CJB wrote:
As might be expected from the bankrupt wholly Spanish-owned BAA its
train services were cashing in big-time on the disruption to the
Piccadilly Line this weekend. In the past All Zone Travel Cards have
been accepted on both HEX and CONnect. However in an admirable
demonstration of 'rip-off' Britiain, and at the expense of its long
suffering airline passengers, BAA and its two Paddington / Heathrow
train 'services' were not accepting any Travel Cards this weekend.
Instead BAA was charging the usual full-price rip-off fares it
normally does for its tatty and worn trains into outer London. And HEX
staff were seen today (Sunday) at T5 ensuring that passengers do
indeed pay the exorbitant £18 (whatever) SINGLE fare into West London.
Indeed they were stationed at every TfL ticket machine deterring
passengers from even thinking of going by tube/bus/tube into Central
London. CJB.

Other people have made the valid point about BAA owning/funding Heathrow
Express: All good points, which I'd associate myself with.

However, if I where part of the authorities making decisions about BAA's
future expansion plans I think I'd be using this as a bargaining chip...
Something along the lines of "you can have your sixth terminal but as
part of the deal, you must improve and reduce the cost of public
transport to the airport, including accepting travelcards and Oyster
cards on the Connect."

Even without such a deal, how difficult would it be to accept Oyster on
Heathrow Connect with surcharge added when someone touches in or out at
Heathrow?

Philip wrote:

Even without such a deal, how difficult would it be to accept Oyster
on Heathrow Connect with surcharge added when someone touches in or
out at Heathrow?

Not at all difficult, it just needs a suitable zone defining, beyond zone 6,
so let's call it zone 'H'

It is after all what happens at Watford Junction's zone W, which is beyond
zone 8.

Paul S

"Paul Scott" wrote in message
...
Philip wrote:

Even without such a deal, how difficult would it be to accept Oyster
on Heathrow Connect with surcharge added when someone touches in or
out at Heathrow?

Not at all difficult, it just needs a suitable zone defining, beyond zone
6, so let's call it zone 'H'

BAA don't want ticket gates for their platforms at Heathrow, though this
might not be a problem if TfL (and their customers) were prepared to accept
increased charges for unresolved journeys, in case they ended at Heathrow
Connect. More to the point, can TfL come up with a method of using Oyster
PAYG as far as Hayes & Harlington then a paper ticket on to Heathrow. How
does a passenger touch out while staying on the train at Hayes & Harlington?

Peter

In message , at 20:05:30 on
Mon, 8 Mar 2010, Peter Masson remarked:

BAA don't want ticket gates for their platforms at Heathrow

It would make the trains harder to use as free inter-terminal shuttles.

In fact, you'd have to issue FOC "platform tickets", which would
completely nullify having barriers at all!!
--
Roland Perry

On Mar 8, 8:05*pm, "Peter Masson" wrote:

"Paul Scott" wrote:
Even without such a deal, how difficult would it be to accept Oyster
on Heathrow Connect with surcharge added when someone touches in or
out at Heathrow?

Not at all difficult, it just needs a suitable zone defining, beyond zone
6, so let's call it zone 'H'

BAA don't want ticket gates for their platforms at Heathrow, though this
might not be a problem if TfL (and their customers) were prepared to accept
increased charges for unresolved journeys, in case they ended at Heathrow
Connect. More to the point, can TfL come up with a method of using Oyster
PAYG as far as Hayes & Harlington then a paper ticket on to Heathrow. How
does a passenger touch out while staying on the train at Hayes & Harlington?

They don't. Come Crossrail, they won't - Oyster PAYG will inevitably
be accepted on the whole route. Somehow!

Peter Masson wrote:
"Paul Scott" wrote in message
...
Philip wrote:

Even without such a deal, how difficult would it be to accept Oyster
on Heathrow Connect with surcharge added when someone touches in or
out at Heathrow?

Not at all difficult, it just needs a suitable zone defining, beyond
zone 6, so let's call it zone 'H'

BAA don't want ticket gates for their platforms at Heathrow, though
this might not be a problem if TfL (and their customers) were
prepared to accept increased charges for unresolved journeys, in case
they ended at Heathrow Connect. More to the point, can TfL come up
with a method of using Oyster PAYG as far as Hayes & Harlington then
a paper ticket on to Heathrow. How does a passenger touch out while
staying on the train at Hayes & Harlington?

