Travel on Heathrow Express for just £10 each way in August – and kids go free

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• Harry says:

  11 Jul11 July 05:11

  On the subject of the GGL first class upgrade my husband, GFL but not GGL, has been accompanying me in first class for years and never been challenged.

• BJ says:

  11 Jul11 July 06:51

  This will not be a popular sentiment but I’m tired of the the kids go free, eat free etc thing. It is not free, it is subsidised by others without kuds paying the same price as the parents/guardians with kids. Kids menus at substantially reduced prices are totally fine as they often reflect that kids often eat less and make different food choices.

  • Andrew J says:

    11 Jul11 July 07:01

    +1

  • bigmaggot says:

    11 Jul11 July 07:18

    You should then make a stand against those businesses that support such business decisions and refuse their services!

  • Blair Waldorf Salad says:

    11 Jul11 July 07:36

    Those kids will in theory pay your pension in future though, which will cost a lot more than a few hotel breakfasts. Although that’s a model I fear is going to come apart at the seams. Fat chance of any UK government being brave enough to move us to a system of one’s own working life taxes being used to build up an individual pension pot. It would require one unlucky generation in the transition phase to cover their own future pension whilst also covering those of the currently retired.

    • flyforfun says:

      11 Jul11 July 08:24

      Those kids pay a part of your pension. And for the majority of readers here, probably not the major portion. Also, I’ve funded their education and child grants.

      I was surprised when I started visiting some of my company’s sites across Europe to find they didn’t have a private pension scheme in place. Then they told me they get a guaranteed pension from the government based on their salary and living in a high tax state with better benefits for all didn’t seem such a bad thing. I’ve just received notice from one of my pension funds that they are moving from passive to managed funds, with an expectation that everything should balance out after 5 years – which is a possible retirement date for me. Not great for me unless I want to risk it.

      I do avoid places that offer free child places as I generally want to avoid holidays where there are children running around. Family hols are one thing, but going somewhere to relax shouldn’t need risking a dodgy air-b’n’b type place.

      As for the HEX offer, saving those “15 minutes” vs the Elisabeth line is probably what it’s going to take me to transfer between the two when you include waiting time and hassle. Happy just to sit on the EL all the way thanks! If they brought back the £5 fares, that might just shift the dial.

      • Bob says:

        11 Jul11 July 10:31

        “guaranteed pension from the government”

        It is us the workers who pay for that with the mandatory “cotisations”, not the government, despite the dominant class (Macron in France speaking for them) pretending the contrary.

    • BJ says:

      11 Jul11 July 17:28

      I am vurrently paying tax that pays for my own pension as well as that of others, plus benefits for multiple others including kuds. Not only that, it looks lije we may be entering an era of reduction and possible elimination of NI. That is a Tory pipe dream that will ever be realised without massive hikes in income tax so inevitably it means that anyone with a private or occupational pension will lose out big time as they will see taxes on their pension skyrocket to compensate for loss of NI which they do not currently pay. So no, those kids will not be paying my pension, me and tens to jundreds of thousands of others will continue to pay for our own pensions and benefits of others until we pass away.

  • The real Swiss Tony says:

    11 Jul11 July 08:51

    Well not really, because the family of 4 would be materially less likely to spend £40 on 4 tickets than £20 on 4 tickets, and would instead take the bus, Elizabeth Line, tube etc.

    It’s just a more refined version of a group-save, which again is arguably subsidised by those not eligible, but actually attracts marginal spend that otherwise might go to a minicab firm.

    These promotions ultimately mean the people who use it on a non-discounted basis would have to recover more of the fixed cost between themselves.

    • Rob says:

      11 Jul11 July 08:57

      Usually a family of 4 sit on the same 4-seat table that a couple would hog for themselves 🙂

  • Michael Gell says:

    11 Jul11 July 12:21

    I’m not sure I’ve ever seen somebody bitter about free travel for children before. Well done, you’re the first.

    • BJ says:

      11 Jul11 July 17:37

      I am not bitter, I just don’t like it. I similarly dislike the likes of blue light and NHS discounts, I consider it unfair that people on benefits, peopke of working age on low incomes, and pensioners amongst others are subsidising these benefits through higher prices for a group that largely have above average incomes. I am not bitter about it, I just dislike it. I would be totally onboard with it were the costs met from profits and shareholders but I much doubt that they are.

