hatton cross free travel zone

Economy Class & Beyond

Don’t forget the free travel zone at Heathrow!

14/01/2017 by Kevincm

Thankfully, there are plenty of alternatives to move around the Heathrow area – and in a lot of cases, they’re free!

I’m sure you’re aware of the free train shuttles that operate between Terminals 2-3 and T4/T5 on the ground (operated by Heathrow Express).

However, there are more options!

If you want to use the Underground to change terminals, you can also use that too. Remember to have an Oyster card so you can do it free. If you do choose to do this, remember if you exit at Hatton Cross, you will be charged a zone 6 fare.

But what about buses and hotels in the area?

This is where the Heathrow Free-flow zone comes into play, where you can travel on certain buses in the Heathrow area free of charge – and this covers a fair few hotels too.

Here’s a map

You can download the full map at the Heathrow website (although it’s well hidden – so click here instead )  for the map

Whilst it doesn’t cover a major distance, it does cover some of the hotels near the central terminal area, connectivity between the central and T4/T5 areas.

As for using it – just get on the bus. You won’t be charged. You don’t even need to wave your contactless payment card or Oyster card.

Just be aware of the boundaries of the Free travel zone, and note you are liable to penalty fares if you travel outside the free travel zone without an appropriate ticket.

Sometimes, there are good solutions to help you travel better in the Heathrow Area. This is one of them that makes going through or staying near the UK’s major aviation hub a little easier.

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14/01/2017 at 1:19 pm

I usually just take the bus to my hotel within the free zone. It’s a great option which I prefer over taking the hotel hoppa, I’m surprised that more airports don’t have this service.

Exploring London's Fare Zone: A Guide to Hatton Cross Underground Station

Hatton Cross Underground Station fare zone is 5, 6

Navigating the London Tube system can be a daunting experience, especially if you're a first-time visitor to the city. With so many stations and multiple lines, it can be challenging to figure out the best route to take and how much it will cost.

One essential piece of information that can help you plan your Tube journey is understanding fare zones. Each station in London is assigned a fare zone, ranging from zone 1 in central London to zone 9 on the outskirts of the city. The fare you pay for your journey will depend on the number of zones you travel through.

For example, if you're travelling from a station in zone 1 to a station in zone 3, you'll need to purchase a ticket or use your Oyster card that covers both zones 1 and 3. The same applies if you're travelling from a station in zone 4 to a station in zone 6, you'll need to purchase a ticket or use your Oyster card that covers zones 4 to 6.

It's important to note that the fare zones only apply to the London Underground and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) networks. If you're travelling on London Overground, TfL Rail, or National Rail services within London, the fare you pay will be based on different fare zones.

When planning your journey, it's essential to check the fare zones of your starting and ending stations to ensure you purchase the correct ticket or use your Oyster card. You can find information on fare zones at every Tube station, on the Transport for London (TfL) website, and in the official TfL app.

If you're a regular commuter or planning an extended stay in London, it may be worth investing in a travel card or season ticket. These options can save you money and make travelling around the city more convenient.

In conclusion, understanding fare zones is crucial when travelling on the London Tube system. By knowing the fare zones of your starting and ending stations, you can ensure you purchase the correct ticket or use your Oyster card, saving you time and money. So next time you're planning a Tube journey, make sure you check the fare zones beforehand.

Click here to get a list of all stations with direct connectivity to Hatton Cross Underground Station

London Buses at Heathrow Airport

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The heathrow free travel zone.

Heathrow Airport has 4 terminals separated in 3 disconnected areas. This means that Heathrow Airport needs to provide a way to get its passengers between the terminals. This can be done by using local buses, the national rail network consisting of TfL Rail (soon to be the Elizabeth Line) and Heathrow Express, and the Piccadilly Line.

The Terminals

Heathrow Airport consists of 4 separated terminals which are numbered 2-5. There used to be 5 terminals but terminal 1 closed down in 2015 and currently terminal 4 is also closed (temporarily) due to COVID-19.

Terminals 2 and 3 are located together at Heathrow Central which is located between the two runways of the airport. This does mean that road access to these terminals is only possible by a tunnel which connects the area to the north side of the airport. Terminal 4 is located on the south side of the airport and terminal 5 is located on the western side of the airport.

What's Free

To allow for transfers between the separate terminals Heathrow Airport has made certain journeys on the public transport network free. On the mainline network (TfL Rail and Heathrow Express) using an Oyster Card, or equivalent card/device, any journey between the 3 terminal stations is free despite needing to touch in or out.

Heathrow also provides special, blue in colour, free transfer tickets which allow transfer between the terminals using the national rail network with an explanation of what they can be used for on the back.

