Revisiting Early Boarding for Sleeper Passengers

[jmbgeg]

In SEA, they board sleepers through a separate gate; early. IN PDX, they board early through the Metropolitan Lounge. In SPK, there is one gate. My experience is that more often than not, an attendent comes down and seeks out sleeper car passengers to board early. Since all boarding times are after midnight, this is a great perk. Sometimes this does not happen. I travelled Westbound on the EB Friday. No attendents came down to early board sleeper passengers. They boarded groups of two or more passengers first, then single passengers (I was one). When I got to the conductor, he looked at my ticket and said "oh, you are in a sleeper?". "Yes", and I was one of the last of a large group of passengers to board.

Is the decision to early board sleeper passengers the conductors' or the stations'? It appears to be the conductors', since its application varies. A consistent policy would be nice.

 

[daveyb99]

Is the decision to early board sleeper passengers the conductors' or the stations'? It appears to be the conductors', since its application varies. A consistent policy would be nice.

I ran across the same thing in Austin, TX. As the TE arrived, the station announced "single file line, please" with no second line for Sleepers. I was not near where the line was to form and ended up last behind 50-ish coach passengers.

I wrote AMTRAK about that situation, but no reply yet.

I do not think "early boarding" is really possible at all stations, but at least a second line - maybe like the First Class line at airports - where Sleepers can board anytime.

 

[amamba]

Eh, I don't really need early boarding for a sleeper. What I love about a sleeper is that my space is already reserved for me. I get anxious about trying to beat the general boarding call when I am riding acela or when I am in coach and want to secure a great seat on the train.

 

[Bob Dylan]

You're correct about the boarding in Austin! However, it depends on the agent on duty, some announce that Sleeper Pax should go directly to the Sleeper to board/have the SCA pull your ticket (the Sleeper is now on the end of the Train), others just play the canned "Line up under the canopy and have your ticket and ID out for the Conductor" announcement! As to the line, lately the Eagles have been running full most days and there are crowds @ the Austin station which is a good news/bad news situation! Really think each station just makes up their own boarding policy, at least theres no Gate Brown Shirts like CHI here! ^_^

 

[jmbgeg]

Eh, I don't really need early boarding for a sleeper. What I love about a sleeper is that my space is already reserved for me. I get anxious about trying to beat the general boarding call when I am riding acela or when I am in coach and want to secure a great seat on the train.

I understand your reply, but disagree. If I have been up since 5:00 a.m. the day prior with a 2:15 or 2:45 am train that night(the next day), early boarding and bedtime matters. I have seen it make a half hour or longer diferrence. While not this last trip, I am sometimes paying high bucket ($620 plus rail fare) for an 8 hour trip. High bucket on this route for a sleeper bedroom is about 14 times coach fare.

 

[jmbgeg]

You're correct about the boarding in Austin! However, it depends on the agent on duty, some announce that Sleeper Pax should go directly to the Sleeper to board/have the SCA pull your ticket (the Sleeper is now on the end of the Train), others just play the canned "Line up under the canopy and have your ticket and ID out for the Conductor" announcement! As to the line, lately the Eagles have been running full most days and there are crowds @ the Austin station which is a good news/bad news situation! Really think each station just makes up their own boarding policy, at least theres no Gate Brown Shirts like CHI here! ^_^

Merry Christmas, Jim (and all).

 

[EB_OBS]

On most nights in SPK the train arrives early. Even when it arrives at the scheduled time there is 35 minutes before departure of train 7 and 65 minutes before departure of train 27. The coach attendants will unload their passengers then come down and look for the sleeping car passengers.

Due to the train being late this morning, the attendants stay at their doors so the conductors can begin loading right away. It's just a little more hectic when the train is late. Trying to make up time. Normally, the conductor would be expecting sleeper passengers, from the manifest, and call you up first. I apologize that didn't happen today.

 

[jmbgeg]

On most nights in SPK the train arrives early. Even when it arrives at the scheduled time there is 35 minutes before departure of train 7 and 65 minutes before departure of train 27. The coach attendants will unload their passengers then come down and look for the sleeping car passengers.

Due to the train being late this morning, the attendants stay at their doors so the conductors can begin loading right away. It's just a little more hectic when the train is late. Trying to make up time. Normally, the conductor would be expecting sleeper passengers, from the manifest, and call you up first. I apologize that didn't happen today.

Thanks. Even when late, I would suggest 1) Sleeper passangers 2) Group coach and 3) single coach, in that order. It would still expedite boarding. There were probably only 2 or 3 sleeper passengers on 7 that night, so giving us priority would not have slowed the system. Just a thought for SPK...

