Coast Starlight Business Class

[Peter KG6LSE]

I was Just on the CS on thursday down to LA for the weekend. We were early!!!..Outta Eugene we Had a Really cool and hip ( and competent ! ) young conductor !

Things are changing. The PPCs are a gmmick for sleeper pax on the CS that no other train gets . Be happy you had them this long..

I dont think I would pay for bix in normal superliner layouts. I know the floor is not made for this , but IF they can pull off 1X1

seats then it would be worth it !. not Wider seats just more side room for bags and such . a few desks in the car.

SO us biz users can do paperwork on more then a itty bitty seat.

Oh right its called the sweet TALGO cascades.

 

[Ronbo]

When I was on it a couple weeks ago, it was an entire car. And yes, it was between the lounge and the diner.

I am curious as to how many passengers are taking advantage of the Business Class coach, is it anywhere near full or just a few? Also being between the SSL and the Diner, is there a lot of traffic from the Coaches to the Diner and if that is a disruption? Anybody have any experience in this regard lately?

 

[thedeecee]

I'll be riding this next week, LAX-OKJ, and I'm curious to see how it goes. I used points, so I might have a different perspective than if I paid. Can't wait to get on another long distance train!

 

[chakk]

I rode the CS last week from central Oregon to cental California. Regular coach was completely full. Business coach was nearly empty. I saw only one person pay the $60 upcharge to move into business coach.

 

[neroden]

I rode the CS last week from central Oregon to cental California. Regular coach was completely full. Business coach was nearly empty. I saw only one person pay the $60 upcharge to move into business coach.

You were riding the lowest-population section of the route (Sacramento to Eugene). I'm actually shocked that regular coach was completely full, and it shows why the Coast Starlight has pretty good cost recovery. BC probably sells its tickets north of there and south of there.

 

[chakk]

I was told that the large load in the two regular coaches on the CS was related to Spring Break.

 

[desertflyer]

Is it possible to upgrade once on the train? I may just stick with coach, but if it is particularly full I may want to upgrade for $30 from OKJ-LAX. I was hoping to use my AGR upgrade coupon, but it's not valid on the Starlight.

 

[chakk]

Yes, it is possible to upgrade to Business from coach while on board on the CS. Talk to the conductor. Upcharge is about $60 as of last month.

 

[ceo418]

I know this is an older topic, but I wanted to ask a couple of things anyway. There''s a chance I'll be taking the Coast Starlight from Seattle to Albany, OR, in August for the eclipse (I already have a place to stay and all that). If I do take the train, would it be worth it to upgrade to Business Class for that length of time? Also, sorry if this was answered elsewhere, but is Business Class an entirely separate coach car or is it just a section of a coach car? Thanks for any insight!

 

[Matthew1551]

I know this is an older topic, but I wanted to ask a couple of things anyway. There''s a chance I'll be taking the Coast Starlight from Seattle to Albany, OR, in August for the eclipse (I already have a place to stay and all that). If I do take the train, would it be worth it to upgrade to Business Class for that length of time? Also, sorry if this was answered elsewhere, but is Business Class an entirely separate coach car or is it just a section of a coach car? Thanks for any insight!

Business Class isn't much of an upgrade seat wise. If you'd like some extra quiet and to sit on the bottom of the coach, (business class is on the bottom of a normal Coach car) then go for it. You do get a free water and a voucher on food. I'm a little rusty on the subject but I hope I helped!

 

[texline]

Unless it has changed, the CS has a separate coach car located between the PPC and SSL for business class. In my travels, maybe a dozen passengers in business class. Lots of room. They allowed business class to come into the PPC for a wine tasting. I don't ride in coach. It has been packed on my trips and I prefer less crowded.

 

[Ronbo]

I know this is an older topic, but I wanted to ask a couple of things anyway. There''s a chance I'll be taking the Coast Starlight from Seattle to Albany, OR, in August for the eclipse (I already have a place to stay and all that). If I do take the train, would it be worth it to upgrade to Business Class for that length of time? Also, sorry if this was answered elsewhere, but is Business Class an entirely separate coach car or is it just a section of a coach car? Thanks for any insight!

I don't have any experience riding BC on the Starlight, but I do have a question for you about the eclipse! I might consider taking the same trip. Is Albany a good place to view it, and if so, what day in August, and at what time of the day? Thanks for any insight from you!
P.S.......I just did a quick Google search and found all the info I was looking for! August 21st, 10:17 am.

First total eclipse in 26 years, would love to view it!

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

Having rode the Coast Starlight in January, I can attest that the BC is a full car with leather seats between the Dining Car and the Sight Seer Lounge. I was traveling in sleeper but walked through the BC car and it appeared to be very nice with just a few passengers so no problem having a whole row to yourself. Appeared to be very quiet.

I should also note that since my trip was in January, there was no PPC parlor car.

 

[Aegis]

Having rode the Coast Starlight in January, I can attest that the BC is a full car with leather seats between the Dining Car and the Sight Seer Lounge. I was traveling in sleeper but walked through the BC car and it appeared to be very nice with just a few passengers so no problem having a whole row to yourself. Appeared to be very quiet.

