Hi everyone!

I wondered whether I could piggyback off this thread as I'm an Amtrak newbie who will be traveling on the northbound Pacific Surfliner in Business Class in August from San Diego to Santa Barbara and I wanted to check a few things with you Amtrak experts!

1) Tickets - it looks like it's cheaper to join AGR and then buy 3,000 points (there are two of us traveling) than it is to pay the regular fare ($82.50 for the points vs. $112 for 2x fare incl. upgrade). This seems like too good a deal but I think it's right?

2) Boarding - are there any lines I need to join at San Diego or can we just turn up and get on the train as soon as the doors are open (and how long would this typically be before departure?) We'll be taking the 9.15am train and want to make sure we get forward-facing seats on the left-hand (ocean-facing) side. Does this train still reverse direction in LA?

3) Amenities - Are we limited to one free drink? We will just have had a big breakfast at our hotel and so I'd probably like to wait until later if it is just one - maybe at lunchtime. I think I read you could get wine so this might be my choice at that later hour.

Also if there are any other hints and tips to make our journey more enjoyable then I'm all ears - although I'm sure it will be a blast and my wife and I are very much looking forward to it!

Thanks in advance! ^