Questions about airline bus from Oxford to LHR

2) The website indicates you can pay by contactless
https://www.theairlineoxford.co.uk/tickets/

3) Get off at the Central Bus Station and enter the terminal. Follow the signs to the Heathrow Express and take the train to T4. You can get a free transfer ticket from the ticket machine to transfer between the terminals.

from personal experience, I recommend heading to GG. Sometimes the bus gets pretty full even there. On one of our trips to the airport, by the time the bus got to the stop on the east side of town (Headington? maybe?) there were maybe one or two seats left. It's one thing if you're a local just going shopping for the afternoon, but quite another if you're heading to Heathrow!!

You can pre-book which guarantees a seat on a particular coach at a specific stop. Up to half the seats are reservable. If you don't get on your reserved coach the ticket is still valid as a walk up for 2 hours.

Laura (VA), thanks for the info on payment. I did look (and checked a lot of threads here) but must have missed it. And also thank you for info on getting to T4. I arrive at T3 and for some reason kept thinking I was leaving from there, too, but finally remembered it was T4. Sounds pretty easy. I've always flown into Gatwick in the past (many years ago) so Heathrow will be a new experience.

Laura (SF), that is very good to know. I was wondering about that and I'm glad i asked. I've got plenty of time and it's really not that much farther from the hotel, so I will make my way to GG. Thank you!

Marco, that is also good to know. I was thinking about pre-booking but wasn't exactly sure when I would get there, so knowing there is a window of time makes me feel better. I think I will do that beforehand. Thanks!

Mardee, I think that's wise. There can be a lot of students & tourists at GG waiting to board the bus, so if you board there you can choose your seat and get comfy, & have your luggage stowed away underneath, before the bus/coach starts its route. I looked up the stops, and it was at the Thornhill Park & Ride that we saw a lot of people standing in the rain hoping to board the bus, and the bus driver was telling people on the bus to please move their stuff off empty seats so that people boarding could see which seats were free (only a few!). I was relieved we had boarded at the start – no stress!

Good to know, Laura - thanks!

At the Elizabeth Line/HEX station, the machines are on your left as you walk in. The machines for London bound tickets are on the side wall. The ones for free transfer tickets are on the wall facing you.
I was there on Tuesday evening.

I also found an oddity in that the gates, as they are HEX gates, are coded not to accept travelcards. They have to be shown to the gate attendants, both on entering and leaving the station.

Is this at the Gloucester Green coach station, Stuart?

I took the airline bus to and from LHR to Oxford in 2022. I reserved my seat and on one of the directions had to leave at a time other than reserved and it was no problem. I bought my ticket ahead of time online and had a QR code which the driver scanned I think. The buses were clean and seats comfy. I took a taxi to the Gloucester Green Station for the reason others have stated-it gets pretty crowded at some of the other stops around Oxford. It was easy peasy and if I go to Oxford again will probably take the bus from LHR as I did that trip.

Laurie Beth, very good to know - thanks! I've already downloaded the app and set up an account so it should be easy-peasy (knock on wood)! 😊

Is this at the Gloucester Green coach station, Stuart?

No. Mardee, this is the free tickets at Heathrow to transfer from the Terminal 2/3 Heathrow Express/Elizabeth Line station at Heathrow
Central Bus Station to Terminal 4.
By the way I am not sure why people say to use HEX/Elizabeth Line for the transfer, as coming from the Central Bus Station the first station you come to is the Underground/Tube station (where you just use Oyster or Contactless to tap in for free. HEX/Elizabeth line is quite a bit further on through the access tunnel.
It also struck me for the first time last night that I have always seen the Oxford Buses use Bay 7 (the one closest to the Bus Station building), but the Timetable says they use Stand 15 (the stand furthest away). Stands 1 to 6 are the TfL bus station for the local red buses, right across the street. That's what comes of being on a coach from Exeter that arrived 15 minutes early after an excellent run up the M5/M4- my mind works overtime.
If you arrive at Gloucester Green early there is a nice comfortable heated lounge/enquiry office to wait in, or was in the autumn when I was there.

No. Mardee, this is the free tickets at Heathrow to transfer from the Terminal 2/3 Heathrow Express/Elizabeth Line station at Heathrow Central Bus Station to Terminal 4.

Oh, that makes sense! I couldn't figure out what HEX had to do with Oxford but now I see. Thank you! This helps me once I get there and I definitely appreciate it!