LHR T5 Pods

[Butts]

I was delayed overnight as my incoming flight from Barcelona was delayed meaning I missed my connection to Edinburgh.

BA put me up in the Thistle Hotel at T5 - I spoke to Simon Calder in the Breakfast Lounge and 20 minutes later was watching him on BBC Breakfast in my room broadcasting from the Restaurant Terrace.

To get the Airport I booked a Pod which at £7 is a good option for a single traveller and runs from the Hotel.

They hold 4 but I had one to myself - it bombs along like bobsleigh and gets up quite a speed.

Terrific fun

 

[Lewlew]

I thought the pods were free?

 

[greatkingrat]

I thought the pods were free?

They are. What the hotel is actually charging £7 for is the code to the gate that links the hotel and the car park!

 

[Butts]

They are. What the hotel is actually charging £7 for is the code to the gate that links the hotel and the car park!

Eh....does the code change regularly ?

So is it free if accessed from the Car Park ?

I'm sure you have to pay the other way ?

 

[Foxhunter]

So is it free if accessed from the Car Park ?

I'm sure you have to pay the other way ?

It's been some time since I've used it, but pretty sure it is still 'Free' to and from the car park. You do of course pay for it by a premium compared to other car parking away from T5 Terminal.

But, as you say, utterly brilliant. I once arrived at T5 to find the person in the previous Pod waiting just to talk to someone about how brilliant she had found the experience.

I've argued on a fantasy thread that we should build all new towns with no private cars, no buses, no taxis etc, and replace the lot with Heathrow T5 pods connecting with Dockland Light Railway trains.

 

[DanNCL]

The pod is free. Thistle charge for the code for the gate between the car park and the hotel, payable at the hotel reception desk. The gate has an intercom.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's been some time since I've used it, but pretty sure it is still 'Free' to and from the car park. You do of course pay for it by a premium compared to other car parking away from T5 Terminal.

But, as you say, utterly brilliant. I once arrived at T5 to find the person in the previous Pod waiting just to talk to someone about how brilliant she had found the experience.

I've argued on a fantasy thread that we should build all new towns with no private cars, no buses, no taxis etc, and replace the lot with Heathrow T5 pods connecting with Dockland Light Railway trains.

I don't think they would work in a more average town. You'd need loads of them and they'd get vandalised. Premium airport car parks and hotels are atypical.

 

[edwin_m]

"Universal" pod service, if it ever happens, is much more likely to be using autonomous technology that can use the existing network rather than needing its own infrastructure everywhere. Anyone investing in such a network today, other than an airport or a few other very limited and controlled environments, is at risk of wasting their money. Which is probably why the number of such systems worldwide can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

 

[Ediswan]

The pod is free. Thistle charge for the code for the gate between the car park and the hotel, payable at the hotel reception desk. The gate has an intercom.

The hotel claim the charge goes to the Pod operator. The word 'free' has many interpretations.

https://www.thistle.com/heathrow-terminal-5/heathrow-pods

The hotel collects £7.00 per person per journey, which is passed onto the Heathrow Pods operator. We do not profit directly from the journey sales.

 

[greatkingrat]

99% of people using the pods will be paying indirectly, either included in the parking fee, or via the hotel. There is no reason for anyone else to use it apart from the odd enthusiast who just wants to try it, and I guess it isn't worth the bother of trying to get any money from them.

 

[DanNCL]

The hotel claim the charge goes to the Pod operator. The word 'free' has many interpretations.

https://www.thistle.com/heathrow-terminal-5/heathrow-pods

Heathrow may well charge Thistle £7 per passenger to Thistle, but users of pod parking don't have to pay for it. That said, pod parking isn't the cheapest parking option at Heathrow so one could argue the fare for the pod is included in the price of parking.

99% of people using the pods will be paying indirectly, either included in the parking fee, or via the hotel. There is no reason for anyone else to use it apart from the odd enthusiast who just wants to try it, and I guess it isn't worth the bother of trying to get any money from them.

These days it's just the odd enthusiast. When it first arrived there were quite a number of Heathrow and BA employees that were taking themselves for a ride on it entirely out of curiosity!

 

[Techniquest]

How does one access them? I'm landing at Heathrow T5 in a handful of hours (currently waiting at Las Vegas for the A350 to arrive) and if I can get a good fare for the journey back to Hereford I *may* have time to dash out onto the pods.