I should also note that since my trip was in January, there was no PPC parlor car.

My experience also on the CS.. Coach car was the last one or two cars..

 

[SP&S]

Having rode the Coast Starlight in January, I can attest that the BC is a full car with leather seats between the Dining Car and the Sight Seer Lounge. I was traveling in sleeper but walked through the BC car and it appeared to be very nice with just a few passengers so no problem having a whole row to yourself. Appeared to be very quiet.

I should also note that since my trip was in January, there was no PPC parlor car.

I was on 14(21) and walked from my sleeper through BC to go to the lounge. There was no leather to be found as the seats looked identical to regular coach, additionally there was a paucity of passengers - they can't be making money on this. The seat pitch may have been greater but I'm not sure as Mrs SP&S says to get a bedroom. I don't know that I'd pay the extra fare.

 

[Blackwolf]

Having rode the Coast Starlight in January, I can attest that the BC is a full car with leather seats between the Dining Car and the Sight Seer Lounge. I was traveling in sleeper but walked through the BC car and it appeared to be very nice with just a few passengers so no problem having a whole row to yourself. Appeared to be very quiet.

I should also note that since my trip was in January, there was no PPC parlor car.

I was on 14(21) and walked from my sleeper through BC to go to the lounge. There was no leather to be found as the seats looked identical to regular coach, additionally there was a paucity of passengers - they can't be making money on this. The seat pitch may have been greater but I'm not sure as Mrs SP&S says to get a bedroom. I don't know that I'd pay the extra fare.

What portion of the route were you on when you walked through? I can promise you they make money; it's a popular car only on certain portions of the run, but not others. And especially the full length of the run.

 

[CCC1007]

From what I understand there is at least one car that has leather seat covers that the Los Angeles car shop put on each seat.

 

[ceo418]

As to the eclipse, all I know other than the date and time is that I'll be at a winery near Monmouth, Oregon, which is in the path of totality. I live in New Jersey but will be flying to Seattle and visiting family that will be heading down there a couple of days earlier, so I'd be taking the train to catch up with them. Thanks for all the info from everyone.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

Having rode the Coast Starlight in January, I can attest that the BC is a full car with leather seats between the Dining Car and the Sight Seer Lounge. I was traveling in sleeper but walked through the BC car and it appeared to be very nice with just a few passengers so no problem having a whole row to yourself. Appeared to be very quiet.

I should also note that since my trip was in January, there was no PPC parlor car.

I was on 14(21) and walked from my sleeper through BC to go to the lounge. There was no leather to be found as the seats looked identical to regular coach, additionally there was a paucity of passengers - they can't be making money on this. The seat pitch may have been greater but I'm not sure as Mrs SP&S says to get a bedroom. I don't know that I'd pay the extra fare.

What portion of the route were you on when you walked through? I can promise you they make money; it's a popular car only on certain portions of the run, but not others. And especially the full length of the run.

My trip was Emeryville to Los Angeles on a Sunday. I definitely remember the seats being leather.

 

[SP&S]

Probably some cars with leather, some without. I think I was going thru between SLO and PRB. Perhaps not the most popular stretch, I hope they make money on it.

 

[sechs]

I rode business class LAX-SLO last year because the CS schedule was more convenient than the Surfliner.

It was nice to be able to camp out on two seats on the view side and very little foot traffic, and use the voucher for lunch in the diner. When the train is busy, this would be easily make sense as an upgrade.

There was one guy on my train who was going all the way to Seattle. If the choice was business class or coach, I'm sure that he made the right decision.

 

[chakk]

Probably some cars with leather, some without. I think I was going thru between SLO and PRB. Perhaps not the most popular stretch, I hope they make money on it.

When I rode 11(19) earlier this month in business coach, the car had "standard" cloth seats throughout the upper level and all-leather seats throughout the lower level.

 

[AmtrakLKL]

I was on 14(21) and walked from my sleeper through BC to go to the lounge. There was no leather to be found as the seats looked identical to regular coach, additionally there was a paucity of passengers - they can't be making money on this. The seat pitch may have been greater but I'm not sure as Mrs SP&S says to get a bedroom. I don't know that I'd pay the extra fare.

It's all incremental revenue with almost no incremental cost. They aren't running an extra car and using more fuel to pull it up and down the coast. No attendants were added. There is a small cost for the soft amenities, but that's covered by the added BC charge. So, every coach passenger that buys up is going straight to the bottom line. Of course, there is the potential for a higher revenue sleeper passenger to downgrade and spend less money, but that doesn't seem to be an issue.

 

[chakk]

The upper level of my business coach had no increase in seat pitch versus a regular superliner coach.

Here are photos of both the upper and lower levels of my business coach.

 

[ceo418]

Those are nice pictures! I think I will go business class for my trip A couple more questions, just about details. Does anyone know when passengers get the promised water bottles (i.e. as you board, once on board and underway, etc.)? And when do you receive the voucher you can use for meals? Also, is there an attendant for the car or is it just taken care of by a nearby coach attendant? I assume you can hear all the same announcements as the rest of the train, including meal times, etc.?