How do feel about riding "Coach" ?

[Maglev]

I unabashedly like comfort and privacy. I will only fly first-class, and get a room or go business class on trains. A corollary is that I cannot afford to travel often, because I am poor, but I am very content to stay at home (the comfort and privacy levels at home are supreme).

 

[MrNews]

At my age (65), medical condition (IBD), and temperament (psuedo elite), there's no way I would take a 24-hour train trip in Coach. On my first LD trip 10 years ago, I walked through Coach (full) and thought: "Sixty people and one (unsavory) bathroom? No way in Hades." I suppose I could save money, and wait until I'm 80 before going First Class, but why? Most Coach passengers are just trying to get from point A to point B, and not break the bank. Or they may be taking a shorter trip and not need the extra comfort & privacy. But Mrs. News and I have always thought "the journey is half the fun," and we have always had a good time in our tiny roomette. I sleep like a log for nearly ½ the journey, and arrive feeling great. Were I 40 years younger (and proportionately poorer) I would definitely be in Coach. (At age 22, I slept on the icy metal floor of a train from Zurich to Milan, being so student-poor I couldn't even afford a seat! Been there, done that.)

 

[Nashua]

I can't imagine riding in a sleeper at this point in my life, because I don't make that much money. Most Americans, frankly, never reach the point where they can comfortably pay for sleeper service.

With Northeastern trips, you pretty much only have a choice between coach and slightly better coach, so I'm used to it. Then again, there's only really one overnight trip on the corridor. I've done one two-night Superliner coach trip and I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable it was, all things considered. I've taken many overnight bus trips in the US and in other countries, and Superliner coach feels like luxury in comparison. I love that recline. The only two things I really wished for were being able to use the shower, and having the air conditioning turned down.

 

[Qapla]

I have ridden both the Silvers between NYC and JAX - all of them overnight trips. I rode coach both ways on both trains.

The lights were dimmed at either 10 or 11 PM and they announced "quiet hours" - I rode for some time in the cafe car just because I was not ready for sleep. I noticed many were asleep or watching their tablets or phone. The attendants made sure anyone with a device was using earbuds or headsets.

The trains were reasonably dark enough to sleep and remained quiet through the night.

When I was ready to sleep, I had no problem sleeping in the reclined coach seat - no, I did not slide out or need my feet to stick out in the aisle. I did not notice constant loud announcements through the night - I did notice the attendants tapping people on the shoulder as they neared their stop and they hadn't prepared to get off the train.

While I would like to try a roomette for the experience, I would not have any qualms about riding coach from one coast to the other.

 

[hlcteacher]

i prefer coach even on my long distance cross county trips

 

[Eric in East County]

The first and only time we spent the night in coach was in 1993 when we rode the Empire Builder from Seattle to Glacier National Park. This was back in the bad old days when smoking was still allowed onboard. Much to our annoyance, we were assigned seats in the one coach that had a section for smokers at the rear. We explained to the conductor that we were non-smokers, and couldn’t we be moved to a non-smoking coach? She was not at all sympathetic and we had to stay where we were. As a result of having to breathe the second-hand smoke all night, we arrived at Glacier with irritated throats and sinuses and thoroughly pissed off at Amtrak. (We fared better on the return trip, although we both agreed that, at our age, spending the night in a coach seat was not our idea of a good time.)

The next time we spent the night on a train was in 1997 when were took the Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to Seattle. This time, we booked a roomette which, to us, seemed a little too cramped when occupied by two people. On the plus side, on that particular trip, there was a second sightseer lounge car just for the sleeping car passengers.

The next year we traveled from Los Angeles to Chicago onboard the Southwest Chief and this time, we got a bedroom. In addition to being able to spread out, we had our own bathroom & sink, and PRIVACY. Since then, we always book a bedroom whenever we have to spend the night on a train.

We do use coach for the shorter portions of our long-distance train trips such as while traveling between Chicago and Toledo on the Capitol Limited. (We always buy reserved seat coach tickets to be sure of being able to sit together.) When traveling between San Diego and Los Angeles on the Pacific Surfliner, we’ve always ridden in coach, although during the summer, these tends to be somewhat more crowded, and noisy and the restrooms aren’t always tidy. (For this year’s trip, we will be “splurging” by riding to and from LA in Business Class.)