 

[Joeker]

In PIT, The westbound Capitol (from WAS) often comes in early ( around 11:15 pm)Since I have arrived in PIT from the Pennsylvanian, I board the sleeper when the train arrives as I just walk upstairs to the platform waiting area and when the exiting passengers go thru the gate I walk out to the sleeper (usualy in front of the train, and inform the attendent of my presence and take my room and sack out. Never had a problem.

 

[NAVYBLUE]

Dumb question,

Does the location of the sleeper/s and/or coach/es in the consist dictate boarding order.

Example: In LAX, the SWC I rode backed in putting the sleepers the furthest away on the platform. Wouldn't it make boarding sense to board them first and then say call out as an example the 1st coach after the cafe/observation car by saying all

coach passengers with say(and I am probably using wrong car numbers here) coach # 0531 proceed to the platform and then when they have been gone say 3-5 minutes say all coach passengers with coach tickets with car # 0532 proceed to

the platform and work from the sleeper to the rear or am I way off base or it has been tried and doesn't work/too confusing.

NAVYBLUE

 

[EB_OBS]

In PIT, The westbound Capitol (from WAS) often comes in early ( around 11:15 pm)Since I have arrived in PIT from the Pennsylvanian, I board the sleeper when the train arrives as I just walk upstairs to the platform waiting area and when the exiting passengers go thru the gate I walk out to the sleeper (usualy in front of the train, and inform the attendent of my presence and take my room and sack out. Never had a problem.

Only problem with that method in SPK is that the sleeping car attendants are not up at SPK. On the Empire Builder the coach attendants load the sleeping car passengers in SPK.

Additionally, in all honesty, you should wait until the conductors or the station makes a boarding announcement.

 

[EB_OBS]

Dumb question,

Does the location of the sleeper/s and/or coach/es in the consist dictate boarding order.

NAVYBLUE

Each train can be a little bit different in it's consist setup. Also, a train may arrive on a track that is not its usual platform. Sometimes a consist is exactly backwards which can happen for various reasons.

Typically, sleeping car passengers are given priority and boarded first. That's pretty standard.

In this situation in SPK, not only was the train running late, but I also just remembered too that both conductors were extra-board and the assistant conductor is almost brand new, just back from school recently. This was the crew that replaced the T&E crew on the EB after the trespasser incident in Monroe, WA Thursday evening.

I'm not trying to make excuses it's just that these guys weren't the regular crew that work to SPK twice a week. I don't think the conductor that worked #7 this morning has even been to SPK in like three months. I do plan to ask him about his boarding plan next time I see him.

 

[the_traveler]

Dumb question,

Does the location of the sleeper/s and/or coach/es in the consist dictate boarding order.

Example: In LAX, the SWC I rode backed in putting the sleepers the furthest away on the platform. Wouldn't it make boarding sense to board them first and then say call out as an example the 1st coach after the cafe/observation car by saying all

coach passengers with say(and I am probably using wrong car numbers here) coach # 0531 proceed to the platform and then when they have been gone say 3-5 minutes say all coach passengers with coach tickets with car # 0532 proceed to the platform and work from the sleeper to the rear or am I way off base or it has been tried and doesn't work/too confusing.

No it does not.

As far as your other question, first train #5 does not go to LAX! #5 is the California Zephyr and goes to northern CA. Second. the SWC departing LAX is #4! And coach passengers (unlike sleeper passengers) are not assigned a specific coach before they board, so that would not work at all!

 

[jmbgeg]

Dumb question,

Does the location of the sleeper/s and/or coach/es in the consist dictate boarding order.

NAVYBLUE

Each train can be a little bit different in it's consist setup. Also, a train may arrive on a track that is not its usual platform. Sometimes a consist is exactly backwards which can happen for various reasons.

Typically, sleeping car passengers are given priority and boarded first. That's pretty standard.

In this situation in SPK, not only was the train running late, but I also just remembered too that both conductors were extra-board and the assistant conductor is almost brand new, just back from school recently. This was the crew that replaced the T&E crew on the EB after the trespasser incident in Monroe, WA Thursday evening.

I'm not trying to make excuses it's just that these guys weren't the regular crew that work to SPK twice a week. I don't think the conductor that worked #7 this morning has even been to SPK in like three months. I do plan to ask him about his boarding plan next time I see him.

I just got back from my short SPK-SEA. trip. The outbound conductor was the return conductor. I addressed the issue with him and was satisfied with his response. We have mutual goals.

