Recent content by diesteldorf

I was going to offer to buy you a drink, but you'll be getting off in Winona right before I board in La Crosse. Enjoy your trip! Maybe you'll get a "free" drink anyway. I'm not sure if Borealis BC will include a complimentary beverage.....Guess I'll find out in 2 weeks.

Thanks for taking the time to post. I switched over all my upcoming EB 8/28/7/27 trips to the Borealis 1333/1340 but Labor Day weekend was really high ($291 roundtrip from LSE to Chicago in Business Class). Yesterday I looked again and the same dates were $161 roundtrip in Business Class. I...

Hey Steve, Completely agree regarding the EB equipment compared to BC. There were times when the Hiawatha got delayed/canceled and those passengers were routed on the Builder. One of the conductors laughed when he told me that some of those passengers couldn't believe what they had been...

I think you may be right...because I did some more checking and saw additional fares that were closer to $40-$50, but I looked again and found these fares for March 14, 2025. I am 90% sure I also saw some other coach fares in the $90s. I know aberrations always exist.....It's possible Taylor...

May be a dumb question...but I am sick of Googling and know this question would probably be the equivalent of an uncontested layup for LeBron James.... When I rode the Pennsylvanian Business Class and Chicago to St. Louis Business Class 10-15 years ago, I was in a car with 2-1 leather seating...

I'll be anxious to hear what you have to say. They used to allow Business Class passengers to visit the Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago, but removed that perk 1-2 years ago. It'll be interesting if they bring that back, at least temporarily, to encourage more people to book business class...

I want Borealis to do well and succeed, and will probably book regardless because the schedule is more conducive than riding the EB, especially when the EB often encounters delays. However, I was checking random days for MSP to CHI in February/March 2025. The EB was offering value or flex for...

Thanks Jis for posting the announcement and to others, including WWW for sharing timetable information. Yesterday I called AGR and switched all future trips for May, July, August and September to 1333 or 1340 Business Class. The upcharge is reasonable, though it can also fluctuate, and Labor...

Has anyone had any luck downgrading from the $99 card to the no-fee card? I was told previously by an FBNO rep that they won't do this and each card must be applied for separately.

I am planning to go catch #8 to Chicago tomorrow.....Just a fun weekend away, nothing serious. Any guesses on whether that train will also be canceled? I am guessing it would've left Seattle on 1/10. I suppose I'll find out tonight or tomorrow morning.

I was on 7/27, originally departing CHI on July 4. As others have mentioned, Canadian Pacific had a freight derailment, so all stops from CHICAGO to La Crosse, WI were canceled. Those passengers were put on a Hiawatha from CHI to MKE and bussed the remainder. Of course, I was originally...

Most of my travel in the past year has been via sleeper, but I know they've resumed serving coach passengers on a limited basis. When I spoke to the LSA on the Empire Builder 2-3 months ago, they quoted the following prices: $20 Breakfast $25 Lunch $45 Dinner Has anyone had any experiences to...

Thank you so much for posting!! The new times look great, arriving/departing Chicago early enough to still make connections with the CONO, Lakeshore, Metra trains to and from the Chicago suburbs. RAILFANLNK used to joke about how he always had to wake up at 0'DarkThirty if he ever wanted to...

I was glad you moved it, as I enjoyed reading prior posts from 2021-22. Delta made the decision to end all flights to and from La Crosse to Minneapolis as of June 4. I've seen a couple local news posts telling people that this new train will start as early as summer, to make up for the...

EDIT: Thanks to the MODS for moving my post to the already existing thread.... Amtrak is working with Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois to run another train running between Minneapolis and Chicago. It'll take the place of one of the existing Hiawatha routes. I've heard some people speculate...