On the Underground (specifically the Piccadilly line) any journey between the 3 terminal stations is also free providing you enter and exit the network correctly. But because Heathrow terminal 4 is only served by a one way loop from Hatton Cross to terminal 4 then to terminals 2&3, a transfer to terminal 4 requires a change at Hatton Cross. This means that at Hatton Cross, if coming from terminals 2&3 or 5, you’ll be charged the normal amount if you leave the station but will be charged nothing if you change trains and exit at terminal 4.

The Heathrow Free Travel zone also used to apply to local buses around the 4 terminals. But because of the Pandemic the airport decided to no longer pay bus operators to provide a free service. This ended on 12th June 2021 which means that currently it is very difficult to leave Heathrow on foot for free. Free travel on buses around Heathrow might be reintroduced in the future but I fear that this temporary change will become permanent.

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Family holidays are not cheap and once you've booked flights and accommodation there could be plenty of other costs you may not have initially considered. For example, keeping the children fed at the airport before boarding.

Luckily, at Heathrow this October half-term there are a good handful of restaurants offering free kids' meals . But how about the cost of even travelling to Heathrow in the first place?

Driving is an option but if you and your family are instead making your way by London Underground then a thrifty hack has been revealed to save a few pounds on the trip. At the start of September, passengers on the Tube faced a 57% fare increase as off-peak discounts between Zone 1 locations and Heathrow (Zone 6) were scrapped.

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However, blogger Diamond Geezer highlighted a way passengers can save £2.10 per trip - all it requires is adding one stop to the journey. Simply get off at Hatton Cross and tap out and then back in before carrying on to the airport.

This way you will avoid paying the recent off-peak hours' price increase of £3.50 to £5.50 on the Tube and from £10.80 to £12.80 on the new Elizabeth line. This is because Hatton Cross is now included in Heathrow's 'free travel zone'.

For a family of four, that is almost £10 saved - more if you are travelling back from holiday on the Tube - which means more money to spend on your break away.

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With just 24 hours' notice, Transport for London (TfL) announced last weekend that from Sunday (September 4), any journeys which involve Zone 1 and Heathrow Airport would be charged peak hours fares at all times. This means they are around £2 higher than the now non-existent off-peak fare.

A Zone 1-Heathrow single is now £5.50 Piccadilly or £12.80 Elizabeth line at all times and applies to all Heathrow stops (Terminals 2, 3 or 4 or 5 stations). Oyster cards also cost £7 for first time purchase instead of £5. The measures were taken to raise £27million per year until 2027/2028.

However, the timing of this announcement appears to coincide with the extension of Heathrow Airport's own free travel zone, which allows free travel (you are charged £0.00) between Heathrow Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5 stations via the Elizabeth line, Heathrow Express and London Underground Piccadilly line, to now include Hatton Cross Tube station on the latter, in Zone 5/6 too.

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In effect, this creates a loophole where you can avoid the peak fare surcharge at off-peak hours by simply leaving a Piccadilly line train at Hatton Cross, touching out on one card/device, touching back in on one card/device and then boarding the next Piccadilly line train on the same platform. The journey between Zone 1 and Hatton Cross will be charged at £3.40 on one card/device, and the journey between Hatton Cross and Heathrow will be charged at £0.00, which will save £2.10 compared to travelling straight through, paying the peak fare surcharge.

TfL says it had to change the fare rules for Heathrow in order to raise extra income stipulated by the conditions of a previous government bailout. Shashi Verma, Chief Technology Officer at TfL, said: "Changes to the fares to Heathrow and the increase to the Oyster card fee are necessary to comply with the Government's funding conditions. These will help to ensure that TfL can reach financial sustainability as soon as possible."

It's not yet clear if the changes will be reversed once TfL reaches financial sustainability (on track for 2023) or when government intervention ends (March 2024). Heathrow Airport massively reduced the subsidy it provided to local public transport as a result of a £1billion loss it accumulated at the height of the pandemic. It used to provide funding to make buses free in and around Heathrow Airport, including TfL routes, in a scheme called the 'Heathrow Freeflow zone', however this remains suspended and Heathrow has not given a date for its return.

There has always been a premium on rail fares between Central London and Heathrow Airport since direct rail services started, with the Heathrow Express being one of the world's most expensive rail journeys for just 15 minutes' and 15 miles' travel between Paddington and Terminals 2 and 3. The Elizabeth line, although cheaper than its 'Heathrow Connect' predecessor, now accepting Travelcards is also subject to the premium as unlike most other rail lines in Great Britain, the section between Heathrow and Hayes & Harlington is owned by the airport instead of Network Rail. This means the airport is able to set its own fees to train operators if they want to use it, subject to regulation.

Piccadilly line trains run approximately every three to five minutes to Heathrow, this usually being enough time to get from the platform to ticket barriers and back at Hatton Cross, meaning this loophole is unlikely to cause you much delay. Only one train every 10 minutes runs between Hatton Cross and Terminal 4.

