Coast Starlight on Black Friday- how crowded?

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Texan Eagle

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I am riding Coast Starlight from LAX to Oakland on Black Friday, specifically to enjoy the scenic ride, so obviously I want a left side window to enjoy the ocean. I am going Coach and wondering if anyone has experience on how crowded the train tends to be on Black Friday?

I know Thanksgiving is super busy for Amtrak, but is most of the crowd on Wed/Thu and Sat/Sun as people go to and from their holidays, or is it super crowded right in the middle on Friday too? (I am hoping everyone will be more interested in going for mad chaos at big box stores for shopping that day lol)
 
Steve4031 said:
I would look into booking a roomette. This allows access into the pacific parlor car. You have several opportunities for sitting where you want.
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Only if you take a seat before the train leaves. Otherwise you'll be stuck with one of those silly inward facing couches or a surprisingly uncomfortable booth. Speaking of which, aren't the PPC's taken off the Coast Starlight during the winter months? Did they change their mind about that?
 
We rode the Coast Starlight the day after Thanksgiving a few years ago, and it wasn't crowded at all. Since we were just going from Oxnard to Chico, we opted for coach. it was a very pleasant trip with lots of room to move about and plenty of seats available in the lounge car. Enjoy your trip.
 
To everyone suggesting "take a roomette", I should have mentioned in my original post that I already know after being on this forum for many years that the magic solution for most things on Amtrak is to take a roomette :p but unfortunately the price differential was way too high to justify it. Also, Amtrak insisting that single passengers pay for a whole roomette doesn't help either. If only they start an Uber Pool kind of setup to connect single passengers with other single passengers who want to get a roomette and allow both to split the fare, I would be down for it any day!
 
Devil's Advocate said:
Speaking of which, aren't the PPC's taken off the Coast Starlight during the winter months? Did they change their mind about that?
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My memory is that the past few winters, the removal of the PPC's has occurred January-March, but I can't find anything specifically to prove that.
 
Hope it is not crowded as we are doing the same thing although we are taking the Surfliner to LA. There are two of us and we booked early so got a roomette, price was right. I really am hoping the PPC is on as I have watched it for the last week and it is currently in the set. We got a lower level roomette assigned by the reservation computer. My thought was see if an upper was available but I see a sleeper was added so I am guessing no. But that's fine, we get off at EMY.
 
fairviewroad said:
Devil's Advocate said:
Speaking of which, aren't the PPC's taken off the Coast Starlight during the winter months? Did they change their mind about that?
Click to expand...
My memory is that the past few winters, the removal of the PPC's has occurred January-March, but I can't find anything specifically to prove that.
Click to expand...
No PPC Jan 6th thru March 1st. That's coming straight from Amtrak's email to me about my trip this coming February. Boo! Hiss! At least I'm on the train. :)
 
SP&S said:
fairviewroad said:
Devil's Advocate said:
Speaking of which, aren't the PPC's taken off the Coast Starlight during the winter months? Did they change their mind about that?
Click to expand...
My memory is that the past few winters, the removal of the PPC's has occurred January-March, but I can't find anything specifically to prove that.
Click to expand...
No PPC Jan 6th thru March 1st. That's coming straight from Amtrak's email to me about my trip this coming February. Boo! Hiss! At least I'm on the train. :)
Click to expand...
Thanks for the confirmation SP&S. Looks like you were right on the money fairviewroad. ^_^
 
Do they substitute a Sightseer Lounge for the PPC for exclusive use of sleeper car passengers? I'll be riding Coast Starlight from Emeryville to Los Angeles in late January.
 
Texan Eagle said:
I am riding Coast Starlight from LAX to Oakland on Black Friday, specifically to enjoy the scenic ride, so obviously I want a left side window to enjoy the ocean. I am going Coach and wondering if anyone has experience on how crowded the train tends to be on Black Friday?

I know Thanksgiving is super busy for Amtrak, but is most of the crowd on Wed/Thu and Sat/Sun as people go to and from their holidays, or is it super crowded right in the middle on Friday too? (I am hoping everyone will be more interested in going for mad chaos at big box stores for shopping that day lol)
Click to expand...
I've ridden the CS on Black Friday twice, and it was not as crowded compared to Saturday or Sunday following Thanksgiving. From what I know, the CS during Thanksgiving is the most crowded on the Tue/Wed and then Sat/Sun. I had to leave on Black Friday on two occasions, as the trains were sold out for both Saturday and Sunday on such occasions. To get the Thanksgiving weekend trains, better book early, preferably no later than 1st week of November. For Cardinal/Sunset Limited travelers, even further in advance, as those trains run only thrice-weekly. When I rode the CS last November on Sunday following Thanksgiving, the train was full, as in no vacancy, and I expect that it will be the same this year as well, and I also speculate that the CS was completely full on that Saturday as well, due to the high number of CA-bound travelers from WA/OR, or vice versa.
 
The parlor car is frustrating sometimes when numerous people Bogart the swivel chairs and knit or read without ever glancing out the window for hours at a time.

I was thinking a roomette for two is roomette price plus 1 coach fare. It is expensive but nice to have your own space on a long grip
 
While you can book a Roomette, you won't know until you board a train pulling Superliner sleeper cars which side relative to the direction of travel the Roomette will be on.

If all the pax booking a Roomette on the CS desire a Roomette on the side of the train the Pacific Ocean will be on, 1/2 of them will be disappointed.

When I have a roomette I spend quite a bit of time in the SSL car so I can look out both sides of the train.

But I also look out the windows of the sleeper car in the stairwell & coffee pot area, the hall next to the Bedrooms, the 'rail fan' window, and my Roomette.

Cost is the roomette price plus a low bucket coach fare for each person booked in the Roomette.

So for 2 people it's the Roomette charge and 2 low bucket coach seat fares.

For 1 person it's the Roomette charge and 1 low bucket coach seat fare.

Amtrak makes out like a bandit when 1 person books a Roomette.

What Amtrak loses as far as a second low bucket coach fare is compensated for by only having to include 1/2 as many meals, 1/2 the dirty linens, 1/2 the use of the shower, etc.

The CS always has the coach cars at the end of the consist, so the 'rail fan' window is at the back of the last coach car and accessible to every passenger.

Sleeper pax wanting to look/photograph out the back of the train have to walk through the PPC, Diner, SSL, and 3 (sometimes 4) coach cars to get to the back window.

On LD trains that have the sleepers on the back of the consist access to the 'rail fan' window is a sleeper pax perk.
 
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Tennessee Traveler said:
Do they substitute a Sightseer Lounge for the PPC for exclusive use of sleeper car passengers? I'll be riding Coast Starlight from Emeryville to Los Angeles in late January.
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Not when they pull it in January and February. The service is just withdrawn. Other times of the year when it is scheduled to be on, most of the time they will substitute an SSL (okay) or Diner-Lounge (blech) if a PPC isn't available.
 
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I am on the CS now heading towards Eugene. We left from LA with the PPC and used it last evening. Today is much more crowded and last night they filled up dinner reservations.
 
When I booked a few days ago from OXN to EMY the Roomette Tickets were still at the low bucket prices. Looking at Boarding numbers historically the Friday after Thanksgiving tends to have much lower ridership than the Tuesday/Wednesday before and the Saturday/Sunday after. I know Capitol Corridor will be running a weekend/holiday schedule the day after Thanksgiving. From my observations at the station it is generally quieter on the Friday after Thanksgiving. I think the larger concern will be what the weather will be like!
 
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