Even though we’ve shared our coaches with people from many different backgrounds and nationalities, we’ve never had any unpleasant experiences although we did observe some amusing ones. Once, while riding the CL to Toledo, a large group of either Poles or Russians got on at Waterloo. Once we were moving, they all started singing one of their national folk songs. (They did eventually get settled down.) Another time, traveling to San Diego on the Pacific Surfliner, we saw young man get on carrying both a surfboard and a guitar case. Even though the train was crowded, he managed to find room for both in the overhead rack.

Eric & Pat

 

[Sauve850]

My trips are only overnight ones. West coast somewhere to Chicago then on to Was and finally to South Florida. I spend a night or two in each city. I do not do coach. Could not sleep in the chair and share bathroom with so many. I use points for a bedroom on first two legs and usually a roomette from Was to Florida. I enjoy the space and the privacy it affords. I normally use points and start shopping for best west coast starting station beginning of the year for September cross country trains. Last year was Empire Builder from Seattle to Chi and paid about 800 for the bedroom. Dont remember how many points but around 30,000 I think?

 

[toddinde]

I like them both, but they are completely different experiences. Coach on a long distance trip is like going camping. I love camping. I enjoy backpacking, wilderness canoeing and tent camping. Riding coach is a bit like that. Your relationships are different with your fellow passengers. Your fellow passengers will be more diverse. You will likely interact a lot more with them. It’s fun. You may not get as much rest, and will arrive a bit disheveled, but it’s usually a fun experience. The sleeper is like a hotel. I like hotels. It’s a private experience. You may interact a bit, but your unlikely to make fast friends. Most interactions will be in the diner. I’m in my mid-fifties, and I always feel like one of the youngsters in the sleeper. I love it though. It’s private, relaxing, meditative, and there is nothing quite like falling asleep in the berth on a train as the lights flash by your window. If I had to choose, I would prefer to go sleeper, but I wouldn’t have any qualms about going coach.

 

[Charles785]

For all the very good reason listed above I do prefer sleepers. And of course I would prefer them even more if they brought back full dining service on all LD trains, local newspapers (or the Wall Street Journal but not USA Today), brought back ice buckets and the three kinds of fruit juices, and brought back route guides and timetable schedules.

And amid all the cutbacks in recent years (not to mention the virus situation) this may not be the best time to ask this question, but I'll ask it anyway. Why not put sleepers on the only two overnight trains that don't now have them, #66 and #67? From some of the comments above it sounds like there's a demand for them.

And I couldn't figure out how to find out on the Amtrak website (does anyone else think it's a sub-standard and clunky website?) what the southern endpoint is for those trains. Is it still Washington, DC, or does it go on down to the Tidewater, Virginia, area?

 

[caravanman]

1st or 2nd? It seems to me to be down to each individual's views of society in general. Do you see 1st and 2nd class citizens, or are all folk the same? Having money just gives one person the option to buy something that a less well off person cannot.
Obviously the facilities and comfort are better in the sleepers than the coach seats. I judge them accordingly, they are better or less good facilities, I don't judge the people using either.
I have often described coach seating as a mobile encampment, with a shared community feeling of camaraderie that grows during a long distance journey, and that interaction is something I particularly enjoy aboard Amtrak.

 

[Woodcut60]

I like comfort, quiet and privacy, so I am not a big fan of riding in Coach Class. I've done it many times, on shorter trips, but on the LD trains I prefer my own private room. In Coach I like the Quiet Cars but I found that they are not so quiet after all. What I dislike the most are all those people talking on their smartphones.

 

[cocojacoby]

I have to say I have done it and I don't want to do it. My last time was round trip on the Auto Train. I felt this would be the safest bet to ride coach. I lucked out both ways getting two seats since the car was not full. The seats weren't bad and I slept a bit. It was okay. The worst part was the constant parade of people up and down the steps and the repetitive door banging and noisy locking of the bathroom doors downstairs. It wasn't a great experience but it was tolerable at least. Back then they fed you too.

But no way on a regular train. On a past Silver Meteor coach trip, I had a miserable time. Bathrooms were absolutely disgusting after a short time. Excited families heading south where getting on in the middle of the night and sitting in seats spread around the car. The mother was yelling to the kids asking if they wanted any more chicken. It was a party for them. And yes there were chicken bones on the floor and probably down the cushions.

You got people snoring loudly and other body functions all night long. Add body odor and sweaty shoeless feet. People hanging into the aisles obstructing your path.

