Fly Virgin: 2h 8mins

Back to Forum
Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 48 total)

  • AllOverTheGaff
    Participant

    I trust you’ve saved enough money for that expensive taxi ride you’re about to face…..or you could just walk along the corridor to Kings X Underground.

    😉

    Rgds.
    AOTG.


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    Hello AOTG
    Booked a day ahead I managed to snare a first class advance tkt costing £49 one-way. That’s a huge saving on the normal first class price and cheaper than flying BA on this route.

    I shun taxis (would rather drive myself) so will proceed home by train and bus.

    It’s on off-peak train so lightly loaded in first.

    I was expecting the onboard service to be fairly basic (judging from regular trips using EMT from St Pancras) so am surprised by how professional the onboard staff are on this train.


    VintageKrug
    Participant

    £49 per sector is only marginally cheaper than the airfare from Leeds to Heathrow, which BA is selling for £57 each way.


    AllOverTheGaff
    Participant

    VintageKrug – 17/06/2013 14:29 GMT
    £49 per sector is only marginally cheaper than the airfare from Leeds to Heathrow, which BA is selling for £57 each way.

    + Parking at Leeds airport (£30.00 a day long-stay/£59.00 per day short stay)
    + Minimum £40.00 taxi from LHR to central London
    + Flying at a time which might not suit
    + Heathrow and their charmless security goons
    + Baggage limitations

    So, more than twice the price for a more stressful and unenjoyable journey…..where’s my railcard.

    Rgds.
    AOTG.


    conshaldow
    Participant

    A good point VK but then you’ll have to take into account the transit costs from LHR to the city centre, Heathrow Express most likely. Also, it’s very unlikely that you’ll be able to get the £57 each way fare the day before travelling.


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    Hello VK
    I’ll need to recheck tariffs when I’m back in the office. I booked that £49 fare only one day ahead and there were several trains either side which were also the same price. But there were others that were far more expensive. East Coast operates Leeds-London every half hour so it’s easy to choose trains with the best prices.


    conshaldow
    Participant

    In a world in which we are able to get the lowest fare the day before travelling, we would see shot of the £500+ returns from GLA and ABZ to LHR.


    Tim2soza
    Participant

    I have used Virgin Trains for Milton Keynes to Manchester both mid week and at the weekend.

    Midweek in F – great service. Loved watching vehicles at the M1 at a standstill, since I’m usually one of them.

    Weekend in Std with children – Pleasant trip up to Manchester, utterly vile trip back with footie fans so foul mouthed in front of kids with racist, sexually explicit and vulgar banter and songs and threatening behaviour towards anyone not in their tribe.

    – You just wouldn’t get that with the rugby crowd!


    VintageKrug
    Participant

    Hello conshaldow..the £57 outbound is available for tomorrow,Tuesday, on all three BA flights, so it is possible to get the cheapest fares on this route the day before travel, though it *is* more one way.

    The tube fare to central London is around £4 so that’s a fairer comparison than a cab (and often quicker), particularly for a Domestic flight when luggage is unlikely to be a problem when on public transport.

    Either way, I get 2x32kgs check allowance on Dom, plus a sizeable rollaboard and laptop/personal item.

    Heathrow security (at T5 South, using Fast Track) really isn’t the Hell it’s made out to be – I cannot recall queuing more than five minutes, except for one busy Bank Holiday Friday early on its opening months.

    £114rtn is excellent value on a Dom service, and especially good value vs. the train if you’re not heading into the town centre.


    Henkel.Trocken
    Participant

    The tube fare from LHR to zone 1 is actually £5.50 or £5.00 with an Oyster card which of course many visitors to London do not have.

    I live much closer to LHR than I do to central London but I still prefer the train for domestic travel. It’s so much more pleasant and relaxing.


    tiggerbrown
    Participant

    I’d hardly call £12.50 Manchester to London expensive.

    Perhaps using http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/tickets-offers would net some decent fares for the one who finds the train expensive.

    As for avoiding the “drunk and loutish passengers on match weekends” – I’ve found 2 simple options. Check the match listings so you avoid the likely trains, and use my eyes – if I see a bunch I don’t fancy the look of then don’t travel with them.


    VintageKrug
    Participant

    Henkel.Trocken is not giving the whole picture.

    A single oyster card fare from Heathrow to Central London can be as little as £3 most of the time (off peak, which is outside 0630-0930 Mon-Friday).

    http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/tickets/faresandtickets/farefinder/current/default.aspx


    PegasusAir
    Participant

    If we are talking about pure domestic travel and not connecting to another flight there is no contest if one starts or finishes ones journey in London and travelling to the North West (I assume the North East is similar) – the train is much faster, the overall journey more comfortable, much better service and a regular frequent service. BA to or from LHR cannot compete. If your journey starts or finishes on the M4 corridor or such then some elements equate and in some cases using LHR could be quicker. You choose depending on actual destination or departure point ie total journey time v cost with ancillary issues thrown in – it is usually an easy decision. Living in the North one would never fly into LHR to get the tube into central London – those days are long gone which is presumably why the MAN/LHR route is predominantly connecting traffic. Scotland is of course a completely different situation.


    NTarrant
    Participant

    I have just booked LHR-LBA-LHR for mid-August weekend at £119 each. Which is not bad, Mrs T is not keen on long distance rail travel anymore and the idea of crossing London on the tube or bus for her is a no no.

    But I have used Virgin to MAN and EC to the north and enjoyed some good trips in F. Certainly no taxi rides etiher from stations or airports, avoid at all costs, certainly a distress purchase.


    AllOverTheGaff
    Participant

    PegasusAir – 17/06/2013 15:11 GMT
    Scotland is of course a completely different situation.

    Hi PegasusAir

    Not for me it isn’t, my times are below:

    Flying:
    – Dundee to Edinburgh – 1 hour 30 minutes
    – Arriving in time to check in – 1 hour before flight
    – Flight to LHR – 1 hour 30 minutes
    – Time to central London – 1 hour
    – Total journey time = 5 hours

    Train:
    – Train from Dundee Station to Kings Cross = 5 hours 42 minutes
    – (Add 10 minutes from my gaff to train station in a cab)
    – Train is always considerably cheaper
    – I don’t have to even look at Heathrow which is the Worlds Least Favourite Airport (in my world)
    – I can pack as much as I want and whatever liquids I want
    – I don’t have to use my car
    – I can have an alcoholic drink in both directions
    – Train is relaxing, flying is a hassle
    – BA delays can cost a LOT more than 42 minutes

    So, all in all for me travelling to London which I always did on the plane isn’t an option now, train wins hands down every time.

    Regards.
    AOTG.

Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 48 total)
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Business Traveller March 2024 edition
Business Traveller March 2024 edition
Be up-to-date
Magazine Subscription
To see our latest subscription offers for Business Traveller editions worldwide, click on the Subscribe & Save link below
Polls