National Express UK airport revenue

[davidjohnson6]

Heathrow has the UK's 2nd largest bus/coach station, with many services operated by National Express. Stansted and Luton are also served by many coaches per day by National Express.
Other coach firms have tried to break into this market but found it difficult.

The odd thing is that fares to occupy a NX coach seat for an hour of motorway driving are far higher for airport journeys compared to between major UK cities. Even allowing for unidirectional flows of passengers at some times of the day (Stansted has few passenger flights landing at 6 am, but many departures)... it still seems NX are seeing significantly higher profit margins on coaches to/from airports compared to other UK coach routes.

Does anybody have some data on this ? Maybe how much of their UK domestic revenue is airport based ? Or any better insight into this ?

[Capt Scribble]

They are probably charged a fortune for using the airport stops, a bit like airport retailers.

[PAXboy]

The price that people will pay - is the price. Also, they know if there is any competition on the route. Most public transport in the UK, goes directly into city centers, not cross country to airports.

[Asturias56]

even worse with trains - :( Heathrow Express is one if not THE most expensive railway trip per km in the world

[farci]

even worse with trains - :( Heathrow Express is one if not THE most expensive railway trip per km in the world
PAXboy hit the nail on the head in reference to a lack of competition to National Express.

Since opening London Transport's Elizabeth Line, Heathrow Express has cut its fares to respond to competition

[PAXboy]

Thanks farci interesting. I live North West of LHR. To use public transport would be a lift or taxi to a nearby town to get the coach. Irrespective of cost, it would take so much time and many extra lifting of cases in and out of vehicles and then at LHR to the terminal. This morning, I collected my sister from T3 and it took me 43 minutes to drive there. When I lived in London, I did use the tube and once or twice the train from Paddington. If you live in Oxford or other big towns, then a direct coach is viable but, for most, it is not.

[Asturias56]

PAXboy hit the nail on the head in reference to a lack of competition to National Express.

Since opening London Transport's Elizabeth Line, Heathrow Express has cut its fares to respond to competition

only on the stopper I think - not the fast non-stop ones to/from Paddington

[Kiltrash]

Am flying from LHR on 22 July and the good news is that the Security Staff have stopped strike action, however every silver lining has a dark cloud, the RMT have called a train strike.
At the moment Thameslink and the Liz Line are not on strike as their drivers are not RMT, they are Asleff...however I digress my option to get from Central Beds to Heathrow are if the trains do run £143 for 4 or National Express from Luton for £152.....so not much in it...
Driving and parking is not really as option as we are returning to Gatwick.

[V_2]

even worse with trains - :( Heathrow Express is one if not THE most expensive railway trip per km in the world

the most expensive trip per KM in the world certainly used to be the cash fare for a ticket from Leicester Square to Covent Garden on the Piccadilly line, which coincidently also goes to LHR. Something like £30 per KM. Heathrow express doesn’t come anywhere close

[Asturias56]

its a 2 minute walk that's why - I used to work in Leicester Square

[V_2]

its a 2 minute walk that's why - I used to work in Leicester Square

you know that, I know that, but the thousands of tourists a year buying said tickets clearly didn’t. I guess before smart phones some tourists may have worried about getting lost. I suspect using the tube involves more steps than walking at ground level. I believe the tube map now tells people to walk instead as a way of reducing congestion at CG

[davidjohnson6]

Hi all... could I gently nudge the topic back towards National Express to/from airports ?

[SWBKCB]

I suspect the answer is a combination of #2 and #3. Interesting comment on the Southend thread that as Stobart own the station there, they take 90% of the train fare. Unless they are unique, would indicate that airports see such facilities as an income source.

[PAXboy]

The airports consider their own family as income.

:sad:

[Asturias56]

I suspect that for many of National Expresses airport customers it's the only time they ever step on a bus TBH