Seats in Roomette verses Coach for comfort?

[happycamper]

With a hurt back we have traveled coach on a couple long distance trips. Have enough points to try a roomette but I remember years ago we sat in a roomette for a couple of seconds literally and the seats were more hard - like a hitchhiker couch in an RV that pulls out to make a bed... Was this my imagination? We would like to try the roomette but am concerned for comfort... Thank you!!!

 

[zephyr17]

Roomette seats are not the greatest...

 

[Sidney]

Coach seats are great during the day. Sleeping in them overnight is tough,unless you are young.

 

[jebr]

The coach seats are slightly more comfortable from what I remember, but I never found the roomette seats particularly bad. If there's an overnight segment, the comfort of a lie-flat bed far outweighs any minor downgrade in comfort when the beds/seats are in day mode.

 

[Tlcooper44]

Actually, I’ve found the roomette seats uncomfortable as well.

Coach LD definitely has more comfortable seats. I wouldn’t trade it at all however, but it certainly does matter when making a choice whether or not to buy a room when on a day trip.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Often you can go sit in a Coach for at least a while during the day, but check with the Conductor and/or Coach Attendant before you do; otherwise they may get confused.

 

[bratkinson]

Don't forget that the roomette seats can recline to a decent angle.

As the OP indicated 'we', I'll presume they're traveling with someone. It's altogether possible that in these days of too-short LD consists, both may be in the same seat, limiting 'horizontal space' for leaning/slouching/getting comfortable.

My biggest complaint with roomette seating is the uncomfortable 'armrest' on the window side. I've solved this problem with inflatable pillows that come with a separate travel blanket inside. I can inflate the pillow to its maximum size and then 'ball' the blanket and use them both for an armrest or back support. As the seat is quite wide, I usually don't use the 'armrest' at all.

If both seats in a roomette are reclined, if traveling with someone, it becomes a tangle of legs and feet. If traveling alone as I do, I usually recline to the maximum, slouch with a pillow under my back, and my feet are under the seat ahead of me. I sometimes put my feet with shoes off on the opposite cushion as well. It's rare I have the seat at the fully up position.

 

[dwebarts]

This is one area where my preference for hard chairs is an advantage.

 

[happycamper]

Actually, I’ve found the roomette seats uncomfortable as well.

Coach LD definitely has more comfortable seats. I wouldn’t trade it at all however, but it certainly does matter when making a choice whether or not to buy a room when on a day trip.

OK just so I understand you would go for the roomette anyway if having to travel overnight yes?

 

[happycamper]

Don't forget that the roomette seats can recline to a decent angle.

As the OP indicated 'we', I'll presume they're traveling with someone. It's altogether possible that in these days of too-short LD consists, both may be in the same seat, limiting 'horizontal space' for leaning/slouching/getting comfortable.

My biggest complaint with roomette seating is the uncomfortable 'armrest' on the window side. I've solved this problem with inflatable pillows that come with a separate travel blanket inside. I can inflate the pillow to its maximum size and then 'ball' the blanket and use them both for an armrest or back support. As the seat is quite wide, I usually don't use the 'armrest' at all.

If both seats in a roomette are reclined, if traveling with someone, it becomes a tangle of legs and feet. If traveling alone as I do, I usually recline to the maximum, slouch with a pillow under my back, and my feet are under the seat ahead of me. I sometimes put my feet with shoes off on the opposite cushion as well. It's rare I have the seat at the fully up position.

There are 2 of us and i was wondering how crowded that would make it. It almost seems from the videos of roomettes we have more room in 2 coach seats? What do you think?

 

[Qapla]

Don't know the exact sizes but a rough guess is that two coach seats occupy a space of about 45" x 52" while a roomette is about 42" x 78"


Someone else may have more accurate numbers

 

[20th Century Rider]

I've traveled in all the sleeper configurations... and the seats are hard... sometimes broken... and uncomfortable. Having a bed to sleep in at night is always a big plus. Public transit conveyances need to be built tough to stand up to a lot of use and abuse. It's just part of traveling.

Airlines are attempting to develop highly comfortable and adjustable seats for the ultra expensive seats in the front of the plane... but these seats do wear out quickly and need to be replaced... as is accommodated in the cost to the passenger.

Amtrak's coach seating suffers another disadvantage... misalignment with windows. I traveled from CVS to NYP in a 6 hour trip... in the newly renovated business class seats. With misaligned window and large passenger seated next to me... one of the most uncomfortable Amtrak journeys I've ever taken. Not to mention that the seat was hard and I was straining to get an occasional view out the window. When seats are pre-assigned one doesn't know what they are going to end up with... the best part of the trip was arrival and disembarkation.