Full Trains

[guest]

When coach is crowded, I am one of the few that will gladly give up the window seat for an aisle set... on long rides I get antsy and need to get up and stroll around often; at night if I able to sleep it's usually just for an hour or two at a time, then I need to walk some to stretch out the kinks. I hate to trouble seat-mates if I am on the window side.

One thing I really like about train travel, no one ever tells you to go back to your seat.

At night or early morning, if I want a window seat for a while I can often find one in the cafe or lounge car.

 

[VentureForth]

On my return trip from NYP to Savannah on the Palmetto, I was in BC. All I remember is that I boarded in NYP and next thing I remember, I was approaching Washington, DC (I was up all night long in NYC). As I awoke, I realized that I was about the only person in the car without a seatmate. I felt really bad. I'm sure they intentionally didn't seat anyone by me - I'm sure I probably stunk, and was most likely snoring like a hybernating bear. I'm sure someone was likely to get a free evoucher because of me. Most of all, I was sad because I missed most of the 115 MPH running!

I don't think I was taking up two seats. I don't think I would have minded being woken and told to plug my nose and only take one spot if I was asked.

 

[JayPea]

I guess I've been fortunate in that I have boarded in the middle of the night numerous times in Spokane in the middle of the night and never had any problem getting a seat for myself next to a window which I prefer. Maybe that says more about Spokane than Amtrak, though........

 

[chakk]

I have to say one bright side of being disabled is that I have to book lower level seats. There are only 12 seats down there and mostly it is quieter than upstairs. I guess this is why I don't see a need to spend the extra money or points on a sleeper. If I can't sleep with my seat mate, there is usually space on the floor in there to sleep. I have also purchased a second seat so that I can have two, if it is a point where my leg needs to be elevated at all times. This way I can lay sideways and never have an issue with someone wanting the seat beside me.

Interesting that purchasing a second seat has worked for you.

There have been discussions on here before about how amtrak does not usually allow this.

I have seen it done several times in coach on the CZ. I can't imagine how or why Amtrak would disallow this. If you pay the correct fare for the seats, they should be yours regardless.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I have to say one bright side of being disabled is that I have to book lower level seats. There are only 12 seats down there and mostly it is quieter than upstairs. I guess this is why I don't see a need to spend the extra money or points on a sleeper. If I can't sleep with my seat mate, there is usually space on the floor in there to sleep. I have also purchased a second seat so that I can have two, if it is a point where my leg needs to be elevated at all times. This way I can lay sideways and never have an issue with someone wanting the seat beside me.

Interesting that purchasing a second seat has worked for you.
There have been discussions on here before about how amtrak does not usually allow this.

I have seen it done several times in coach on the CZ. I can't imagine how or why Amtrak would disallow this. If you pay the correct fare for the seats, they should be yours regardless.

I'm not sure they disallow it so much as they refuse to promise your seats will be anywhere near each other or even in the same car.

 

[IowaGirl]

This should be the role of the conductor and/or the coach attendant. You should never be put in a position of getting someone to move over for you.

I think the third time I asked for help they finally did, only because I was getting louder with my request. I most certainly got an attitude with it too. First couple times I asked for help, I got the brush off and eye roll. The train was moving down the tracks and we still didn't all have our seats.

If someone had two tickets on that train in order to get double seats together - it wouldn't have happened. This was the CZ boarding in Omaha.

Last couple trips have been this way. Sure has turned me off.

 

[ehbowen]

If you do purchase a second ticket for comfort, but are not given the second seat next to your own, it seems to me that Amtrak owes you a refund on the second ticket.

 

[visitor]

If you do purchase a second ticket for comfort, but are not given the second seat next to your own, it seems to me that Amtrak owes you a refund on the second ticket.

This happens regularly. Although a seriously oversold train is rare, it does happen occasionally, and in that case individuals who have purchased an "extra" seat may be required to give it up, but are entitled to a 100 percent refund on the extra seat. Considering how much larger coach seats on Amtrak are versus coach seats on airplanes, I find this more than reasonable.

 

[IowaGirl]

If you do purchase a second ticket for comfort, but are not given the second seat next to your own, it seems to me that Amtrak owes you a refund on the second ticket.

No where does it say that you have an assigned seat, just that you have a seat reserved. A seat - not a specific seat. So- AMTRAK would not have to refund for the second seat if it was not available.

