Trains if return flight is delayed

[holidaysaver75]

We’re planning to book a train from Gatwick to home but to get a decent price we have to travel on a named service from London. We’ll leave plenty of time, but what happens if we have a long flight delay and miss the connection at Euston? I can find information on the website on what to do to change times in advance but nothing about what happens if we’re delayed in transit.

[Cantcook]

Check your ticket terms as even on the named time, you can often travel at other acceptable times?

What’s the date and routing and I’ll look for you.

[Jillzo]

Hi!
We booked our tickets through the trainline - and we are flying from Manchester, but it says on the booking info under special conditions that the ticket can accommodate flight delays, you just need to get it endorsed at the ticket office. There may be a time limit, I'm not 100% sure

[Dan's Mum]

Does depend on the ticket type. Advance with SWR often means they will only accept on a specific train.

Dee
X

[Warkman58]

I book the Leamington Spa to Marylebone separate from tube tomheathrow for exampke, it’s much cheaper through Trainline than booking Leamington spa to Heathrow by a significant difference.

This might be the same to Gatwick?

[porridge]

I think you need to book an ‘open return’ which means you can get any train on a given day. If you book a specific train time I think you need to get that train (certainly the tickets I have booked before are like that).

[billbarbara229]

We use trans pennine express from Manchester and on the ticket it allowed 3 hours for delays at airport
Having had a bad experience with a mean ticket clerk we always speak to the GUARD of the train and have usually been able to travel when late and once when early you just don't use the seat reserved

[Disney_time]

As it's part of your overall holiday "Journey" you could claim on your travel insurance if forced to buy a new train ticket due to an airline delay. The same would apply if a train delay meant you missed your outbound flight.

[Weddingnyc]

We also looked at a train home from Gatwick, but it was just over £300 for an open return (5 of us), (£150 for a specific train), which doesn’t make it worthwhile compared to driving unfortunately.

[elmspenguin]

Unfortunately if you are booking a set train and miss it due to not getting to Euston in time after a delay on your flight you will have to buy a new ticket to get home, I flew back into LHR on Tuesday and although I landed at 2.30pm I booked a train back to Scarborough from Kings cross at 8pm to give me as much chance as possible to make it. As it was I was in central London by 4.15 but as the ticket was 15% of the cost of a standard ticket i didn't mind a few hours to kill, although I wouldn't fancy it after coming back from Florida.

Have you looked at split ticketing the journey using anytime day singles for your journey home, it might bring the cost down.