On 17 Jan 2006 08:28:36 -0800, "CJB"
wrote:

Last weekend, actually on Sunday, the Underground Piccadilly Line was
closed between London and Heathrow. However the Heathrow Express was
supposed to be an alternative. Indeed throughout the Underground system
it was widely advertised that Zone 1-6 Travelcards WERE valid on the
Heathrow Express to/from Paddington.

HOWEVER after a day in London, and arriving at Paddington to travel
back to Heathrow, we saw numerous displays clearly stating that
Travelcards were NOT valid on the Heathrow Express. The scam was
extended in that the HEX ticket machines had no warning notices on them
for that day, and they were only dispensing full fare tickets at =A314.
I personally warned at least two intending passengers from using these
and sent them to get Travelcards from the FGWL ticket office, thus
saving each person more than =A37. Then I pretended I wanted to purchase
a ticket from the HEX ticket office and I was told it would cost =A314
the same as the machines. I then mentioned the misleading signs to
three blue-uniformed HEX staff, who responded by walking off laughing;
not their problem.

Then we saw a HEX train arriving at Paddington and it was
unsurprisingly full. We wondered how many tourists, visitors to rip-off
Britain, had also been conned into paying for full fare tickets into
London? Probably most of them.

So much for Travelcards being valid. So much for HEX / BAA customer
service. Rip-off Britain strikes again.=20

CJB

I (and several friends) travelled HEX on Saturday morning and saw the
"Travelcards Not Valid" sign.

A simple and polite enquiry to the barrier staff confirmed they were
valid and that the display was the "standard sign".

What surprised me much more was the total absence of signs at Heathrow
regarding Connect services. These trains seem to sneak in to the
platform at T123, with a verbal annoucement that "this train is not
for London Paddington". some people get on, but almost all then get
off again when they hear the anouncement. The first Connect train we
caught had "Not In Service" as its front Matrix display.

No wonder nobody uses them...

JohnK

p.s. On Saturday, it was true that the Connect services weren't for
London Paddington as the were all terminating at Ealing Broadway due
to engineering works on the Releifs at OOC.