Why So Many Snobby "Roomette" People on Here?

[MiRider]

When I started taking the train in 2011, all of my trips were in coach.

I was a big coach cheerleader and didn't mind it all.

No one ever treated me poorly in the dining car or elsewhere because of where I was sitting.

I took a round trip to DAL in Oct. and was lucky enough to have no seat mate either way - I loved it!

That and the fact that the DAL - CHI leg was full of losers and had a crew that couldn't control them made me decide to start traveling in a roomette.

I'm not dealing with that more than once.

Now I'm hooked and the only train I'll travel in coach will be the LSL to NYP just because of the high roomette prices and the length of the trip - not worth it, imo.

 

[dlagrua]

The title of this post automatically gets things going in a negative direction. There are people here who always book a sleeper and others who chose not to travel in a sleeper. Stating that there are a good amount of snobs here is a prejudiced statement. Travelers either buy what they can afford and/or what they feel comfortable making the trip in. I know people who always book a sleeper and others that will never book a sleeper. Its not always the big wallet that guides the choice either. One friend of ours is quite affluent and he chooses to travel coast to coast on an Amtrak rail pass in coach both ways. I would venture to say that rail passengers are among some of the nicest people that we've ever met.

 

[boxcarsyix]

Only 2 trips so far (in the AMTRAK era) so i'm not an expert. When I was much younger, I traveled in coach (even the Florida Special NY Miami). Overnights I traveled in slumbercoach when I could in the 60's (Roomette if i couldn't). I took the CZ SAC to DEN last year and the CS DAV to SEA this month. I don't think of it as traveling "First Class" and certainly wouldn't look down on anyone on the train. I'm just to old now to sleep well in coach. I noticed on the CS with the PPC there is a feeling of seperation (almost isolation). I think that might cause some resentment. I really had more fun meeting people in the more lively SSL on the CZ.

 

[PaulM]

I'm sure it has been said several times already that for the vast majority of Americans, most purchases requires a choice. They are not so poor that they can't swing it somehow, nor so rich that it doesn't matter. They make the choice to spend their money on one one thing, and not another. Not only that, but one person will find another person's choices weird. The OP finds spending money on sleeping car accommodations weird. I find it weird to spend money on things most Americans find normal: automobiles, electronic gadgets, and pets. They of course find me weird. But because of my choices, I can afford roomettes.

Now, being retired with lots of flexibility, would I pay high bucket for a discretionary trip? Probably not. But if I really had to be somewhere, I'd pay it gladly. It's just I think train is the only civilized way to travel; and I sleep a lots better horizontal. Privacy or quiet aren't a big priority for me. I spend most of the waking hours in the lounge anyway.

I will say that I am a great believer in Pareto's law, which says that at some point as the cost gets higher, the additional value added gets smaller and smaller. The practical application of this theory is that, in most cases, the additional cost of a bedroom over roomette doesn't provide enough additional value to go for the bedroom.

 

[Anderson]

I'm in sort of the same boat as Paul: I have choices to make on what I spend my money on. In theory, I could do a lot of things with my money...but I opt to spend a lot going on Amtrak as a conscious decision of where I want to use my time and money. In theory, for example, I could probably spend a good deal on higher-end hotels and the like...but I get virtually no utility from most of the amenities.* Not that I'd pick (for example) a capsule hotel or a fleabag motel...but if it's just me, a hotel room perhaps a bit larger than an Amtrak bedroom (so there's at least room to get out the door at night) and with a desk and a separated toilet and shower would be sufficient for me if I could get it at a decent price.

*Actually, a good example here is a "Free continental breakfast", which I very rarely partake in:
-I'm not a morning person, so if I'm on vacation, fat chance I'm going to head downstairs for food.

-I'm not much of a breakfast person, either, even when I'm up for it.

-I tend not to like your generic continental breakfast. If there's a decent meat involved, it can be tolerable, but in general it's just not a big deal for me.

-And the food quality is generally mediocre on top of the above, diminishing my desire to partake.

The result? Offering me that breakfast doesn't actually give me any reason to pick your hotel, since it's a near-zero utility option, and given the option to waive the breakfast offer for $1 off a room price, I'd gladly do so almost all the time.

 

[Susan Hawthorne]

I think that you're really only talking about a bare handful of people on here, and like DET63 mentioned many are "paying" for their rooms with AGR points.There just as many posters on here that speak very well of riding in coach either occasionally or exclusively.

What are AGR points? I have reward points but thy tell me I can't use them for roomette a

 

[MiRider]

I'm in sort of the same boat as Paul: I have choices to make on what I spend my money on. In theory, I could do a lot of things with my money...but I opt to spend a lot going on Amtrak as a conscious decision of where I want to use my time and money. In theory, for example, I could probably spend a good deal on higher-end hotels and the like...but I get virtually no utility from most of the amenities.* Not that I'd pick (for example) a capsule hotel or a fleabag motel...but if it's just me, a hotel room perhaps a bit larger than an Amtrak bedroom (so there's at least room to get out the door at night) and with a desk and a separated toilet and shower would be sufficient for me if I could get it at a decent price.

*Actually, a good example here is a "Free continental breakfast", which I very rarely partake in:

-I'm not a morning person, so if I'm on vacation, fat chance I'm going to head downstairs for food.

-I'm not much of a breakfast person, either, even when I'm up for it.

