csw836

Hey guys, A group of friends and myself are going on a ski trip to Salt Lake City, and I have been looking for a discount code for a while and cant find one that will work. There will be 4-5 of us, and we will be departing from Northern Missouri/Southern Iowa on March 3rd and returning the 10th or 11th. Just wondering if anyone had any suggestions. Keep up the good work.

raisin

I'm finding that H644 says I need a companion. I can't get the web site to give me a discount on the sleeping accomodations. I thought I could get the discount on the accomodations even if I was traveling solo. Am I wrong?

Amtrak207

Per my AGR January E-mail...

Winter just got a whole lot warmer – Buy 3 Roundtrips Get 1 Free!
Simply register using registration code 12207, take three roundtrips or six one-ways on Acela® all city pairs, January 22 – May 19, 2007, and we'll send you a voucher redeemable for a FREE roundtrip ticket. The Free ticket voucher is valid for travel June 1 – August 30, 2007.
Terms and Conditions apply. Minimum spend of $75 per qualifying trip one-way or $150 per roundtrip. Limit of one qualifying roundtrip or two one-ways per member per day.

cruzadergamer

Not to doubt your wisdom great one , but when I called Amtrak they said that the conductor would check tickets and request to see the AAA card on any AAA tickets. I suppose I could ask my dad if I could borrow his card for a couple days (he is going on same trip, but he is flying).

lizpumpkin

Winter just got a whole lot warmer – Buy 3 Roundtrips Get 1 Free!
Simply register using registration code 12207, take three roundtrips or six one-ways on Acela® all city pairs, January 22 – May 19, 2007, and we'll send you a voucher redeemable for a FREE roundtrip ticket. The Free ticket voucher is valid for travel June 1 – August 30, 2007.
Terms and Conditions apply. Minimum spend of $75 per qualifying trip one-way or $150 per roundtrip. Limit of one qualifying roundtrip or two one-ways per member per day.

the_traveler

Unless things are different now, I have never been asked by the conductor for my AAA card. (I have been asked by the ticket agent at the window - when I didn't use the Quik-Trak machine.)

You may get asked by the conductor for ID - but this is (very) random and for "security" to be sure that the person traveling is the person who's ticketed. (I have yet to be asked.) So be sure that your name is on the ticket!

ojodeazul

I have never in all the times I have used the AAA been asked to show my card..EVER..

allen074

you can't use AAA on acela first class? it keeps telling me it's not available.

if not, how much different is business class on the regional service train? only shows a 30 min time difference. are the regional trains crowded? I am going nyc-bos midday tuesday mid-feb.

thank you

jackal

Far as my experience goes, you can't apply *any* discounts to Acela (unless they're running a promo with a promo code). I had to pay full adult price even with my Student Advantage card.

AFAIK, the Regionals use the older AmFleet equipment (same as the Metroliner, I believe, which is no more). Rumor has it, though, that it's actually roomier than Acela and the seats come with footrests--I haven't had a chance to try it myself. From the outside, the windows look smaller, and the cars are obviously older and not as crispy-clean white. The 30 minutes extra of traveling time comes less from lower speeds (they can still hit 125mph, I believe, where the Acela hits 135 on the section of track between WAS and NYP) than from the more frequent stops.

I have no personal experience, but I wouldn't think you'd have cramping issues in Regional business class. However, all three times I took Acela (BOS-NYP, WAS-PHL, and PHL-NYP) First was mostly empty, so you can probably claim a table to yourself, even with one person. (I'm sure Acela gets full sometimes, as otherwise they wouldn't be able to be nearly profitable, which they supposedly are...)

AlanB

Agreed, I've never been asked to show my card either. Most conductors never look beyond the destination I'm heading for and to see if I signed the ticket.

On the other hand I have been asked to show ID several times onboard the train.

AlanB

The AAA discount only works on Acela on the weekends, it is not available during the working week Acela's prime time.

Regional trains can be crowded, although BC class shouldn't be overly crowded. The seats if you get the right car are better than Acela's First Class seating, but there is no guarentee that you will get the right car. Otherwise BC on the Regional's cannot be compared to First Class on Acela. There is no food service at your seat, no free booze or drinks. You do get a free soda or coffee in BC, but that's it.

BC service on a regional is however cheaper and overall generally superior to BC on Acela.

jackal

Ah, I forgot you said you were going NYC-BOS. If you take a Regional, you'll miss the exciting experience of hitting 150mph. If you've never hit 150mph on the ground, I recommend doing it at least once. Feels like the train should just lift off the tracks and climb about 39,000 feet.

If you take Acela, you'll hit 150 twice--once between New London, CT and Providence, RI (can't remember exactly where) and another between Providence and Boston (an eight mile stretch near the RI/MA border, IIRC).

I'm sure the Regionals hit 125mph here, too, but that extra 25mph is quite noticeable and very exciting.

I was able to weasel my way up into the cab between Stamford and New York Penn, and I got an awesome shot with my camera meeting a Metro North train when we're both doing probably 95mph. What a rush...

AlanB

Nice picture there Jackal.

Alas while it may have felt like 95 mph, you definately weren't doing 95 on MN territory. They limit Amtrak to either 70 or 75 MPH, I can't recall which and their trains can't do 95 MPH. Which is part of the reason that they limit Amtrak to the top speed of their trains.

jackal

Right, right, right--I remember that, now. I was just skimming through the other pics in that set on Flickr and saw a shot with the speedo at 73. I did get some shots of it at 94, though, and since I was only in the cab between Stamford and Queens, it had to be somewhere in there.

AlanB

There is a stretch after one gets off the Hell Gate Bridge to the Bronx, and prior to merging onto MN territory at New Rochelle, where Acela does hit a top speed of 95 MPH I think. It might be a top speed of 90, in which case your engineer was pushing things a bit.

Ps. After a quick check it appears that the top speed for the short stretch noted above is 100 MPH. So the engineer wouldn't have been speeding.