[MarcusGB]

The Hoppa service is very unpredictable and rarely on time.

I either stay at The Hilton with a link Bridge from T4, or The Yotel is quite a unique experience. From there you can hop on the tube or Heathrow express (free) between terminals.Sofitel is also linked into T5, but not very good value for its high prices.

So i tend to stay somewhere linked to one of the terminals and use the underground one stop or HE., especially for long haul or morning flights.

[canucklad]

I think it’s fair to say that the Hoppa only exists because it plays on the ignorance of the general public, especially those from abroad. It owners should actually be held to account, because it really is not a good advertisement for LHR or for the that matter does it leave a good impression of London or Britain.

[AMcWhirter]

Hello LP

Have just seen your posting of July 11.

You are quite correct but the problem is security.

Years ago London offered these facilities. The then BEA had the West London Air Terminal, BOAC had a terminal close to Victoria.

More recently both the LHR and LGW Expresses offered baggage check-in at their London termini.

But both facilities were abandoned.

[AMcWhirter]

Just found this link which shows what road transport to LHR existed in the past.

There are pictures of the old Routemaster buses, complete with luggage trailers, which BEA/British airways used to run from the West London Air Terminal.

http://www.focustransport.org.uk/xhrow1.aspx

[canucklad]

Firstly Alex, cheers for the link, made me laugh when I noticed the destination board on the first bus…..just love the thought of living in a time when that must have been seen as heading off to the other side of the world.
On a more serious note, it’s disappointing that we can’t take advantage of the equivalent of HK’s central check-in. Although I have no need to use it, friends that stay in town do and it makes their last day in HK so much more relaxing.

[DavidGordon10]

I used to have a flat that overlooked the Hammersmith flyover, and the BEA West London Air Terminal buses, each with a baggage trailer in tow, looked like a procession of mother elephants leading their calves by the trunk.

[AMcWhirter]

Back in those days, every departing BEA and BOAC flight from LHR had its own bus departing the relevant London terminal.

But between LHR and London, passengers took any bus, ie there was no special bus laid on for arriving flights.

[DavidGordon10]

Alex, yes indeed, and very convenient it was to be on the bus for your flight and to know that all you had to do was walk through the very easy passport control and the negligible security. You knew you could not miss your flight.

One memory I have, and I have never found anyone else who remembers it, is (on one occasion) the bus going to the central area at Heathrow, not through the regular tunnel, but through an aternative tunnel from the South side of the sirport. Is that second tunnel still there?

[rjhcambs]

DG10
I think you are talking about the tunnel which goes under the southern runway from the T3 end of the old T2 and comes out in the cargo area. I used it in the early ’70s as a shortcut to reach the A30 and home in Hampshire. I cannot remember when general use was stopped, probably because of increased security,

[DavidGordon10]

Do you know if the tunnel is still there rjh? The bus trip that went through it would have been in the late sixties. It would be logical to keep it available in case of a disaster involving the main tunnel.

[rjhcambs]

when the old T2 was still open, you could see airside vehicles entering the tunnel near the entrance to the T2 short term carpark. I not. used the new T2 yet so I assume the tunnel is still in use to move from the south side to Central area – it always seemed busy.

[AMcWhirter]

DavidGordon10 – It’s now known as the cargo tunnel. It still exists because, as you say, it’s provides back-up.

It’s now used for airside movements. It links the Central Area with the cargo terminal.

I also remember going through by bus in the days when public transport and other users could travel through the tunnel.

[canucklad]

Take it, this isn’t the same tunnel that the T4 to T3 airside connection bus uses ?

[seanyjmuclhr]

I believe it is. When you exit the tunnel on the south side, you’d turn left to head to T4 or go straight on for the cargo area.

Bing Maps still shows the old T2, as well as BA at T4 on its maps, but you can quite clearly see the entrance and exits of this southern tunnel.

Google Maps is more up-to-date as it shows the new T2, albeit still as a building site. Again, you can quite clearly see the entrance and exists of the tunnel.

In both cases, just search for “Southampton Road, Heathrow” and you’ll find the southern entrance. Follow it, cross the southern runway and you’ll see the northern entrance to the tunnel which is two circular roads.

[Tramor01]

Talking about the Southern tunnel – A few years ago I met an old friend of mine at T1. He’d arrived off the BA flight from Oslo and after coming through customs he collapsed (suspected heart attack). The parmedics arrived, and the ambulance took him (and I) to Ashford Hospital via the Southern tunnel.

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