Since the recent "modernization" of Multi-City, you can no longer get a fare breakdown (rail fare versus accommodation/business seat charge) without actually buying a ticket. Until recently, Multi-City still had vestiges of the older UI and you could get a fare breakdown on it. No more.
I was flabbergasted by the Business Class pricing on the reinstated Vancouver, BC Cascades service ($105 SEA-VAC, $70 EVR-VAC). It seemed much higher than before. I modified my goofy Builder to Seattle-Bus to Vancouver trip in November to 516 EVR-VAC in Business today, and so got a fare breakdown. The BC charge was just $17, similar to what it had been prior to COVID, but the rail fare was $53, the top "Flex" fare. Coach Saver fare is $23 amd Value is $30.
For the rest of this, bear in mind that Business Class on the Cascades is a separate inventory from coach, and where the coach buckets are can be and often is different from where the business class buckets are. Also on the Cascades Business Class surcharge is fixed, it is rail fare that moves through the buckets. The opposite of the practice on sleepers.
I had just done a joyride with a friend of mine from Tacoma to Portland and back in early August in Business Class and the difference between coach and business was not nearly so extreme. Since I had the receipts, I found that the BC surcharge Tacoma-Portland is $16. The rail fare was $29, which is almost certainly low bucket Value, Saver being $22. We took 503 southbound, a Talgo, and the Starlight back in Business Class. Got the same $29+$16 pricing on the Starlight's Business Class.
Something seemed off, with the Vancouver having a super high rail fare, and Portland having a normal one. So I started looking at fares TAC-PDX on various trains, since I knew the BC surcharge was $16 for TAC-PDX. Looking about a month out, it turns out the 503 and 11 have the same $29+$16 pricing most days, some days even having $22 saver level +$16. Not so for trains 505 and 507, on those the Business Class was considerable higher. 503 is a Talgo. 505 and 507 are Horizons. Subtracting the $16, the fares did not match up to either Flex or currently offered Coach Value, which indicates to me that Business Class rail fare on those trains are at highter Value buckets. Again, Business and Coach on the Cascades are separate inventories that are independently yield managed. On closer dates, they were higher still, some even reching Flex + $16 on those trains. 503, the Talgo, and 11 remained lower, usually at the displayed Value fare + $16.
The number of Business Class seats are fare fewer on the Horizon sets than on the remaining in service Talgo, the BC on the Horizon sets only being half the cafe with 2+1 seating. I think there are only 14 BC seats, but not sure. Kind of going off my recollections of the 1/2 BC Amfleet cafe on the Maple Leaf. In any case, it is apparent to me that they are allocating the limited BC seat inventory on the Horizons sets into higher buckets.
Conclusions:
1. The Vancouver 516/519 will be a Horizon consist (no surprise, because the remaining Talgo belongs to ODOT and 516/519 don't come within hundreds of miles of Oregon).
2. They are expecting to fill up BC to Vancouver at high bucket/Flex level, irrespective of coach demand.
3. For SEA-PDX-EUG, if you want a Talgo, look at BC pricing. If it is low, it is likely a Talgo. If the other ODOT Talgo Series VIII gets back into service, look to see a lower BC price on another train pair.
4. If you want Business class for reasonable cost, go on the remainng Talgo or the Starlight.
Finally, an off-topic FYI. You don't get the $3 off (or whatever it is, I never remember) coupon for the cafe for Business Class on the Starlight. That is a perk reserved for WSDOT funded Cascades service. My traveling companion was kind of torqued about that.
I was flabbergasted by the Business Class pricing on the reinstated Vancouver, BC Cascades service ($105 SEA-VAC, $70 EVR-VAC). It seemed much higher than before. I modified my goofy Builder to Seattle-Bus to Vancouver trip in November to 516 EVR-VAC in Business today, and so got a fare breakdown. The BC charge was just $17, similar to what it had been prior to COVID, but the rail fare was $53, the top "Flex" fare. Coach Saver fare is $23 amd Value is $30.
For the rest of this, bear in mind that Business Class on the Cascades is a separate inventory from coach, and where the coach buckets are can be and often is different from where the business class buckets are. Also on the Cascades Business Class surcharge is fixed, it is rail fare that moves through the buckets. The opposite of the practice on sleepers.
I had just done a joyride with a friend of mine from Tacoma to Portland and back in early August in Business Class and the difference between coach and business was not nearly so extreme. Since I had the receipts, I found that the BC surcharge Tacoma-Portland is $16. The rail fare was $29, which is almost certainly low bucket Value, Saver being $22. We took 503 southbound, a Talgo, and the Starlight back in Business Class. Got the same $29+$16 pricing on the Starlight's Business Class.
Something seemed off, with the Vancouver having a super high rail fare, and Portland having a normal one. So I started looking at fares TAC-PDX on various trains, since I knew the BC surcharge was $16 for TAC-PDX. Looking about a month out, it turns out the 503 and 11 have the same $29+$16 pricing most days, some days even having $22 saver level +$16. Not so for trains 505 and 507, on those the Business Class was considerable higher. 503 is a Talgo. 505 and 507 are Horizons. Subtracting the $16, the fares did not match up to either Flex or currently offered Coach Value, which indicates to me that Business Class rail fare on those trains are at highter Value buckets. Again, Business and Coach on the Cascades are separate inventories that are independently yield managed. On closer dates, they were higher still, some even reching Flex + $16 on those trains. 503, the Talgo, and 11 remained lower, usually at the displayed Value fare + $16.
The number of Business Class seats are fare fewer on the Horizon sets than on the remaining in service Talgo, the BC on the Horizon sets only being half the cafe with 2+1 seating. I think there are only 14 BC seats, but not sure. Kind of going off my recollections of the 1/2 BC Amfleet cafe on the Maple Leaf. In any case, it is apparent to me that they are allocating the limited BC seat inventory on the Horizons sets into higher buckets.
Conclusions:
1. The Vancouver 516/519 will be a Horizon consist (no surprise, because the remaining Talgo belongs to ODOT and 516/519 don't come within hundreds of miles of Oregon).
2. They are expecting to fill up BC to Vancouver at high bucket/Flex level, irrespective of coach demand.
3. For SEA-PDX-EUG, if you want a Talgo, look at BC pricing. If it is low, it is likely a Talgo. If the other ODOT Talgo Series VIII gets back into service, look to see a lower BC price on another train pair.
4. If you want Business class for reasonable cost, go on the remainng Talgo or the Starlight.
Finally, an off-topic FYI. You don't get the $3 off (or whatever it is, I never remember) coupon for the cafe for Business Class on the Starlight. That is a perk reserved for WSDOT funded Cascades service. My traveling companion was kind of torqued about that.
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