-I tend not to like your generic continental breakfast. If there's a decent meat involved, it can be tolerable, but in general it's just not a big deal for me.

-And the food quality is generally mediocre on top of the above, diminishing my desire to partake.

The result? Offering me that breakfast doesn't actually give me any reason to pick your hotel, since it's a near-zero utility option, and given the option to waive the breakfast offer for $1 off a room price, I'd gladly do so almost all the time.

I know this is a little OT but, if you can handle a roomette or coach, I found a couple of inexpensive (for NYC) hotels with shared baths in NYC.

Being female and usually traveling alone, I've done extensive research and have read a lot of reviews.

I'll be trying one of these on my next trip.

This hotel in the West Village - The Jane - has an interesting history and is very unique.

The rooms with a shared bath are almost always $125 - a steal in NYC.

Their website is full of info and pics and it's cute too.

I love these hipster, ikea style, looking hotels - The Pod Hotel - and actually booked the one on 51st last year but had to cancel due to Sandy.

Pod 39 has private baths and a single can be had for under $200 if you book far enough in advance - close enough to NYP to walk (20 min.)

Pod 51 has singles with a shared bath and the rates for those can be as low as $159 at the right time.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Or you could ride out to Queens and Sleep on Alan's Couch for Free! :giggle:

 

[MiRider]

I think that you're really only talking about a bare handful of people on here, and like DET63 mentioned many are "paying" for their rooms with AGR points.There just as many posters on here that speak very well of riding in coach either occasionally or exclusively.

What are AGR points? I have reward points but thy tell me I can't use them for roomette a

AGR is Amtrak Guest Rewards.

If you're a member and have 15,000 points you can use them for a one zone, one way roomette trip.

All of the information is here: Amtrak Guest Rewards

 

[SarahZ]

I think that you're really only talking about a bare handful of people on here, and like DET63 mentioned many are "paying" for their rooms with AGR points.There just as many posters on here that speak very well of riding in coach either occasionally or exclusively.

What are AGR points? I have reward points but thy tell me I can't use them for roomette a

If you have Amtrak Guest Reward points and want to book a roomette or bedroom, you have to call Amtrak Guest Rewards at 800-307-5000 to book the travel. Unfortunately, there's no way to book roomettes and bedrooms with points online.

 

[SarahZ]

This hotel in the West Village - The Jane - has an interesting history and is very unique.The rooms with a shared bath are almost always $125 - a steal in NYC.

Their website is full of info and pics and it's cute too.

That's where we're planning to stay when we go to NYC! It's adorable, and the price can't be beat. We don't mind sharing a bathroom if it means saving a ton of cash.

 

[Bus Nut]

Well, no wonder the long distance trains don't do so well. Hardly anyone pays for the sleepers and when they do, they're remarkably underpriced.

Paulus, I can tell you mean well, but this is a stunningly uninformed comment. Amtrak revenue has been steadily rising, year over year since about 2000, with a blip and a wobble caused by the economic crash.

Amtrak receives some revenue from the AGR credit card program, although points earned become a liability on the books until redeemed. If it were a net loser, ridership would be up while revenue was down.

Amtrak doesn't have an underpricing problem. It has a shortage of capital problem. Especially capital rolling stock. Amtrak is leaving potential revenue on the table due to a critical lack of equipment.

 

[Bus Nut]

. As for roomettes, we did ride in them twice, and I agree the sway was weird. It's different in the bedrooms, because the bedroom beds are set to the width of the train rather than the length.It (the sway) feels better to me in the bedrooms.

Weird. It was the opposite for me. Slept beautifully in the roomette (and pretty good in coach, too), but the sway in the bedroom seemed to keep me up. Sharing the bedroom with a special person was magical. Just not my best night's sleep ever.

 

[sunchaser]

. As for roomettes, we did ride in them twice, and I agree the sway was weird. It's different in the bedrooms, because the bedroom beds are set to the width of the train rather than the length.It (the sway) feels better to me in the bedrooms.

Weird. It was the opposite for me. Slept beautifully in the roomette (and pretty good in coach, too), but the sway in the bedroom seemed to keep me up. Sharing the bedroom with a special person was magical. Just not my best night's sleep ever.

I think it's just a matter of preference. Some prefer the roomette to the bedroom because of the 'sway' and vise versa, some prefer coach and sleep just fine there too. I know there are a number of people here that would love to have the 'slumbercoaches' come back-from what I understand they were cheaper than the roomettes, and smaller. Over all, I think it depends on your needs or wants, and also pricing.

 

[Alexandria Nick]

I love these hipster, ikea style, looking hotels - The Pod Hotel - and actually booked the one on 51st last year but had to cancel due to Sandy.Pod 39 has private baths and a single can be had for under $200 if you book far enough in advance - close enough to NYP to walk (20 min.)

Pod 51 has singles with a shared bath and the rates for those can be as low as $159 at the right time.

Shhhh don't tell people about Pod 39 or it'll be harder for me to get rooms there!

Seriously though, its awesome and great and everything. You can watch TV from inside the shower, which I believe is the greatest thing ever. They're pretty spartan and bare bones, but really you need a bed and a toilet and...well that's it. You're in the capital of the world. Why are you hanging out in a hotel room?

I usually get the single. I put my parents up in one with bunkbeds (they asked for it instead of the queen) and it was pretty nice too.