I'd completely forgotten the free transfers, which would be a real pain to
deal with. But I suppose in principle they could have standalone validators,
without gates.

If they ever build Airtrack there'll have to be a means of paying for
journeys to/from Staines, so a few things might have to change...

Paul S

Peter Masson wrote:

BAA don't want ticket gates for their platforms at Heathrow, though this
might not be a problem if TfL (and their customers) were prepared to
accept increased charges for unresolved journeys, in case they ended at
Heathrow Connect. More to the point, can TfL come up with a method of
using Oyster PAYG as far as Hayes & Harlington then a paper ticket on to
Heathrow. How does a passenger touch out while staying on the train at
Hayes & Harlington?

Why do they have to have gates? What's wrong with a few validators? It's
what they on DLR and much of National Rail anyway.

Philip.

Philip wrote:
Peter Masson wrote:

BAA don't want ticket gates for their platforms at Heathrow, though
this might not be a problem if TfL (and their customers) were prepared
to accept increased charges for unresolved journeys, in case they
ended at Heathrow Connect. More to the point, can TfL come up with a
method of using Oyster PAYG as far as Hayes & Harlington then a paper
ticket on to Heathrow. How does a passenger touch out while staying on
the train at Hayes & Harlington?

Why do they have to have gates? What's wrong with a few validators? It's
what they on DLR and much of National Rail anyway.

Also, the couple of times I've used Connect, my ticket has always been
checked between Hayes and Heathrow. Could the ticket examiners carry
some sort of portable validator?

Philip.

On 9 Mar, 06:47, Philip wrote:
Philip wrote:
Peter Masson wrote:

BAA don't want ticket gates for their platforms at Heathrow, though
this might not be a problem if TfL (and their customers) were prepared
to accept increased charges for unresolved journeys, in case they
ended at Heathrow Connect. More to the point, can TfL come up with a
method of using Oyster PAYG as far as Hayes & Harlington then a paper
ticket on to Heathrow. How does a passenger touch out while staying on
the train at Hayes & Harlington?

Why do they have to have gates? What's wrong with a few validators? It's
what they on DLR and much of National Rail anyway.

Also, the couple of times I've used Connect, my ticket has always been
checked between Hayes and Heathrow. Could the ticket examiners carry
some sort of portable validator?

Philip.

It didn't help getting to Heathrow last Saturday that the Circle Line
was suspended, and the Hammersmith and City line was not stopping at
Paddington. What price a bit of joined up thinking from LUL? Is that a
pig I see flying past the window?

On Mar 9, 7:22*am, Paul wrote:

On 9 Mar, 06:47, Philip wrote:

Philip wrote:

Peter Masson wrote:
BAA don't want ticket gates for their platforms at Heathrow, though
this might not be a problem if TfL (and their customers) were prepared
to accept increased charges for unresolved journeys, in case they
ended at Heathrow Connect. More to the point, can TfL come up with a
method of using Oyster PAYG as far as Hayes & Harlington then a paper
ticket on to Heathrow. How does a passenger touch out while staying on
the train at Hayes & Harlington?

Why do they have to have gates? What's wrong with a few validators? It's
what they on DLR and much of National Rail anyway.

Also, the couple of times I've used Connect, my ticket has always been
checked between Hayes and Heathrow. Could the ticket examiners carry
some sort of portable validator?

It didn't help getting to Heathrow last Saturday that the Circle Line
was suspended, and the Hammersmith and City line was not stopping at
Paddington. What price a bit of joined up thinking from LUL? Is that a
pig I see flying past the window?

Which goes back to the original topic of the thread, which is somewhat
obscured by the OP's general rant. Basically if standard ticketing
(Travelcards and Oyster cards) were to be valid on HEx or Heathrow
Connect to and from Heathrow, then BAA (who run the latter services)
would want their pound of flesh in compensation - presumably the wodge
of cash they demanded is too rich for TfL's blood.