I have a friend who recently had a lung removed. Her doctor told her not to fly. For the first time in her life she took a train (coach) from Florida to New York. When she came back it was the usual "never again" (and the planes are cheaper!).

Whenever I travel with my wife I get a roomette. I just don't want her to experience an overnight LD coach. Sorry, call me a snob but it is not a pleasant experience.

By the way, this is exactly why I feel we need a Delta One Suite option that I mention on another thread. I would have got that on the Auto Train if available and would definitely consider that option if Amtrak offered it on other LD trains. People want their personal space especially now. No one probably wants to sleep next to a stranger anymore and it wasn't pleasant before either.

 

[MARC Rider]

I once rode coach on the Silver Star, Baltimore to Tampa. It was right after President's day weekend, and no sleepers were available. This was almost a 24 hour trip. At the platform, I was assigned a window seat. My seatmate was a young mom who needed the aisle seat to keep track of her two kids who were sitting across the aisle. There is plenty of room, but as there is no seat divider, I was always a little uncomfortable, that I'd turn or roll in the wrong direction while sleeping and give this woman the wrong idea about my intentions.

One disadvantage of coach on long-distance trains with a full passenger load is that coach passengers are not assured of access to reservations in the diner. (This was back when the Silver Star had a diner.) Thus, my dinner that evening was a pizza and a bottle of wine in the cafe car.

When I got back to my seat for sleeping, the lights were turned down, and everybody was quiet. The Amfleet 2 coaches have curtains on the windows, so I had no problems with being disturbed by outside lights from passing towns, stations, car and truck headlights, etc. I brought along a nice stadium blanket that works fine, and I balled up my coat to act as a pillow. I was reasonably comfortable except that, for some reason the seat cushion felt that it was stuffed with concrete. (This sensation also happens to me on some day trips, too.) The worst thing was that I was reluctant to get up and use the restroom, as this would mean waking up my seatmate, who was sleeping very nicely. By the way, the restrooms were very well cleaned, and they even had a card on the door noting (with the attendant's signature) when the room was cleaned. Looks like they did it every couple of hours. This doesn't always happen.

I woke early in the morning, a little disheveled, but washed up, and then went to the diner (no reservations needed) for breakfast just a bit after we left Jacksonville. My seatmate and her kids got off at Orlando, and I had the seat pair to myself for the rest of the trip. Most passengers got off at Orlando, but a lot also got on, so I was happy I had the seat pair to myself. When we got to Tampa, the crowds at the station made it look like it was on the Northeast Corridor. I can see why Brightline/Virgin Trains thinks there's a market in this corridor.

On the trip back, I had a sleeper reservation. Would I do long-distance coach again? I'm not sure about a 24 hour trip to Florida, but I night think about it riding the Capitol Limited to Chicago. Generally, though, if I can afford a sleeper, I'll take it. My back isn't what it used to be, and those concrete seat cushions keep me up at night, especially if I can't get an aisle seat to allow frequent trips to the restroom.

 

[Asher]

1st or 2nd? It seems to me to be down to each individual's views of society in general. Do you see 1st and 2nd class citizens, or are all folk the same? Having money just gives one person the option to buy something that a less well off person cannot.
Obviously the facilities and comfort are better in the sleepers than the coach seats. I judge them accordingly, they are better or less good facilities, I don't judge the people using either.
I have often described coach seating as a mobile encampment, with a shared community feeling of camaraderie that grows during a long distance journey, and that interaction is something I particularly enjoy aboard Amtrak.

Maybe I don't understand an individuals views on society in general. I don't see the people differently. I see the conditions different. I see comfort, privacy and the ability to bring my favorite beverage as opposed to, who knows what.

 

[basketmaker]

First, I do not consider the "caste system" classification relative. But after my first overnight trip that started and ended on the City of New Orleans in Fulton, KY since it was the short leg of my journey via the Desert Wind, Coast Starlight and Empire Builder I booked coach on both legs to/from Chicago. The northbound leg was okay not great mind you. But the southbound leg was horrible. They has the steam heat cranked up that I sweat and was soaked. The coach was jammed and almost every third body was a small child. Luckily, a young lady (maybe 19-20) with a small infant sat next to me. She was very sweet and her infant (3-4 months) was a dream. Only noise was a little "cooooo" now and then. Now the rest of the kids screamed and cried the whole way. Not to mention some earth shattering snoring! I made my mind up from that point if overnight it was a sleeper for me.

