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@oregon pioneer Thanks very much for the additional info. For no particularly strong reason, I had been leaning towards taking it Westbound, but based on Maglev's advice, as well as your reasoning, I think it's clear Eastbound is the way to go. There's tons of AM flight options from home to...

Thanks for the recommendations, @Maglev . I'll check out both the Embassy Suites, as well as the Cedarbrook lodge. Usually when I'm in SEA, I stay at the Hotel Theodore, near Pike Place, but am always open to trying something new (especially unique, like the Cedarbrook Lodge). The advice...

I'm looking at planning a trip on the Empire Builder in a few months. I'll be going in a sleeper, almost certainly a Roomette, but I'll try my luck at a bidup to a bedroom, and see if I get lucky. I've never taken the EB before - though I have done the length of the Coast Starlight, as well as...

I've run into loose electric outlets not just on the Surfliner, but in all kinds of public places and hotels while travelling. I've started carrying one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Extension-Black-Power-Indoor-Listed/dp/B09KZLPSX9/ and a tiny travel envelope of duct tape. I plug my 6"...

Interesting, thanks for the additional techical details. I had read several "consumer grade" articles, but no technical journals on how they were doing it. With the expected footprint of the moving/transient g-block footprint, how good to you think building and tree cover penetration is? Also...

I know you mean it mostly in humor, but DirecTV/Dish do actually offer a mobile solution for cars (not just campers or RVs). It's only for TV reception, though - they don't offer a version for two way data. I had one installed on my roof rack years ago, before cellular data was fast enough to...

As others have pointed out, there has been a lot of recent progress in bringing satellite connectivity to mainstream cellphones. Previously, this required specialized devices with unique antennas, operating at different powers, on different frequencies, and would typically require line of site...

I just want to meet, and have a word with, whoever designs tray tables for Amtrak interiors. On one hand, you have the massively heavy and cumbersome pull up tables, for instance in Surfliner biz, which scare half the car if they're dropped, and could probably double as armor panels on a tank...

I've done it on two different occasions, including about ten days ago on the CZ. My reasoning was somewhat similar to yours - I saw a chance to wrap up a trip using train, rather than air, but it only made sense if the train was running close to on time. I didn't appear on a paper roster of...

I bought two cans of Coke Zero in the cafe of the CZ a few days ago, and they seemed to be stocked with that, Diet Coke, and Classic Coke.

Just a quick picture of the CZ outside SLC on the morning of 8/21:

Sunday (8/21) I took a day trip on the CZ, riding in a sleeper from SLC to DEN. Early on in the trip, they made an announcement along the lines of "We hope to see you all in our dining car for lunch today. We've got a great crew on board reading to serve you, including /name/, who won the...

I'm not as fluent in the terminology, nor the construction of the CZ consists, but if it's a useful datapoint, I just boarded car 632 of the CZ Eastbound at SLC, on 8/21 (in a roomette). Might be worth mentioning I only bought the ticket a few hours ago. I had looked online last night, and it...

I'm thinking in terms of the Pacific Surfliner, but there are certainly other routes where this would apply. I take several short-ish trips on the Surfliner each month, in Biz. I pretty much always have a small hand carried bag, and almost immediately have my laptop out when I sit down. Most...

Oh yeah, for sure.. I'd be hard pressed to eat $15 of coke and pretzels at supermarket prices. But in Downtown LA, if I wanted a couple snacks and two soft drinks? The local convenience store prices would easily cost more than the cheap ticket. EDIT: Speaking of, been to the new LAX DL SkyClub...

The LAUS lounge is the only one in the system I've used, but I do see (as others have pointed out) why that decision was made. Just for fun, I took a look - you can buy a one way from Union Station, to Glendale, in Biz, for $15 (before any discounts). If I worked in the area, I might be tempted...

Frankly, I think it should be issued to passengers (perhaps not in a smokeable format, though). Might make the occasionally abysmal service and delays more bearable. "Oh, we're gonna be sixteen hours late and the AC is broken? Cool, man..... gimme a can of that Amstew, your biggest spoon, and...

I agree with you completely. I certainly think that someone treating customers poorly deserves a bit of professional attention from managment. But, I'm not always willing to be the one to do it - especially during the moment of service. As you point out, these staff are empowered to deboard...

Sitting on the Coast Starlight as I type this.. I've expressed before that it seems the younger crews *trend* towards being friendly and engaging, and the older ones are dismissive and lazy. That, at least, has nearly consistently been my experience. Today, waiting at Santa Barbara for the...

Why not someething like this: https://www.amazon.com/Zone-Recessed-Folding-Drink-Holder/dp/B00XAS6M3I/ (I searched Amazon for "suction cup cup holder" - that was a leading result, but there were several that might work)