Roland Perry wrote in news:6VJnXnm1tF
:

In message , at 11:31:42 on Thu, 29
Dec 2011, Paul Terry remarked:

And how many airline passengers have Oyster cards?

Quite a few I would imagine, given the number of people living in
Greater London who have them and who might well be flying out of
Heathrow.

They don't need a free transfer, because their ticket will have been
valid to/from the appropriate terminal anyway[1]. So the travellers this
is aimed at will be landside transit ones, who typically aren't
Londoners [1](bis).

[1] Give or take edge cases like Londoners doing a transfer at Heathrow
without leaving the airport vicinity).

I take your point, but those of us who arrive or leave Heathrow by bus - eg
the X26 to Kingston/Sutton - that call (only) at the central bus station
will save a few bob when leaving from or arriving at T4 and T5. Bus often
beats rail for circumferential journeys from LHR.

Peter CS

On Tue, 3 Jan 2012 17:02:41 +0000 (UTC), Peter Campbell Smith
wrote:

I take your point, but those of us who arrive or leave Heathrow by bus - eg
the X26 to Kingston/Sutton - that call (only) at the central bus station
will save a few bob when leaving from or arriving at T4 and T5. Bus often
beats rail for circumferential journeys from LHR.

Agreed - it's a pity, then, that the Free Travel Area doesn't apply to
Underground journeys starting at Hatton Cross as it can be much
quicker to get off a bus there rather than at the bus station,
especially if going to T5 or in all cases when getting a "via
everywhere" 285...

Richard.

"Richard" wrote in message
...

On Tue, 3 Jan 2012 17:02:41 +0000 (UTC), Peter Campbell Smith
wrote:

I take your point, but those of us who arrive or leave Heathrow by bus -
eg
the X26 to Kingston/Sutton - that call (only) at the central bus station
will save a few bob when leaving from or arriving at T4 and T5. Bus often
beats rail for circumferential journeys from LHR.

Agreed - it's a pity, then, that the Free Travel Area doesn't apply to
Underground journeys starting at Hatton Cross as it can be much
quicker to get off a bus there rather than at the bus station,
especially if going to T5 or in all cases when getting a "via
everywhere" 285...

Probably a revenue protection issue as if Hatton Cross - Heathrow was free
then passengers from Central London would only have to pay a Z1-5 fare
instead of Z1-6.

Peter Smyth