Coast Starlight Business Class

[Yumacool]

Does anyone know the status of business class travel on the Coast Starlight? Providing a separate business class seating area on the train was an experiment that has, apparently, been terminated, for I see no way of reserving a business class seat for future travel. Does anyone know what happened?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I see business class for #14 on 4/13/15. Maybe the day you're traveling they're sold out?

 

[Yumacool]

I guess that's possible, but I put in several dates and saw nothing about business class. Do you know if it has been successful and that Amtrak will continue to offer it in the future?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Are you looking in the last column where rooms are listed? That's where the business class is listed also.

 

[niemi24s]

AmSnag [edit: and Arrow] shows BC is not available (SO) on the CS after 31 Aug 2016.

 

[PaulM]

Maybe the day you're traveling they're sold out?

No! If something is sold out it says sold out. It doesn't disappear.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Maybe the day you're traveling they're sold out?

No! If something is sold out it says sold out. It doesn't disappear.

That's what I thought, actually.

 

[CCC1007]

Could they be upgrading some cars to better serve as business class?

 

[afigg]

I guess that's possible, but I put in several dates and saw nothing about business class. Do you know if it has been successful and that Amtrak will continue to offer it in the future?

Go to the Premium column on the reservation page and click on change to cycle between roomette, bedroom and BC seats. Yes, BC is less than obvious, but Amtrak will have to revise their reservation option page to have 5 columns or other revisions to more clearly BC as an option for the LD trains.

 

[Seaboard92]

The other day I was handling a reservation for a client on the California Zephyr. And it had business class available for 40 dollars for CHI-DEN. But only on one random day in September. Maybe that's a precursor of things to come

 

[Blackwolf]

To meet ADA requirements, Amtrak only has to provide one lower level coach cabin accommodation per Superliner-equipped train, correct? I know many will scoff, but if I were Amtrak and looking for easy income, it seems a no-brainer to retrofit a number of Superliner coaches (say, 40% of the fleet) to have their lower level compartment be 2x1 business class with reclining leather seats and upsale the accommodation on every LD western route.

 

[rms492]

I actually just did business class on Sunday from Oakland to Los Angeles, it was FANTASTIC. Only like 8 other people in the entire coach, wifi worked great, 2 waters, and the vouchers as advertised, train arrived like 35 minutes early into LA....one person actually complained that they were early...people complain when its late, they complain when its early, JESUS!

I walked back to the regular coaches just to see...YUCK, it was packed, smelled, and people sleeping all over the seats and food smells and feet smell everywhere. Sorry, but the clientele on Amtrak coach is heading downhill. It wasn't like this 20 years ago.

I really hope they dont get rid of business class!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I actually just did business class on Sunday from Oakland to Los Angeles, it was FANTASTIC. Only like 8 other people in the entire coach, wifi worked great, 2 waters, and the vouchers as advertised, train arrived like 35 minutes early into LA....one person actually complained that they were early...people complain when its late, they complain when its early, JESUS!

I walked back to the regular coaches just to see...YUCK, it was packed, smelled, and people sleeping all over the seats and food smells and feet smell everywhere. Sorry, but the clientele on Amtrak coach is heading downhill. It wasn't like this 20 years ago.

I really hope they dont get rid of business class!

Huh, Amtrak is supposed to be available to EVERYONE. It's a mode of transportation. And I have ridden in coach a couple of times and take offense at this statement.

 

[niemi24s]

In spite of all the intervening blathering, as mentioned about 3 hours ago Business class on the Coast Starlight is not available after 31 Aug 2016 as shown by both Arrow and (quite naturally) AmSnag. The OP's initial question thus remains unanswered. Is BC on the CS actually ending 6 months from now, or is this merely some sort of anomaly in Arrow?

 

[CCC1007]

Last I heard the business class experiment was successful and would be permanently in place, as much as that means when it comes to Amtrak.

 

[niemi24s]

Maybe permanent for Amtrak is found in six month doses. Or, if BC was just an experiment, perhaps the experiment ends on 31 August 2016? And if the experiment was a success, it has yet to be made permanent?

 

[Acela150]

I actually just did business class on Sunday from Oakland to Los Angeles, it was FANTASTIC. Only like 8 other people in the entire coach, wifi worked great, 2 waters, and the vouchers as advertised, train arrived like 35 minutes early into LA....one person actually complained that they were early...people complain when its late, they complain when its early, JESUS!

