Business Class differences?

[jis]

Another advantage to business class over coach is that the seats are assigned. You know you have a seat before you board, and thus you don't need to join the scrum to board first. This isn't true for the business class off the NEC. Also, business class has curtains to shade the windows, which Amfleet 1 and Horizon coaches don't have.

This true on extended NEC. I had assigned seat in BC on the Carolinian between Raleigh and Greensboro. AFAIK the Palmetto also has assigned seat in BC even off NEC.

 

[MARC Rider]

This true on extended NEC. I had assigned seat in BC on the Carolinian between Raleigh and Greensboro. AFAIK the Palmetto also has assigned seat in BC even off NEC.

No assigned seats in BC on the Etan Allen Express, and no assigned seats in BC on the Cascades (at least not on the Vancouver-Seattle-Portland train I rode.) Not sure how it's handled in California or the Midwest.

 

[jis]

No assigned seats in BC on the Etan Allen Express, and no assigned seats in BC on the Cascades (at least not on the Vancouver-Seattle-Portland train I rode.) Not sure how it's handled in California or the Midwest.

That is why I specifically said "extended NEC". I know that BC assigned seating is not available on many regional services that do not touch the NEC.

In general, it is hard to do assigned seating only on part of a run of a train. So if the train has assigned seating on the NEC portion it is likely that it has assigned seating in its entire run. Of course there is the other choice of not having assigned seating in its entire run, or in select cars too. But fortunately at present there is only one BC car in a train (other than the fake BC on Acelas, and some California trains where a Superliner convert is used as a BC in addition to the regular BC)

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

No assigned seats in BC on the Etan Allen Express, and no assigned seats in BC on the Cascades (at least not on the Vancouver-Seattle-Portland train I rode.) Not sure how it's handled in California or the Midwest.

There were no assigned seats in BC on the Lincoln Service/Missouri River Runner when the hubby & I rode it in October (and only 1 free drink/BC passenger). In fact, we weren't able to sit together until a passenger who had boarded at an earlier stop got off at Bloomington, IL (about 1 hour after we boarded).

 

[MARC Rider]

There were no assigned seats in BC on the Lincoln Service/Missouri River Runner when the hubby & I rode it in October (and only 1 free drink/BC passenger). In fact, we weren't able to sit together until a passenger who had boarded at an earlier stop got off at Bloomington, IL (about 1 hour after we boarded).

Also, no assigned business class seats on the Maple Leaf, either.

 

[Old MM]

BC on the Wolverines don’t have assigned seats and I assume none of the Michigan trains do. The amenities have ever so gradually scaled back to the point where it has no value now imho.

 

[fdaley]

BC on the Wolverines don’t have assigned seats and I assume none of the Michigan trains do. The amenities have ever so gradually scaled back to the point where it has no value now imho.

When I last rode the Wolverine in BC in 2018, I was given a copy of the day's New York Times, which really impressed me as this perquisite had been gone for some time from the Empire Service BC, just as newspaper delivery had been dropped from the LD sleeper cars. I guess the newspaper is gone from the Wolverine BC now too?

 

[Old MM]

When I last rode the Wolverine in BC in 2018, I was given a copy of the day's New York Times, which really impressed me as this perquisite had been gone for some time from the Empire Service BC, just as newspaper delivery had been dropped from the LD sleeper cars. I guess the newspaper is gone from the Wolverine BC now too?

Correct, no newspaper.

 

[Brian Battuello]

There's been a lot of discussion about how many non-alcoholic drinks you are entitled to in Business Class. I've experienced both "just one" and multiple about the same number of times.

But this time I had a unique situation, where I happened to get the same guy on the Maine Downeaster in both directions a day apart. On the trip up, he gave me two comped diet sodas. On the way south, he charged me for the second one. He was a really nice guy, and I asked him about it. He said that at least on the Downeaster, they have to account exactly for every comped drink, as part of the inventory. He is only allowed to give out exactly one comped drink per seat. He said that on my trip north, there were many empty seats, so he had plenty of extra, but on the way back, business class was full. I asked him what happened if the same seat was occupied by two people with different trip segments, and he said he had to write a note explaining why he had used more than his comps. He said they were very strict about it, and his supervisor would check his report and exact inventory on every trip. I'm surprised they don't check to see how many business class seats were purchased .

