Acela Assigned Seating Experience

[Acela150]

Thanks!  What a bizarre layout.

I don’t think it’s bizarre at all. But then again I’m used to traveling FC and I’m used to the layout.

 

[Anderson]

It took some time and I was digging in the (many) seat assignment threads. The working theory was found in the thread regarding sleepers. which has similar questions.  We can start from this post from Anderson and follow the progression to the Acela first class car.

Personally, I think assigned seating is not a good idea but the passengers allegedly want this and in some ways, it will help families along the route.

It helps families along the route until it doesn't.  If you're booking two weeks out and the train isn't already sold out, it helps.  If you're booking two days out at a peak time, it can leave you utterly boned and force a lot of shuffling.

For the record, my Acela trips last night WAS-BAL/BAL-WAS and today WAS-NYP have been uneventful in this respect...all the seating assignments have done is make for paperwork for the conductor if anyone is even paying attention since the loads have been light.  I was on the 5PM Acela out of WAS last night and I think there were three of us in the car.  Today it's probably closer to a dozen.  The on-board attitude is basically that they don't care as long as you're not going past NYP (since there's a lot of turnover at NYP).

Edit:
(1) To be clear, last night was both an unintended trip and burning off some upgrade cards (I had a batch of four that were expiring...er...today).  The Acela was $9 more than the Regional ($46 vs $37), so I got about an extra 40 TQPs thrown in (nice side-bonus) and a pair of drinks vs what I would have gotten doing the same on those Regionals.
(2) It has occurred to me that they aren't even using the little displays above the seats.

(3) For tomorrow's trip (my last status run chunk...paid F ticket WAS-NYP will bag about 1260 TQPs) I was able to get a window table seat for myself and a colleague.

 

[jis]

I came across the latest seat status information indicators in the GWR Class 800 that I took from London Paddington to Cardiff Central.

Currently occupied seats are indicated with a Red indicator, and it provides information about how far the seat is occupied.



Sorry for the slightly blurry photo. The two seats are occupied London to Newport, and free after that.

More interestingly, it also shows seats that are currently unoccupied but will be occupied later with Green and Yellow indicators.



Seat 3 is free all the way. Seat 4 is free to Reading and then is occupied to Cardiff Central.

I understand that this information is directly downloaded from the reservation system. Allegedly, when fully operational, as the Ticket Examiner records a ticket collection together with the destination, the seat can be electronically markd as occupied for the segment for unreserved tickets. They were not doing so on the run I was on. I was traveling entirely unreserved since I intended to take full advantage of the freedom to choose a train at the last moment that is available in the UK, and absence of which I hate on Amtrak in the US.

An additional interesting thing that they are doing is using seat occupancy sensors, so that they can provide real time information about which cars have more seats open in a train, allowing passengers to board nearer those cars than having to walk through the train to find seats. This information is available  for each train on the Smartphone App of both National Rail and the TOC for trains so equipped.

Incidentally, the Class 800s are now running electric to Swindon, and then imperceptibly switching over to diesel there for the balance of the journey into Wales, pending completion of electrification to Cardiff Central.

 

[gnc1000]

I've had terrible experiences with this new Assigned seating RTE to NYP.

* First, everyone complains to the conductor, and in fact tonight just rode back from NYP getting off some passengers in first were arguing about it!

* On my trip down it stuck me across from someone on a 4 person table... but the train was basically empty-- conductor said seats were taken elsewhere... of course nobody used any of those seats!

* Previous trip... My reserved seat I was already in was OVERBOOKED (again, plenty of empty seats around) Conductor had to intervene. At a 4 person table, someone wanted to sit with their work group ... not allowed! (Before 4 tops were reserved for business groups, which made sense.) 

* On my trip down , I thought I had booked a forward facing seat, it was not... conductor told me I was "using the app wrong"

Other conductors and station people tell me they hate this too -- 90% complaint rate, suggested I keep complaining to Amtrak, perhaps will change.

I'm select plus for many years, been riding Acela since 2001... I used to look forward to these trips, now I'm annoyed every time.  I have never, ever seen any general problems with seating, and in those rare cases where there were, easily fixed by the conductor.

