It also differs when you are at a station with a gate and/or escalators. They may bring/send passengers early from the gate, but then encounter the lift or bridge plate issue at trainside.
Assigned seats on the train?
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mackinaw chief
Train Attendant
Have one dedicated car for groups and one for single(1) passengers. Don't micro manage the conductor assigned seating conductor and attendants. Please let the passengers decides whom sits with them. On the Zephyr the micro manager seat czar sat me next to another 350 pound person I'm like forget this I charged cars and told them. Please think before you assign seats. Also on crescent another micro manager sat me with a woman and her 2 children the micro manager said so what I said use your head you never sit an adult man next to a female child. So he said if you don't like this I will put you in the bulkhead I'm like fine but the guy does it again. I went back to him and said come on you really need to go back to training. I went on platform at NYP and asked station person to get Amtrak manager he came in I explained what went on and he shook his head and said I'll take care of it. Well within a few minutes the conductor never sat any one in the seat next to me for the rest of the way to NOL
Also when it's 70 to 90 percent full let us spread out. No need to scold us.
i was on a sold out Silver Star in Coach earlier this month. When I boarded I was told to sit in one of 30 specified rows. Obviously these were seats for single travelers. At least I had a choice. I dislike being told where to sit. I have had my share of overweight and obnoxious seatmates…and agree if the train isn’t full please let us choose our own seats. Having both seats to yourself is the optimum when traveling Coach,especially overnight. Making the passenger as comfortable as possible should be a top priority.
On the same token - that big fat customer would no doubt appreciate being in a seat for two to spread out !
Like most airlines paying a premium fare one should get to select the seat in the premium fare area - - -
Some seats rows are more desirable - i.e. exit rows and bulkhead - - -
Using the rule first come first serve is fine - but fine tune it !
When a train is sold out to occupancy - not much can be done - except to fit all the puzzle pieces as best as can.
On a number of occasions over the years I've heard conductors use the line of "if you paid for one seat, only occupy one seat" on a sold-out(-ish) train. I do honestly wonder if any of them have ever had someone respond by producing two tickets in hand...
[It is just regrettable that there is no way to credit both of "your" seats to yourself in such a situation.]
ehbowen
Engineer
The bus will almost certainly be open seating. On the train from Longview it's up to the specific crew/conductor, but they're generally receptive to requests to change if there is room.
Curious as to how they decide who gets to spread out? And who doesn’t? So if I understand this correctly if a family of let’s say 4-5 who makes reservations late due to a death should then sit in single seats with whomever is already there? Nice!!!!
That's what would likely happen on most airlines even though there are now guarantees to sit families together. Regardless of the reason for travel, I am not happy as a single traveler with the attitude that I need to forfeit a seat that I obtained through effort in planning merely because a larger group of people want to sit together.
Mailliw
OBS Chief
I dislike sitting next to children, but seating policies like that are discriminatory (against both men & women) Airlines have gotten alot of flack, not to mention lawsuits, for stuff like that.
Devil's Advocate
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Amtrak's steadfast refusal to sell two seats to a single passenger at double the cost confuses me to no end. If the fear is that someone will be left behind then add protections that prevent this during busy holidays and X% booked in coach.
I have never been asked to move for this reason. Contrarily, I have been moved for dozens of groups and "families" that never boarded anywhere along my route.
It's absolutely discriminatory but in the era of accuvictions being marginalized is better than being ruined over nothing.
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You can't win. On the NEC, half the people board at Boston South Station and immediately spread out one per window seat, especially on the ocean side. Then the other half board at Back Bay and Route 128, and no one wants to move to allow two people to sit together.
Unrelated, I commuted on the Metro North out of Grand Central for many years, and the conductors were militant about blocking off cars toward the head of the train so they didn't have to walk so far to look for people getting off at various stations. I've seen people standing with three cars blocked off. And like the guy above, they don't want to hear about it.
On the positive side, I once booked a group of 10 people in the Downeaster Business Class. When we boarded, I was surprised to see 10 seats with hand-made "Battuello" signs placed on ten adjacent seats!
Unrelated, I commuted on the Metro North out of Grand Central for many years, and the conductors were militant about blocking off cars toward the head of the train so they didn't have to walk so far to look for people getting off at various stations. I've seen people standing with three cars blocked off. And like the guy above, they don't want to hear about it.
On the positive side, I once booked a group of 10 people in the Downeaster Business Class. When we boarded, I was surprised to see 10 seats with hand-made "Battuello" signs placed on ten adjacent seats!
UserNameRequired
Lead Service Attendant
Story about children on a plane:
https://www.tmz.com/2023/04/19/man-southwest-flight-freak-out-crying-baby-video-plane/I wonder if this passenger deserved the accuviction?
