Lake Shore Limited Business Class

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TylerP42

TylerP42

Conductor
Joined
May 22, 2015
Messages
1,223
Location
Detroit, Michigan
Lake Shore Limited's buisness class was completely empty this morning at Toledo.

When I went, it was me and 1 other person between Chicago and Toledo.

To quote an employee:

"It's a waste of time, money, and space"

So, how do you think this will go over? There were probably over 100 people boarding today. None got on buisnessclass.

The employee also said there was only 1 or 2 in there between Boston and Albany.
 
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They probably need to move business class out of the column where the sleepers are listed so people will see it.
 
Kind of hard to fill a new class of service when nobody has a clue it exists. Amtrak has been failing in the realm of marketing and awareness here.
 
Just-Thinking-51 said:
AmtrakBlue said:
They probably need to move business class out of the column where the sleepers are listed so people will see it.
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Solution here.

Who other than the railfans knew the LSL had Business Class. Heck I was slight surprised by this tread. May have to turn in my "Foamers Card".
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I only know because I ride it often and I know multiple conductors on the route
 
They have been adding B/C to more and more trains recently. In the case of the LSL it might do well if they let people know it exists, since the train is often heavily sold, roomettes often sold out, or only available at high bucket. Adding a quieter more private space could work out well, if the loss of table space on one side of the car doesn't hurt too much. You are adding additional revenue seats with no major added cost, you are pulling a lounge car from Boston anyway. NYP to Albany B/C sells pretty well, but the lounge joins in Albamy so that is a non factor on this run.
 
The space was previously occupied by tables... which were vacant most of the time (LSL cafe car is really empty overnight and pretty empty during the day). So that's a net increase in seats sold, even if it's just two of you.
 
One of the benefits of business class is having fewer people in a car. Consider that trip with only two people like a ride in a private car.
 
I had the impression that the Business Class was merely a side-effect of having to get rid of the diner cars, and replaced with the Dinettes.... which just so happen to come with a small business class section. So why not offer those for sale....
 
HP_Lovecraft said:
I had the impression that the Business Class was merely a side-effect of having to get rid of the diner cars, and replaced with the Dinettes.... which just so happen to come with a small business class section. So why not offer those for sale....
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The Business Class has nothing to do with the Dinette. It is what used to be the full lounge car in the Boston section that has been replaced by a half lounge half BC. The Dinette is a substitute for the Dining Car in the New York section and will be replaced by a new Diner as soon as they become available.
 
If one wanted to boost the business class service list under 48/49 and run it to New York. That way the intrastate New York passengers book it first. Where the sleepers fill up for NYP-BUF. Secondly I believe people look at 48/49 first compared to separately listed 448/449 for the ALB-CHI leg.
 
Seaboard92 said:
If one wanted to boost the business class service list under 48/49 and run it to New York. That way the intrastate New York passengers book it first. Where the sleepers fill up for NYP-BUF. Secondly I believe people look at 48/49 first compared to separately listed 448/449 for the ALB-CHI leg.
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That leaves 448/449 without any food service though.
 
The split lounge/BC was already in use on the Boston stub during the period of time that the Albany track work precluded joining the 2 sections.Displaced Boston sleeper passengers were supposed to be accommodated there. It was already there well before the Heritage Diner shortage caused the dinette swap. 5 + hrs from Boston 2:40 from NYP where would you put the lounge (given 1 car)?
 
Amtrak's reservation web site needs to list business class on the first display not hidden in the sleeper options. The present display is a route to failure. Would suggest that the first coach column lists BC Then it might sell out ?. A redesign needed.
 
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Obviously, the technology exists to upsell to a higher level of service. The airlines do that quite readily. Amtrak hasn't found out that business strategy yet.
 
The scheduling actually means it would make more sense to run the dining car to Boston and the lounge car to NY, especially since Amtrak isn't serving a dinner meal heading eastbound into NYC. But... no commissary facility or servicing for the dining car in Boston. So there we are.
 
Where, then, do Acela Expresses leaving Boston get stocked? Inquiring minds want to know! :)
 
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Thinking about taking LSL Business class from Springfield to Chicago. I have been on Cardinal Business class where it sounds like it is the same type of configuration. On the Cardinal, coach passengers are not allowed in the Business class car and there is no Amtrak employee serving food and beverages in that car. The beverage only service is self serve for the Business Class passengers. Is that the way that it is in the LSL or is the service in the middle of the car attended allowing coach passengers to come in and buy food and beverages and either take back to their seats or use the tables on one side of the Business Class car?
 
neroden said:
But... no commissary facility or servicing for the dining car in Boston. So there we are.
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Boston does has a commissary & basic car servicing facilities as it's the northern terminus for the NEC. Someone has to stock the cafe before it heads to ALB. This PDF shows all of Amtrak's commissary locations; it's PDF page 8, marked page 30 (this makes sense when you open the pdf...) https://goo.gl/vzXD70

As for repairs most everything that breaks near BOS gets sent elsewhere for repair. BOS can do some basic stuff to make the equipment road-worthy enough to get to a shop.

peter
 
#20 I can answer. On the LSL the service experience is in the middle, with a long line of coach passengers waiting to buy beverages.
 

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