A solution in search of a problem, if you agree ... Complain to Amtrak (If you don't, you are on the winning side right now)

 

[Acela150]

Here's a tip 2167, 2173, and 2175 will most likely have First Class on the Front. Everything else is the rear. 

You can change your seat on the Amtrak App or the Amtrak website. The link has a seating chart. It has diagrams of the car on the front and rear. 

Personally I'm ok with the assigned seating. I don't have worry about rushing on the train at PHL. 

https://www.amtrak.com/onboard/onboard-accommodations-for-all-your-needs/seating-accommodations/first-class.html

 

[mfastx]

I was upgraded to First and the assigned seating worked great for me.  It was really easy to look at the map and choose a forward/backward facing seat and if I wanted a table or not.  Wish they'd expand it to Business class.  I hate trying to rush on the train all the time. 

 

[bratkinson]

Here's a tip 2167, 2173, and 2175 will most likely have First Class on the Front. Everything else is the rear. 

You can change your seat on the Amtrak App or the Amtrak website. The link has a seating chart. It has diagrams of the car on the front and rear. 

Personally I'm ok with the assigned seating. I don't have worry about rushing on the train at PHL. 

https://www.amtrak.com/onboard/onboard-accommodations-for-all-your-needs/seating-accommodations/first-class.html

Without trying to start another firestorm, this is EXACTLY why I push for Acela trainsets to ALWAYS be consistently 'faced'.  ie, FC on the BOS end always, or WAS end, always.  No exceptions except for unusual circumstances.

 

[Acela150]

Without trying to start another firestorm, this is EXACTLY why I push for Acela trainsets to ALWAYS be consistently 'faced'.  ie, FC on the BOS end always, or WAS end, always.  No exceptions except for unusual circumstances.

The problem with that is really simple. You'd have to take the set to the wye in Ivy City or the Loop at Southampton. Which is a huge waste of time for one reason. Power cars are at both ends of the train to avoid this. Some trains don't sit in DC for an hour. 2163 spins for 2126. 2163 arrives into DC about 6pm. 2126 leaves at 7pm and boards around 645 or so. Bottom line is there is no time to take the trains to a wye or loop to spin them for First Class to be on a set end. 

 

[bratkinson]

The problem with that is really simple. You'd have to take the set to the wye in Ivy City or the Loop at Southampton. Which is a huge waste of time for one reason. Power cars are at both ends of the train to avoid this. Some trains don't sit in DC for an hour. 2163 spins for 2126. 2163 arrives into DC about 6pm. 2126 leaves at 7pm and boards around 645 or so. Bottom line is there is no time to take the trains to a wye or loop to spin them for First Class to be on a set end. 

Apparently I was unclear in my intent.  What I'm saying is they should never loop or wye the Acela trains, except in unusual situations like PTC/ACSES not working in front unit.  For example, all odd number Acelas would have the FC car in the front, and even numbered trains, the rear.  It allows fast, at platform changes of train# and direction.

 

[Anderson]

Let me rephrase what I think bratkinson was trying to say...

From north to south (or vice-versa), an Acela should always be:
Power Car
First Class
Quiet Car
BC/Cafe Cars
Power Car

This way, the train can pull straight into WAS (or BOS) and the crew merely needs to go to the other end to take the train back in the opposite direction.

 

[Acela150]

Apparently I was unclear in my intent.  What I'm saying is they should never loop or wye the Acela trains, except in unusual situations like PTC/ACSES not working in front unit.  For example, all odd number Acelas would have the FC car in the front, and even numbered trains, the rear.  It allows fast, at platform changes of train# and direction.

Operations just don't work that way. 

Let me rephrase what I think bratkinson was trying to say...

From north to south (or vice-versa), an Acela should always be:
Power Car
First Class
Quiet Car
BC/Cafe Cars
Power Car

This way, the train can pull straight into WAS (or BOS) and the crew merely needs to go to the other end to take the train back in the opposite direction.

Thanks I got the jist.