Business Class on the Crescent

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merkelman06

Train Attendant
Joined
May 27, 2014
Messages
52
Was checking the price on an upcoming trip in May and noticed that business class is not listed as an option on the Crescent after May 1. Last day available to book is April 30.

I am booked in business class to NOL on May 25th and returning a week later in business class.

Was wondering if it was a glitch or is business class being removed?
 
Was wondering the same thing - looking to book NYP-MSS on May 13 and again on June 3.

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I rode in business class on the Crescent last year in April. I was expecting a car with better seats, but it was an everyday Amfleet II. It wasn't worth the extra money to have complimentary coffee or soda.

Perhaps they're removing it because passengers like me don't enjoy paying more without getting more.
 
I rode it and enjoyed it LYH-WAS. Call me an elitist, but anything that gets me out of the chaos that is coach on a train as long as the Crescent is highly worthwhile. In coach, when I boarded in Lynchburg in the early AM there were people sprawled everywhere. In Business, it was much less crowded and therefore much more enjoyable. I could care less about free coffee or the size of the seat - my experiences in Business on the Cardinal, Lake Shore & Crescent were all positive due to a less crowded and less chaotic environment.

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I rode it and enjoyed it LYH-WAS. Call me an elitist, but anything that gets me out of the chaos that is coach on a train as long as the Crescent is highly worthwhile. In coach, when I boarded in Lynchburg in the early AM there were people sprawled everywhere. In Business, it was much less crowded and therefore much more enjoyable. I could care less about free coffee or the size of the seat - my experiences in Business on the Cardinal, Lake Shore & Crescent were all positive due to a less crowded and less chaotic environment.

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That is what it was for. It was designed for short haul passengers. At any rate, it will no longer be offered.
 
Is that all

I rode it and enjoyed it LYH-WAS. Call me an elitist, but anything that gets me out of the chaos that is coach on a train as long as the Crescent is highly worthwhile. In coach, when I boarded in Lynchburg in the early AM there were people sprawled everywhere. In Business, it was much less crowded and therefore much more enjoyable. I could care less about free coffee or the size of the seat - my experiences in Business on the Cardinal, Lake Shore & Crescent were all positive due to a less crowded and less chaotic environment.


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That is what it was for. It was designed for short haul passengers. At any rate, it will no longer be offered.
Is that all Long Distance Business Class or just on the Crescent that will no longer be offered?
 
I suspect they will come back, but after they figure out how to make it a true upgrade (crescent business class was a joke, more like a quiet car). I suspect Anderson as a former airline guy didn't like Amtrak trotting out such a poor product.
 
I suspect they will come back, but after they figure out how to make it a true upgrade (crescent business class was a joke, more like a quiet car). I suspect Anderson as a former airline guy didn't like Amtrak trotting out such a poor product.
An undefined product at that. Much like the vast majority of this board, He takes a dim view to the various offerings and definitions. I think a mass clean up is on the horizon. There are certain things on his agenda that I anxiously await, while others...........we'll see.
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I agree with the variations on business class. It's very frustrating that there is no standard. I often take it, more for the fact that I won't have to fight for a seat in a busy station, and its usually quieter, than anything else.
 
Yep, Amtrak posted the new Crescent schedule online and BC is removed May 1. I used it once and I also liked the quieter atmosphere, especially overnight WAS > ATL.
 
It was pretty dumb that the main point of BC on the Crescent was for not many people to choose it, thus offering less noise and more space. It's never a good thing when the main point of a given product relies on the product not selling well. In fact, the 'Flexible' fares have a slightly better refund policy than business class. Literally making it better in almost every way to book flexible coach than to book BC on the Crescent.

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I didn't know that AT had business class. I assumed the only places you could "stretch out" were in the sleepers or if there were SSLs in the consist(s).
The accommodation in Business Class was exactly the same as in Coach on the Autotrain.
 
It was pretty dumb that the main point of BC on the Crescent was for not many people to choose it, thus offering less noise and more space. It's never a good thing when the main point of a given product relies on the product not selling well.
True! I just wanted to find a quieter place on the train with a half-decent chance of getting some sleep and not paying an arm and a leg. The BC option was much cheaper than a sleeper.
 
What never made sense to me is that the train length didn't change. I'm pretty sure they didn't add a coach, they just moved one coach up front and called it business. Given that less people bought business class, the capacity of the train was effectively reduced.
 
What never made sense to me is that the train length didn't change. I'm pretty sure they didn't add a coach, they just moved one coach up front and called it business. Given that less people bought business class, the capacity of the train was effectively reduced.
Since consist lengths can vary greatly between runs, I think it’s hard to get a sense of weather they added a car or not, but the impression I got was that they didn’t remove any coaches.
 
They don't really vary that greatly. At most +/- one Coach and on rare occasions +/- a Sleeper. But generally the consists are pretty consistent. Very rarely on special occasions there may be greater variation, and those will be discussed for days in place like AU.
 
I could never figure out why they didn't include Dining Car meals in the Long Distance Business Class. Wasn't the point of including them in sleepers to help the dining car financials? So having Business Class passengers eat in the dining car would help the dining car financials more right?
 
That would just create yet another different definition of Business Class. So there would then be like 4 different hard products called Business Class and then there would be three or more different soft products that go with the different hard products. That would be remarkably mind boggling.

I actually expect Anderson to try to fix this mess and create some uniformity in Business Class.

It all started with calling the Acela Coach Business Class, and then went rapidly downhill from there.
 
That would just create yet another different definition of Business Class. So there would then be like 4 different hard products called Business Class and then there would be three or more different soft products that go with the different hard products. That would be remarkably mind boggling.

I actually expect Anderson to try to fix this mess and create some uniformity in Business Class.

It all started with calling the Acela Coach Business Class, and then went rapidly downhill from there.
Way more than 4! But yes I get what you are saying and I agree.

Well.. he could fix it as quickly as cancelled the Parlour Cars and Private Moves. Send out a memo that says "all amtrak business class will now feature x y and z amenities. Due to state agreements the x and x trains will also receive y and y"
 
I could never figure out why they didn't include Dining Car meals in the Long Distance Business Class. Wasn't the point of including them in sleepers to help the dining car financials? So having Business Class passengers eat in the dining car would help the dining car financials more right?
While I agree that LD business should have gotten meals included, it would have actually hurt the dining car financials to do so. Any possible revenue from business pax paying to dine would have been lost. Instead, the diner would lose money on every BC passenger that dined.
 
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I could never figure out why they didn't include Dining Car meals in the Long Distance Business Class. Wasn't the point of including them in sleepers to help the dining car financials? So having Business Class passengers eat in the dining car would help the dining car financials more right?
While I agree that LD business should have gotten meals included, it would have actually hurt the dining car financials to do so. Any possible revenue from business pax paying to dine would have been lost. Instead, the diner would lose money on every BC passenger that dined.
How so? Do they lose money on every Sleeping Car passenger that dines? what is the difference?
 
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