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Heathrow Tube and train fare hike: Why are tickets more expensive and how to avoid them

Off-peak tube travellers to heathrow can avoid the sudden fare rise by tapping out and in again at hatton cross station, article bookmarked.

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Airline passengers at the UK’s busiest airport, London Heathrow , are waking up to sharply increased fares on trains and Tubes to and from the centre of the capital.

Transport for London (TfL) has suddenly declared that all journeys between Zone 1 and the airport are deemed to be Peak.

Why has this happened and how can you avoid it? These are the key questions and answers.

What has happened?

Starting immediately, all journeys between Zone 1 covering central London and stations at Heathrow on the Piccadilly line of the Tube and the Elizabeth line are charged at peak rates  – with a one-way fare of £5.50 on the London Underground.

Previously almost all passengers paid £3.50, so long as they avoided travelling between 6.30am and 9.30am (and outbound to the airport between 4pm and 7pm).

A £2 increase also applies from London Paddington on the Elizabeth line stopping train, which now costs £12.80 one-way.

Why has it happened?

The finances of TfL were hit extremely hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with revenue way down. The delayed launch of the Elizabeth line – which partially opened three-and-a-half years late, and is still far from complete – has also hit income.

The UK government, which makes up the shortfall, has demanded action from TfL to plug some of the funding gap.

Shashi Verma, chief technology officer at TfL, said the fare rise is “necessary to comply with the government’s funding conditions” and “will help to ensure that TfL can reach financial sustainability as soon as possible”.

He added: “Both TfL and the mayor [ Sadiq Khan ] remain committed to keeping fares as affordable as possible.

“Daily and weekly fare capping continue to help keep down the cost of travel across London for everyone.”

What does the airport say?

A Heathrow spokesperson told The Independent : “It’s disappointing that Heathrow’s passengers are being unfairly singled out in a funding spat between the government and TfL, just as we are all trying to get passengers back onto the railways and to maximise the benefits of the new Elizabeth line which serves the airport.”

How can I avoid the fare hike on the Tube?

Very easily – so long as you don’t mind stepping off one train and boarding the next.

Take advantage of the fact that the Underground allows free travel between Hatton Cross and all Heathrow stations.

Travelling to the airport, take the Piccadilly Line from central London to Hatton Cross, the last stop before the airport. Tap out through the gates. Outside peak hours, you will be charged £3.50. Now tap in again, go to platform level and board the next train to your destination (Terminals 2, 3 and 5, or Terminals 4 and 2, 3). When you tap out you will not be charged.

In the reverse direction, take the first train from your Heathrow station to Hatton Cross, tap out, tap in again and board the following train. The distance from platforms to gate is small – though not ideal if you are carrying heavy luggage.

While you wait, admire the “Speedbird” mosaic on the platform, which celebrated the British Airways headquarters being close by when the station opened.

Can I cut the cost on the Elizabeth line?

The same principle applies. Take any train from a Zone 1 station via London Paddington to Hayes & Harlington, the last station before Heathrow.

This costs £5 at peak times, £3.40 at other times. Again, tap out and then in, and board the train to Heathrow – which is expensive, at £6.70 peak, £6.40 off peak. But for an off-peak journey you would pay £9.80 – saving £3.

Alternatively, to Terminals 2 and 3 you can save much more by boarding the express bus X140 from outside Hayes and Harlington station, which costs £1.65. It takes around 20 minutes in moderate traffic. The total off-peak journey by train and bus from central London is £5.05.

Why are journeys other than from Zone 1 excluded?

The mayor of London says he is “helping to protect those living near and working at the airport”.

Is there anywhere good to stay in London outside Zone 1 which is still fairly central?

The obvious location is Earl’s Court, which is in both Zone 1 and 2 – which means you benefit from lower Heathrow fares. The South Kensington museums are within walking distance.

I travel to Heathrow from a railway station in south-east England with a ticket that includes an all-zones travelcard ...

You are unlikely to be affected. The move targets airline passengers on one-off journeys between central London and the airport.

Do many public transport providers charge airline passengers extra?

Yes: increasingly, people travelling by air are regarded as fair game for paying more – or, if you prefer, undeserving of subsidy.

In Barcelona, for example, the flat fare on the Metro is €2.40 – unless you are going to the airport, in which case it is €5.15, an increase of 115 per cent.

Fares on Septa Regional Rail trains from central Philadelphia to the airport are doubled.

Australia’s largest airport, Sydney, charges a Station Access Fee of A$16 (£9.40) on top of the normal rail fare on the commuter train link.

Are Heathrow Express fares increasing?

No. The fast link between Paddington and the airport is run as an independent company with very high fares – though if you book well in advance, the one-way price of £5.50 is now exactly the same as the Tube fare.

Any other tips?

For travellers in south and southwest London, the amazing X26 bus remains the optimum way to travel: £1.65 from Croydon to the airport. The fare includes any connecting bus journeys made within an hour.

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