Devil's Advocate
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If it's on video then it's direct evidence, although with the proliferation of artificially generated content who knows if that will be true much longer. I fly more than most forum members seem to but I've yet to encounter any TMZ-level freakouts on any of my flights and with newer chairs no longer reclining (in the usual sense) the one factor that could set me off will soon be gone. As for dealing with crying babies...I wonder if this passenger deserved the accuviction?
https://www.bose.com/en_us/products...ng_headphones/quietcomfort-headphones-45.html
Hi - visitor from the UK here. It's seems strange to me that there's not a general seat reservation system in an advanced country like the US. Apart from on commuter trains obvs this is completely normal in Britain and Europe. Anyway, me saying that isn't going to change anything!
I've booked tickets for July from Albany to NYC and NYC to Boston (on different days) in coach. On the Boston journey it's not a problem because it's a terminus (although it would have been nice to choose where we sit in advance) but joining the train at Albany I have no idea where is the best place to stand on the platform to give us the best chance to find seats where we want to be - and being British we would like to avoid chatty fellow passengers as much as possible!
I've booked tickets for July from Albany to NYC and NYC to Boston (on different days) in coach. On the Boston journey it's not a problem because it's a terminus (although it would have been nice to choose where we sit in advance) but joining the train at Albany I have no idea where is the best place to stand on the platform to give us the best chance to find seats where we want to be - and being British we would like to avoid chatty fellow passengers as much as possible!
If your ALB-NYP train is originating in Albany then there should be no problem. We Americans don't like to walk, so moving as far away from the stairs is probably the best bet. Be sure to sit on the right side for the views along the Hudson.
Albany is an interesting place, since a number of NYC bound trains originate there. In addition, some (but not all) of the trains originating further out do an engine swap at Albany to drop the P42(s) and pick up a DM. On those trains, you might get a red cap to "pre board" you, this opens up your ability to pick seating quite a bit. The trains that just make a shorter stop, (just crew change I think) see above.
"Albany is anintersting place, since a number of NYC bound trains originate there. In addition, some (but not all) of the trains originating further out do an engine swap at Albany to drop the P42(s) and pick up a DM. On those trains, you might get a red cap to "pre board" you, this opens up your ability to pick seating quite a bit. The trains that just make a shorter stop, (just crew change I think) see above."
Thanks for the tips. Actually we're booked on the Ethan Allen 'Express' so IDK. I've worked for 38+ years on the railways both as a train driver and (since 1993) as an operational manager dealing with incidents and train crew - I'm sure it'll be obvious when I get there but I prefer to be well prepared!
Thanks for the tips. Actually we're booked on the Ethan Allen 'Express' so IDK. I've worked for 38+ years on the railways both as a train driver and (since 1993) as an operational manager dealing with incidents and train crew - I'm sure it'll be obvious when I get there but I prefer to be well prepared!
A "Red Cap" is a station luggage porter. It is a very old term in US railroading. Unfortunately, Albany is not one of the stations where their services are available, which is only offered at a few of the larger stations.
https://www.amtrak.com/onboard/baggage-policy/at-station-baggage-services.html
While I have not ridden the Ethan Allen Express, I have ridden the Maple Leaf several times. The train usually has a good load onboard the time it gets to Albany. However, the crew usually has one coach locked off that they open up at Albany. On the Maple Leaf it is the coach furthest forward. Since both trains have Business Class/Cafe car on the rear, if the Ethan Allen Express' crew follow the practice of locking off a car for occupancy at Albany, it'll be the forward most car as well.
Albany controls access to the platforms. You will not be permitted down to the platform until the train is called and there will be an agent checking tickets at the top of the stairs. My experiences on the Maple Leaf and the Lake Shore is they typically will not open the train for boarding by Albany passengers until the engine chamge is complete.
Assuming they have blocked a coach and it is on the head end, my advice is to be towards the front of the boarding line (which will likely start to form before the train is called), and head toward the front of the train once down on the platform, to your left facing away from the station headhouse if going to NYC.
Right, I forgot that Albany is no Red Cap. I've seen folks helped down the elevator (to avoid the escalators) with wheelchairs and luggage, but those were baggage and station folks, not Red Caps. My home station is NY Penn, I have to get some things out of my head when not there.
No, but there is a huge turnover at Penn Station, so many seats become available.
Penn Station is the one station I use Red Caps at because they'll take you down to the platform early. Boarding at Penn Station can very much be a scrum.
Red Caps at Penn are on the Moynihan side now, btw.
That's wild to me. If New Haven can do it, Albany can, with its long-distance trains.
This is by far my biggest gripe about traveling on the NEC: impossible to secure seats for group travel, which is often the most stressful type. Would also rid of the issue of seat hogging: I'd just tell you to move your stuff. Regardless, it's still the easiest and least-stressful way to travel; just could be cheaper. Just hit 30k miles!
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There were several red caps on duty in Alb when I passed thru a few months ago.....
