Can you prereserve seats on reserved train Baltimore-NY
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Australia
Posts: 2,814
Can you prereserve seats on reserved train Baltimore-NY
I've made a booking for travel Baltimore Penn to NY Penn in march next year. (its a saturday)
Not an easy job from Australia as the amtrak booking system would not accept that local aussie postal codes are only 4 digits - so by trial and error , i just added more and more digits until my address was accepted .
Anyway,my question, is there a way to request certain seating or is it just allocated by the computer? Like everyone else,I'd like to sit facing forward by the window.
Not an easy job from Australia as the amtrak booking system would not accept that local aussie postal codes are only 4 digits - so by trial and error , i just added more and more digits until my address was accepted .
Anyway,my question, is there a way to request certain seating or is it just allocated by the computer? Like everyone else,I'd like to sit facing forward by the window.
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,584
Originally Posted by ozflier
Anyway,my question, is there a way to request certain seating or is it just allocated by the computer?
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conten...54546&ssid=186
#3
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Here! (Or there - I'm not sure)
Programs: Peon in all
Posts: 4,358
Originally Posted by ozflier
Anyway,my question, is there a way to request certain seating or is it just allocated by the computer? Like everyone else,I'd like to sit facing forward by the window.
As guv1976 said, a reserved seat means that you only have a guaranteed seat (space) on the train, not a specific seat (like the airlines). However, very few times have I not had a window seat (if I wanted it)!
#4
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: In Transit
Programs: PC Gold; SPG AAA; HiHo Silver; Hrtz Gld; Emld Clb; UA NWA NoBody; VA EleVAte; WN MooMoo
Posts: 1,657
I reserve ticket doesn't mean you get a seat.
On the rare occasion, usually during busy holiday periods,I have been on jam packed Amtrak trains where everyone has a reserve tix but not enough seats for everyone.
On the rare occasion, usually during busy holiday periods,I have been on jam packed Amtrak trains where everyone has a reserve tix but not enough seats for everyone.
#5
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: BOS
Posts: 2,315
As an aside, when Amtrak first started running the Acela they actually did have assigned seats in F. This went by the wayside fairly quickly because either: (a) Amtrak's computer was too lame to coordinate seat assignments where pax get on and off at various intervening stops; (b) Amtrak pax were too lame to understand they had an assigned seat and needed to sit in it - because that empty seat they liked better was assigned to someone getting on at the next stop; (c) Amtrak crew were too lame to enforce the advance seat assignments, causing problems when pax boarded only to find their assigned (preferred) seat occupied; or (d) some combination of all of the foregoing.
#6
In Memoriam
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: New York, NY, USA
Programs: HH Diamond, Amtrak Exec
Posts: 3,262
Originally Posted by BeantownFlyer
As an aside, when Amtrak first started running the Acela they actually did have assigned seats in F. This went by the wayside fairly quickly because either: (a) Amtrak's computer was too lame to coordinate seat assignments where pax get on and off at various intervening stops; (b) Amtrak pax were too lame to understand they had an assigned seat and needed to sit in it - because that empty seat they liked better was assigned to someone getting on at the next stop; (c) Amtrak crew were too lame to enforce the advance seat assignments, causing problems when pax boarded only to find their assigned (preferred) seat occupied; or (d) some combination of all of the foregoing.
#8
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: WAS, FLL
Programs: AA, B6, CO, DL, FL, UA, US Gold (only took 10k miles), WN, Amtrak
Posts: 1,299
Most likely your train originates in Washington so there should be plenty of empty seats in Baltimore. I find that more northbound trains tend to fill up by Philly.