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PDX to SEA -Is Business Class Worth It?

PDX to SEA -Is Business Class Worth It?

Old Oct 5, 2011, 5:01 pm
  #1  
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PDX to SEA -Is Business Class Worth It?

Hi. I am not an experienced Amtrak passenger. I will be traveling from Portland to Seattle later this month. I noticed that for $16 I can upgrade to a business class seat. But the Amtrak web site doesn't make it really clear what you get for that (compared to what I'd get in regular coach).

Is anyone familiar with Amtrak first class on that route and do you think it's a decent value? I WOULD like to work during the train ride (for what that's worth).

Thank you!
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Old Oct 5, 2011, 5:22 pm
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More info here: http://www.amtrakcascades.com

This is what you get. Looks like a wider seat, a bit more legroom. Getting either of 4 seats that face another passenger would completely suck, though.

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Old Oct 5, 2011, 5:25 pm
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It's not worth it.
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Old Oct 5, 2011, 7:06 pm
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Except that you can get an Amtrak
reward ticket on that route for just 1000 points,
and a business class one for 1500,

....so the extra 500 pts is quite trivial,
why not have a better seat ! @:-)
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Old Oct 5, 2011, 8:03 pm
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http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amtra...ess-class.html
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Old Oct 6, 2011, 10:36 am
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It depends a lot on when you are traveling, IMO.

(First, with your upgrade you get a $3 voucher for the cafe car. So if you were going to buy something anyway, it's now effectively a $13 upgrade.)

I've had relatively no problems working in coach on the Cascades, even with a laptop. So for that angle, no it's not worth it. BUT...

If you are traveling during a peak travel period, coach can feel packed. Biz class seals you off somewhat from the college students heading home for the weekend, the families on day trips to Seattle, etc. But if you're taking a mid-day train in the middle of the week, for instance, this is less of an issue.

With biz class, you get priority boarding in PDX and a dedicated check-in line. During peak travel periods, this is almost worth the extra charge in and of itself. During non-peak times, it makes little difference.

Either way, enjoy the trip!
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Old Oct 6, 2011, 10:43 am
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Thanks!

I got some really good input from you all. Thanks!
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Old Oct 6, 2011, 11:43 pm
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Do Business Class passengers in PDX get to hang out in the Metropolitan Lounge?

Also, there is a $3 voucher in the snack car, and they used to hand out a free paper in the morning.

But, it really does come down to if the coach will be filled up. If so, definitely spring for it; if not, you can decide if the extra $$ is worth it
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Old Oct 7, 2011, 10:29 am
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Originally Posted by Orwaid
Do Business Class passengers in PDX get to hang out in the Metropolitan Lounge?
No.
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Old Oct 8, 2011, 7:18 am
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I did a business class trip SEA-PDX a couple of years ago and enjoyed the extra room and single seat (nice to have your seat be both a window and an aisle! ).

I look at it as: are you riding the train just this once and spending the (effectively) $13 on just one trip? If so, it's a small amount of money to be able to experience just a little bit of a better experience. If you're doing a round-trip weekly, is it worth it to spend $104 extra per month? Probably not, especially if you can work your schedule to travel on the lighter days (although at that point, I really wish AGR were a bit more generous in terms of elite upgrades, so that someone spending a few thousand bucks a year on this route would be able to qualify for space-available last-minute upgrades on corridor routes (more than just the couple token coupons one gets).

My recommendation: go for it. What's $13 in the long run of things?
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Old Oct 8, 2011, 10:25 am
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Is one side of the train particularly better on this route? Because if you want a window seat on one particular side, there's really only 4 options.
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Old Oct 8, 2011, 10:34 am
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Originally Posted by nerd
Is one side of the train particularly better on this route? Because if you want a window seat on one particular side, there's really only 4 options.
Going north, the left (west) side, although it only matters for about 30 minutes around the Point Defiance area (just before the Tacoma stop). On my trip, I was on the wrong side, but I just spent that portion of the trip in the caf car.

Outside of that timeframe, the views are not that spectacular. In fact, the right (east) side is potentially more exciting coming into Seattle, as you can catch glimpses of Boeing Field.
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Old Oct 8, 2011, 10:36 am
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Originally Posted by nerd
More info here: http://www.amtrakcascades.com

This is what you get. Looks like a wider seat, a bit more legroom. Getting either of 4 seats that face another passenger would completely suck, though.

My wife and I got stuck (ie, assigned) to two of the set of 4 seats (in coach) that face each other and it was a bit awkward although we got use to it...what was really annoying was that those seats don't have tray tables so we ate in the cafe car but you can't always guarantee there will be a seat available...can't believe Amtrak doesn't have tray tables for those seats...weird.
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Old Oct 8, 2011, 10:55 am
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There is the option of upgrading on-board if S/A
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