It will be interesting to see if they go the route of granting lounge access to Guest Rewards elites (e.g. Select Plus gets access if in premium and Select Executive gets access even in regular coach): stable cash inflow from the credit cards is valuable (and helped fund Amtrak during the pandemic; I did my part!) but there's not much benefit beyond the AGR points themselves from the credit cards in most cities served by the long-distance network (the current elite benefits aren't worth anything on the LD network beyond lounge access in Boston/NYC/Philly/Washington/Chicago).
The gun locker isn't surprising: it's not generally admitted by either the 2nd amendment crowd or transit folks (since there's a very small Venn diagram there), but the absence of TSA makes Amtrak the conveyance of choice if traveling with a gun.
Hadn't thought of that and it's a good question. I think it's more likely they'll use the loyalty program to offer discounted or automatic upgrades to first-class, which includes onboard lounge access.
Its bad. They must replace dumb coach by open space sleeping cars, like platscart in former USSR, or by 3d class sleepers like in EU. All passengers on overnight trains must have a normal sleeping place, but cheap class may be open space like coach and first class keep private. Cost if 1 class is prohibitive, and coach is unacceptable for the ling trips. Compare to RU:
- all classes are sleeping. No exceptions.
- cheap open space sleeping class hold 54 passengers in 1 level car, better rooms for 4 - no need to buy the whole room (you can do it but most people dont) keep 36 places in 1 level cars and 72 in 2 levels.
-trains are cheaper vs plane for 3d (open space sleepers) and 2d (4 people rooms) classes.
- food is extra but you can order delivery like uber eat, and it works great, or you can prepay dinner car, or use it as necessary. Cars has hot boiling water 24x7, too.
Longe cars should be available for all passengers. First class is good by itself but is way too expensive, for an obvious reason. Normal train in RU carry 500 - 1200 passengers (all sleepers, ALL!), amtrack carry only 90 such passengers, not a surprise it cost 5x more vs airplane (with a few exceptions ). Make it to carry 400 sleeping passengers in 3 classes and prices will be way more competitive.
Good idea is to expand bedroom to 4 people. Todays bedrooms can easily accomodate 2 adults + 2 kids, but its not allowed. How to travel jn family in 2 + 2 or 2 + 3 ? In RU people just buyb5 slerping berths in 2 rooms (and 3 3xtra are used as rooms are shared except if you decide to pay extra). Just now my friends travelled in group of 11, 3 nights, they just bought 3 x 4 rooms, approx $120 / person, not $1200 as in USA.
I made an account just to like your comment. 100% agree. Clearly the author doesn’t want to associate with anyone who would be traveling in coach. “Who cares if their experience is worse, I don’t have to talk to them” is what he’s saying. As well as “Who cares if 95% of people have a worse experience, I’m in the 5%”.
A lot of exciting stuff BUT I would stop riding Amtrak if they removed lounge access for coach class. I just did a trip from Oakland to LA, and it wouldn't be half as fun if not for the observation deck. Private rooms are too expensive, plus I don't really want a private bathroom. Coach seats with observation deck are a perfect way for short sightseeing ride (half a day or less).
Agree. If Amtrak stopped letting coach passengers have access to the observation car, it would be a dealbreaker to just fly or drive for me. People who pay for rooms already have a place to be, their room! I vote for a coach only observation car, let the suckers who pay hundreds of dollars for a room stay there.
Gray water toilet water nothing is going on the tracks we have moved beyond those days. All these types of food service are interesting but they require adequate staffing levels and Amtrak has historically sold the sizzle and delivered the pizzle if you k is what I mean.
It will be interesting to see if they go the route of granting lounge access to Guest Rewards elites (e.g. Select Plus gets access if in premium and Select Executive gets access even in regular coach): stable cash inflow from the credit cards is valuable (and helped fund Amtrak during the pandemic; I did my part!) but there's not much benefit beyond the AGR points themselves from the credit cards in most cities served by the long-distance network (the current elite benefits aren't worth anything on the LD network beyond lounge access in Boston/NYC/Philly/Washington/Chicago).
The gun locker isn't surprising: it's not generally admitted by either the 2nd amendment crowd or transit folks (since there's a very small Venn diagram there), but the absence of TSA makes Amtrak the conveyance of choice if traveling with a gun.
Hadn't thought of that and it's a good question. I think it's more likely they'll use the loyalty program to offer discounted or automatic upgrades to first-class, which includes onboard lounge access.
Its bad. They must replace dumb coach by open space sleeping cars, like platscart in former USSR, or by 3d class sleepers like in EU. All passengers on overnight trains must have a normal sleeping place, but cheap class may be open space like coach and first class keep private. Cost if 1 class is prohibitive, and coach is unacceptable for the ling trips. Compare to RU:
- all classes are sleeping. No exceptions.
- cheap open space sleeping class hold 54 passengers in 1 level car, better rooms for 4 - no need to buy the whole room (you can do it but most people dont) keep 36 places in 1 level cars and 72 in 2 levels.
-trains are cheaper vs plane for 3d (open space sleepers) and 2d (4 people rooms) classes.
- food is extra but you can order delivery like uber eat, and it works great, or you can prepay dinner car, or use it as necessary. Cars has hot boiling water 24x7, too.
Longe cars should be available for all passengers. First class is good by itself but is way too expensive, for an obvious reason. Normal train in RU carry 500 - 1200 passengers (all sleepers, ALL!), amtrack carry only 90 such passengers, not a surprise it cost 5x more vs airplane (with a few exceptions ). Make it to carry 400 sleeping passengers in 3 classes and prices will be way more competitive.
Good idea is to expand bedroom to 4 people. Todays bedrooms can easily accomodate 2 adults + 2 kids, but its not allowed. How to travel jn family in 2 + 2 or 2 + 3 ? In RU people just buyb5 slerping berths in 2 rooms (and 3 3xtra are used as rooms are shared except if you decide to pay extra). Just now my friends travelled in group of 11, 3 nights, they just bought 3 x 4 rooms, approx $120 / person, not $1200 as in USA.
"Coach passengers may grumble that their experience is inarguably significantly worse now, but that's fine— they are poor!"
Cool I'm glad you're so excited for the new trains they look great for people like you 😐
I made an account just to like your comment. 100% agree. Clearly the author doesn’t want to associate with anyone who would be traveling in coach. “Who cares if their experience is worse, I don’t have to talk to them” is what he’s saying. As well as “Who cares if 95% of people have a worse experience, I’m in the 5%”.
A lot of exciting stuff BUT I would stop riding Amtrak if they removed lounge access for coach class. I just did a trip from Oakland to LA, and it wouldn't be half as fun if not for the observation deck. Private rooms are too expensive, plus I don't really want a private bathroom. Coach seats with observation deck are a perfect way for short sightseeing ride (half a day or less).
Agree. If Amtrak stopped letting coach passengers have access to the observation car, it would be a dealbreaker to just fly or drive for me. People who pay for rooms already have a place to be, their room! I vote for a coach only observation car, let the suckers who pay hundreds of dollars for a room stay there.
Gray water toilet water nothing is going on the tracks we have moved beyond those days. All these types of food service are interesting but they require adequate staffing levels and Amtrak has historically sold the sizzle and delivered the pizzle if you k is what I mean.