Multiple disruptions affecting travel
Updated 3 hours ago.
One itinerary - flights, coaches & trains
We have been working with Great Western Railway (GWR), Heathrow Express (HEX) and National Express to enable you to make integrated bookings for your customers. This means the entire itinerary, starting with the train or coach journey all the way to the customer's final British Airways destination and back, can be made in one simple transaction.
The train service must originate from one of the GWR train stations into London Paddington and then connect onto the HEX to London Heathrow.
This new itinerary can only be booked through a travel agent and making both the booking and travel processes seamless and convenient for customers.
Benefits
The integrated itinerary gives:
- the ability to book a complete journey in one simple transaction for customers going to and from the UK's South West region
- customers peace of mind that their onward journey from London Heathrow will be protected in case their train or flight is delayed
- online check in for the train journey can be up to 72 hours before departure
- customers better and easier access to the UK’s South West region
This itinerary can only be booked on journeys via London Heathrow from one of the GWR train stations:
| GWR train stations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath (QQX) | Cardiff (CFW) | Oxford (OXF) | Plymouth (PLH) | Swindon (XWS) |
| Bristol Parkway (BPR) | Exeter (EXS) | Par (PCW) | St Austell (USX) | Taunton (TTY) |
| Bristol Temple Meads (TPB) | Newport (XNE) | Penzance (PZE) | Swansea (SWS) | |
The train segment of the journey will be displayed as another flight number in your GDS.
We also offer connectivity by coach in addition to the First Great Western rail destinations. This seamless air-coach connection can also be made in one booking.
| National Express destinations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham (BHX) | Cambridge (CBG) | Leicester (QEW) | Poole (POQ) | Winchester (WNC) |
| Bournemouth (BOH) | Cheltenham (CLB) | Milton Keynes (KYN) | Ringwood (RNW) | |
| Brighton (BSH) | Coventry (CVT) | Nottingham (NQT) | Southampton (SOU) | |
How to book
Great Western Railway and Heathrow Express schedules are distributed under the 9B code operating between London Paddington (QQP) and the destinations above.
The Heathrow Express journey between QQP and LHR will not be displayed in your GDS, but all bookings made will include travel on Heathrow Express.
National Express coach schedules are distributed under the 9B code operating between London Heathrow and the coach destinations.
Class mapping
Customers should be booked onto British Airways and Great Western Railway booking classes as follows:
| British Airways booking class (BA) | Great Western Railway booking class (9B) |
|---|---|
| F, A, J, C, D, R, I | J |
| W, E, T, Y, B, H, K, M, L, V, S, N, Q, O | Y |
Customers should be booked onto British Airways and National Express booking classes as follows:
| British Airways booking class (BA) | National Express booking class (9B) |
|---|---|
| F, A, J, C, D, R, I | J |
| W, E, T, Y, B, H, K, M, L, V, S, N, Q, O | S |
Ticketing
Itineraries involving BA and 9B should be ticketed on 125 paper only. The process for issuing a British Airways ticket remains the same as issuing any other interline journey.
Check in
Customers should check in online for their rail or coach sectors at http://www.accesrail.com/checkin/ using their name and PNR reference. They will be able access their print-at-home rail or coach tickets online.
Once customers have checked in for their rail or coach sectors the tickets become non-refundable.
Customers should still check in online at ba.com for their flights as normal.
Changes and disruption
| Missed British Airways flight | If a customer’s train is delayed to such an extent that they miss their flight, they should contact a British Airways Ticket Desk in their departure terminal at London Heathrow |
| Missed Great Western Railway train | If a customer’s flight is delayed to such an extent that they miss their train connection, they should contact the Great Western railway Ticket Desk at London Paddington |
| Missed last Heathrow Express for the day | If a customer has been delayed to the extent that they miss the last Heathrow Express train for the day, they should contact the British Airways Ticket Desk. |
Involuntary changes
Changes to bookings can be made in the normal way (in accordance with fare conditions and fare rules) until the customer has checked in for their train sector.
Other services & information
All other British Airways services in a multi sector interline PNR will be available in the normal way.
Avios will not be awarded for travel on rail sectors.