Hello all, I'm popping in from the US Airways forum. I have travelled on AMTRAK for the first time ever in my whole entire life this past week. I took a trip from Chicago(CHI) to Carbondale, IL(CDL) on the late night train that is called the City of New Orleans. I travelled in the First Class/ Super Roomette(2 beds) along with my mom. Each of us signed up for the Amtrak Guest Rewards program prior to booking and travelling. We paid $288 for both of us. I really don't understand the point earning method. How many points will I earn? Will mom earn any or just me since this was on one reservation?

Another question. Let's say I am travelling by myself on the same train in the future. Lets say that I book myself a First Class/ Roomette. That means only 1 seat is taken and 1 left open. If someone else is travelling bythemselves and wants to book same type of category/class room will the computer ever book that person into my room? What Im trying to say is will I ever get stuck with someone else or since I paid for my seat in First am I entitled to the entire roomette even with nobody else as my companion. The reason I am asking is because during our meal sitting at a table of 4 we were asked to move in to have 2 other people sit with us since they didnt have more room. Looks like AMTRAK is trying go make $$$. The thing that upset me was that we paid first class and I guess we are atleast entitled to a peaceful private meal and not have some random people mixed with us at our table. I hope they don't do this with the First Class rooms. Thanks for the advice on both of these questions!

No one will be booked into the unused beds in your room. The room(ette) is yours for the duration of the trip.

Meals in the diner however, have always been community seating. If you have less than four in your party, you will likely be seated with others. Meeting others over a meal is one of the many benefits of long distance rail travel. It's a pleasant reminder that before websites and email we were once social creatures capable of engaging conversation and debate without people being in 'our space' or offending one another.

Taking meals in your room is an alternative.

As etna noted, meals have always been community seating due to the limited space in the dining car. That's a tradition that pre-dates Amtrak. And as noted bedrooms don't get shared, unless you are the one inviting a friend along.

Turning to the points question, it's a bit complicated. Both of you will get 2 points for each dollar spent on the railfare. You can find that amount on your ticket stub about 3/4's of the way down on the left side. Then whoever booked the actual reservation, will receive 2 points for every dollar spent on the accommodation charge, found on the right side of the stub.

As far as the points earning, it depends on who's ticket the accomodation charge is printed. (The fare is actually the rail fare for each person and the accomodation charge for the room for both.)

To simply things, I'll say the rail fare is $75 and the room charge is $125. Ticket #1 will have a fare of $200 (rail fare + room charge), ticket #2 will have a fare of $75 (only the rail fare). Ticket #1 will earn 400 points on their AGR account, while ticket #2 will earn 150 points on their AGR account.

I have traveled with my sister, and this is why her AGR account shows (for example) 200 points, but mine shows (for example) 550 points for the same trip! (My ticket had the room charge shown.)

How long since travel do points post?

Generally 1 to 2 weeks after travel, assuming that your AGR number appeared on the ticket. Otherwise you'll have to do some leg work to get the points.

You can confirm that your number was on the ticket, by looking at your ticket stub. It should appear just below your name, but slightly to the right.

In Europe, sleepers tend to be shared up to the occupancy limits of the room....and so strangers of the same gender may be booked into the room if the space is needed by the railroad (if one is paying the "double" or even "triple" rate, then one must be prepared to share accordingly, while paying the "single" rate will result in exclusive occupancy).

The U.S. has long considered this practice quaint, and there is exclusive occupancy per room...and pricing is by room rather than by bed....(the "coach" fare is always also paid by each person).

As far as the diner is concerned, sharing tables is just an American tradition, for better or worse. As most have pointed out, it is usually for the better.

has there ever been a couchette equivalent on Amtrak? I could imagine that lot of travellers (esp. European backpackers, etc...->big part of passengers on overnight trains!) would love it, if there are economy non-private sleepers (couchettes) that were available for a "hostel night" supplement like $20-30 per night.

There is no real alternative between a seat which is not that much more comfortable than greyhound and the private Sleeper which is far from being affordable to many people. As a couchette car can accomodate as many people as a normal seating car, I believe it would also be a good deal for Amtrak to introduce such an offer.

I don't think that there was ever something similar on Amtrak.

During the early days of Amtrak (70's), there were single and double slumbercoaches (at least on the NY-FL trains) - but those were private rooms. I think the last time you saw anything similar were well pre-Amtrak (40's or 50's ) when railroads had "sections. (But that was before my time. )

IMHO, I find an Amtrak coach seat FAR more comfortable than ANY seat on Greyhound! When I'm traveling alone, and concerned with price, I'll go by coach. (Especially if it's a 1 night trip.)

IMHO, I doubt you'll see anything like that on Atrak. Most Americans will not use it.

Interesting thought, but there are a couple of issues.
1) capital cost
2) practicality: in Europe, there are designated night trains which leave in the evening and arrive in the morning; couchette cars are only used on night trains. Amtrak has trains that run overnight, but they also run during the day. During the day, a couchette is not ideal for passengers.

well, usually you can rearrange the upper beds during daytime and have a normal seating compartment, same thing you can see on Russian style "Platzkartni" (open couchette) cars.

As another poster pointed out, the regular Amtrak coach seats are actually pretty comfortable, very comparable to old style business class seats on airlines. Plenty of pitch, good recline & foot rest, though I always prefer a sleeper, I have never had much trouble overnighting in coach.