On 10/10/2014 13:52, Neil Williams wrote:
On 2014-10-10 11:08:02 +0000, Mizter T said:

No chance, for the many for whom that's not an option. As Paul has
said in the past on here, the direction for Oyster seems likely to be
a mark II version which is account based rather than card based.

Possibly. But I think the banks will start providing far more
contactless pre-paid cards of various types, which will provide a
reasonable alternative. Then no need for TfL to get involved in
handling the money. This might tend more towards 10 years, though.

I don't think so. Contactless cards as they are now are 'subject to
status', basic bank account holders don't get them, nor do some others
with regular accounts. My prepaid contactless card (Orange Cash) doesn't
work on TfL either, for I suggest the same reasons (not me, just that
it's prepaid).

There are those who don't have a bank account, and those who can't get a
bank account.

There are children.

There are overseas visitors, many of whom don't have contactless now and
won't in the future.

Just because it works for you (someone who's financially secure and
eminently bankable), doesn't mean it'll work for everyone.


So it can be done in one transaction, rather than two? (i.e. bus + train)

True, though paying the bus driver doesn't take long, and on a service
with long layovers at both ends doesn't delay anything. Its biggest
problem might I suppose well be people coming out of the airport with
large notes, which I guess is a case for making it free again. I wonder
how profitable it is?

Fair question. Though if it went free, then given Luton Airports
drop-off charge for cars & taxis, it could attract 'freeloading'
passengers who want to get to the airport from a free drop-off point or
v.v. (Yes, the fee can be avoided by going to the mid-term car park &
shuttle bus from there, but the Parkway station forecourt might be more
convenient.)


Also the Super Off-peak tickets including the shuttle bus do offer a
saving.

I stand corrected, I thought all tickets just had the SDS/SDR/SOR added
on, like PlusBus.

Seems to be the case for the other (non-Super) tickets, at least in
terms of singles.

For arriving easyjet passengers heading to central London, I think that
(at least for those sans Railcard) the cheapest option is to buy the
ticket they sell onboard.