From 01/01/21 the free travel zone around Heathrow airport will be suspended.
CostAny indication as to why?
Whilst nice, it did always seem a fairly unnecessary 'perk'
Travel card?Travel card goes too.
Cost
Can you walk to Terminal 5 on the perimeter road?Travel card?
It now makes it impossible to enter the airport via walking.
Hardly unnecessary once they converted the foot tunnel to the central area into a car access route.Whilst nice, it did always seem a fairly unnecessary 'perk'
This is the discounted travelcard for workers rather than the TfL product.Travel card goes too.
Heathrow suspends Free Travel Zone
19 Nov 2020 by Hannah Brandler
Heathrow Free Travel Zone
Heathrow is set to suspend its Free Travel Zone from January 1, 2021, due to the financial impact of Covid-19 on the company’s future.
This comes after the airport warned that it is suffering from catastrophic decline, as traffic in October declined by 82 per cent compared with the same period last year.
The news was revealed in an email posted on Twitter. The email also suggests that the Heathrow Travelcard scheme, which provides discounted travel on buses and coaches, will be discontinued.
The Heathrow Free Travel Zone (HFTZ) is a zone encircling Heathrow Airport and the surrounding area where travel on public transport is free to use. The HFTZ is normally subsidised by the airport, meaning that the buses are free to use, with no need for any ticket, oyster card or contactless card. To find out more about the Heathrow Free Travel Zone, read our feature here.
A Heathrow spokesperson told Business Traveller:
“We have taken the difficult decision to temporarily suspend the Heathrow Free Travel Zone and end some other local transport subsidies, effective from 1st January 2021. These steps have been taken under considerable cost pressures, as we end the ninth consecutive month with hugely reduced revenue and very little help from the Government in areas such as business rate alleviation or testing.
“As soon as financial health is restored, we are committed to reinstate an improved programme of subsidised and sustainable travel. This difficult choice reminds us all that the best way to keep building Heathrow as a pillar of opportunity, innovation and social improvement is to get the business back to growth as soon as possible.”
Earlier this year, Heathrow was overtaken by Paris Charles de Gaulle as Europe’s busiest airport, due to the falling demand for air travel and the lack of Covid-19 testing facilities.
From my ride on the 350 it appears that you can't. Another interesting issue is what would the fares be between Heathrow Central to terminal 5 on the TfL rail/hex. And how would they be split.Can you walk to Terminal 5 on the perimeter road?
You certainly can't walk on the link road from the Longford roundabout that the 350 and 423 use but I think you can probably go from the Bath Road at Newport Road.From my ride on the 350 it appears that you can't. Another interesting issue is what would the fares be between Heathrow Central to terminal 5 on the TfL rail/hex. And how would they be split.
Hardly unnecessary once they converted the foot tunnel to the central area into a car access route.
Travel card?
It now makes it impossible to enter the airport via walking.
This, specifically the staff, would be my main concern - many staff will live locally and walk/cycle to work (for low pay), using the bus to get through the tunnel. They should be required to make some specific provision for this even if those not working there have to pay, or to reopen the pedestrian/cycle tunnel.
As an air passenger, if you can afford a flight you can afford a couple of TfL contactless bus fares. Though it'll be one of the few airports in the world that charge for inter-terminal transfer now.
Free transfers will remain possible by Heathrow Express. I doubt many air travellers used the bus, even for T4<>T5 transfers.
That said only for eligible staff, it didn't say about passengers?Free transfers will remain possible by Heathrow Express. I doubt many air travellers used the bus, even for T4<>T5 transfers.
Really? I thought it was open like the HEX/TFL platforms (Oh well). Not much use in having it then on the free travel zone because it goes back to my previous point that HEX/TFL rail provides the same links.There are gates on the Piccadilly Line. If I recall correctly you still have to touch in but if you touch out within the Zone you don't get charged.
There are gates on the Piccadilly Line. If I recall correctly you still have to touch in but if you touch out within the Zone you don't get charged.
Terminal 4 is shut - Both TfL Rail and HEX are running to Terminal 5 and there is a common gateline so it isn't possible to charge for TfL Rail and not Heathrow Express (unless the transfer tickets to get through the gateline aren't valid on TfL Rail). https://railtravelstation.com/tfl-r...inal-5-by-free-inter-terminal-train-transfer/ [I don't seem to be able to copy out the text.]Also why not include TFL Rail in that since normally HEX and TFL compliment eachother service wise for the terminal transfers (one will do T5 and the other T4).
The Heathrow Express / TfL Rail platforms are now gated. The Piccadilly line platforms at Terminal 5 have been gated (wide gates) from opening.Really? I thought it was open like the HEX/TFL platforms (Oh well). Not much use in having it then on the free travel zone because it goes back to my previous point that HEX/TFL rail provides the same links.
That misses the point that Heathrow Airport desperately need to save all the money they can to avoid going out of business. The last thing they would want to do is spend money hiring a bus.They really should put a staff bus on.
That misses the point that Heathrow Airport desperately need to save all the money they can to avoid going out of business. The last thing they would want to do is spend money hiring a bus.
Terminal 4 is shut - Both TfL Rail and HEX are running to Terminal 5 and there is a common gateline so it isn't possible to charge for TfL Rail and not Heathrow Express (unless the transfer tickets to get through the gateline aren't valid on TfL Rail). https://railtravelstation.com/tfl-r...inal-5-by-free-inter-terminal-train-transfer/ [I don't seem to be able to copy out the text.]
Right now T4 is shut but longer term it shouldn't be.The Heathrow Express / TfL Rail platforms are now gated. The Piccadilly line platforms at Terminal 5 have been gated (wide gates) from opening.
Can you walk to T5? Still a long way round though if you normally walked to the stop before the tunnel. They really should put a staff bus on.
There are gatelines on both the Piccadilly line and hex platforms. There are free paper tickets for the hex/TfL rail and the amount seen at Hayes and beyond indicates some abuse. However for free travel on the Piccadilly you need to tap in and out with an oyster card this limits the power of abuse greatly.That said only for eligible staff, it didn't say about passengers?
Also why not include TFL Rail in that since normally HEX and TFL compliment eachother service wise for the terminal transfers (one will do T5 and the other T4). Piccadilly line I can understand why that isn't as needed bit as it provides no links additional links to those provided by national rail HEX/TFL. There is possibly also some abuse of the zone on the Picc line with people travelling beyond the zone if they know that ticket inspections don't happen and there are no gates.
If you're a customer changing planes at Heathrow then inter terminal transfers are done by buses that run airside.Though it'll be one of the few airports in the world that charge for inter-terminal transfer now.
Ahh so the free paper tickets aren't valid. I get you then, it's quite hard to abuse the system on the Picc line now then.There are gatelines on both the Piccadilly line and hex platforms. There are free paper tickets for the hex/TfL rail and the amount seen at Hayes and beyond indicates some abuse. However for free travel on the Piccadilly you need to tap in and out with an oyster card this limits the power of abuse greatly.
For the free travel zone TfL charge Heathrow airport the average bus fare per journey made in the travel zone this is done from comparing the the amount of times drivers press the pass button in the free travel zone with a manual count once a year and using that to work out how many journeys there were in the free travel zone.I however wonder what caused this - TfL are being very aggressive with charging for what they do - did they quadruple the charge for the free transfers and Heathrow just said No?
It'll be interesting to see how much extra road traffic this causes in the short term. Airport staff have been heavily incentivised to stop commuting by car to work with these discounts. Most live within a 20 mile radius of the airport.