Seat assignments (Acela pilot Feb 2018)

[Thirdrail7]

The website will allow you to pick your seat from a diagram...after you've completed your purchase.

Wow, that sucks.

I was at the point of accepting the charges and the diagram still hadn't appeared. I didn't want to tangle with the refund policy and the charge. I wasn't that curious!

Which makes me wonder....what happens if you don't see the seat you want?

 

[daybeers]

The website will allow you to pick your seat from a diagram...after you've completed your purchase.

Wow, that sucks.

I was at the point of accepting the charges and the diagram still hadn't appeared. I didn't want to tangle with the refund policy and the charge. I wasn't that curious!

Which makes me wonder....what happens if you don't see the seat you want?

Right, that's exactly what I was thinking. Wishful thinking that Amtrak will eventually change this on their website.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

The website will allow you to pick your seat from a diagram...after you've completed your purchase.

Wow, that sucks.

I was at the point of accepting the charges and the diagram still hadn't appeared. I didn't want to tangle with the refund policy and the charge. I wasn't that curious!

Which makes me wonder....what happens if you don't see the seat you want?

Sounds like one of the hotels I inquired to about how to book an accessible room. Was told to select a room and then the option would appear - if there were any left. Told them that was not user friendly. I want to see what rooms are available before I select.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[daybeers]

If this goes well and they expand to other Acelas in FC, I wonder if they will also do this when one uses an AGR upgrade coupon. I intend to do that from WAS–BOS in June.

 

[Blackwolf]

Will be interesting to see if this gets rolled out for Sleeping Car accommodations ahead of Coach on a LD route.

Maybe a 3-a-week train with reliable consist scheduling that routes down the NEC...

 

[John Bobinyec]

So how's that supposed to work on the train? There you are, having arrived at your seat, and there's already somebody sitting in it. So you go get the conductor to settle the issue. Will the conductor have the seat assignments on their phone?

jb

 

[SarahZ]

So how's that supposed to work on the train? There you are, having arrived at your seat, and there's already somebody sitting in it. So you go get the conductor to settle the issue. Will the conductor have the seat assignments on their phone?

jb

I imagine it would be displayed on your e-ticket, just like the room assignments.

 

[keelhauled]

It will go just like it goes for hundreds of thousands of people a day on airplanes I would think. Thus far I have not experienced anarchy at the boarding gate, and I wouldn't expect any on the platform or train either. Although if y'all want to pay for my ticket I could be convinced to take one for the team and go on a first class joyride to report back first hand.

 

[Acela150]

Folks,

Effective this Saturday the 3rd a pilot program will be put in place to Assign seats in First Class ONLY on the following trains only!:

2290 Saturday's only NYP-BOS

2190 M-F NYP-BOS

These two trains will be testing the program to see how this goes. I know the initial rollout of Acela saw this go over like gangbusters.

The pilot program is intended to attempt to reduce the rush to the train and hang ups in NYP.

No word on how long the pilot program will last.

Any questions I'll see if I can get answers.

Steve

MODERATOR NOTE: The thread started by Acela150 regarding the seat assignment pilot on the Acela was merged with the older existing thread regarding seat assignments.

 

[Triley]

Folks,

Effective this Saturday the 3rd a pilot program will be put in place to Assign seats in First Class ONLY on the following trains only!:

2290 Saturday's only NYP-BOS

2190 M-F NYP-BOS

These two trains will be testing the program to see how this goes. I know the initial rollout of Acela saw this go over like gangbusters.

The pilot program is intended to attempt to reduce the rush to the train and hang ups in NYP.

No word on how long the pilot program will last.

Any questions I'll see if I can get answers.

Steve

My wonder is if they're going to use the displays above the seats to show if the seat is occupied/who it belongs to. Do those displays even work anymore?
And as an employee, I won't comment on how the pilot will go, but I'm hoping they hold the seats closet to the galley for when the car starts to sell out. We prefer to sit closest to the galley, as most feel it's inappropriate to be seen sitting while on duty

Sent from my SM-G955U using Amtrak Forum mobile app

 

[Lonestar648]

I hope this pilot works. it would be great to choose seats and rooms. I am sure there will be software glitches, but best to work them out on just one train.

 

[the_traveler]

Without looking at the schedules, are these NYP- BOS trains only?

If not, what happens to those who travel from WAS-NHV or PHL-PVD? Are they kicked out of their seat at NYP?

 

[Lonestar648]

2290 leaves at 8:00 AM NYP to BOS

 

[the_traveler]

However, most flights board only at PHL and everyone deplanes at ATL. Very few flights have everyone board at PHL, some of them get off at BWI, some others board at WAS, some more get on at ALX, etc..., etc..., before getting to ATL!

 

[Lonestar648]

I would think that the computer will need to hold back a certain number of end to end seating to avoid not having the same seat for travel NYP to BOS.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

I would think that the computer will need to hold back a certain number of end to end seating to avoid not having the same seat for travel NYP to BOS.

That may be why the seats are initially automatically assigned. The number of people who choose to go back and change their seats is likely minimal so will have little impact.

 

[Palmetto]

I believe seats are not automatically assigned. In Thirdrail's test, he mentioned that he could not choose a seat until after payment. On American Airlines, you can see available seats prior to payment, but you pick a specific seat only after paying, IIRC. And there's a disclaimer about not all seats may be available at the time of booking. A delay in ticketing for 24 hours with an option to cancel might help.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Acela Express First Class Offers Assigned Seating

There's nothing you need to do. Seats on the following trains will be assigned automatically once you continue with this reservation. You'll be able to view and change your assigned seat(s) once your reservation has been made.

