A Win Is a Win Is a Win!
I’ve just about finished booking my Amtrak travel for April when I will be attending the annual Spring meeting of the Rail Passengers Association in Washington. I can’t explain exactly why, but I had a terrible time with the new “improved” Amtrak web site. Admittedly, there are six segments in all, but it took me forever to get it all done.
My return includes a Boston-to-Chicago segment and this gave me the chance to see if I could perhaps save a little money and avoid some inconvenience, too. For those who don’t know, the westbound Lake Shore Limited starts out with two sections: Train 49 originating in New York City’s Penn Station and Train 449 originating from Boston’s South Station. The two sections meet in Albany, New York and proceed to Chicago as one train from there.
Train 49, the New York section of the Lake Shore Limited, arriving in Albany.
So this time, instead of booking a roomette all the way in the Boston sleeper, I made two separate reservations: the first, a seat in Business Class from Boston to Albany; the second, a roomette in the New York section from Albany to Chicago.
True, in Albany I’ll have to gather up my belongings and relocate to the Viewliner sleeper, but I should have only one car between me and the diner. I saved $7.60 on the combined fares, too. Altogether, a small, but satisfying triumph, as long as I overlook the fact that it probably took me more than an hour on the new Amtrak web site to make it all happen.
That’s OK . . . these days we’ll take every win we can get.
Murphy’s Law … what happens when the only Albany to points west sleeper space is in the 4920 car?
Well, I suppose there’s still the seven dollar savings.
Jim, I just wanted to make sure you saw the following in the current RPA (NARP) Hotline #1045 (which is found in the last paragraph covering New York’s Empire Service):
“McHugh also said the new CAF Viewliner II diners that have been delivered have received positive comments from passengers. It is expected that regular dining car service will be restored to the Lake Shore Limited using these new cars during 2018.”
Now, this I say is yet another Win, let’s hope it’s for real! Is it possible it could happen by April?
Bill: I certainly hope so. I did get to have dinner in the prototype of the Viewliner dining car a year ago (or was it two?) and thought it was very nice. I understand that the Amtrak crews working that car has a number of criticism/suggestions, which is one of the official reasons for the delay in delivery. At any rate, finding a full service dining car when I go in for dinner would be very nice indeed!