For those who've booked the Cardiff glitch ...

[willmatt]

It's no more aggro than with any other travel that requires a long drive, train journey or flight to get to your departing airport.

[duchy]

Originally Posted by Redsnapper

It "aggro" - because obviously, unlike you, many people using this "glitch" live nowhere near Cardiff but are doing it to obtain a cheaper flight price - which is why there are 7 pages full of people debating if you actually need to go to Cardiff to take the rail option - or can just drive to Gatwick...

See more...

I can see why you think that if you've always flown direct and live close to Gatwick but it really isn't. Aggro to me is flying on a direct flight as the flight is very family heavy and the "bucket and spade" transatlantic routes don't offer the service levels offered on other routes and aggro is also the mess that is MCO customs and immigration. I see no benefit in paying top price for either.
I'll be paying to stay overnight the night before, I don't find Gatwick particularly endearing or exotic (I grew up 15 minutes away) so if that night is spent elsewhere or the time is spent travelling further it wouldn't really matter. Had the dates suited me I'd have used this fare. Easy train trip to Cardiff, lunch with friends who live there (pity the Dr Who experience is now closed tho) and back to Gatwick (or skip the train/coach altogether as there's no IT link with the train and coach operators and the airline anyway) and spend the money saved on the holiday itself.
I shudder at the crazy pricing on direct flights at times, more than double the indirect cost at times is insane.Its not even just about the money, it's the principle.

[Kidd McFluff]

Does anyone have anything solid on this? I've seen a few people posting things like...
'National Express say' or 'we're going straight to Gatwick' etc. but nothing that actually gives me enough confidence to ditch the Cardiff to Heathrow leg of the journey.

Does anyone have a copy of an email or letter that confirms that you can ditch the Cardiff bit?

I think we'll be ditching a car with luggage at heathrow the day before and getting the bus to Cardiff from Heathrow (Oh the irony!). Hotel in Cardiff and then up at 3am for a coach back to Heathrow. Pick up car, drive to gatwick, park car, get on flight.

Any info, opinions or advice would be appreciated.

[willmatt]

No one seems to know for certain how this is supposed to work and that includes opodo,access rail, great western railways and British airways.
The only useful bit of information I revived in a email from accsess rail was that because of the class off train I'd been booked on I did not have to catch the 19.75 train to Heathrow but could take any train from Cardiff that day.
Still not sure that once you have checked in with the rail company 3 days before and printed your tickets how they would know if you got on the train or not. Over the years I have had countless train journeys where I have not been asked to show a ticket.
Think we will have to wait for the first travellers to report back on how they got off.

[gavvy]

Why don't you create an account on Flyertalk and ask on there. There are loads of frequent flyers and someone there I am sure will know the answer.

[duchy]

Originally Posted by gavvy

Why don't you create an account on Flyertalk and ask on there. There are loads of frequent flyers and someone there I am sure will know the answer.

See more...

They don't always as many travel on flexible tickets.

I once asked the gurus on the British Midland forum if they thought I had any chance of getting my final leg from Manchester to London shifted to the earlier flight on arrival (meaning an an hour than six hours between flights) as I was flying hand baggage only from New York (fare was £200 less via MAN).
Everyone said no not a chance so I bought a cheapie train ticket from MAN back to Kent , on arrival I decided to ask anyway ... and it was rebooked for free with no fuss or bother.

I love flyertalk but they don't know EVERYTHING

[d&m]

Hello all just wondering has anyone got any updates on this? Regarding not doing the Cardiff leg of the journey. Thanks

[Kidd McFluff]

Originally Posted by d&m

Hello all just wondering has anyone got any updates on this? Regarding not doing the Cardiff leg of the journey. Thanks

See more...

The advice is mixed. Some people on here are saying that they are going to go straight to Gatwick and miss the Cardiff leg. Others say that this will invalidate the entire journey.

We are doing the following...

Drive car to Heathrow short stay parking.
Coach (£1) to Cardiff
Hotel in cardiff
pick up bus at 03.30
Arrive in Heathrow
Pick up car
drive to gatwick
Go on Holiday.

We can ditch the cardiff leg on the way home. This is of course a bit of a pain in the proverbial but with the flights coming in at £2008 for 4 of us - It's probably worth the hassle. I'd hate to somehow ruin the entire holiday by being removed from the flight due to not getting the bus.

We've been looking forward this since last Easter and are not going to take a chance unless we see something in writing from BA with our name on it, confirming that we can miss the first leg. (I have emailed to ask).

Good Luck - See you in August.

Good Luck

[d&m]

The reason why I am asking is. I made a mistake on my booking. Now ba have now taking over my booking. But when they looked at my flights for the time we get to Heathrow then travel to Gatwick it's not enough time as they said you need 3 hour at the airport before departure. Now I don't know if any body else in in the same situation as myself?

So now they have given me new flights going and coming home.

[toonarmani]

Originally Posted by Kidd McFluff

The advice is mixed. Some people on here are saying that they are going to go straight to Gatwick and miss the Cardiff leg. Others say that this will invalidate the entire journey.

We are doing the following...

Drive car to Heathrow short stay parking.
Coach (£1) to Cardiff
Hotel in cardiff
pick up bus at 03.30
Arrive in Heathrow
Pick up car
drive to gatwick
Go on Holiday.

We can ditch the cardiff leg on the way home. This is of course a bit of a pain in the proverbial but with the flights coming in at £2008 for 4 of us - It's probably worth the hassle. I'd hate to somehow ruin the entire holiday by being removed from the flight due to not getting the bus.

We've been looking forward this since last Easter and are not going to take a chance unless we see something in writing from BA with our name on it, confirming that we can miss the first leg. (I have emailed to ask).

Good Luck - See you in August.

Good Luck

See more...

I didn’t realise this route still cost £2k for a family of 4 .

We’ve paid £600pp for direct BA flights from Gatwick this summer school holidays, so for £400 difference I’d personally choose direct.