Acela Express 2190

If you don't want an assigned seat, select 'No Thanks' to go back and choose Business Class on this train, or choose a different train.

I believe seats are not automatically assigned. In Thirdrail's test, he mentioned that he could not choose a seat until after payment. On American Airlines, you can see available seats prior to payment, but you pick a specific seat only after paying, IIRC. And there's a disclaimer about not all seats may be available at the time of booking. A delay in ticketing for 24 hours with an option to cancel might help.

Per TR7's post, the seats will be assigned then, once you pay, you can change the seat assignment.

 

[PRR 60]

I believe seats are not automatically assigned. In Thirdrail's test, he mentioned that he could not choose a seat until after payment. On American Airlines, you can see available seats prior to payment, but you pick a specific seat only after paying, IIRC. And there's a disclaimer about not all seats may be available at the time of booking. A delay in ticketing for 24 hours with an option to cancel might help.

With AA and other domestic legacies, you pick seats prior to purchase. If you skip seat assignment, seats are not assigned until check in. With this Amtrak trial run, the system assigns seats, but you have the opportunity to view a seat map and make changes after the fact.

Acela F is fully refundable up to scheduled departure. If for some reason someone does not like their assigned seat and does not see any acceptable seats available, they can try another train or cancel with no risk.

 

[Acela150]

I hope this pilot works. it would be great to choose seats and rooms. I am sure there will be software glitches, but best to work them out on just one train.

You won’t be able to choose. The computer will choose for you currently but you will be able to pick a seat.

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[jis]

I wonder if the introduction of reserved assigned seats by Brightline hastened this move by Amtrak after all these years, or it is just a mere coincidence, with the triggering event being Anderson..

 

[Lonestar648]

The time it takes to write a program as complex as Amtrak's seating will be, has to be many months and a lot of trail and error before ever getting to an initial pilot. I suspect this has been in the works for a while. I suspect additional hardware had to be part of the plan as well to support the additional memory and interactive processing.

 

[jis]

The time it takes to write a program as complex as Amtrak's seating will be, has to be many months and a lot of trail and error before ever getting to an initial pilot. I suspect this has been in the works for a while. I suspect additional hardware had to be part of the plan as well to support the additional memory and interactive processing.

Actually I have a pretty good idea what it takes to do this sort of stuff since I have been peripherally involved in similar projects, most closely with the system used by United Airlines (SHARES). Also have followed the work of the folks who did the system used by Indian Railways, which by the way has assigned accommodation for all reserved accommodation, which if anything is way more complex and massive compared to anything that Amtrak could conceivably dream of, in terms of number of stations served, number of trains operated, number of seats/berths per train and number of passengers carried in reserved accommodation. It really is not as spectacularly difficult as is made out by folks here, and is not really rocket science either.

The Amtrak system actually had the capability and has presumably had it in the back end since the time Acelas were introduced, which was used for a brief period when Acela service was introduced. Did they actually take the trouble to remove the capability, rather than simply disabling it? I wonder why they'd do that.

 

[sitzplatz17]

I really hope this works out not only for the Acela, but gets expanded to the system as a whole.

A couple days ago I had to make a number of ticket bookings for train travel through Germany and was pleasantly surprised that I could now select not only which seat I wanted to sit in, but even which coach.

Which is nice, because I was actually able to select "seat 17" in the first coach on one of the InterCity Express trains (my screen name and favorite seat on any train).

Actually I have a pretty good idea what it takes to do this sort of stuff since I have been peripherally involved in similar projects, most closely with the system used by United Airlines (SHARES). Also have followed the work of the folks who did the system used by Indian Railways, which by the way has assigned accommodation for all reserved accommodation, which if anything is way more complex and massive compared to anything that Amtrak could conceivably dream of, in terms of number of stations served, number of trains operated, number of seats/berths per train and number of passengers carried in reserved accommodation. It really is not as spectacularly difficult as is made out by folks here, and is not really rocket science either.

I agree with jis that if a country like Germany or India with much more complex routes and diverse rolling stock can figure it out, then it shouldn't be all that hard for Amtrak to do.

Perhaps a good way to go about funding this would be to do as the Deutsche Bahn (German railways) does, where you have to pay 4.50EUR (about $5.75) to reserve a seat?

 

[Seaboard92]

I really hope this works out not only for the Acela, but gets expanded to the system as a whole.

A couple days ago I had to make a number of ticket bookings for train travel through Germany and was pleasantly surprised that I could now select not only which seat I wanted to sit in, but even which coach.

Which is nice, because I was actually able to select "seat 17" in the first coach on one of the InterCity Express trains (my screen name and favorite seat on any train).

Actually I have a pretty good idea what it takes to do this sort of stuff since I have been peripherally involved in similar projects, most closely with the system used by United Airlines (SHARES). Also have followed the work of the folks who did the system used by Indian Railways, which by the way has assigned accommodation for all reserved accommodation, which if anything is way more complex and massive compared to anything that Amtrak could conceivably dream of, in terms of number of stations served, number of trains operated, number of seats/berths per train and number of passengers carried in reserved accommodation. It really is not as spectacularly difficult as is made out by folks here, and is not really rocket science either.

I agree with jis that if a country like Germany or India with much more complex routes and diverse rolling stock can figure it out, then it shouldn't be all that hard for Amtrak to do.

Perhaps a good way to go about funding this would be to do as the Deutsche Bahn (German railways) does, where you have to pay 4.50EUR (about $5.75) to reserve a seat?

One reason DBAG can offer that reservation charge is because the ICE and IC trains are not reservation compulsory trains such as everything Amtrak runs minus a few corridors.

I'm interested if maybe the cascades will be one of the next tests. It is a fixed consist.