 

[PRR 60]

Eh, I don't really need early boarding for a sleeper. What I love about a sleeper is that my space is already reserved for me. I get anxious about trying to beat the general boarding call when I am riding acela or when I am in coach and want to secure a great seat on the train.

I understand your reply, but disagree. If I have been up since 5:00 a.m. the day prior with a 2:15 or 2:45 am train that night(the next day), early boarding and bedtime matters. I have seen it make a half hour or longer diferrence. While not this last trip, I am sometimes paying high bucket ($620 plus rail fare) for an 8 hour trip. High bucket on this route for a sleeper bedroom is about 14 times coach fare.

Are there so many passengers boarding at Spokane that it takes a half hour or longer to board the train? Why would early boarding for sleeping car passengers save that much time?

 

[jmbgeg]

Eh, I don't really need early boarding for a sleeper. What I love about a sleeper is that my space is already reserved for me. I get anxious about trying to beat the general boarding call when I am riding acela or when I am in coach and want to secure a great seat on the train.

I understand your reply, but disagree. If I have been up since 5:00 a.m. the day prior with a 2:15 or 2:45 am train that night(the next day), early boarding and bedtime matters. I have seen it make a half hour or longer diferrence. While not this last trip, I am sometimes paying high bucket ($620 plus rail fare) for an 8 hour trip. High bucket on this route for a sleeper bedroom is about 14 times coach fare.

Are there so many passengers boarding at Spokane that it takes a half hour or longer to board the train? Why would early boarding for sleeping car passengers save that much time?

Some days, yes. I have seen as many passengers some days in SPK as on the return in SEA.

That said, whether it is five minutes or an hour wait, sleeper passengers should go first. When I used to fly regularly, as a first class passenger I was usually boarded before coach.

 

[JayPea]

I have boarded the EB westbound from Spokane with as few as three other passengers (this was on a Spokane-Portland run) to as many as 40-50 passengers, and I suspect that there are times when there are more than that. Generally it's been my experience that sleeper passengers are boarded first. Several times there have been no sleeper passengers westbound; most folks, me included, aren't as well off as jmbgeg so can't afford a sleeper for so short a trip. (Just kidding, John!!!!!!!!! :lol: And Merry Christmas to you!!!) When I went to the Seattle gathering this was the case, and since I had strategically sat nearest the check-in counter at the Spokane station I was the first one to board.

 

[Exiled in Express]

I have never had the same Builder boarding experience twice which leads to crowding the station boarding door. This week was sleepers, families and groups of 3+, passengers to Rugby and Devil's Lake, groups of 2, and finally the free for all. The fix for both your issue and mine is to improve timeliness and increase capacity neither I am going to hold my breath on.

Eastbound on 8 tonight.

 

[Anderson]

You're correct about the boarding in Austin! However, it depends on the agent on duty, some announce that Sleeper Pax should go directly to the Sleeper to board/have the SCA pull your ticket (the Sleeper is now on the end of the Train), others just play the canned "Line up under the canopy and have your ticket and ID out for the Conductor" announcement! As to the line, lately the Eagles have been running full most days and there are crowds @ the Austin station which is a good news/bad news situation! Really think each station just makes up their own boarding policy, at least theres no Gate Brown Shirts like CHI here! ^_^

I've found that if I'm in the lounge (usually because I came in on a sleeper), I can avoid the gate hassles even if I'm in coach. Even if I end up boarding a hair late, it's nice not to have to deal with a 200-person line.

 

[Railroad Bill]

When we board in Cleveland, there is no early boarding :giggle: :giggle:

The announcements from the agents say:

" Sleepers turn right when you cross the tracks--coach passengers to the left-- have a great trip!!! :giggle:

Two weeks and counting-- All Aboard!!

 

[jmbgeg]

I have boarded the EB westbound from Spokane with as few as three other passengers (this was on a Spokane-Portland run) to as many as 40-50 passengers, and I suspect that there are times when there are more than that. Generally it's been my experience that sleeper passengers are boarded first. Several times there have been no sleeper passengers westbound; most folks, me included, aren't as well off as jmbgeg so can't afford a sleeper for so short a trip. (Just kidding, John!!!!!!!!! :lol: And Merry Christmas to you!!!) When I went to the Seattle gathering this was the case, and since I had strategically sat nearest the check-in counter at the Spokane station I was the first one to board.

Thanks for the comments JayPea. I think. :giggle: Great to call you a friend,. Cooking a prime rib today. On sale at $4.99 per pound. Amazing. :lol:

Also, enjoyed the holiday dinner last night on EB.