Assigned Seating?

[Cricketsma]

My husband and I recently retired and since I do not fly, we plan to travel a lot on Amtrak. One of our concerns is that we might not be able to sit next to each other during long trips. The last trip we actually booked a sleeperette in order to get an assigned seat.

1. Has Amtrak ever done/considered assigned seating?

2. Any tips to increase our chances of sitting together?

3. What are the rules/etiquette of moving from one seat to another?

Thanks for your help!

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Check me if I'm wrong but assigned seating in the Coaches is usually up to the Attendant. I have been on trains where it has been open seating, though in that case you are usually still confined to a specific car to keep destinations grouped together. On others, mainly the Silvers, the Attendant hands you an assigned seat as you step aboard.

As for sitting together, it is usually no problem, especially for a 2-pack.

 

[the_traveler]

On most LD coaches, about 1/2 of the car is "set aside" and has signs that say "Reserved for groups of 2 or more". The attendant will also assist you in getting seats together.

 

[Bob Dylan]

You can also use a Red Cap in Stations that have them to board ahead of the thundering hurd and snag seats together!

Since you are retired I'm assuming ya'll have Senior Status? If so,some Stations allow you to board, along with Handicapped and those with small children, ahead of other Coach Passengers.

The Best riding seats are usually in the middle of the cars away from the trucks and end doors and on a Superliner, away from the stairs. ( Superliner Coaches also have downstairs seats that are "Reserved" for those needing assistance and the Handicapped.)

 

[BCL]

I believe the answer is "it depends". I look the Coast Starlight from Seattle to Emeryville last month, and at the start it was a two-step process. The first was checking in at a desk at the station to be assigned a car. Then before entering the car the coach attendant assigned each passenger a seat or groups were assigned seats together. It was pretty obvious by looking at the seat checks that we were being grouped together - pretty much everyone in the car and the adjacent car has seat checks for EMY or OKJ. It looks like families or others on the same reservation were given seats together. I was alone, but the guy sitting next to me didn't say a word for the entire trip.

I've also taken the CS for a short trip with my kid, including RIC-SJC (RIC is no longer a stop) or EMY-SJC. We were always assigned two seats together. Even when my kid was under 2 (and theoretically had to sit on my lap) I was assigned a seat next to an empty seat.

However, I've read/asked about taking the California Zephyr starting from Emeryville, and the reported procedure is that one is assigned a coach car and then just finds an empty seat. Eventually the attendants may start shuffling seats around to accommodate passengers getting on. Or that's what I've heard.

 

[Kat314159]

Save one short hop from CHI to SPI where the train was over sold and just having a seat was all one could ask for. I would say in general you shouldn't have too much trouble, especially if you're traveling at an off peak season. At least in my experience on the Lake Shore Limited and Lincoln Service most of the time if you aren't the back of the line you can easily find seats together. One thing that definitely helps in getting my choice of seats is having easily maneuverable carry on luggage. When I need to hike down to the front car of a LD train starting from Chicago having just a backpack and tote bag lets me easily pass others and climb the steps into the train

I've encountered the following:

Free for all: Lincoln Service and WB Lakeshore Limited

General direction to a coach(ie NYP is the next 3 coaches, stop here for BOS) : Lakeshore Limited EB, Texas Eagle SB(I suspect NB would be the same but I'd rather grab Lincoln to Chicago)

 

[Railroad Bill]

As a couple who board in Cleveland in the middle of the night our experience has been mixed. Lake Shore usually has someone assign the seats and you are given a seat number. Most of the time two people together will get a pair together. The problem is that many people are sleeping and spread across several seats, which can be a hassle if the conductor or car attendant does not want to take charge.

Capitol Ltd arriving at similar times with similar results.

1) it depends where you are boarding, which trains you are riding, the whims of the personnel that day. But we have found most of our conductors to be helpful and ready to put two people together.

 

[Cricketsma1]

I Thank each of you for your input and good suggestions!

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

As a couple who board in Cleveland in the middle of the night our experience has been mixed. Lake Shore usually has someone assign the seats and you are given a seat number. Most of the time two people together will get a pair together. The problem is that many people are sleeping and spread across several seats, which can be a hassle if the conductor or car attendant does not want to take charge.

Capitol Ltd arriving at similar times with similar results.

1) it depends where you are boarding, which trains you are riding, the whims of the personnel that day. But we have found most of our conductors to be helpful and ready to put two people together.

I don't remember being assigned a seat on the LSL from New York but I do on many of the others. Maybe that day they forgot.

I think having the ability to choose an aisle or window should be an improvement on LD trains. If the airlines can do it, why can't Amtrak?

 

[Ryan]

Airlines don't make 50 stops between their origin and departure.

 

[Ryan]

They also have more money to put into fancy computer reservation systems.

 

[jis]

They also have more money to put into fancy computer reservation systems.

I understand that Amtrak's reservation system is fully capable of assigning seats with a few minor tweaks at most. The fact that Amtrak does not assign seats is a matter of policy, not so much a matter of resources.

Airlines don't make 50 stops between their origin and departure.

But they do make fewer that 70 stops that some trains in India make on which seats and berths are assigned.

Are we feeling particularly defensive of Amtrak today or what?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Other passenger rail services have no problem selling and honoring specific seats months in advance. Amtrak's reservation system already supports the selling of specific seats. According to previous posts Amtrak was apparently bullied into removing seat selection by folks in the Northeast who either didn't understand the process or simply didn't care to respect it and instead chose to take their frustrations out on the staff and other passengers rather than whoever booked the wrong seat.

 

[iggy]

Unfortunately as was mentioned above - many times procedure depends on what crew is running the show that day. Sometimes coach passengers are assigned seats other times they are just loaded in city stop order and sent to find a seat.

All most all trains will load passengers in city stop order for efficiency.

Sometimes conductors are not in sync with each other. I have personally seen and experienced being told one thing by one then told another by door I was sent to.

"Free for all: Lincoln Service"

Not that big of a free for all - although like most trains there can be a mad sprint to load. Purchasing a Business Class ticket reduces this somewhat. Although with 2 1 seating - many of us do our best to be first to single seats. Lincoln Service is loaded in city stop order at all stations.

If you want a kill or be killed mad dash rush - ride Hiawatha.

As mentioned sometimes Red Cap services can reduce stress and any boarding issues.

"I think having the ability to choose an aisle or window should be an improvement on LD trains. If the airlines can do it, why can't Amtrak?"

Multiple previous threads and debates within the forum on this subject in past.