# Travel by Pullman Now Selling Tickets



## dlagrua (Aug 21, 2012)

Travel by Pullman

Went by the Travel by Pullman site today and noticed that they are taking reservations/selling tickets for their inaugural runs from New York to Chicago and Chicago to New Orleans.

The sleeper cost in a drawing room (DBL bedroom w sink and toilet) from NYP to CHI is approximately $1950 one way which IMO is quite steep. My wife and myself are planning a trip to CHI next June and were considering it but the service is not flexible enough to meet our needs. A trip cost of $4000 (w/o any food or drink) is also not very attractive. If I am not mistaken you can only board the Pullman consist (sleeper, observation/lounge and dining cars) at the stations where the train departs. IMO this is a very big disadvantage. Since we live in NJ we would first have to travel to NYC to go to Chicago. This adds hours and additional cost to the trip.

I can appreciate that this new service is a luxurious way to travel and probably superior to Amtrak but is it worth 8-10X the Amtrak price?? The American Orient Express tried the superfare luxury travel route and it did not work out. While I wish Pullman well they would have been far better off selling a comparable sleeper service to Amtraks. The CL always sells out and there would be enough overflow to fill their sleepers.

The amount of wealthy passengers in NYC probably will insure that the Pullman Co. kickoff will most likely be successful but IMO for this service to last the one station boarding requirement is going to sink the service. For a $4k one way fare (for two) they should be ready to pick up passengers all along the way. After giving it careful thought it didn't make sense for us to spend over $8K for an 15 hr.overnight trip to Chicago and back. Instead we are staying with Amtrak and have booked a bedroom for $780 R/T, which is low bucket. Compared to the $600 R/T coach airfare (about $700 with all fees/taxes) Amtrak is very competitive, restful, relaxing and FAR more comfortable. What's your *opinion* on this private luxury sleeper service?


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## Bob Dylan (Aug 21, 2012)

Glad to see it running, but like was said,others have tried it and the Economics of the Operation just dont seem to work! I predict they will Lose lots of $$$ and Service will cease after a Few Unsuccesful runs!


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## Anderson (Aug 21, 2012)

$1950 per person would be a bit much...but that's not the fare one-way per person. That's the price for two each way, so round trip you are, indeed, looking at about $4000. But let's put this in perspective, too:

If you look at the comparable fare on the LSL (roomettes going for $467+coach fare(s) and bedrooms for $934+coach fare(s)), it isn't quite as egregious. Double those amounts for a round trip. Actually, a B accommodation for one runs $1050. An Amtrak bedroom for one, top bucket, on the LSL? $934+97=$1031, or a net difference of $19.

Likewise, for your round trip, Amtrak could easily run $2256 (two bedrooms at top bucket plus four coach fares) for the same trip. That's double Amtrak's fare, yes, but somehow it doesn't feel quite as insane.

I do think they should seek to add at least one city, Albany, to the trip options (so you'd have NYP-CHI and ALB-CHI) and allow transfers to/from 448/449, but aside from that I can see some of the restrictions.

Let me also note that on the roomette front, I could end up paying $564 for that top-bucket roomette. With Pullman, I'll be paying perhaps $1050 (for B or C accommodations). The open section isn't really comparable, but...such is life, and that can go for only $600. The difference in any case is less than 2:1.

Is it on the steep side? Yes. Is it worthwhile? I don't know yet, but they do seem to be targeting a "sweet spot" in terms of pricing.


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## VentureForth (Aug 22, 2012)

At first glance it seems more reasonable than the American Orient Express/Grand Luxe Rail Journeys. Iowa Holdings seems to be much more capable of turning a profit than Rader.


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## dlagrua (Aug 22, 2012)

OOPs. Thanks for the correction. The one way Pullman fare from NYP to CHI fare for two is in fact $1950. My error!!! If you compare the Pullman fare to high bucket LSL Amtrak fares then its in the ballpark but with Pullman I believe that food and drink may be additional.

I do not doubt that Pullman is a luxury service and perhaps the methodolgy being applied is to go after the LSL high bucket passenger. If the LSL is selling out every train during the summer months, then some passengers are paying high bucket. There might be some last minute overflow that they can draw on or people that want to try something different. Amtrak should offer to sell Pullman tickets but only after they sell out so that an option is offered the NYC passenger. They might earn some commissions in the process. As its always nice to have alternatives, I wish the service well but it must be recognized that Pullman will be relying on a very dedicated and select audience for their success. IMO the single station boarding requirement will be a large impediment to success.

In the case of our trip to CHI next June, we chose to drive to Harpers Ferry (HFY) and take the Capitol Limited. The road trip adds a small additional cost to the trip but it takes us to another historic site that we can see before we leave or after we return. By careful planning/advance purchase, AAA discounts and careful use of Amsnag (thank you again) my wife and myself were able to book a bedroom fare for $385 one way. We chose HFY as the point of departure as its a nice historic site to board from and the National Park Service will let you park at the visitors center for purchasing a $10 admission to the park. There is also a free shuttle to where the train station is. The down side is that there is no luggage service at HFY so our bedroom will be pretty loaded. Best of all its fits the budget.


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## Anderson (Aug 22, 2012)

Basically, from what I can tell, in certain cases Pullman's fares make sense for a single traveler...just not for two. Most of this is the Amtrak fare structure vs. their structure.


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## Devil's Advocate (Aug 22, 2012)

I might be all over this if only they'd pick another route. As it currently exists it's nowhere near me and nowhere near scenic.


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## jis (Dec 7, 2012)

you can see some very interesting and informative reviews from a few including Ross Rowland, who have traveled on this service, at trainorders. Try this discussion thread there.


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