LHR suspends free travel zone

[matt_world2004]

Of course there's a choice... either catch a bus or train or you drive and catch the staff bus

What staff bus leaves from the cycle hub.

 

[darloscott]

What staff bus leaves from the cycle hub.

Unsure if the PEX bus stops there?
Certainly there are cycle facilities at both PEX and E2

 

[matt_world2004]

Unsure if the PEX bus stops there?
Certainly there are cycle facilities at both PEX and E2

It doesn't stop at the cycle hub.

 

[packermac]

Right now T4 is shut but longer term it shouldn't be.

Interesting thing about the gates though. They weren't there when I was there and I got the impression it was just as easy onto the Picc line. Thanks for the info.



Ok, I am struggling to get the inter terminal thing as I've just gone back and re read the original tweet (https://twitter.com/MZulqarnainBut1/status/1329085195224399877/photo/1) and it says LU and HEX (but not TFL rail) and the way it comes across to me is that it's only for staff to get between terminals or will it be open for all? Why is LU included but not TFL rail (Both owned by TFL and I can't see any reason for LU to be kept but not TFL Rail. With the gateline it would be easier to stop people using the already very busy Picc line).
Buses I stand by my previous point that most people who use it expect to pay the fare to get to a hotel as per all other airports or people commuting should already be paying as per almost all other commuters in the UK. Free travel isn't needed for the general public.

As shown by the fact that if you got on a bus at Harlington Corner bound for the Central Area and offered to pay I only ever saw one driver say it was free the rest all issued a ticket.
You have to pay to use the hotel buses and many air passengers seemed quite happy to cough up £4 back in 2012 when I retired, suspect it was a lot more pre pandemic.

Yes it was introduced as an attempt to keep cars off the airport and surrounding roads, especially as when introduced there were many off airport staff locations. Headcount culls even pre 2020 will have reduced the need as well.

 

[matt_world2004]

TfL Rail is included in the transfer the website is poorly written. There is no way of telling if someone boarded a tfl rail or hex when doing inter terminal transfers.

I strongly suspect that TfL do not receive a payment for inter terminal travel instead it is reflected through lower track access fees.

 

[Butts]

Is this still in force - the suspension of The Free Travel Zone ?

 

[matt]

Is this still in force - the suspension of The Free Travel Zone ?

Yes it is

 

[Mojo]

Is this still in force - the suspension of The Free Travel Zone ?

Further to the post in #53, as of June 12th, the free travel zone was withdrawn for TfL buses as well.

 

[Joe Paxton]

Further to the post in #53, as of June 12th, the free travel zone was withdrawn for TfL buses as well.

Just to confirm the above, this change features on TfL's Bus Changes webpage:

Heathrow free travel zone to end - 12 June 2021​

Routes Affected: 105, 111, 278, 285, 350, 423, 482, 490, N9, N140 and U3


From Saturday 12 June TfL bus services will no longer be part of the Heathrow free travel zone. This is due to Heathrow suspending the scheme. From this date you will be required to pay for your bus journey using a contactless payment card, valid oyster card, one day travelcard or one day bus & tram pass.


More information on using buses around Heathrow can be found by visiting
https://www.heathrow.com/transport-and-directions/by-coach-or-bus/local-buses

 

[Johnny Lewis]

Eight months later, buses around Heathrow are still repeatedly "advising" customers that the Heathrow Free Travel Zone has been discontinued for TfL buses and they have to touch in with Oyster or contactless. This is despite ALL users having to touch in with Oyster or contactless as they board, otherwise the driver won't let them on. To be told three times in a 10 minute journey, 8 months after it was removed, seems overkill and I feel sorry for the poor bus drivers having to listen to it over and over again.

 

[eoff]

Funnily enough I booked a flight earlier in the week and did not consider an overnight stop at LHR because of this.

 

[camflyer]

Funnily enough I booked a flight earlier in the week and did not consider an overnight stop at LHR because of this.

I did an overnight stay at Heathrow last week. The loss of the free travel zone was a slight annoyance but it was still only £1.50 to get from Bath Rd to the terminal so not that big a deal in the grand scheme of thins and still much cheaper than the Hoppa

And I would agree that the constant recorded announcements onboard were annoying. Would have been better to have a big notice at each bus stop.

 

[Starmill]

I did an overnight stay at Heathrow last week. The loss of the free travel zone was a slight annoyance but it was still only £1.50 to get from Bath Rd to the terminal so not that big a deal in the grand scheme of thins and still much cheaper than the Hoppa

And I would agree that the constant recorded announcements onboard were annoying. Would have been better to have a big notice at each bus stop.

Would it not have been £3.10? £1.55 each way?

 

[camflyer]

Would it not have been £3.10? £1.55 each way?

No, I got the free car park shuttle back (I'd dropped the car there before stopping in a hotel) but even if it had been the full £3.10, that's still less than a coffee at the airport. There are many things wrong with Heathrow right now but the loss of the FTZ isn't a big one for me - though I would probably think differently if I worked at the airport and lived locally.

At least rail travel between the terminals is still free.