It would be a case of do a pod from one end to the other and straight back, but I don't want to be paying £7 for the privilege!

 

[zero]

How does one access them? I'm landing at Heathrow T5 in a handful of hours (currently waiting at Las Vegas for the A350 to arrive) and if I can get a good fare for the journey back to Hereford I *may* have time to dash out onto the pods.

It would be a case of do a pod from one end to the other and straight back, but I don't want to be paying £7 for the privilege!

Follow the signs to the car parks, it's at the north end of the terminal i.e. turn right when you come out through arrivals. You can just get on, go to the carpark and come back. As mentioned the charge is only to access the Thistle hotel (as far as I know payment is done manually at the hotel)

 

[Techniquest]

Follow the signs to the car parks, it's at the north end of the terminal i.e. turn right when you come out through arrivals. You can just get on, go to the carpark and come back. As mentioned the charge is only to access the Thistle hotel (as far as I know payment is done manually at the hotel)

Thanks! If I get the time, I'll have to have a look. Boarding has still not begun for BA274, so the chances are I'll be making a beeline for Heathrow Express instead!

 

[Rick1984]

I had a shot on it on a recent visit. It's quite hard to find at Terminal 5 as it's not signposted. I think it's on level 2 of the car park. Quite good fun, bumpy ride. Annoyingly they've put advertising vinyls on them over the side windows, which restricts the view out. At the pod car park you have to get out, you can't just carry on your journey.

 

[Techniquest]

Well I wanted to do them today, but the divine powers were clearly against it. BA274 finally arrived at 1601, 36 late (made up 4 minutes on the way over, but apparently there were big storms further south so at least those were avoided) but then we were thrown over onto a remote spot and had to use stairs to go down to buses to the terminal. Not ideal in nasty weather!

By the time bagagge reclaim was done, it was 1704 and I had to catch the 1757 from Paddington. Originally I'd wanted to do the 1734 straight through, but at least I got to enjoy a non-stop journey through Reading! I made my way fast down to Heathrow Express and had to skip the pods. Next time, next time!

 

[island]

I thought the pods were free?

They aren’t. The cost of using them is baked into the pod parking cost and is charged directly to people going to/from the Thistle.

 

[Rick1984]

It would be good if it was extend along the perimeter road to the central terminals, providing an alternative transfer to the Underground/Elizabeth line.

While quite a niche product that probably only works for limited applications, it is a shame there's been no further systems built

 

[Bald Rick]

It would be good if it was extend along the perimeter road to the central terminals, providing an alternative transfer to the Underground/Elizabeth line.

By definition, the perimeter road doesn’t go to the central terminals…

 

[Rick1984]

No that bit might be a bit tricky! When I was reading up on it there was a suggestion that it has been considered. Indeed the current system does have a stub for future extension

 

[nlogax]

Indeed the current system does have a stub for future extension

It does? Interesting..whereabouts? Google Map satellite view isn't giving me many clues beyond the wide loop in the business car park.

 

[Rick1984]

Just before the "roundabout"
Here:
Dropped pin

51°28'45.8"N 0°29'17.5"W · 51.479387, -0.488194

maps.app.goo.gl

The tracks split and there's a very short continuation of guideway between them. I assume for possible extension

 

[AlterEgo]

Just before the "roundabout"
Here:
Dropped pin

51°28'45.8"N 0°29'17.5"W · 51.479387, -0.488194

maps.app.goo.gl

The tracks split and there's a very short continuation of guideway between them. I assume for possible extension

Yes that's a future proofed extension stub, although the likelihood of it happening is fairly remote.

 

[route101]

I used the pods a few years back and when I got to the car park and out the pod security guard started shouting at me asking me why I was there!

 

[Cdd89]

I used the pods a few years back and when I got to the car park and out the pod security guard started shouting at me asking me why I was there!

I once used them and was talking to a friend, only to discover we were being listened in on by someone in the control centre who responded to our conversation. It was quite weird and unsettling!

 

[nlogax]

Just before the "roundabout"
Here:
Dropped pin

51°28'45.8"N 0°29'17.5"W · 51.479387, -0.488194

maps.app.goo.gl

The tracks split and there's a very short continuation of guideway between them. I assume for possible extension

Ah thanks, yes, I see it now.