Who's Booked Business Class and Ridden in Coach?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE, AA EXP MM, UA Gold MM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Titanium, HH Dia, IHG Plat
Posts: 4,766
Who's Booked Business Class and Ridden in Coach?
I have, a few times. No, Amtrak didn't downgrade me.
Non-Acela business class off the corridor involves one car, or part of a car. Oftentimes most seats are reserved and you must share a seat pair with someone else, most likely sitting in an aisle seat and worst case, where there's no window or only part of a window. Meanwhile, in coach there are loads of available seats.
Is it a bummer to pay for business class and end up sitting in coach? It depends. Biz class upcharges are often small and may even be covered by a voucher. You get a newspaper, snack and on the Pacific Surfliner, a small bottle of wine or perhaps beer. Just take these items next door. Coach seats are plenty spacious, and if you're lucky the adjacent coach car will have lots of available doubles. So I'm not necessarily bummed.
It's just kind of weird.
Non-Acela business class off the corridor involves one car, or part of a car. Oftentimes most seats are reserved and you must share a seat pair with someone else, most likely sitting in an aisle seat and worst case, where there's no window or only part of a window. Meanwhile, in coach there are loads of available seats.
Is it a bummer to pay for business class and end up sitting in coach? It depends. Biz class upcharges are often small and may even be covered by a voucher. You get a newspaper, snack and on the Pacific Surfliner, a small bottle of wine or perhaps beer. Just take these items next door. Coach seats are plenty spacious, and if you're lucky the adjacent coach car will have lots of available doubles. So I'm not necessarily bummed.
It's just kind of weird.
#2
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: New England
Programs: American Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Silver
Posts: 5,617
I've booked business class and rode in the Cafe car. Does that count? The conductor was being obnoxious. He seated some ladies in the Business Class car for free and proceeded to flirt with them.
I sat in the cafe car as I ran into a friend who worked for Amtrak who was deadheading (deadheading crew typically sit at the end tables in the Cafe car to not take up space in Coach). I asked if it was worth reporting the conductor. He said I could, and he would if he were in my place, but because they're unionized, Amtrak wouldn't do anything about it, and I'd get a canned apology at best.
I sat in the cafe car as I ran into a friend who worked for Amtrak who was deadheading (deadheading crew typically sit at the end tables in the Cafe car to not take up space in Coach). I asked if it was worth reporting the conductor. He said I could, and he would if he were in my place, but because they're unionized, Amtrak wouldn't do anything about it, and I'd get a canned apology at best.
#3
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: United Global Services, Amtrak Select Executive
Posts: 4,068
I have, a few times. No, Amtrak didn't downgrade me.
Non-Acela business class off the corridor involves one car, or part of a car. Oftentimes most seats are reserved and you must share a seat pair with someone else, most likely sitting in an aisle seat and worst case, where there's no window or only part of a window. Meanwhile, in coach there are loads of available seats.
Is it a bummer to pay for business class and end up sitting in coach? It depends. Biz class upcharges are often small and may even be covered by a voucher. You get a newspaper, snack and on the Pacific Surfliner, a small bottle of wine or perhaps beer. Just take these items next door. Coach seats are plenty spacious, and if you're lucky the adjacent coach car will have lots of available doubles. So I'm not necessarily bummed.
It's just kind of weird.
Non-Acela business class off the corridor involves one car, or part of a car. Oftentimes most seats are reserved and you must share a seat pair with someone else, most likely sitting in an aisle seat and worst case, where there's no window or only part of a window. Meanwhile, in coach there are loads of available seats.
Is it a bummer to pay for business class and end up sitting in coach? It depends. Biz class upcharges are often small and may even be covered by a voucher. You get a newspaper, snack and on the Pacific Surfliner, a small bottle of wine or perhaps beer. Just take these items next door. Coach seats are plenty spacious, and if you're lucky the adjacent coach car will have lots of available doubles. So I'm not necessarily bummed.
It's just kind of weird.
#4
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BOS<>NYC<>BKK
Programs: UA 4.3MM LT-GS; AA1MM; Amtrak SE; MAR LT TITAN; PC Plat; HIL DIA; HYA GLOB
Posts: 4,375
I have, a few times. No, Amtrak didn't downgrade me.
Non-Acela business class off the corridor involves one car, or part of a car. Oftentimes most seats are reserved and you must share a seat pair with someone else, most likely sitting in an aisle seat and worst case, where there's no window or only part of a window. Meanwhile, in coach there are loads of available seats.
Is it a bummer to pay for business class and end up sitting in coach? It depends. Biz class upcharges are often small and may even be covered by a voucher. You get a newspaper, snack and on the Pacific Surfliner, a small bottle of wine or perhaps beer. Just take these items next door. Coach seats are plenty spacious, and if you're lucky the adjacent coach car will have lots of available doubles. So I'm not necessarily bummed.
It's just kind of weird.
Non-Acela business class off the corridor involves one car, or part of a car. Oftentimes most seats are reserved and you must share a seat pair with someone else, most likely sitting in an aisle seat and worst case, where there's no window or only part of a window. Meanwhile, in coach there are loads of available seats.
Is it a bummer to pay for business class and end up sitting in coach? It depends. Biz class upcharges are often small and may even be covered by a voucher. You get a newspaper, snack and on the Pacific Surfliner, a small bottle of wine or perhaps beer. Just take these items next door. Coach seats are plenty spacious, and if you're lucky the adjacent coach car will have lots of available doubles. So I'm not necessarily bummed.
It's just kind of weird.
Now, I save my money and points, and just book coach and sit in the QC. And bring my own Diet Coke
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,185
I've always taken the Superliner car if it's open (roomier seats, plus it tends not to fill up as quickly because the downstairs door is manually operated and thus doesn't open at stations), but the one downfall always was that it lacked wifi (so I'd have to use up my own data while working en-route). I was pleased to discover on a recent trip on the Surfliner that they've installed an access point inside the car.
#6
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: BOS
Programs: B6, Amtrak, DL, AA, Marriott, Hilton
Posts: 274
Even stranger was during a late lunch, I tried to linger in the nearly empty cafe car, but the business attendant (seemed to spend a lot of time in the cafe car) and the cafe attendant were working hard to drive me back to my regular seat (tried to clear my trash before I was completely done, refused my attempt to buy a beverage so I could linger at the table, etc.).
One of those moments that leaves even someone who likes train travel thinking, "why didn't I just fly WN?"
#7
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: United Global Services, Amtrak Select Executive
Posts: 4,068
Actually, it's pretty permanent and has been for several years, now. It's not specifically a Coast Starlight car but rather just a generic Superliner coach that I believe Amtrak California does lease from Amtrak for extra space. It's usually positioned immediately behind the business-class car.
I've always taken the Superliner car if it's open (roomier seats, plus it tends not to fill up as quickly because the downstairs door is manually operated and thus doesn't open at stations), but the one downfall always was that it lacked wifi (so I'd have to use up my own data while working en-route). I was pleased to discover on a recent trip on the Surfliner that they've installed an access point inside the car.
I've always taken the Superliner car if it's open (roomier seats, plus it tends not to fill up as quickly because the downstairs door is manually operated and thus doesn't open at stations), but the one downfall always was that it lacked wifi (so I'd have to use up my own data while working en-route). I was pleased to discover on a recent trip on the Surfliner that they've installed an access point inside the car.