Again, he was quite pleasant and seemed knowledgeable, so I don't see why he would be making it up. At least on the Downeaster website FAQ, they say "and a non-alcoholic beverage served to your seat".

 

[PaTrainFan]

There's been a lot of discussion about how many non-alcoholic drinks you are entitled to in Business Class. I've experienced both "just one" and multiple about the same number of times.

But this time I had a unique situation, where I happened to get the same guy on the Maine Downeaster in both directions a day apart. On the trip up, he gave me two comped diet sodas. On the way south, he charged me for the second one. He was a really nice guy, and I asked him about it. He said that at least on the Downeaster, they have to account exactly for every comped drink, as part of the inventory. He is only allowed to give out exactly one comped drink per seat. He said that on my trip north, there were many empty seats, so he had plenty of extra, but on the way back, business class was full. I asked him what happened if the same seat was occupied by two people with different trip segments, and he said he had to write a note explaining why he had used more than his comps. He said they were very strict about it, and his supervisor would check his report and exact inventory on every trip. I'm surprised they don't check to see how many business class seats were purchased .

Again, he was quite pleasant and seemed knowledgeable, so I don't see why he would be making it up. At least on the Downeaster website FAQ, they say "and a non-alcoholic beverage served to your seat".

That's a different take on bean counting.

 

[Brian Battuello]

One of my first jobs was in a movie theater lobby. The manager was an inventory nut case. There was a key to the supply room and we had to count out exactly 50 cups and 50 popcorn containers of each size and sign them out to the stand. At the end of the day, we had to total the register and list every purchase by exact size, and he would compare to the cup/container inventory. Of course every candy bar had to be accounted for as well, by exact type. We'd show him the proofed inventory and he'd sign it at the end of the day.

I was trained to offer butter (which was actually really good quality) for popcorn, and if accepted dispense one, two or three squirts depending on size. No one told me I couldn't give extra butter, so I often did. After I'd been there a few weeks, the manager called a shift meeting and said, among other things, that someone was using too much butter.

 

[joelkfla]

One of my first jobs was in a movie theater lobby. The manager was an inventory nut case. There was a key to the supply room and we had to count out exactly 50 cups and 50 popcorn containers of each size and sign them out to the stand. At the end of the day, we had to total the register and list every purchase by exact size, and he would compare to the cup/container inventory. Of course every candy bar had to be accounted for as well, by exact type. We'd show him the proofed inventory and he'd sign it at the end of the day.

I was trained to offer butter (which was actually really good quality) for popcorn, and if accepted dispense one, two or three squirts depending on size. No one told me I couldn't give extra butter, so I often did. After I'd been there a few weeks, the manager called a shift meeting and said, among other things, that someone was using too much butter.

I think the cup counting is SOP at the majority of fast food places. That's why most have a different cup for free water, and employees usually have a reusable plastic cup.

 

[PVD]

That's a different take on bean counting.

Downeaster food service and its employees are not Amtrak provided.

 

[Brian Battuello]

That's why they have moon pies! Not that I can have one

And to make up for derailing the topic with popcorn, let me mention that they are having a strange set of track work related delays on the Downeaster, and the conductors complained mightily to each other and anyone that asked that the northbound train was always sidinged (sidled?) so the southbound train could fly from Brunswick to Boston unimpeded. We spent three sessions of about 20 minutes each admiring pine trees. We pulled into Brunswick about 1:15 late. I was on holiday and didn't care, but a few people with appointments and/or people waiting at stations were a bit miffed. And apparently it is SOP that at exactly one hour late they walk down the train handing out free ride coupons.

Long distance Amtrak riders know that the "schedule" is somewhere between a suggestion and a work of fiction, but apparently the Downeaster is usually reliable.