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Business Class? Save Your Money!

Because of where I live and where I’m usually going, most of my Amtrak travel has been in sleeping cars. And, while there are a number of areas about the service that could stand some improvement, I’ve never hesitated to recommend any one of Amtrak’s long-distance trains as the best way to see and to appreciate our amazing country.

Most of our shorter haul trains—these are the trains that complete their routes in less than a full day’s time—offer an upgrade from traditional coach service to Business Class. Of course, there is usually an additional cost for such an upgrade.

So what exactly is Business Class? 

Typically, one of the rail cars in a short-haul train’s consist includes a lounge area where any of the regular-fare passengers can congregate, usually to consume drinks and pre-packaged food items they have purchased from the snack bar.

There are usually tables in one part of the lounge car where passengers can consume drinks, snacks and food items that have been microwave-heated by an attendant behind a counter in the middle of the car

At the other end of that rail car, there is seating for 15-20 business class passengers. The seats are usually wider and somewhat more comfortable than the standard coach seats. Typically there are two seats on one side of the aisle and one seat on the other.

Not exactly the Lap of Luxury.

Sometimes there is a curtain that can be drawn across the open doorway to where food and drink from the refreshment counter and the rest of the passengers. And sometimes, as a business class passenger, you get a free soft drink. (Of course it’s not exactly free because you have paid extra for that seat in Business Class.) 

So how did we enjoy our Business Class experience coming down from Vancouver, you ask? 

Well, the Business Class portion of the car was butt up against the rear of the locomotive, so it was noisy. The car itself was obviously old and the fabric covering our chairs was different from the chairs across the aisle. Those chairs faced forward; the chairs on our side of the aisle faced the rear and a very unpleasant-looking woman stared at me as my friend and I rode facing backwards all the way into Seattle.

All this and I also paid too much.

At the other end of that rail car, there is seating for 15-20 business class passengers. The seats are usually wider and somewhat more comfortable than the standard coach seats. Typically there are two seats on one side of the aisle and one seat on the other.

Sometimes there is a curtain that can be drawn across the open doorway to where food and drink from the refreshment counter and the rest of the passengers. And sometimes, as a business class passenger, you get a free soft drink. (Of course it’s not exactly free because you have paid extra for that seat in Business Class.) 

Obvious Conclusion: Not Enough Good Linesmen.

So how did we enjoy our Business Class experience coming down from Vancouver, you ask? 

Well, the Business Class portion of our rail car was butt up against the rear of the locomotive, so it was hot and noisy. The car itself was obviously old and the fabric covering our chairs was different from the chairs across the aisle. Those chairs faced forward; the chairs on our side of the aisle faced the rear and a very unpleasant-looking woman stared at me as my friend and I rode facing backwards all the way into Seattle.

AAnd what did all that extra luxury cost, you ask? It’s wasn’t broken out on my ticket, but I checked fares for the next few Mondays (the day of the week we traveled): the regular coach fare was $45; the additional cost for Business Class was about $100 . . . clearly, not worth the extra expense.

3 Comments

  1. I pretty much always take business class on the Midwestern trains. It’s not a great deal more expensive, and the BIG perk it offers is access to the Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago. I’ll enjoy the food and drink offerings there, but more important I’ll store my bag in the lounge while I go out and explore the city. I believe lounge access is also offered on business class trains to and from Los Angeles.

    1. I do see the benefit in using business class to gain access to some of the lounges. Our experience with what was passed off as an upgrade in service on the Vancouver-Seattle train turned me off of Business Class. Some–and it applies to specific trains–are worth the extra m money.
      What cannot continue is for Business Class to be a serious benefit on one train and a shoeless rip-off on another.

    2. Dave,

      My apologies . . . I didn’t scroll down far enough and didn’t see your comments about Business Class until now.
      My problem with Business Class is that it’s so inconsistent. What prompted that post was the short ride (four hours)
      from Vancouver to Seattle. The first class section of the rail car was disgrace: mismatched chairs with stains on the fabric.
      A stack of cardboard boxes filled with trash shoved in a corner. And a sullen guy working the snack bar. I have had better
      experiences in first–on the Lakeshore, for example– but the regular coach seats are quite comfortable and lunch at the
      snack bar costs $15 is the same food that is free when you’re in 1st class, but the 1st class ticket id $45 more.
      Just my thoughts. Thanks for the comment. Jim

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