Four of us (three adults and one child) are flying to Dallas,TX tomorrow. I am miserable because I HATE airports. However, the train to Dallas cost more one-way than our round-trip airline tickets if we booked the family room, and I'm sure not going coach all the way from pittsburgh to dallas. We're going to a college graduation, so I started looking on Amtrak 11 months ago. Anyway, I'm a bitter woman tonight. I just couldn't justify more than doubling the price for transportation, but tonight I'm regretting my decision. However, I don't understand why this route is so expensive. We've done EB and CZ from Pittsburgh to CHI and on several times and they seem much more affordable.
Bummed Out--Flying to Dallas
- Thread starter chandj
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Devil's Advocate
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I agree that Amtrak sleepers seem to be getting very expensive these days. Maybe it's because we keep telling everyone else to upgrade. But the part that I keep coming back to is why would anyone actually want to travel long distances just to visit Dallas? I've been there a couple times for training or to see a friend or whatever but after looking at multiple guidebooks I just can't seem to figure out what is so appealing about the place. Maybe it's just me. :mellow:
G
George B
Guest
What travel isn't expensive these days? Have you priced out a road trip lately? The cost of gas, hotels, and eating along the way have made even car travel a luxury. I used to be able to take several road trips a year when I was in college. I earn a lot more now than I did back then, but I can’t stand wasting $100 a night for a hotel, paying at least $35 a meal for my family in a semi-decent restaurant, and racking up a couple hundred dollars a day in gas for the car.
All of my trips this year are via Amtrak because it works out to be much cheaper……even when getting a sleeper. But, I had to shop around and be flexible with what days I could travel. People with specific dates already in hand don’t have that choice. I also had to check railfare every day, even after I bought my ticket, because sometimes cancellations would drop a room back to low bucket, and I could get a better room for less money.
I feel for you, as I cannot stand the degrading experience that is air travel these days. But, if you could get the airfare cheaper than railfare, I can’t blame you for flying, and you shouldn’t feel bad about it. Think of it as saving money that you can put towards a future train trip. There will be other trains.
PerRock
Engineer
well a couple things to help in the thinking.
The Bedroom fare covers:
A couple nights hotel fare
your three meals a day
access to first class lounges
more personalized attendant service
free wine, coffee, etc (route dependent)
A Coach fare covers:
A seat
an Economy fare covers:
A seat
A Beverage (non alcoholic)
if your lucky 3 peanuts
I cannot comment on what is included in First Class on a plane, as I've never been able to afford that luxury.
Really the way I see it is if your comparing prices a sleeper is more akin to a First Class airline ticket.
peter
The Bedroom fare covers:
A couple nights hotel fare
your three meals a day
access to first class lounges
more personalized attendant service
free wine, coffee, etc (route dependent)
A Coach fare covers:
A seat
an Economy fare covers:
A seat
A Beverage (non alcoholic)
if your lucky 3 peanuts
I cannot comment on what is included in First Class on a plane, as I've never been able to afford that luxury.
Really the way I see it is if your comparing prices a sleeper is more akin to a First Class airline ticket.
peter
jis
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Actually First Class on domestic planes is not really as good as what you get in a Sleeper. You go get quite good food for free, but usually only one meal.
International First Class, which BTW costs about 5 to 10 times what a train journey of equivalent duration by a Sleeper train costs, does get you a flat bed, as does International Business Class on most airlines, for a fare that is a third to half of what the first class fare is.
Ispolkom
Engineer
Supply and demand. There's only one train a day, with very limited sleeper accommodations. More people want to travel by train, for various reasons. Therefore prices are high. Whether it's worth it to you or me is one thing, but sleeper accommodation seems to be selling well.
Other than potentially an alcoholic drink for 'free' in first class domestically, it no longer has much to recommend it. Usually on flights between Dallas and Pittsburgh there isn't a first class option anyway because the planes are small. BTW, I don't argue that all-in sleepers are not a bad deal compared to flying, but as we need to be in Dallas for a fixed number of days, the extra train cost would just be additive to the trip cost at anything over the cost of flying.
Well the OP did they they were going to a graduation so that's why they are coming to Dallas. And there's plenty of nice things in Dallas!
Oh, I love Dallas except from June through September! The airport security line in Pittsburgh yesterday was an absolute nightmare. We got to the airport 2 hours before the flight and barely made it on board. The young woman in the seat in front of me FULLY reclined into my lap, and so our 2 year old kept slamming into her seat. She asked me to make him stop and I told her to stuff herself. He then knocked an unopened coke off my tray and it exploded all over this lady. Normally I would have apologized all over myself, but in her case I made an exception. Air travel turns normally nice people (me) into stressed out arses. I hate it and I still have to get home. Long live trains, even when the sleepers are really expensive.
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