Stansted Surve Part 2

An apology from fbb

As this blog was being composed, something weird happened. A chunk of text copied from the Easybus web site managed to find itself floating on top of the raw blog. It simply would not be deleted and sat over about one third of the viewing area. 

fbb could not risk publishing the blog in that corrupted state.

Eventually, using his minimalist skills at wurgling, he managed to extract the text from the mayhem. Then rebuilt the blog!

It should be OK but may be a bit scruffy in formatting here and there.

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Airport Bus Express ...

... was incorrectly referred to s "Airport Express" in yesterday's blog. Put that down to fbb's ARMD eyesight deterioration 'macular' (that has stopped deteriorating so far) whereby he saw the word "bus", in the livery below, as a decorative 'flourish'.

An earlier livery would have been easier to 'read'.

This is a UK company and part of the Autostradale Group, a major Italian bus and coach operator founded in Milan in 1924.

Originally a bus operator, we've transitioned to providing a one-stop booking service for travellers who want a fast, efficient and cheap ticket booking service for airport bus transfers to Stansted, London Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton airports.

Our partners are some of the biggest bus operators in the business, with outstanding reputations for reliability and customer-focused quality service. Airport Bus Express Ltd is part of the Autostradale Group, a major Italian bus and coach operator founded in Milan in 1924.

... and you can book journeys on the Airport Bus Express web site.

BUt, also like Terravision, the journeys are actually National Express trips. so it would appear that National Express had a monopoly of coach services to Stansted.

EasyBus Express ...

... lays claim to "our routes".

But they aren't

Again it is a National Express vehicle that you will board. The future is no longer orange!

Stansted Express

We need to be reminded, however, that Greater Anglia run their Stansted Express train service every 15 minutes. But do not attempt, foolish train traveller, to find a timetable on their dedicated Stansted Express web site.

Such a minor aid to travel planning was "not accessible" when fbb first looked! It did reappear later in the day.

A timetable was continuously available on Anglia's main web site ...

... which shows the Stansted trains shaded in grey.

So back to the traditional operator ...

National Express

There is a very helpful diagram on-line if the FOUR services available to a wide range of London destinations.

It is very clear and easy to understand. It is also out of date and thus WRONG.

Currently THREE route numbers are used ...

A6

A8

A9

Without doubt National Express is, and always has been, the dominant operator.

Flibco "Express"?

So in 2025 Flibco arrives with just one service. this ran from Liverpool Street every 30 mins ...

... but via alternate routes one of which calls at Redbridge.

The above timetable style is decidedly unhelpful involving two directional scrolling! Now there's a novelty to make things easy for the potential customer!

A second service has just been added ...

... serving more London suburbs, as here for example at Wood Green.

fbb also noticed that the fare changes according to time of day ...

... and that this new route runs at an entirely forgettable every 45 minutes.

The web site is messy and difficult to fathom.

It would be easier to follow with a proper timetable like Nat Ex. also, with variable fares, a direct comparison of prices is difficult.

(A few maps would be helpful (from Nat Ex as well!)

Even Easybus can manage a map ...

... even if it lets other companies run the coaches.

The bright green Flibco livery is far more eye catching than its competitor ...

... from all angles!

The fascination of this business is that Flibco does not operate any coaches from London to Stansted! The actual work is subcontracted to The Coach Travel Group, a UK company.

Or is it?

These coach operators are all part of The Group!

So which of these actually runs the Flibco branded coaches?

And to add to the Corporate Conglomeration of Confusion, Luxembourg's Sales Lenz Group has recently sold Flibco to Flixbus!

But then we don't really know who actually operates the A6, A8 and A9 forvNational Express, do we?

P. S. (Express?)

Intriguingly, if you do choose National Express, you might ride on an all electric coach!

There's lovely!

  Next Preservation Problems blog : Fri 24 Apr