Guaranteed Empty Seat next to you in coach

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JoeRids

Service Attendant
Joined
Sep 1, 2013
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152
I just came up with an idea (scary thought) to drive extra revenue and add to passenger comfort and satisfaction:

One of my big hangups traveling overnight coach is the thought of sleeping next to, well, anyone. As much as I would hope it would be an attractive female, with my luck it would be more like Grizzley Adams. Why can't Amtrak, for an up-charge, offer a guaranteed empty seat next to a single traveller? This would allow the traveler peace of mind they would get a reasonably good nights rest. The cost would vary based on the season, but presumably would be a percentage of the full coach fare. Amtrak could also limit these seats on busy trains and holiday periods that full occupancy would be expected. If the person would have gotten an empty seat anyway due to a less than full train, too bad: Amtrak would still get the extra revenue! I don't know about the rest of you, but it would certainly entice me to take more overnight coach rides, especially since sleeper prices have been priced in the stratosphere. Thoughts?
 
Thinking of this situation when we board the CL or LSL in CLE at 2am or so, it might be difficult for one to know which passengers have an exclusive second seat next to them. A different colored seat check? or two seat checks over the assigned seats? Since we seldom are assigned seats on this train at this early hour, it has often been our dilemma to find someone who isn't stretched across two seats to avoid having a seat mate. If the conductor or car attendant is available to monitor the situation it might work, but I see some potential problems in scenarios that I have just described. :eek:
 
If that were to be possible, I think the "up charge" you mention would be to buy two seats...for the same fare! That would be the simplest way. You would have a seat check for each one.
 
I don't see why Amtrak couldn't sell one two seats. Who cares if they are transporting a person for that fare or if it is an empty seat.
 
benjibear said:
I don't see why Amtrak couldn't sell one two seats. Who cares if they are transporting a person for that fare or if it is an empty seat.
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Correct, but one person paying for two seats might be cost prohibitive for the passenger, which is why I was thinking of charging a percentage of the seat fare for this service; after all, it is always possible you will get a free seat next to you for free.
 
I really do think amtrak should offer the option to buy a second seat for coach pax if they want so that they can have a seat pair.

However, as Ryan mentions, it is hard on some trains to guarantee a seat pair together. For example this situation would never work on the NEC.

But on a LD train with a coach attendant, I don't see why it couldn't be highlighted on the manifest or something that there is someone boarding at X station with two seats and have them plan for that.

Southwest of course has their "guest of size" policy and allows/requires certain pax to buy a pair of seats. I don't see why anyone on southwest shouldn't be allowed to buy a pair of seats for comfort purposes.
 
JoeRids said:
benjibear said:
I don't see why Amtrak couldn't sell one two seats. Who cares if they are transporting a person for that fare or if it is an empty seat.
Click to expand...
Correct, but one person paying for two seats might be cost prohibitive for the passenger, which is why I was thinking of charging a percentage of the seat fare for this service; after all, it is always possible you will get a free seat next to you for free.
Click to expand...
If you have a second seat at say, 50%, what happens if Amtrak has a customer come along who needs/wants to buy a seat (current fare)? Is Amtrak going to refuse a full fare for you with the 50% of fare seat?
 
FrensicPic said:
JoeRids said:
benjibear said:
I don't see why Amtrak couldn't sell one two seats. Who cares if they are transporting a person for that fare or if it is an empty seat.
Click to expand...
Correct, but one person paying for two seats might be cost prohibitive for the passenger, which is why I was thinking of charging a percentage of the seat fare for this service; after all, it is always possible you will get a free seat next to you for free.
Click to expand...
If you have a second seat at say, 50%, what happens if Amtrak has a customer come along who needs/wants to buy a seat (current fare)? Is Amtrak going to refuse a full fare for you with the 50% of fare seat?
Click to expand...
Correct.. the seat would be treated as sold. As I stated on my original post, on the busiest travel times only a limited number of seats would be sold as this. For example, on the Coast Starlight in August maybe only 15 of these types of tickets would be available, so one would have to book early. It's a supply and demand equation and if done correctly it could only add to revenue for Amtrak and additional comfort and satisfaction for the paying passenger.
 
I don't think they should be sold at 50%. I wouldn't want Amtrak to lose revenue, and airlines sell the second seat at full price. (For what it's worth, if someone is asked to purchase a second seat because they are too large for their seat, most airlines give them the low-bucket price for the second seat.)
 
I have an easier option - if you'd rather sit next to an attractive woman than Grizzly Adams, just bring an attractive woman along with you! Without even looking, I can almost guarantee that there's a Craigslist forum out there for this exact situation.
 
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