I walked back to the regular coaches just to see...YUCK, it was packed, smelled, and people sleeping all over the seats and food smells and feet smell everywhere. Sorry, but the clientele on Amtrak coach is heading downhill. It wasn't like this 20 years ago.

I really hope they dont get rid of business class!

Huh, Amtrak is supposed to be available to EVERYONE. It's a mode of transportation. And I have ridden in coach a couple of times and take offense at this statement.

I agree with Betty. While I normally use Sleeping accommodations. I have met Betty several times and consider her a great person to talk with. I also understand why she has had to ride coach.

Which leads me to the question of since when is there a "standard" to ride in coach?? Is there a standard to ride a subway? No, right? Is there a standard to ride Amtrak that I don't know about? It's unfair to judge other people without knowing their whole story.

 

[neroden]

To meet ADA requirements, Amtrak only has to provide one lower level coach cabin accommodation per Superliner-equipped train, correct?

Incorrect.
ADA rule: every newly purchased, rebuilt, or reconfigured coach must have one or two wheelchair spaces. The regulations are being reconsidered to make it possible for a group of people in wheelchairs to travel together. (Fold-down seats are allowed.)

(Note that this makes the coach-above baggage-below configuration illegal for new construction. All old cars are grandfathered.)

General ADA rule: people with disabilities must not be discriminated against.

The rules say nothing about business class vs. coach class, but there are some implications:

(1) The business class car needs its own wheelchair space. (People in wheelchairs must have the business class option.)

(2) The number of accessible coach seats must be reasonably high. (People in wheelchairs must not be *forced* into the business class option due to lack of coach seats.)

 

[jis]

This is why Surfliner and California Car like lower levels are likely to become the norm, and the Superliner-like lower level's days are numbered to as long as the grandfathered equipment is around.

 

[KmH]

I actually just did business class on Sunday from Oakland to Los Angeles, it was FANTASTIC. Only like 8 other people in the entire coach, wifi worked great, 2 waters, and the vouchers as advertised, train arrived like 35 minutes early into LA....one person actually complained that they were early...people complain when its late, they complain when its early, JESUS!

I walked back to the regular coaches just to see...YUCK, it was packed, smelled, and people sleeping all over the seats and food smells and feet smell everywhere. Sorry, but the clientele on Amtrak coach is heading downhill. It wasn't like this 20 years ago.

I really hope they dont get rid of business class!

Huh, Amtrak is supposed to be available to EVERYONE. It's a mode of transportation. And I have ridden in coach a couple of times and take offense at this statement.

Air travel was different 20 years ago too.

I too was offended.

On long distance Amtrak trips I usually book a coach seat for part of my trip, and a roomette for part of my trip.

I've not had a bad experience riding in Coach.

Coach passengers can't shower, but most coach passengers riding a long distance maintain an acceptable level of cleanliness.

Most long distance coach passengers don't spend more than 24 hours on the train.

And I suspect the food smells and feet smells comment was embellishment.

A majority of Amtrak's passengers ride in Coach, and every US citizen is a part owner since Amtrak is supported with Federal money.

 

[niemi24s]

Now that the forum's social workers have begun chiming in with stuff having nothing to do with the OP's original question, I've taken the liberty of emailing this question to Amtrak: "Arrow currently shows the last day for Business Class on the Coast Starlight will be 31 August 2016. Will it be continued past 31 August 2016?" Will post Amtrak's reply.

Carry on!

 

[AferVentus]

It could be a glitch in their system, too. I'm taking the Coast Starlight next Friday, March 11 on a sleeper. I am traveling from Irvine to San Francisco Shopping Center (SFS). When I put that option into the online system, it will only let me book business class under the "premium" option (sleeper isn't even an option), but when I put LAX as my starting point, I have all booking options, including a sleeper available. I called into AGR (I booked this on points), and it took them over 30 minutes to add the Pacific Surfliner from Irvine to LAX - the agent said the business class booking option is really messing with a lot of reservations.

 

[PaulM]

This a new one on me: an accommodation but no price.

 

[Bob Dylan]

This a new one on me: an accommodation but no price.

Grab it while it's "Free" Paul!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

This a new one on me: an accommodation but no price.

Maybe they're considering changing the price after August, but haven't put it into the system yet. Just a guess.