Originally Posted by Mr. BoH

Now that we are 3+ years into assigned seating, it’s really inexcusable that you can’t see the seatmap prior to booking. Even airlines have figured this out easily enough, and they have way more configurations to deal with. I just burned an upgrade coupon to Acela F only to find the only available seat in the car is at a 4-top table that is completely full. Honestly I’d rather sit back in the quiet car at that point.