# Acela 1st Class assigned me a seat, Is there a seating chart anywhere?



## The Bob From CT

I am all for it to be frank, but, I have no idea if I want to change it or if my wife and I are seated next to each other. The Amtrak Rewards person did her honest best to find out, really great effort, but couldn't find one. Neither could I. Seats 3A and 3C.


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## Acela150

Not sure where the seats are. But I know that Amtrak employees have access to one. But I'd assume most don't know how to find it on the Intranet.


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## daybeers

Some quick Google searching found the following picture posted by forum member Cho Cho Charlie and a comment from forum member Triley in this topic.



Triley said:


> Also, I'm just picking apart the diagram of the First Class car, so I'm not sure how accurate it is. There are two sets of single seats on both the left and right side that are facing each other and have a table in between. There is no gap between the ADA seat on the bottom right of the car (the wall is right behind it, with luggage storage there), and the smaller bathroom does not exist, as that is the defunct phonebooth.


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## me_little_me

The Bob From CT said:


> I am all for it to be frank, but, I have no idea if I want to change it or if my wife and I are seated next to each other. The Amtrak Rewards person did her honest best to find out, really great effort, but couldn't find one. Neither could I. Seats 3A and 3C.


Don't you just love how Amtrak operates? I wonder who comes up with the idea of assigning seats that even employees can't find, much less the purchaser.


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## bratkinson

As it turns out, I'm booked first class on #2172 later this month (to get 50% FC bonus points, including TQPs...I've got a shot a making Select Executive this year!), and got an email from Amtrak indicating I've been assigned a seat. In looking at my reservation online, it was 14A. So, I hunted and hunted and hunted online for a definitive seating layout of the Acela that shows actual row and seat numbers. THERE ARE NONE TO BE FOUND as far as I can tell. NOT EVEN ON WWW.AMTRAK.COM!!!

So, I dutifully went to the Amtrak website on my computer (I hate cell phones!) as suggested in the email to modify my reservation and only came up with the ability to change/cancel the reservation - for extra money, of course - not a seat change! So I turned on my cell phone and went to the Amtrak App, clicked change seats or whatever it was and presto-chango, there's the full scroll-down-to-see-it-all seating diagram showing available seats in one color, unavailable seats in another color, and my assigned seat in yet another. It appears that I am the ONLY PASSENGER in FC on the 22nd! (that's why an incredibly low price found using Amsnag!) I was pleased to find I was at a single seat, but facing BACKWARDS according to their diagram!!!! WHAT ARE THEY THINKING???????? Fortunately, I easily changed it to a forward facing seat...but until I clicked the small, hard to find 'confirm' option top right on the screen, it did not take effect! Again...what are they thinking???? The confirm button should be large, clearly visible, and immediately BELOW and ABOVE the car layout!!!


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## cpotisch

bratkinson said:


> As it turns out, I'm booked first class on #2172 later this month (to get 50% FC bonus points, including TQPs...I've got a shot a making Select Executive this year!), and got an email from Amtrak indicating I've been assigned a seat. In looking at my reservation online, it was 14A. So, I hunted and hunted and hunted online for a definitive seating layout of the Acela that shows actual row and seat numbers. THERE ARE NONE TO BE FOUND as far as I can tell. NOT EVEN ON WWW.AMTRAK.COM!!!
> 
> So, I dutifully went to the Amtrak website on my computer (I hate cell phones!) as suggested in the email to modify my reservation and only came up with the ability to change/cancel the reservation - for extra money, of course - not a seat change! So I turned on my cell phone and went to the Amtrak App, clicked change seats or whatever it was and presto-chango, there's the full scroll-down-to-see-it-all seating diagram showing available seats in one color, unavailable seats in another color, and my assigned seat in yet another. It appears that I am the ONLY PASSENGER in FC on the 22nd! (that's why an incredibly low price found using Amsnag!) I was pleased to find I was at a single seat, but facing BACKWARDS according to their diagram!!!! WHAT ARE THEY THINKING???????? Fortunately, I easily changed it to a forward facing seat...but until I clicked the small, hard to find 'confirm' option top right on the screen, it did not take effect! Again...what are they thinking???? The confirm button should be large, clearly visible, and immediately BELOW and ABOVE the car layout!!!


Can you post a screenshot of the seating layout?


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## the_traveler

Just be aware that an Acela can operate in EITHER direction. It depends on how it pulls in the originating station. That is why you may hear in the Club Acela



> First Class in the rear car


 or 


> First Class in the Front Car


Thus, it is possible that you had a foward facing seat but changed it to a rear facing seat!

The diagram only shows the layout of the car, but does not indicate if it will be the first or last car THAT TRIP! Much the same as knowing if room #6 will be facing north or south that day. (Just because it did last month does not mean it will next month.)


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## Acela150

the_traveler said:


> Just be aware that an Acela can operate in EITHER direction. It depends on how it pulls in the originating station. That is why you may hear in the Club Acela
> 
> 
> 
> 
> First Class in the rear car
> 
> 
> 
> or
> 
> 
> 
> First Class in the Front Car
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Thus, it is possible that you had a foward facing seat but changed it to a rear facing seat!
> 
> The diagram only shows the layout of the car, but does not indicate if it will be the first or last car THAT TRIP! Much the same as knowing if room #6 will be facing north or south that day. (Just because it did last month does not mean it will next month.)
Click to expand...

So here is what I can tell you about Acela FC being on the tail end or head end.

