# Window seat



## MrEd

I wonder if Amtrak will start charging for a view.

>>>

US Airways adds fee for

some window, aisle seats

$5 charge (at least) coming next month

>>>


----------



## MrFSS

MrEd said:


> I wonder if Amtrak will start charging for a view.
> >>>
> 
> US Airways adds fee for
> 
> some window, aisle seats
> 
> $5 charge (at least) coming next month
> 
> >>>


And, some charge for exit rows and other "better seats" in coach. They are charging for more than one checked bag, too. Have you seen what you get for $5.00 in the snack pak??


----------



## Rail Freak

MrFSS said:


> MrEd said:
> 
> 
> 
> I wonder if Amtrak will start charging for a view.
> >>>
> 
> US Airways adds fee for
> 
> some window, aisle seats
> 
> $5 charge (at least) coming next month
> 
> >>>
> 
> 
> 
> And, some charge for exit rows and other "better seats" in coach. They are charging for more than one checked bag, too. Have you seen what you get for $5.00 in the snack pak??
Click to expand...

Kinda Off Topic: reminds me of pay per view for a college game. Man, that ticks me off!!!

:angry:


----------



## PRR 60

MrEd said:


> I wonder if Amtrak will start charging for a view.
> >>>
> 
> US Airways adds fee for
> 
> some window, aisle seats
> 
> $5 charge (at least) coming next month
> 
> >>>


This is not as big a deal as it seems. Right now, US reserves some of the forward window and aisle seats for elite flyers. Only Dividend Miles Silver and above (and companions) can pre-select those premium seating locations. Non-elites are relegated to middles or windows and aisles aft of the wing exit rows. That preference will continue for the elites with no charge. What is changing is that at check-in, non-elite passengers will now be able to purchase access to the premium seats for a fee ($5 or more depending on flight length). It is similar to the way United sells Economy Plus seating at check-in, but with US the selling point is location only, not added leg room.

BTW, I just flew transcon on United E+. Paid $59 for the privilege. Got 7A (window). Load was 110 on a 120 seat A319. One of the open seats was the middle next to me. What a sweet ride. It was worth every penny!


----------



## Green Maned Lion

It seems like they want to charge for things a'la carte. Which to be fare to the airlines, a first for me, right, is exactly what Amtrak does. The first/sleeper class passengers get food service included, as do business class in some instances. But coach doesn't get anything included- they have to pay for everything.


----------



## saxman

PRR 60 said:


> MrEd said:
> 
> 
> 
> I wonder if Amtrak will start charging for a view.
> >>>
> 
> US Airways adds fee for
> 
> some window, aisle seats
> 
> $5 charge (at least) coming next month
> 
> >>>
> 
> 
> 
> This is not as big a deal as it seems. Right now, US reserves some of the forward window and aisle seats for elite flyers. Only Dividend Miles Silver and above (and companions) can pre-select those premium seating locations. Non-elites are relegated to middles or windows and aisles aft of the wing exit rows. That preference will continue for the elites with no charge. What is changing is that at check-in, non-elite passengers will now be able to purchase access to the premium seats for a fee ($5 or more depending on flight length). It is similar to the way United sells Economy Plus seating at check-in, but with US the selling point is location only, not added leg room.
> 
> BTW, I just flew transcon on United E+. Paid $59 for the privilege. Got 7A (window). Load was 110 on a 120 seat A319. One of the open seats was the middle next to me. What a sweet ride. It was worth every penny!
Click to expand...

Yeah, you can still have a window seat, it just may not be that bulkhead or exit row seat you want unless you want to pay for it. One trick I use is to always get on last. Then I can see if there are open seats if I don't like my assigned seat. I usually end up getting lucky. But always give up your chosen seat if a late comer boards, and suck it up to sit where you were assigned.


----------



## Trogdor

I paid extra (I can't remember if it was $15 or $20) for a window seat in the exit row on a Northwest A319 from Edmonton to Minneapolis. Certainly worth the extra bit of money to me, for the 3-hour flight.

Of course, I also like the $0 extra I pay to ride a long-distance Horizon coach on the Hiawatha, on the occasions that such a car finds its way into the rotation.


----------



## the_traveler

MrEd said:


> I wonder if Amtrak will start charging for a view.


Sh! :unsure: Don't give Amtrak any ideas!


----------



## Guest

rmadisonwi said:


> Of course, I also like the $0 extra I pay to ride a long-distance Horizon coach on the Hiawatha, on the occasions that such a car finds its way into the rotation.


What "long-distance Horizon coaches"???

To me there are only two types of Horizons: Coaches & Food Cars.


----------



## AlanB

Guest said:


> rmadisonwi said:
> 
> 
> 
> Of course, I also like the $0 extra I pay to ride a long-distance Horizon coach on the Hiawatha, on the occasions that such a car finds its way into the rotation.
> 
> 
> 
> What "long-distance Horizon coaches"???
> 
> To me there are only two types of Horizons: Coaches & Food Cars.
Click to expand...

A few Horizon cars, 8 at present, have been reconfigured to only have 60 seats. Whereas the bulk of the fleet has 72 seat per car, with a few cars at 78 or even 82 seats per car. Those 60 seaters tend to be used as reserve cars for the LD trains, since they provide much greater pitch than the normal Horizon cars.


----------



## Guest

AlanB said:


> A few Horizon cars, 8 at present, have been reconfigured to only have 60 seats. Whereas the bulk of the fleet has 72 seat per car, with a few cars at 78 or even 82 seats per car. Those 60 seaters tend to be used as reserve cars for the LD trains, since they provide much greater pitch than the normal Horizon cars.


Which routes, other than the short-distance Chicago routes, use Horizons?


----------



## Green Maned Lion

I'd say they'd be most prevalent on the LD routes out of Chicago, when they are being used. Atleast one LSL set runs or ran a Horizon Dinette in conjunction with its Amfleet II Diner-Lite.


----------



## Trogdor

Guest said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> 
> A few Horizon cars, 8 at present, have been reconfigured to only have 60 seats. Whereas the bulk of the fleet has 72 seat per car, with a few cars at 78 or even 82 seats per car. Those 60 seaters tend to be used as reserve cars for the LD trains, since they provide much greater pitch than the normal Horizon cars.
> 
> 
> 
> Which routes, other than the short-distance Chicago routes, use Horizons?
Click to expand...

There's a Pacific Surfliner round-trip that uses Horizons. They can occasionally be found on other west-coast corridors (California and Cascades) during peak travel periods (usually Thanksgiving).

They may find their way onto long-distance routes if there is a shortage of Amfleet II coaches.


----------



## jackal

rmadisonwi said:


> There's a Pacific Surfliner round-trip that uses Horizons.


If anyone wants to avoid said Surfliner consist, or, conversely, for some sick reason wants to check out the cars (even though they were built in the '80s, they have an almost '50s Budd feel on the interior), it's the morning northbound (7:30 AM LAX departure) and afternoon southbound (2:00 PM SLO departure), unless things have changed since I was there last.

(I think the origin and destination terminal is LAX; I do not believe it continues south of that point.)


----------