The website states: Advance reservations (by train, not by individual seat) are required. I can see how this would be easy to misunderstand. The first time I rode was a real eye opener . I tried calling ahead and at least try to get a group of seats saved in one car, but since we were just a couple shy of the 20 passenger quota - they would not.

Funny thing was - on the way home, they had us all seated together in seats they had saved. Train wasn't as full though. The on board crew can make a world of difference.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I'm not sure how you'd prove you were owed money. Couldn't Amtrak simply say they don't promise seats will be together and leave you out in the cold? I presume they'd lift both tickets when you board and let you worry about finding two seats on your own.

 

[Anderson]

Is that a stated policy (refunding on the second seat)? Because if there were an explicit "second seat" policy of some sort, I'd like to see it. And I do agree...there are plenty of folks who would pay for the space.

 

[BCL]

I have to say one bright side of being disabled is that I have to book lower level seats. There are only 12 seats down there and mostly it is quieter than upstairs. I guess this is why I don't see a need to spend the extra money or points on a sleeper. If I can't sleep with my seat mate, there is usually space on the floor in there to sleep. I have also purchased a second seat so that I can have two, if it is a point where my leg needs to be elevated at all times. This way I can lay sideways and never have an issue with someone wanting the seat beside me.

I remember being on a less than full train unreserved recently. I was ready to get out quickly, but a conductor came down to the lower level and told everyone that unless they were disabled or senior, she wanted everyone to head upstairs. Never seen anything like it before. I was off in a few stops and was looking to get my ticket pulled ASAP and waited near the door.

 

[Anderson]

I have to say one bright side of being disabled is that I have to book lower level seats. There are only 12 seats down there and mostly it is quieter than upstairs. I guess this is why I don't see a need to spend the extra money or points on a sleeper. If I can't sleep with my seat mate, there is usually space on the floor in there to sleep. I have also purchased a second seat so that I can have two, if it is a point where my leg needs to be elevated at all times. This way I can lay sideways and never have an issue with someone wanting the seat beside me.

I remember being on a less than full train unreserved recently. I was ready to get out quickly, but a conductor came down to the lower level and told everyone that unless they were disabled or senior, she wanted everyone to head upstairs. Never seen anything like it before. I was off in a few stops and was looking to get my ticket pulled ASAP and waited near the door.

There were announcements like that on the Cardinal and the SWC on my latest trip. The former I attribute to the wacky situation on that train; the latter was due to crowding at some of the stops making for overly-crowded lines in the vestibules (and preventing the crew from being able to offload bags quickly). Then again, LDs are different from corridor trains.

 

[7deuceman]

I spent my working life practically living on airplanes. I was an airline employee and received reduced rate transportation. On my first trip on Amtrak in 1985 Chicago to Boston, I really enjoyed the views from the window and got a kick out of sitting in the lounge car. I will never forget inching our way down through the mountains in Massachusetts and seeing the spectacular ferns and other plants in the forest near the trackside. It was a very different experience for me and one I always enjoy.

So the full Amtrak thing doesn't really bother me. I prefer trains as opposed to crazy people in airports, long lines and assorted other confusion and heartburn that flying creates.

I have only had one really full train experience - in 2008 returning to EWR from ORL. The train was so full that I had no seat and sat on a box in the space between the wall and the last seats in the last car on the train. Someone said, "don't even try to go up to the lounge car because it is packed". As It turned out, there were paying passengers seated in the lounge car with their luggage right next to them. WHAT a mess!

By the time we got to Jacksonville, the car cleared out and I got a seat. They ran out of beer somewhere in the night near Fayetteville. But I had my trusty "AMergency Trak-Pack" with plenty of adult emergency rations for the night!

One question... WHY doesn't Amtrak have more coaches on the Silver Service trains?? They need to redo the interiors and fix that train up!! It could be very cool if they worked at it. Maybe a second lounge car?

 

[the_traveler]

One question... WHY doesn't Amtrak have more coaches on the Silver Service trains??

Short answer. There are no extra coaches available to add.

 

[Nathanael]

Slightly longer answer: there are no suitable extra coaches to add.

Amtrak needs to order a lot of new coaches.

Many people have suggested getting used coaches, but it costs more than buying new at this point. This is because most remaining used coaches in existence are *old* (1950s and earlier), you can't get spare parts for them, and they generally need expensive updates to comply with the retention toilet mandate and convert to HEP. (North Carolina decided to go this route anyway for some reason and has rebuilt antique coaches, including one purchased from a museum!) There are a few newer commuter coaches available but they're available because they're completely worn out from extremely heavy usage.