Hotel Hoppa at Heathrow

Ian F. wrote:

Has anyone had the misfortune to use this appalling service lately?
Yesterday morning, it took 25 minutes to get off the airport and to anywhere
vaguely resembling a hotel, having picked up at Terminal Two, then going to
3, then pulling into a bay somewhere odd, changing drivers, going through
vast swathes of airport roadworks, into uncharted bowels and tunnels,
stopping at dozens of traffic-lights...and eventually to the exit, through
the main tunnel and onto the A4 Bath Road!

I'm curious about these uncharted parts - just what part of an airport
is its bowels, and how long were the tunnels?

"Aidan Stanger" wrote in message
...

I'm curious about these uncharted parts - just what part of an airport
is its bowels, and how long were the tunnels?

They were strange parts - very strange. Lots of pipes and ducting...people
in unusual uniforms, resembling protective clothing...winding, narrow
roads...dark passageways...odd sounds, including clanking and steam
emissions...very bowel-esque.

The tunnel seemed to go on for ever...at one stage, I could have sworn I was
in some kind of nightmare. The others on the bus were an odd assortment,
too...it would not have been beyond the realms of possibility for one of
them to have been Nicely-Nicely Johnson, about to burst into "Sit Down,
You're Rocking The Boat".

It was, in essence, not an experience I would every want to repeat. Although
somewhere deep within, almost spookily, I feel a pressing desire to do so...

Ian

"Aidan Stanger" wrote in message
...

I'm curious about these uncharted parts - just what part of an airport
is its bowels, and how long were the tunnels?

They were strange parts - very strange. Lots of pipes and ducting...people
in unusual uniforms, resembling protective clothing...winding, narrow
roads...dark passageways...odd sounds, including clanking and steam
emissions...very bowel-esque.

The tunnel seemed to go on for ever...at one stage, I could have sworn I was
in some kind of nightmare. The others on the bus were an odd assortment,
too...it would not have been beyond the realms of possibility for one of
them to have been Nicely-Nicely Johnson, about to burst into "Sit Down,
You're Rocking The Boat".

It was, in essence, not an experience I would every want to repeat. Although
somewhere deep within, almost spookily, I feel a pressing desire to do so...

Ian

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
news:1110097705.9a3e0a9f81ced7ab6b2f654222027e88@t eranews...
In message , at 17:48:12 on
Sat, 5 Mar 2005, mookie89 remarked:

FWIW, after the policy switched mandating the Hoppa service

When did this policy change? I've not stayed at a Heathrow Hotel (other
than the T4 Hilton) for many years, but they had a free shuttle bus when I
did.

If you mean when did they start to charge,
IIRC it was about 5 years ago. It started out at 2 pounds and
has recently increased to 3.

tim

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
news:1110097705.9a3e0a9f81ced7ab6b2f654222027e88@t eranews...
In message , at 17:48:12 on
Sat, 5 Mar 2005, mookie89 remarked:

FWIW, after the policy switched mandating the Hoppa service

When did this policy change? I've not stayed at a Heathrow Hotel (other
than the T4 Hilton) for many years, but they had a free shuttle bus when I
did.

If you mean when did they start to charge,
IIRC it was about 5 years ago. It started out at 2 pounds and
has recently increased to 3.

tim

In message , at 10:04:28 on Sun, 6
Mar 2005, tim remarked:
When did this policy change? I've not stayed at a Heathrow Hotel (other
than the T4 Hilton) for many years, but they had a free shuttle bus when I
did.

If you mean when did they start to charge,

No, when did the hotels stop running their own free buses?

IIRC it was about 5 years ago. It started out at 2 pounds and
has recently increased to 3.

There was perhaps an interim stage when BAA was charging the hotel buses
for each trip onto the site. Or am I mis-remembering?
--
Roland Perry

In message , at 19:01:23 on
Sun, 6 Mar 2005, Aidan Stanger remarked:
having picked up at Terminal Two, then going to
3, then pulling into a bay somewhere odd, changing drivers, going through
vast swathes of airport roadworks, into uncharted bowels and tunnels,
stopping at dozens of traffic-lights...and eventually to the exit, through
the main tunnel and onto the A4 Bath Road!

I'm curious about these uncharted parts - just what part of an airport
is its bowels, and how long were the tunnels?

I had this when landing at LHR T3 by Virgin, and they couldn't get a
gate, so we all had to get onto a bus. Anyway, having braved the
weather, we then had an interesting trip in and out of various parts of
the terminal building, travelling for about 10 minutes, during which we
drove past the several places twice! Eventually we stopped at a set of
doors with steps up into the building, a few hundred yards from where
the plane was.
--
Roland Perry

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
news:1110106708.b2cf67a024d600cfb0b7e0714be56fc7@t eranews...
In message , at 10:04:28 on Sun, 6 Mar
2005, tim remarked:
When did this policy change? I've not stayed at a Heathrow Hotel (other
than the T4 Hilton) for many years, but they had a free shuttle bus when
I
did.

If you mean when did they start to charge,

No, when did the hotels stop running their own free buses?

The hoppa started in 1997 (from NE's annual statement for that year).

IIRC it was about 5 years ago. It started out at 2 pounds and
has recently increased to 3.

There was perhaps an interim stage when BAA was charging the hotel buses
for each trip onto the site. Or am I mis-remembering?

I though that BAA have charged for bus access for almost forever.
I think that the incentive was to coordinate the service to make better
use of infrastructure rather than to increase reveue.

tim

"Ian F." wrote in message
...
"Aidan Stanger" wrote in message
...

I'm curious about these uncharted parts - just what part
of an airport is its bowels, and how long were the tunnels?

They were strange parts - very strange. Lots of pipes and
ducting...people in unusual uniforms, resembling protective
clothing...winding, narrow roads...dark passageways...odd
sounds, including clanking and steam
emissions...very bowel-esque.

The tunnel seemed to go on for ever...

It sounds brilliant! I'm jealous...

at one stage, I could have sworn I was
in some kind of nightmare.

I think that's the most likely explanation. Were you tired? Have you
recently watched Solaris by Tarkovsky? Or eaten some cheese?

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
news:1110097705.9a3e0a9f81ced7ab6b2f654222027e88@t eranews...
In message , at 17:48:12 on
Sat, 5 Mar 2005, mookie89 remarked:

FWIW, after the policy switched mandating the Hoppa service

When did this policy change? I've not stayed at a Heathrow Hotel (other
than the T4 Hilton) for many years, but they had a free shuttle bus when I
did.
--
Roland Perry

I don't remember exactly, but as another poster said it was at least five
years ago. I remember how annoyed I was that I had to start paying for a
ride that wasn't direct. The Crowne Plaza is route H1 that stops at two
other hotels first.

mookie