[LuganoPirate]

I’ve never liked the Heathrow Express so on the few occasions I’ve travelled to LGW, and more often to Victoria, I’ve taken the Piccadilly Line to S. Kensington, then the District & Circle to Victoria, then the train onwards.

I think it’s easier than the Heathrow Express as it cuts out the train to tube link at Paddington, and probably just as quick door to door. Also more dependable than the bus. Not sure about overall cost though?

[NTarrant]

If the M25 is moving reasonably then the coach will always get you between the two in the quickest time and will less hassle from the changing. Putting aside the quality issues already raised, whilst it is one of the most expensive coach journeys in the UK it is a 24 hour service and there are high peaks and troughs which are not regular.

Using the Piccadilly, Circle, District to Victoria is fine if you have hand luggage and cost wise you can make a saving over the LHR Express if you take a Southern train from LGW rather than the Express. A lot of people would not have the knowledge that we have on alternatives and would not want the hassle.

As for the quality issues already raised, the staff get away with it because the complaint level is low. More complaints when things are not as they should be on this service

[NTarrant]

If the M25 is moving reasonably then the coach will always get you between the two in the quickest time and will less hassle from the changing. Putting aside the quality issues already raised, whilst it is one of the most expensive coach journeys in the UK it is a 24 hour service and there are high peaks and troughs which are not regular.

Using the Piccadilly, Circle, District to Victoria is fine if you have hand luggage and cost wise you can make a saving over the LHR Express if you take a Southern train from LGW rather than the Express. A lot of people would not have the knowledge that we have on alternatives and would not want the hassle.

As for the quality issues already raised, the staff get away with it because the complaint level is low. More complaints when things are not as they should be on this service

[ConstantFlyer1]

Ah yes. I remember the Airlink service. Flew once on G-LINK as a youngster just for the fun of it. I remember how big and spacious it seemed inside the S-61.

Of course, if I had the misfortune today to have to transfer between LGW and LHR, I would begin by severely berating myself for inflicting such an option on me. Apart from the inconvenience to the traveller, such transfers add unnecessarily to the crush on London’s tube and train services or its clogged-up orbital motorway. It is, of course, the price Londoners pay for the jobs that all these transit pax create by enabling services to operate at all or with larger aircraft.

I’d much prefer an air journey between the two airports. It is possible, of course. I picked, for example, Wed 16 Nov, leaving LHR T1 at 10.00 on an Aer Lingus A321, arriving in Dublin at 11.15. Price incl. tax is £39.99. Then leaving Dublin at 12.50 by Aer Lingus A320, arriving LGW S at 14.10. Price EUR 21.99.

Options also exist via plenty of other places, like EDI, MAN, GLA (on BA for T5-N tx) and further afield. Mad, I know. But surely a bit more interesting than National Express.

[SimonS1]

Took the coach a couple of weeks ago and the driver tried to be smart and take a short cut through Ashford. Unfortunately he lacked the basic tools like a SatNav and took us straight into a set of roadworks. A passenger from the US missed her connecting flight to Spain as a result.

The service is a complete joke they only get business as the alternative via London is a pain if you have luggage.

[JohnnyFox]

It’s hilarious it might be cheaper to fly (via DUB) between LHR and LGW than to take a taxi, but the point is that inter-airport transiting should really be a thing of the past with so many alliances operating hub and spoke services.

Avoid the airlines that make you do it – as a major LCY user, I’ve had to ditch AF because they only fly into Orly from City and flights to anywhere useful leave from CDG. Equally, no one in his right mind would transfer between Newark and JFK in New York. And don’t get me started on the nightmare of DME to SVO in Moscow …

[RichHI1]

I just wonder about the economics of a small prop puddlejumper between LGW and LHR on an hourly basis. It could operate airside to airside as both airports come under UK security regs. Maybe only during busiest periods and have Business based pricing.

[JohnnyFox]

@RichHI1 – airside to airside where? Is it going to taxi round all the terminals at LHR and then both N and S at Gatwick?

Build the third runway and terminals 6 and 7 at LHR so BA can get out of Gatwick completely and the problem’s fixed !

[VintageKrug]

I just can’t understand this belief that a third runway at LHR would solve Heathrow’s problems. It wouldn’t.

It wouldn’t be a very long runway, so would be restricted to shorthaul aircraft. As LHR is already at/over capacity it would only really address the immediate issue without actually adding anything strategic/scaleable.

It would increase the number of flight over central London – it’ll only take one major disaster to discredit LHR as an aviation base, and though London has been lucky (BA38) so far, luck simply isn’t good enough.

It would increase, not decrease, congestion on the ground and on taxiways.

Terminal 6 wouldn’t be sited close to the Central Area, causing lengthy transits (esp. for bags) as is the case with T4 now – but double for those needing to get T6-T4.

This is the first I’ve heard mention of T7!

What is needed is massive runway, terminal and taxiway provision and the footprint and layout of LHR isn’t conducive to this.

As for BA centralising operations at LHR, that’ll never happen; BA needs a strategic finger in the pie at the two major UK gateways and there are considerable advantages to operating from Gatwick vs. LHR particularly for point to point and leisure flights.

[LuganoPirate]

Not sure about LGW, but there is a bus that links all the Terminals airside at LHR. I think it’s for transit pax who do not have a UK visa.

[Bucksnet]

Heathrow and everything between it and the M4 needs flattening, then one big terminal can be built in the middle, with 2 runways either side.

[VintageKrug]

Still doesn’t address the noise/pollution/danger of flying directly over Central London.

And I don’t think tghere’s anout land between the M4 and LHR to expand in even if BAA/Govt. could afford to compulsorily purchase some of the most expensive land in the country.

The cost of planning review, etc…

And then it still couldn’t be enough or have any capacity to be expanded beyond that, leaving LHR with the same problem to be faced 50 years hence….

[Author]

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