National Express Airport bus service

Poppy9

I booked this for my recent flight from Gatwick. Didn't want to drive this time as I had a long flight and the drive home after a long flight was horrendous last time.

On the outgoing journey to Gatwick the coach broke down after 2 hours. It took National Express 2 hours to get a replacement bus and we still had over 3 hours journey time to go to reach Gatwick and were in danger of missing our flight check in. We had played safe and allowed to arrive at the airport 4 hours before our flight. Others hadn't and called taxis for Heathrow flights.

We made it to the airport 30 mins before check in closed to be greeted with a huge queue for check in. Made it with mins to spare.

hjb123

Sounds like a nightmare journey! But in the end at least you had allowed the time for these unforseen circumstances which is what needs to happen!

Was the 2 hours that National Express took for the extra bus the time it took to get to you and all the passengers and luggage transferred over too? If so I dont think its too bad?

Poppy9

It was 2 hours from 4am - 6am in the morning sitting on a broken down bus with no heating. When the coach arrived at 6am we had to transfer over and this bus also had no heating or toilet. We then had to get off this bus at Heathrow and walk over to the bus station with our cases to catch a bus to Gatwick. Not easy when you've had no sleep, are freezing cold, desperate for the loo but more worried about not making your flight. A 5/12 hour journey turned into 8 hours.

hjb123

No heating does sound horrible at that time in the morning and especially in the weather at the moment! Did they offer any apologies or anything?

Hope you had a good holiday in the end!!

webmasterpolo

Are they not liable for the cost of a taxi to get you to the airport? They did breach their contract with you and the bus breakdown was persumably within their control so theirs T+Cs shouldn't exclude liability.

Write to their HQ detailing oyur complaint asking for compensation.

-Web

Poppy9

I had a brill holiday. Luckily we made the flight. Don't know how we would have managed if we hadn't as we were going to Florida!!

I have just been reading their T&C on the ticket they gave us. Told us to an extra 1 hour for road traffic problems which were outside their control but nothing about breakdowns.

I would have expected a big company like NE to have systems in place to deal with breakdowns for airport services as obviously time is of the essence. The Driver and his co driver were lovely but they couldn't get any action from their boss.

I am going to write to ask for compensation. I paid almost £100 for the 3 of us to travel so I expect £50 back and not in travel vouchers!! I now have no confidence in using them even for a short journey as I could be stranded with my daughter in tow. At least if I use my car I know the AA would get me home.

On the journey home another passenger was saying that his driver on his outbound journey abandoned the bus and passengers after falling out with his co-driver!!

pin

Not something you want to deal with before your holiday!! However good planning for leaving a 4 hour buffer.

Do post when you know what National Express say to you.

Voyager2002

A horrible experience, but not a usual one.

I am pretty sure that, had you needed a taxi to make your flight, National Express would have paid for it. Also, most travel insurance policies would cover you in that situation, even to the extent of paying for another outward flight.

As for your comment about driving next time, would the AA have reached you and got you on the move again within two hours?

Poppy9

I have sent a lengthy email to C.Ex of National Express.

If anyone is interested his email address is: [email="denis.wormwell@nationalexpress.com"]denis.wormwell@nationalexpress.com[/email]

I had it from the site that lists major companies C.Ex. email addresses