Bits: temporary Gatwick Express timetable, Hyatt category changes, Park Inn sale

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

• sarahluv says:

  10 Jul10 July 03:32

  why does anyone bother with the gatwick express? the regular trains take a couple of mins more and are a third of the price. also, victoria isn’t exactly handy if you are travelling to the city or canary wharf

  • Metatone says:

    10 Jul10 July 07:23

    Horses for courses. The bad news is that the situation is also messing up the Thameslink trains on a regular basis.

    Gatwick Airport really needs to take Southern to court as it is in danger of becoming unusable as an airport. The road situation was already a mess, and now you can’t rely on the trains. Some days you need to allot 3 hrs just to be sure to get to Gatwick in time for a flight.

    • Ed says:

      10 Jul10 July 07:58

      Can’t help their case for airport expansion. Say what you like about Heathrow the presence of tube and train links is a real advantage over the poor gatwick rail line

  • Leo says:

    10 Jul10 July 07:57

    In normal times yes – currently you couldn’t be more wrong. I reverse commute to the South Coast most days. At the moment GX trains are far more likely to run than ordinary Southern Trains and you have a far better chance of getting on one due to overcrowding. For months there has been no certainty whatsoever that you would even make it to LGW on any given day via train.

    • John says:

      10 Jul10 July 09:49

      There’s always the 405 from West Croydon to Redhill then the 100 🙂

  • John says:

    10 Jul10 July 09:52

    Because the DfT keeps indulging GTR in its whimsical fantasy of gouging passengers despite being against the franchise and routeing rules.

    “victoria isn’t exactly handy if you are travelling to the city or canary wharf”

    But Paddington is worse.

  • Rob says:

    10 Jul10 July 09:59

    Speak for yourself! Do you know there is a direct entrance to the GEx platform from the car park at the back where Pret’s office is? I can be in that car park in a cab within 6-7 mins of leaving home and directly on the GEx platform 45 seconds later.

• Relaxo says:

  10 Jul10 July 09:16

  OT but has anyone know cancelled a cash & points Hilton booking? Is the refund issued in cash or is it refunded entirely in points like IHG ? Thx in advance

  • John says:

    10 Jul10 July 09:43

    WIth Hilton points and money bookings, you always pay the cash part at check-out, so there is nothing to refund.

    Owing to Hilton’s antiquated voucher system (which is all behind the scenes now), it takes about 30 minutes to get your points back and you don’t actually see the reservation as cancelled until the following day.

    If you decide to book again, some hotels have a funny habit of telling you that you have a cancelled reservation, which seems really odd to me.

    • Relaxo says:

      10 Jul10 July 12:51

      Thats useful info. Thanks John

• Andrew Stock says:

  10 Jul10 July 10:44

  Govia Thameslink Railway are a complete disaster. I use the Great Northern service and every weekend there is a high number of cancellations due to no drivers???

  They had the highest number of cancelled trains last year at 5% of any train company. This year will be even higher.

  I have been trying to claim delay repay since April and have still not got the vouchers despite numerous telephone calls.

  Gatwick can’t get the second runway which it’s dreadful train service when you compare it to Heathrow in a few years:

  Crossrail every 15 mins (operated by MTR of Hong Kong for TFL with direct trains to the West End, City, Canary Wharf and Stratford)

  Heathrow Express every 15 mins

  Pic line every 5 to 10 mins

• Robert says:

  10 Jul10 July 19:04

  “This is stretching the definition of ‘Express’ I think”
  I’m pretty sure that Express is the speed, not the frequency!

• Stewie says:

  12 Jul12 July 10:16

  Slightly OT, but this is the most recent Club Carlson thread…

  Does anyone know if Carlson (specifically Radisson Blu) offer a discount for a second kids room? Hyatt for instance offers a 50% discount off BAR when booking a second room to be occupied by under-12s… does Carlson do anything similar?

  • Stewie says:

    12 Jul12 July 17:29

    Thanks Rob – hotel is not in UK, so that doesn’t help. Actually mailed them directly and got told that they don’t do anything similar, but have been offered 20% off each room which is pretty good.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.