Time to plan cross country trip before it’s too late?

[cpotisch]

(I know BC on this train is just the lower level of a coach car, are the seats different/any other advantages?)

The seats sometimes will be faux-leather instead of AmCloth. You get a $6 coupon for the cafe or diner. And I think you get a free bottle of water. Don’t bother.

 

[spinnaker]

(I know BC on this train is just the lower level of a coach car, are the seats different/any other advantages?)

The seats sometimes will be faux-leather instead of AmCloth. You get a $6 coupon for the cafe or diner. And I think you get a free bottle of water. Don’t bother.

Why? From what I understand business class is less crowded and quieter. There are likely to be no families in Business Class. To me that alone is worth the extra cost.

 

[TinCan782]

LAX-OKJ/EMY in either coach or BC on the Starlight. (I know BC on this train is just the lower level of a coach car, are the seats different/any other advantages?)

Actually, BC on the Coast Starlight is both levels of a coach car dedicated to business class. The BC car is located between the SSL and the diner.

 

[cpotisch]

(I know BC on this train is just the lower level of a coach car, are the seats different/any other advantages?)

The seats sometimes will be faux-leather instead of AmCloth. You get a $6 coupon for the cafe or diner. And I think you get a free bottle of water. Don’t bother.

Why? From what I understand business class is less crowded and quieter. There are likely to be no families in Business Class. To me that alone is worth the extra cost.

The coupon won't cover almost anything in the diner, and probably not much in the cafe. And I imagine that you're going to be spending more than $6 to upgrade. Remember that it is only quieter if people avoid it. If many people decide to take business, it's not necessarily going to be any quieter.

 

[PaulM]

I don't know whether train-offs are coming, but all this gloom and doom has me depressed. As medication, I've booked a circle tour: Fort Madison, Lamy, Denver, and back to Fort Madison.

 

[tricia]

I don't know whether train-offs are coming, but all this gloom and doom has me depressed. As medication, I've booked a circle tour: Fort Madison, Lamy, Denver, and back to Fort Madison.

Hope this does indeed make you less depressed, rather than more so.

 

[spinnaker]

(I know BC on this train is just the lower level of a coach car, are the seats different/any other advantages?)

The seats sometimes will be faux-leather instead of AmCloth. You get a $6 coupon for the cafe or diner. And I think you get a free bottle of water. Don’t bother.

Why? From what I understand business class is less crowded and quieter. There are likely to be no families in Business Class. To me that alone is worth the extra cost.

The coupon won't cover almost anything in the diner, and probably not much in the cafe. And I imagine that you're going to be spending more than $6 to upgrade. Remember that it is only quieter if people avoid it. If many people decide to take business, it's not necessarily going to be any quieter.

Who care about the coupon??? I am looking for as much privacy I can get baring spending the extra bucks for a roomette. BC is about the only way to do that. And a burger in the cafe costs $7..95. The $6.00 covers at least part of that. A lot of people make fun of those burgers but I find them pretty darn tasty.

 

[cpotisch]

Who care about the coupon??? I am looking for as much privacy I can get baring spending the extra bucks for a roomette. BC is about the only way to do that. And a burger in the cafe costs $7..95. The $6.00 covers at least part of that. A lot of people make fun of those burgers but I find them pretty darn tasty.

Between the water bottle and coupon, you've maybe got a total of $7 worth of goodies. And the only other benefit of BC would be that it might be quieter, if most people don't choose it. So if you're spending $50 extra, then maybe you have spent about $43 net to upgrade, hoping that most people choose coach. I don't see how that's worth it.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Who care about the coupon??? I am looking for as much privacy I can get baring spending the extra bucks for a roomette. BC is about the only way to do that. And a burger in the cafe costs $7..95. The $6.00 covers at least part of that. A lot of people make fun of those burgers but I find them pretty darn tasty.

Between the water bottle and coupon, you've maybe got a total of $7 worth of goodies. And the only other benefit of BC would be that it might be quieter, if most people don't choose it. So if you're spending $50 extra, then maybe you have spent about $43 net to upgrade, hoping that most people choose coach. I don't see how that's worth it.

Just because something is not worth it to you doesn't mean it's not worth it to others.

 

[IndyLions]

The likelihood of a quieter environment- although not guaranteed - is my #1 reason for choosing BC. On eastern routes overnight, the chance to get a single seat to myself in a 2x1 arrangement - again not guaranteed - is my #2 reason. For me, free drinks and food don’t enter the equation.

However, I completely understand those who have different criteria that find it a total ripoff.

 

[spinnaker]

Who care about the coupon??? I am looking for as much privacy I can get baring spending the extra bucks for a roomette. BC is about the only way to do that. And a burger in the cafe costs $7..95. The $6.00 covers at least part of that. A lot of people make fun of those burgers but I find them pretty darn tasty.

Between the water bottle and coupon, you've maybe got a total of $7 worth of goodies. And the only other benefit of BC would be that it might be quieter, if most people don't choose it. So if you're spending $50 extra, then maybe you have spent about $43 net to upgrade, hoping that most people choose coach. I don't see how that's worth it.

Same could be said for a roomette. Total ripoff. Privacy is overrated.

Again. Families are likely not going to pay an extra $50 a person to ride in BC. The $50 is well wroth it to me for that reason alone.

 

[cpotisch]

Same could be said for a roomette. Total ripoff. Privacy is overrated.

Again. Families are likely not going to pay an extra $50 a person to ride in BC. The $50 is well wroth it to me for that reason alone.

You and I clearly have very different priorities when it comes to this kind of stuff. Let's just agree to disagree.

 

[CSXfoamer1997]

We need to stop Anderson from killing our long distance trains! There are some people who can't drive and some people who can't fly! Now me, I like taking the train for the pleasure of the trip! He can try and kill our long-distance trains, but let's not give up!

 

[CSXfoamer1997]

Besides, trains are the best way to see all the beautiful sites from the ground!

 

[Amtrak706]

Business Class seems to be the general consensus. The extra privacy does seem worth the relatively small extra expense.

OK, time to stop procrastinating and start saving I guess.