Heathrow Express is the nonstop rail link between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport, running every 15 minutes with the central terminals about 15 minutes away and onward links to the other terminals, in Standard and Premier+ classes with free WiFi and at-seat power. It carries business travelers, leisure visitors and families, with children traveling free with a paying adult in Standard Class, an audience buying right at the point of arrival into London, and it sells partner products such as The London Pass alongside its own fares.

Connecting Heathrow Express to Ventrata lets you resell Heathrow Express products running on its own ticketing system. Ventrata reads live availability from Heathrow Express, and every booking you take is created directly in Heathrow Express's system, with tickets inside your Ventrata account.

To learn more about Heathrow Express, visit heathrowexpress.com.

Primary website	heathrowexpress.com
Tags	Custom / Proprietary Operator System
Connection features	Availability Sync · Bookings Sync
Developed by	Ventrata (using Heathrow Express's API)

This operator connection (also called a backend) lets you resell Heathrow Express products from its own ticketing system, with every booking created directly in Heathrow Express. Features of this connection include:

Availability Sync – live availability comes from Heathrow Express's system.
Bookings Sync – bookings made in Ventrata are created in Heathrow Express's system.

Creating the Heathrow Express Connection

🔐 Required Role Permissions: See Operators, Modify Operators, See Products, Modify Products

Before you begin:

You must have a commercial agreement with Heathrow Express for their rates and terms.
You must have your Heathrow Express credentials: Subscription Key, Username, Password, Client and Client Secret. See Step 1.
You must recreate the Heathrow Express products in Ventrata. See how to create products. The connection syncs availability and bookings, but doesn't create products in Ventrata.

Step 1: Get the Heathrow Express Credentials

Heathrow Express gives you the Subscription Key, Username, Password, Client and Client Secret for its API once you have an agreement. Make sure they're shared securely.

Step 2: Configure the Operator in Ventrata

In the Ventrata Dashboard, go to Products → Operators and open the operator you use for Heathrow Express products. If they don't exist yet, create them as an operator first.
In the Backend Partner section, select Heathrow Express and enter the Subscription Key, Username, Password, Client and Client Secret.
Press Update Operator.

📒 NOTE – Each set of credentials connects you to one Heathrow Express account. Contact Heathrow Express if you need more than one.

Step 3: Connect Each Product

Open the product in Products → Products and edit it. Check that Operator is set to this operator.
Tick Backend Connected. Tick Backend Availability to use availability from Heathrow Express. Prices come from Ventrata, so set them on the product as usual.
Press Update Product.

📒 NOTE

Prices aren't taken from Heathrow Express. The product uses the prices you set in Ventrata, and bookings still post to Heathrow Express.

Check Backend Connected for this product to use the backend. Check Backend Availability to use availability from the backend, and Backend Pricing to use its prices. Click Update Product to save.

Mapping Products to Heathrow Express

‼️ IMPORTANT

Mapping tells Ventrata which Heathrow Express product, option and units to check availability for and book. If a backend-connected product isn't mapped correctly, its bookings fail. A red highlight across the product row shows an incorrectly mapped product.

In the Ventrata Dashboard, go to Products → Products and open the product.
Open the Mappings tab. It appears once the product is set to Backend Connected.
For each Ventrata option and unit, select the matching Heathrow Express product, option and units from the dropdowns, which Ventrata loads from Heathrow Express. Don't leave any field empty.
Press Save Changes.

The product page now shows a Mappings tab. Map your Ventrata product, options and units by selecting the matching backend products, options and units from the dropdowns. Leave no field empty, and click Save Changes.

📗 TIP

Make a test booking after mapping, and ask Heathrow Express to confirm it arrived in Heathrow Express.

Managing the Heathrow Express Connection

Update the mapping when Heathrow Express changes products, options or units in Heathrow Express.
Replace the credentials on the operator if Heathrow Express issues new ones.
Switch Backend Availability off on a product to use Ventrata's own availability instead. Bookings still post to Heathrow Express.

Connection Features Detailed

This section is for anyone who wants to know exactly how the Heathrow Express connection works. Here the direction is the opposite of a reseller connection: Ventrata calls Heathrow Express. For each feature, it explains what Ventrata does, when, and what that means for you.

In short: Ventrata asks Heathrow Express for availability whenever someone looks at a backend-connected product, and creates every booking in Heathrow Express. Heathrow Express doesn't send changes back to Ventrata.