The DEFAULT position of the FC car is the REAR of the train. 2172 turns in DC from 2155. 2155 comes from Boston and has FC on the rear. So I wouldn't be surprised if it's on the front of the train.

Also be aware that you're the only person in FC for now. I believe that many travelers book their FC travel with Upgrade Coupons. So 48 hours before hand that will change.


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## bratkinson

Regarding posting a screen shot of the car layout, it's not possible, as far as I know, from an Android cell phone. It's also necessary to scroll down to view the entire car. It would take about 3 separate screen shots to show the entire car layout.

As for direction of travel, there's two arrows at the bottom of the car layout that show the direction of travel. Hopefully, by now, Amtrak has turned all the Acela trainsets so that the first class section is always at the Boston or Washington end of the train. The handful of times I've ridden the Acela as well as seeing them at an adjacent platform, I've concluded there's no set 'rule' that the FC car will be at a specific end. With any luck, the direction of travel indicated on the seating chart will actually be the real direction!

And as for upgrades....I'm planning on using a couple of mine for the Acela in November! So yes, there probably are quite a few upgrades to FC the last 48 hours before departure.


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## cpotisch

So is that layout specific to the direction of travel for your specific train, or it just based on what the direction would be if the FC car were at, say, the rear of the train?


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## the_traveler

I would guess it is generic.

There is no way to know in advance how a trainset is pulled out of the yard in the morning, how it will pull into WAS, if it needs to go to Ivy City and then which way it will face when it comes out.


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## cpotisch

the_traveler said:


> I would guess it is generic.
> 
> There is no way to know in advance how a trainset is pulled out of the yard in the morning, how it will pull into WAS, if it needs to go to Ivy City and then which way it will face when it comes out.


So you're saying that the direction of travel probably just assumes that the first class car is always at a certain end of the train, regardless of if the train is northbound or southbound?


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## bratkinson

cpotisch said:


> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> 
> I would guess it is generic.
> 
> There is no way to know in advance how a trainset is pulled out of the yard in the morning, how it will pull into WAS, if it needs to go to Ivy City and then which way it will face when it comes out.
> 
> 
> 
> So you're saying that the direction of travel probably just assumes that the first class car is always at a certain end of the train, regardless of if the train is northbound or southbound?
Click to expand...

The Acela's are doubled ended for a reason...no need to turn them at WAS, NYP or BOS. So, presumably, they'd simply go to the shops for cleaning, or more likely, stay at the platform while a service crew performs a quick cleanup & re-stocking and the train is ready for boarding maybe an hour later. There shouldn't be a need for a trip to the shops, nor to run around a loop or wye to reverse directions. But then, that blows the current NEC 'standard' of the regional trains having business class on the rear. And that gets blown on the Pennsylvanian.

One would think that if which end the FC car is on leaving WAS is hit and miss, Anderson would make it a requirement to be consistent of his 'profitable' Acela. But that assumes he's even ridden one!

And yes, I suspect the 'direction of travel' arrows in the App is generic. Do they point the other way when traveling towards WAS?


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## Acela150

Acela150 said:


> bratkinson said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> cpotisch said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> 
> I would guess it is generic.
> 
> There is no way to know in advance how a trainset is pulled out of the yard in the morning, how it will pull into WAS, if it needs to go to Ivy City and then which way it will face when it comes out.
> 
> 
> 
> So you're saying that the direction of travel probably just assumes that the first class car is always at a certain end of the train, regardless of if the train is northbound or southbound?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> The Acela's are doubled ended for a reason...no need to turn them at WAS, NYP or BOS. So, presumably, they'd simply go to the shops for cleaning, or more likely, stay at the platform while a service crew performs a quick cleanup & re-stocking and the train is ready for boarding maybe an hour later.
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Sorry had issues with the editor.

The only place where Acela sets do not stay in station is NYP. I shoudn't have to go into why. It's NYP.





At WAS and BOS the sets are turned in station. They'll switch pans, do a new brake test, and stock and flip the seats.

I have a list of what trains turn for what. So I can tell you that most trainsets spend about an hour or so in DC and then go North. Boston trains vary.


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## bratkinson

***FINALLY***

There's really an Acela First Class seating chart on the Amtrak web site! I got an email earlier today stating my upcoming departure in FC on Monday has assigned seating and it reminded me I had to have that available when boarding, etc, etc. It also contained a direct link to the official seating diagram on the Amtrak site.

https://www.amtrak.com/first-class-seat

It should be noted, but it's not, that the locomotive is adjacent to the restroom end and the kitchen on the other end. Interestingly, there's a 'first' and 'last' button to show what the seating looks like depending on whether the first class is in the front of the train or the back. As discussed previously in this thread, it generally seems to be on the 'Boston' end of the train, but the site indicates there may be circumstances when it's not. Which leads me to ask...if they unconditionally turn the NEC Regional trains putting the business class on the rear, why can't they do the same with the Acela? Or...better yet...*NOT* turn them??? One can only wonder.


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## Charlotte Haggerty

daybeers said:


> Some quick Google searching found the following picture posted by forum member Cho Cho Charlie and a comment from forum member Triley in this topic.



Is there anyway to know where the windows are?


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## jis

Charlotte Haggerty said:


> Is there anyway to know where the windows are?


Look carefully at the *seating charts at the Amtrak site*. The windows are depicted by slightly narrower "wall" in those charts. They could have been presented better.


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