Review Time
The trip was generally fine — the bus was clean and the driver professional. However, delays and limited comfort made the experience less smooth than expected. Overall, an average service with room for improvement.
The toilets are horrendous!! This shows how they care for the customers. The app to book the tickets well designed for ripping of people. I paid £14 more because it gave me standart options first and not noticing how much they charge for it. Be careful when you book!
I had an amendable ticket for a return journey to Heathrow Airport. There was considerable disruption to my homeward flight. I didn't realise that I had to amend my ticket at the departure airport, when I was really stressed, not sure whether we would be flying or when we would land. At Heathrow, I had to pay over £70 for a ticket home (the original return ticket was less than £40.
Unfortunately I didn’t have a great experience travelling with National Express this time around. I felt discriminated by the driver who had let passengers on board after checking only their E-tickets. However, when it came to my turn, he demanded I showed my ID as well. I ended up missing my trip back to London as the driver wouldn’t scan my E-ticket which I had at hand. His actions caused me great emotional discomfort on this day. I was also due back to work the next day but had to postpone my trip for the following day instead. Very disappointed with the service this time.
Dear Customer Relations Team,
I am writing to formally submit a serious complaint regarding my journey today from London Heathrow to Bournemouth.
Approximately 15–20 minutes after departure from Heathrow, I began to notice a strong burning smell inside the coach cabin. Initially, I assumed it might be temporary. However, after around one hour into the journey, the smell intensified considerably and was followed by a loud mechanical banging noise from underneath the coach, as though a component had broken or malfunctioned beneath the passenger seating area.
This was not a minor issue. Several passengers reacted to the sound. I personally approached the driver to report both the burning smell and the noise. The driver appeared unaware of the issue, likely because his window was open and he could neither hear nor smell what was happening inside the cabin.
The vehicle was eventually stopped at a maintenance/service area, resulting in an approximate delay of 30 minutes.
While I appreciate that mechanical faults can occasionally occur, the presence of a persistent burning smell combined with mechanical impact noises during a motorway journey raises legitimate safety concerns. As a paying passenger (£34 ticket), I expect that vehicles used for long-distance passenger transport undergo thorough safety inspections and preventative maintenance before departure.
Inhaling burning fumes for an extended period is not only uncomfortable but potentially hazardous. The incident caused significant distress, anxiety, and disruption to my schedule.
I am requesting:
1) A full refund of my ticket.
2) Additional compensation in recognition of the distress, inconvenience, and safety concern experienced.
I trust National Express takes passenger safety seriously and will review this matter accordingly. I look forward to your prompt response and a fair resolution.
Kind regards,
Raad Saleh
Booking reference: [ EUWWZE31 ]
Journey date & time: [ Sat 28 Feb 2026 / 12:45 - 14:35 ]
Drivers could be more welcoming and friendly, and delivering more information about stops.
Generally, the buses are clean, but not comfortable.
However, my last trip was on Oxford bus No39, and that was a real pleasure- clean, comfortable, cheerful design inside and outside, very good seats!
Website was deceptive. For my 4 March transfer from LHR to LGW indicated that buses would be leaving at 11:15, 11:30, 12:15, 12:30, etc. I spent an additional 5 £ to purchase a ticket that would allow me to board earlier or later than than the 12:15 chosen time. I arrived at 11:30. No buses arrived until 12:20. By that time there was a large crowd anxious to catch their flight. Phil, the driver on the Brighton line did a superb job getting everyone on board. Had there not been enough empty seats I suspect that many people would have missed their flight. In summary, they had one superb employee but you cannot believe the web site
Everyone was super friendly and did a little bit extra so my friend in a wheelchair was safe and confortable. Bus was clean, ride was confortable. Arrived on time, and you have enough flexibility of times and routes
It was easy to do and not overly expensive when buying return. There is also an option to take an earlier or later coach (if there are seats available available). My e-tickets went straight to my Google wallet...very accessible.
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