Business Class (Palmetto)

[MARC Rider]

Being that right now, I'm riding in the business class car on #90, I thought I'd share my observations about the value of paying extra for the service. The rail fare was $94.50 (AAA discount), the accommodation charge was $53. We get standard 2+2 Amfleet I business class car, plenty of legroom, no legrest. It's a 12 hour trip for me.

Business class has the following advantages:

Wi-fi at my seat (Amfleet II coaches aren't wired for wi-fi, so I'd have to go to the cafe car.)

The car is only half full (maybe even less than half full), so I can sit by myself, and (sof far) even spread out and take up 2 seats (though I realize that it could fill up, and I'd have to move my stuff and let someone use the seat.)

There's also the free drinks, the pillow, and the New York Times. (Kind of odd to get a fresh New York Times on an early AM departure from Savannah, Georgia.), but they're less important to me than the fact that the car isn't crowded and I've got the wi-fi at my seat.

I always thought that the Palmetto ran Amfleet II coaches, which always made me think twice about whether business class was worth it, but today, I boarded a coach after taking a stretch at Rocky Mount, and it was an 80 seat Amfleet I coach! And it was packed full. That means they probably had wi-fi at the seat, but it also makes me glad I booked business class. Is it common for the Palmetto to have Amfleet I coaches in the consist?

By the way, we rolled into Rocky Mount 15 minutes early, and I found that you can get ice cream in the little shop in the station. $1.25 for a decent sized cup or cone, but only 4 flavors.

 

[Donctor]

I always thought that the Palmetto ran Amfleet II coaches, which always made me think twice about whether business class was worth it, but today, I boarded a coach after taking a stretch at Rocky Mount, and it was an 80 seat Amfleet I coach! And it was packed full. That means they probably had wi-fi at the seat, but it also makes me glad I booked business class. Is it common for the Palmetto to have Amfleet I coaches in the consist?

Yes, it is common. Typically three Amfleet II coaches and a single Amfleet I coach for the short-haul pax.

 

[Shortline]

What is the difference between the Amfleet I and II? I seem to remember reading the 1's have doors at each end, and the 2's just at one end. Anything else?

 

[AlanB]

What is the difference between the Amfleet I and II? I seem to remember reading the 1's have doors at each end, and the 2's just at one end. Anything else?

Correct. I's have automatic doors, II's don't. II's have a greater seat pitch, much better seats that include foot rests & calf rests that pull up, and curtains on the windows. They also have slightly larger windows than the I's do.

 

[BobWeaver]

Wi-fi at my seat (Amfleet II coaches aren't wired for wi-fi, so I'd have to go to the cafe car.)

Wi-fi covers the whole train, not just the business class and cafe cars.

 

[AlanB]

Wi-fi at my seat (Amfleet II coaches aren't wired for wi-fi, so I'd have to go to the cafe car.)

Wi-fi covers the whole train, not just the business class and cafe cars.

Only if the entire train is using Amfleet I cars. The Palmetto normally has at least some Amfleet II cars in the consist, which have not yet been wired for WiFi. Now the cafe car & the BC car will always be Amfleet I's on the Palmetto, so they're always going to have it, assuming that it is working.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

If you mix up Amfleet Is and IIs in the same train, wouldn't passenger get confused with a Coach ticket? Even if they are assigned to an Amfleet I, they could see that a II has more seat pitch and just switch over.

 

[Donctor]

If you mix up Amfleet Is and IIs in the same train, wouldn't passenger get confused with a Coach ticket? Even if they are assigned to an Amfleet I, they could see that a II has more seat pitch and just switch over.

General practice is to assign the short-haul pax to the Amfleet I coach and longer-distance riders to the three Amfleet II coaches. The train is not (usually) assembled in random order with random cars, and the system of seat assignment is decently functional. As for people switching cars, I'm sure it happens sometimes.

 

[SubwayNut]

The Maple Leaf runs a similar consist: I took mostly the VIA operated portion from TOR-BFX, only two cars of the consist were needed for the Canadian portion. The front Amfleet-I was used for everyone staying in Canada, all but one going to Niagara Falls, ON and the Amfleet-II was for everyone crossing the boarder. I tried the wifi in Cafe car while in Canada but AmtrakConnect on the NEC doesn't work there, strangely the wifi on Amtrak Cascades worked quite well north of the boarder going up to Vancouver, BC earlier in the trip. After the train had cleared customs and we had 45 minutes until are scheduled departure time I unusually (for me) moved up to the Amfleet-I to use the wifi.

The next day (I was on a 4 stopover NFL-BFX-ROC-SYR-NYP) itinerary I cought the almost completely full Maple Leaf from just ROC-SYR (had to double up) and was assigned to an Amfleet-II (not the I much to my surprise) for the very short trip, some passengers around me were talking about moving back to the Amfleet-I to be able to use the wifi.

Wifi now makes Amfleet-Is (albeit with less legroom) more appealing than Amfleet-IIs. Any word on if/when they will get wifi?

I should add the maple leaf uses a split Amfleet-I Cafe/Business Class Car

 

[afigg]

Wifi now makes Amfleet-Is (albeit with less legroom) more appealing than Amfleet-IIs. Any word on if/when they will get wifi?

I should add the maple leaf uses a split Amfleet-I Cafe/Business Class Car

Amtrak pushed off any spending on more WiFi installations until the FY13 budget. But with some ~450(give or take) Amfleet Is equipped with WiFi, it should not be too difficult to equip the 120 coach and 25 diner Amfleet IIs with WiFi. Same basic car as the Is, so the installation equipment, parts, and process should be the same as the Is. That would equip all the eastern single level trains with WiFi (except in the Heritage diners and Viewliners). Would simplify the explanation on a mixed Amfleet train which cars have WiFi and which don't.

Of course, this would leave the Superliner LD trains without WiFi, but they can get taken care of in FY13 if Amtrak gets enough funding from Congress.

 

[Ashland Train Enthusiast]

If you mix up Amfleet Is and IIs in the same train, wouldn't passenger get confused with a Coach ticket? Even if they are assigned to an Amfleet I, they could see that a II has more seat pitch and just switch over.

General practice is to assign the short-haul pax to the Amfleet I coach and longer-distance riders to the three Amfleet II coaches. The train is not (usually) assembled in random order with random cars, and the system of seat assignment is decently functional. As for people switching cars, I'm sure it happens sometimes.

I can speak to this, as 89 is my go-to train for good timing with my schedule to get to Richmond on weekends I travel down there to visit my grandparents. The consist is pretty consistantly BC, Cafe, then the AF1 for short haul passengers and then AF 2s. When boarding (and I board at WAS), they do sort people by how far they go, and the conductors direct you to the specific car and seat you accordingly. I've seen a couple of people seated in the short-haul car ask about moving to one of the AF2s (and it seems that that's at the whim of the Coach Attendant whether to allow or deny the request), but generally the people seated in the AF1 are on for such a short time that it's really not worth it and most people just settle in. I think the break point is somewhere just over 2/2.5 hours, as WAS - RVR always puts me in the AF1, and I'm also there with PTB pax, but beyond that, folks out of WAS are seated in the AF2s.

~ DCTE

[EDIT] Spelling