Hi; I'm new here but planning a trip on the train from Austin to Illinois this fall. My wife and I went to the Austin station this week to ask some basic questions and pick up materials and schedules. I'm puzzled when I look online at the reservation system -- the price doesn't seem to recalculate when I change the options from one-way to round trip, why is that? And I only see departure information displayed for the outgoing/northbound part of the trip; nothing about the return from Illinois. I can make the price adjust when I change the number of travellers or some other new input, but going back and forth from one-way to round trip makes no difference in the price or other display. What is wrong here? Am I going to have to rely on handling this over the phone to get accurate information?
Another item that is baffling is that I do not see the full range of sleeper car options displayed. I've tried all sorts of date combinations and I've also played with the San Antonio-Los Angeles connection train, but I never see the Superliner Bedroom option -- the sleeper compartment with a toilet, sink, and shower that is noted on brochures and on the website accommodations pages. But the Texas Eagle is supposed to be Superliner train. If I don't see a seating option, should I assume they're all sold out/reserved, not available? Or is there some bug in the system or another factor I'm not aware of?
How many seats ARE on the Texas Eagle train, anyway? And how many sleeping compartments? How hard is it to reserve one for a long-distance trip where a coach seat would be less than ideal, and how many months out should I make reservations?
Another curiosity: Since the Sightseer Lounge looks so much more inviting and roomy than coach seating, what prevents passengers (esp. a Coach passenger) from parking themselves in this lounge for their entire trip and blocking any other passenger from having a turn at a view or snack?
I've been navigating around and reading LOTS of useful information here, glad to have found this forum and to be a part of it. Thanks to all who contribute.
Another item that is baffling is that I do not see the full range of sleeper car options displayed. I've tried all sorts of date combinations and I've also played with the San Antonio-Los Angeles connection train, but I never see the Superliner Bedroom option -- the sleeper compartment with a toilet, sink, and shower that is noted on brochures and on the website accommodations pages. But the Texas Eagle is supposed to be Superliner train. If I don't see a seating option, should I assume they're all sold out/reserved, not available? Or is there some bug in the system or another factor I'm not aware of?
How many seats ARE on the Texas Eagle train, anyway? And how many sleeping compartments? How hard is it to reserve one for a long-distance trip where a coach seat would be less than ideal, and how many months out should I make reservations?
Another curiosity: Since the Sightseer Lounge looks so much more inviting and roomy than coach seating, what prevents passengers (esp. a Coach passenger) from parking themselves in this lounge for their entire trip and blocking any other passenger from having a turn at a view or snack?
I've been navigating around and reading LOTS of useful information here, glad to have found this forum and to be a part of it. Thanks to all who contribute.