Product Mapping	✅	You map each Ventrata product, option and unit to the matching Heathrow Express product in the Ventrata Dashboard. This works as follows: Ventrata reads the products available to you in Heathrow Express to fill the dropdowns on the Mappings tab. Each Ventrata option and unit is linked to the matching backend product, option and unit. What this means for you: if a product, option or unit is missing from the dropdown, it isn't available to you in Heathrow Express yet.
Availability Sync	✅	With Backend Availability on, Ventrata checks live availability in Heathrow Express. This works as follows: When someone uses the availability calendar in Ventrata, for example in the Dashboard, your web checkout or a terminal, Ventrata asks Heathrow Express for the dates on screen. Before someone interacts with the calendar, it can show the result from the last time those dates were checked (cached). What this means for you: customers book against live Heathrow Express availability, so you can't oversell a slot that's already sold elsewhere.
Pricing Sync	❌	Prices aren't taken from Heathrow Express. Set your prices in Ventrata. Bookings still post to Heathrow Express.
Bookings Sync	✅	Bookings made in Ventrata for a backend-connected product are created in Heathrow Express's system. This works as follows: Book: when a backend-connected product is booked in Ventrata, Ventrata creates the booking in Heathrow Express. Tickets: the tickets come back from Heathrow Express and are shown in your Ventrata account. Cancel: when a booking is cancelled in Ventrata, the cancellation is sent to Heathrow Express. ‼️ IMPORTANT – Bookings sync one way, from Ventrata to Heathrow Express. If a booking is changed or cancelled in Heathrow Express, Ventrata isn't notified.
Content Sync	❌	Ventrata doesn't import product content from Heathrow Express. Ventrata doesn't import product content from Heathrow Express. You create and describe the products in Ventrata yourself.
Promotions Sync	❌	Promotions aren't sent to Heathrow Express. Promotions aren't sent to Heathrow Express. Your Ventrata promotions still apply to the price your customer pays in Ventrata.
Pickups/Dropoff Sync	❌	Pickup and drop-off details aren't passed to Heathrow Express. Pickup and drop-off details aren't passed to Heathrow Express.
Custom Questions Sync	❌	Answers to your booking questions aren't passed to Heathrow Express. Answers to your booking questions aren't passed to Heathrow Express.
Extras Sync	❌	Extras and add-ons aren't booked in Heathrow Express. Extras and add-ons aren't booked in Heathrow Express. Only the main product, option and units are.
Redemption Sync	❌	Redemptions and other status changes in Heathrow Express aren't sent back to Ventrata. Redemptions and other status changes in Heathrow Express aren't sent back to Ventrata after a booking is confirmed.
Pass Walkup Scanning Sync	❌	Pass walk-up scanning isn't available with Heathrow Express. Pass walk-up scanning isn't available with Heathrow Express.
Gift Card Sync	❌	Ventrata gift cards aren't passed to Heathrow Express. Ventrata gift cards aren't passed to Heathrow Express. Gift card payments stay in Ventrata.

✅ supported · ❌ not supported

Good to know: limits and details of the Heathrow Express connection

Credentials per operator: the Heathrow Express credentials are saved on the operator in Ventrata.
Live availability: availability comes from Heathrow Express as people browse, so there's no availability to keep in sync by hand.
One-way bookings: changes made in Heathrow Express don't reach Ventrata.

FAQs

I get an error when I save the operator's backend configuration.

The Heathrow Express credentials are most likely incorrect. Check them with Heathrow Express. If the issue persists, contact our Technical Support.

There's no Backend Connected box in the product settings.

The operator set on the product most likely doesn't have a backend configured. Check the operator's Backend Partner settings and try again. If the issue persists, contact our Technical Support.

The product, option or unit I want to map isn't in the dropdown.

The dropdowns list what's available to you in Heathrow Express. Ask Heathrow Express to make it available. If the issue persists, contact our Technical Support.

Bookings fail for a backend-connected product.

Check the product's mapping first: every option and unit must be mapped. Then check that the slot is still available in Heathrow Express. If the issue persists, contact our Technical Support.

📚 More about Ventrata connections

Partner Information

Heathrow Express

heathrowexpress.com

Ventrata Partner ID: d65fc02c-5e32-4886-b124-f04e630d3b9a

Heathrow Express: Operator Backend