I recently used the Luton Airport Express from St Pancras so here is a quick summary of my experience. At St Pancras the train indicator boards show nothing regarding the Luton Airport Express. Passengers need to know the train to Corby is the LAE but how they would know that is a mystery. Thameslink on the other hand have a large sign pointing out that trains to Gatwick use platform A while trains to Luton uses platform B.
Once on the train it was clear it was tired and tatty with the carpets seeing better days. For an Airport Express it has no luggage storage apart from overhead bins and the walkway between seats was very narrow due the 3+2 seating, so very hard to drag a suitcase along.
The train was around 20% full.
The Thameslink trains are far superior in every detail but also don’t contain luggage storage but at least their seating is only 2+2 meaning it is easier to pull a suitcase through.
On the positive side, the journey only took 22 minutes making the Stansted Express being an express in name only, as it takes almost 3 times as long for an airport that is a similar distance from the capital. In fact the semi fast Thameslink service that stops 3 times is still quicker, as is the all stopping service that takes around 45 minutes compared to 56 minutes to 1 hours for the Stansted Express.
Once at Parkway there was a short queue to exit the railway ticket barriers and then another short queue to pass the Dart barriers. The Dart train left within a minute.
At the airport there was a moderate queue to use the single escalator and another queue to pass the exit barrier. Total travel time from St Pancras was 32 minutes to exit the Dart station at the airport.
The Dart is now sold as a seamless experience from rail to Dart except it is not. Gatelines for rail and Dart don’t seem to recognise a third of all e-tickets. To get from the airport to the railway station tickets need to be presented 3 times.
Now the service is being advertised as the LAE it is definitely more popular in part due to discounted rail tickets if booked in advance, which Thameslink doesn’t offer.
Last edited by LTNman; 9th May 2023 at 07:30.