Though pricing plays a roll in it I have met folks from all walks of life in my travels on Amtrak. From low income to millionaire business. owners traveling coach while moving about the train. Many foreign folks wanting to see the USA. Students going to/from school. Most memorable was a young lady that was in school back east and she paid her tuition as an "employee" at the Mustang Ranch in Nevada. And a couple of celebrities too.

Personally I do prefer a bed and appreciate the privacy factor too. But coach is a very viable transportation option.

And after 45 years in passenger/cargo aviation Amtrak coach beats flying everyday of the week.

 

[thefourwaystop]

i prefer coach even on my long-distance cross county trips

Where do you prefer to sleep...in a coach seat or in the (superliner) lounge?

 

[basketmaker]

A conductor told me once that the lower level baggage area is a popular sleeping area too as long as it is clear. We used the top shelf once as a bar for a big party (suggested by a couple of crazy Coach Attendants) in the smoking lounge on the CZ. Several of us chipped in and a couple of folks ran across the street to the liquor store in GJT and got an assortment of booze and mixers. What a hoot! Specially the Attendants telling travel stories over the years. And NO they were not drinking any alcohol!

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

I was on a Silver that was stranded for over 24 hours. The conditions in coach deteriorated quickly. For example, the restrooms became more "unclean" than the worst roadside gas station restrooms, and it was not Amtrak employees that were dirtying them up. Conditions in the sleepers stayed as normal.

The conditions were so bad in coach that the conductor tried to spend as much time as possible with us in the sleeper cars.

 

[railiner]

A conductor told me once that the lower level baggage area is a popular sleeping area too as long as it is clear. We used the top shelf once as a bar for a big party (suggested by a couple of crazy Coach Attendants) in the smoking lounge on the CZ. Several of us chipped in and a couple of folks ran across the street to the liquor store in GJT and got an assortment of booze and mixers. What a hoot! Specially the Attendants telling travel stories over the years. And NO they were not drinking any alcohol!

That looks like what was for a while a 'smoking lounge'.....

 

[crescent-zephyr]

That looks like what was for a while a 'smoking lounge'.....

It’s interesting how times have changed... the lounge cars themselves were smoking lounges all the way until the 90’s.

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

I would routinely ride coach on the Empire Builder Milwaukee-Fargo and back going to and from college in the late 1970s. 12 hours per the schedule which consistently turned into 15 hours. I would try to sleep at least part of the time (since it would usually be the wee hours of the morning when I would board the train in Fargo to head home), and it was OK (plus it was on my parent's dime, so I had to be careful about the expense). Nowadays, I would probably ride Coach on the Lincoln Service (although I'd love to try Business Class at least once), but would prefer at least a Roomette for overnight travel.

 

[the_traveler]

It’s interesting how times have changed... the lounge cars themselves were smoking lounges all the way until the 90’s.

That’s why I never visited “the lounge” on an east coast train!

 

[basketmaker]

That looks like what was for a while a 'smoking lounge'.....

It is February, 2003.

 

[toddinde]

A conductor told me once that the lower level baggage area is a popular sleeping area too as long as it is clear. We used the top shelf once as a bar for a big party (suggested by a couple of crazy Coach Attendants) in the smoking lounge on the CZ. Several of us chipped in and a couple of folks ran across the street to the liquor store in GJT and got an assortment of booze and mixers. What a hoot! Specially the Attendants telling travel stories over the years. And NO they were not drinking any alcohol!

I’ve had some experiences like that! That’s something that won’t happen on the plane!

 

[Barb Stout]

I would routinely ride coach on the Empire Builder Milwaukee-Fargo and back going to and from college in the late 1970s. 12 hours per the schedule which consistently turned into 15 hours. I would try to sleep at least part of the time (since it would usually be the wee hours of the morning when I would board the train in Fargo to head home), and it was OK (plus it was on my parent's dime, so I had to be careful about the expense). Nowadays, I would probably ride Coach on the Lincoln Service (although I'd love to try Business Class at least once), but would prefer at least a Roomette for overnight travel.

Did you grow up in Milwaukee then? My sister, the one who attended Concordia College in St. Paul, taught at a Lutheran school in Milwaukee after she graduated from Concordia.