Recent content by Lonnie

We were on the Empire Builder when it was running extremely late to Chicago. I wanted to be sure we'd have a roomette on the next day's Lake Shore Limited, so as soon as I realized we would be staying the night in Chicago, I called customer service and explained that I wanted to switch my LSL...

Here's a very recent and very thought-provoking article on tipping culture: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/01/01/has-gratuity-culture-reached-a-tipping-point I have to agree, tipping an SCA whom you barely see seems pretty ridiculous. And tipping one halfway through the journey seems...

I love this question! Just before reading it, I had said to hubby, "I'd rather get my teeth worked on than go through another airport." We've done a fair amount of coast-to-coast train travel in roomettes and never once worried about how much we were carrying. To fly to the same destination...

I've got tickets for nyp-nhv coach tomorrow, purchased with points. I can't find a way to use my upgrade coupon. I'm assuming that's because you can't use two kinds of rewards on the same trip. Is that correct? Can't even bid up, or so it tells me.

Thanks so much! Exactly what I needed. And yes, arriving at instead of driving into Penn is a much better idea. 😁

We did tons of coast to coast train travel in sleeper cars over the past two years, and while I have Select Plus status, my husband does not. I can access Lounge access in the app which shows my Select Plus status, but he cannot. We've been longing to see the Moynihan lounge and finally will be...

We just stayed in Seattle for a little over $100/night, at the Baroness Hotel, booked through Booking.com. Three nights in March is now $457. A bit bare bones but plenty clean and extremely comfortable bed. 10 minutes' walk to all sorts of downtown things, 20 minutes' walk to Pike Place Market...

Well I just love the Viewliners because I'm the top bunk sleeper, and we had a great SCA. Arrived in Springfield only a few minutes late - I think that delay happened in Albany - after an uneventful trip. The flex food is really pretty atrocious and the LSA (actually OSA, Only Service Attendant)...

Toilets in at least two coach cars were not operational for most of the trip on the EB departing Seattle 12/17.

Yes. At about 4pm yesterday I noticed in the app that when I tried to book today's train, there was a roomette available that hadn't been available earlier. I called Customer Relations right away and she reserved it for me as it was clear by then that our train was never going to make the...

Indeed we were brought to the Swissotel and it was such luxury! I have to say, they handled the whole process really well, and the dozens of people, filling two buses, were incredibly well behaved and patient. Not a single entitled knucklehead among them. We slept like babies and opted to walk...

So indeed the 8 is arriving too late. I was able to reach Customer Relations when I noticed a roomette on the LSL tomorrow had opened up. She reserved it for me and noted it in my dossier. I'm curious about what hotel they'll put us in. Best way to find out? Can I choose my own hotel even if I...

The Empire Builder East Bound - the EBEB 😉 - of course had mechanical problems all night in this sub-zero weather, and is nearly six hours late so I'll miss my LSL connection in Chicago tonight. I called, they don't yet know what they're going to do about all the missed connections. How do I...

That's what they've said and apparently is true, as the 30 car is the base car. I'm sitting in the 830 right now enjoying the scenery in the Glacier area. You may want to call a couple weeks ahead of time just to be sure.

We made it fine onto the EB today, car 830, right on time so far. Got into a conversation with a young SCA who said we had two good engines. He said the new ones that they recently got keep breaking down. At one point if not more, they've had BNSF engines moving the train after one of those...