  • Al says:

    11 Jul11 July 16:12

    Right, and also those shameless adults travelling in groups of 3 using code 3RDOFF! Third person free!? Give me a break! Not paying their fair share, harrumph!
    Only travel alone or in groups of 2, as God intended and King ordained.

• Philondon says:

  11 Jul11 July 08:12

  Really badly designed website. I spent 5 minutes trying to find the railcard options, which is normally when you enter passenger numbers. Eventually worked out you have to add the railcard in advance in the account section. Unlike any other train booking site.

  • Ron says:

    11 Jul11 July 08:26

    It’s at the bottom section when you choose the ticket types. You don’t have to do it through your account details, unless you want to save it for future purchases.

    • Philondon says:

      11 Jul11 July 10:37

      Strange. I didn’t see anything except Adult then numbers and Children then numbers

      • The Original David says:

        11 Jul11 July 16:58

        It’s on the page after that, when you’re choosing class of travel etc – drop-down on the right hand side.

• pauls1 says:

  11 Jul11 July 09:24

  I suspect these deeply discounted tickets won’t be eligible for the *A Gold free upgrade to business class on the HEX, considering the wording mentions that you need a full fare ticket. Not sure how closely the ticket inspectors check though!

  • Rob says:

    11 Jul11 July 09:53

    They have never, ever, in 10 years or so, bothered about the ‘full fare’ rule.

• LittleNick says:

  11 Jul11 July 09:35

  I took the Heathrow express just a couple weeks ago from LHR to Paddington and guess what it ended up being delayed by 15 minutes so took just as long as the Lizzy line but paying for the privilege!

  • Rhys says:

    11 Jul11 July 09:46

    …don’t be so sure – at least it got you there. Current Network Rail issues on the lines out of Paddington mean the Lizzy Line can be just as bad or worse…

  • Rob says:

    11 Jul11 July 09:53

    15 mins triggers delay repay though?

    • LittleNick says:

      11 Jul11 July 11:29

      Is that automatic or do I need to apply?

      • Rob says:

        11 Jul11 July 11:34

        Depends on the TOC. With LNER there is an option in settings to automatically pay you as long as you booked directly through them.

    • John says:

      11 Jul11 July 12:09

      Heathrow Express doesn’t participate in Delay Repay.

      However on a single HEx ticket, its compensation policy is more generous than most Delay Repay schemes (50% compo after 15 mins rather than 25% and 100% after 30 mins rather than 50%).

      Not being part of Delay Repay means you can’t claim for any connecting journey. For example you had a planned itinerary from Heathrow to Penzance with the minimum connection time at Paddington, even on separate tickets which HEx knew nothing about, a HEx Delay Repay scheme would require them to pay compensation based on the total cost of all tickets.

• Lumma says:

  11 Jul11 July 16:29

  As I live in Whitechapel I find it easier just to stay on the Elizabeth line than to drag myself up to the mainline station for the express, even though it’s slightly quicker and slightly cheaper with my rail staff discount to get the Heathrow Express

• Andrew says:

  11 Jul11 July 16:52

  “No guests allowed”

  – “ Who is eligible?
  The free upgrade to Business First applies to a British Airways Executive Club Gold Guest List Member plus one guest travelling on the same Heathrow Express service. Both Member and guest must purchase an Express class ticket.”

  • Rob says:

    11 Jul11 July 17:00

    Thanks, missed that.

• Bernard says:

  11 Jul11 July 20:00

  So zone 1 to Paddington plus promotion is £12.80
  Liz line semi express to T5 is £13,30 from anywhere in z1. And faster unless you origin in Paddington.
  Heathrow Express still hasn’t worked out that once you change it’s both slower and more expensive. Still!!!

  • Lumma says:

    11 Jul11 July 20:25

    Elizabeth line is even cheaper if you do a few journeys on tfl the same day and you hit the daily cap

    • Bernard says:

      12 Jul12 July 19:54

      And no need to pre purchase, so no risk of lost money with the 1in fifty chance BA cancels your flight

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