airport to their destination. But that's the nature of the UK's poorly integrated transport network!

 

[45107]

It is a rather silly situation, especially as it is very passenger unfriendly for those foreigners (and less travelled residents) who can't buy a ticket from the airport to their destination. But that's the nature of the UK's poorly integrated transport network!

Ok, I’ll bite. Can you give examples of non rail connected Airports abroad that offer through tickets to rail connected locations outside of their locality
(Geniune question as I do not fly, preferring ferry or rail for European adventures)

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Ok, I’ll bite. Can you give examples of non rail connected Airports abroad that offer through tickets to rail connected locations outside of their locality
(Geniune question as I do not fly, preferring ferry or rail for European adventures)

I have not flown to or from enough airports to know whether there are any such airports, so I cannot rule it out, but equally I have no examples. Luton is quite unique in being very close to a specifically designed airport station (unlike, say, East Midlands Parkway!), but without the station-to-airport transfer being free, like it is at Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester etc., as well as many continental and other airports. Most airports simply have the rail/metro stations completely integrated, or not at all.

In my view the simplest option would simply be to make tickets to and from Luton Airport Parkway be valid on the bus transfer by default, marginally adjusting the price of the ticket on a one-off basis (with a special dispensation WRT fares regulation) if deemed necessary.

That would put it in the same situation as most other well-integrated airports.

 

[alex397]

Though to get that price you must have booked an Advance ticket from St Pancras to Canterbury, and so run the risk of either hanging around for ages at St Pancras (or Luton Airport itself) or otherwise missing the train if you are arriving off a flight given the potential for air travel delays and passport control meltdowns.

It's a bit shabby there aren't through fares (i.e. including the LTN bus shuttle) to Canterbury, which is hardly a niche journey (especially since HS1 domestic services started to St Pancras). I'd think there should be through fares defined to all destinations in London, Kent and the wider south east at the very least.

Indeed, it is a £9 advance fare for St. Pancras to Canterbury West. I couldn't resist, as anytime is around the £20 mark. It works for me, as I will be staying in a hotel the evening before, so I shouldn't be delayed getting to St. Pancras for the 12.12 train. My flight is a Wizz Air flight getting in around 11pm, so I didn't want to risk getting there too late for the last train, considering the air line and considering UK Border control. But, if I was getting the train straight away, I certainly wouldn't risk getting an Advance fare - and actually there are very few occasions when I would risk getting an advance fare.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Indeed, it is a £9 advance fare for St. Pancras to Canterbury West. I couldn't resist, as anytime is around the £20 mark. It works for me, as I will be staying in a hotel the evening before, so I shouldn't be delayed getting to St. Pancras for the 12.12 train. My flight is a Wizz Air flight getting in around 11pm, so I didn't want to risk getting there too late for the last train, considering the air line and considering UK Border control. But, if I was getting the train straight away, I certainly wouldn't risk getting an Advance fare - and actually there are very few occasions when I would risk getting an advance fare.

I think TransPennine Express' Airport Advances work well for this kind of situation - but they are only available from Manchester Airport, only on TransPennine Express services obviously, and it's of no use if you miss the last train of the day!

 

[mrmartin]

Anyone know if the new rail link will be free? https://www.llal.org.uk/LLAL-MPT.html