Thanksgiving NEC trains selling out

[Palmetto]

I just took a look at what's available on the Wednesday and Sunday of Thankgiving weekend. Between Boston and New York, there are already quite a few trains sold out. In other parts of the country, there seems to be quite a few seats left out of Chicago and Emeryville. Boston-Portland, ME is wide open too at this point.

There's only one extra train on the east end of the NEC. Amtrak could probably run a couple of more around midday and sell them out as well.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I can see sell outs along the Corridor as those cities are close enough to make visiting over Thanksgiving reasonable, especially for Double Dippers who take Friday off as well.

 

[seat38a]

Do they oversell these trains for the holidays and allow standing?

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Do they oversell these trains for the holidays and allow standing?

I have heard they do plus they pile on every spare Commuter Car they can lay their hands on.

 

[Palmetto]

The problem with the commuter rail cars, though, is that they're generally not available for Amtrak to use on commuting days that week: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday.

 

[jis]

Do they oversell these trains for the holidays and allow standing?

There is always a potential for a bit of oversell on the NEC Regionals since the monthly tickets are not counted towards seat inventory. They can pretty much get onto any train, as I understand it.

 

[Fan Railer]

And considering they're even more short on Amfleets this year, I wonder where they're going to get the capacity for the holiday load.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

Do they oversell these trains for the holidays and allow standing?

There is always a potential for a bit of oversell on the NEC Regionals since the monthly tickets are not counted towards seat inventory. They can pretty much get onto any train, as I understand it.

Also, there are still plenty of passengers who don't want anyone sitting next to them. They fake a fellow passenger (this seats taken... they're in the bathroom), or pile their junk on the other seat. The conductors either don't care, or are too overwhelmed, to do anything. So, yep, passengers end up standing for their long interstate ride.

 

[Fan Railer]

I love it when cafe cars get used for additional revenue seating... nice large tables

 

[Palmetto]

Do they oversell these trains for the holidays and allow standing?

There is always a potential for a bit of oversell on the NEC Regionals since the monthly tickets are not counted towards seat inventory. They can pretty much get onto any train, as I understand it.

I thought seat checks prevented that, but they don't?

There used to be a time when conductors on the New Haven RR told you that if you moved about the train to take your seat check with you, but I don't think that happens anymore. I once had a situation traveling from Boston to Grand Central on the New Haven. It was holiday time, it was snowing, and flights were getting canceled out of Logan. I went to the dining car for lunch and took my seat check with me. When I came back, my seat had been taken. They added two more coaches in New Haven that day, so I sat in one of them, and got my luggage after we arrived in GCT.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

I thought seat checks prevented that, but they don't?

I tried that, once. The lady in the window seat was claiming her companion was in the bathroom. I turned to the conductor and asked, why is there only one seat check? I could have been asking conductor, Почему там только один билет места? The conductor just moved on (I let it pass because the train was packed, and I am sure he was feeling a bit overwhelmed).

 

[Palmetto]

LOL!!

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I can almost understand the Conductors in a situation like this not dealing with seating issues because they are already moving faster than Turpentined Cats trying to lift tickets and dealing with pax boarding/leaving at very short intervals.

 

[fairviewroad]

I thought seat checks prevented that, but they don't?

I tried that, once. The lady in the window seat was claiming her companion was in the bathroom.

"Then I'll just sit here until he gets back."

[i know, that would be a really awkward ride...and I probably wouldn't try that line myself]

 

[seat38a]

I thought seat checks prevented that, but they don't?

I tried that, once. The lady in the window seat was claiming her companion was in the bathroom. I turned to the conductor and asked, why is there only one seat check? I could have been asking conductor, Почему там только один билет места? The conductor just moved on (I let it pass because the train was packed, and I am sure he was feeling a bit overwhelmed).

The whole conductors not caring sounds to be endemic on the NEC. On the Surfliner, San Joaquine and Capitol Corridor, they make it known 1 ticket = 1 seat. Depending on the conductor, they will either announce, that if you need a seat for your belongings, you will be thrown off the next stop or others make it clear they will sell you a ticket for your bag. This is during the busy time of the year or holiday weekends.

 

[Texan Eagle]

So, yep, passengers end up standing for their long interstate ride.

At times like this, experience of having traveled in trains in third world countries comes handy. The basic rule is- anything is a seat if you believe in it!

Long journey and no seats available? Never mind, look at that big empty space in front of first row of seats meant for wheelchairs or whatever, if it is available, put yourself down there. Now you have a 'seat'. In a bi-level car? No problem, look at those stairs? Nobody is going up and down right now, bam! Instant seat!

 

[PRR 60]

My personal favorite statement from the Amtrak Terms of Transportation:

Each passenger paying a fare will be entitled to a seat, to the extent coach seats are available.

In other words, you paid for a seat, and if there is a seat, you can have one. If not, well....

 

[neroden]

"Then I'll just sit here until he gets back."

I've done that. I have bad feet so I feel absolutely no compunction about sitting down if I'm not preventing someone else from doing so.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I've been on NEC Trains that were SRO only with the Cafe seats full! Perhaps they could sell the seats in the Bathrooms as a "Special" Upgrade?

 

[seat38a]

My personal favorite statement from the Amtrak Terms of Transportation:

Each passenger paying a fare will be entitled to a seat, to the extent coach seats are available.

In other words, you paid for a seat, and if there is a seat, you can have one. If not, well....

The NER is a reserved seat service. What is the point of being reserved if people can jump on which ever train and have to stand? Might as well make it unreserved and having standing room as well.

 

[Ryan]

The NER is sort of a reserved system. While they won't sell any more tickets than there are seats, monthly pass holders pay for the privilege of being able to board any train, which can result in an overloaded condition.

Going unreserved would be wholly unworkable, as each train would have to cost the same, and you would end up with insane crush loaded trains at time.

The current system works just fine.

 

[Palmetto]

Several NYP-ALB trains are sold on Wednesday.

 

[Thirdrail7]

"Then I'll just sit here until he gets back."

I've done that. I have bad feet so I feel absolutely no compunction about sitting down if I'm not preventing someone else from doing so.

I recently watched a passenger pour her large coffee directly on the seat next to her. Then she proceeded to tell everyone that they probably didn't want to sit next to her since the seat was wet and there was a leak.

After a while, I had enough so I sat next to her. She was quite shocked. Too bad it was in the quiet car because I would have surely attempted to get on her nerves by having some sort of ludicrous conversation.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

"Then I'll just sit here until he gets back."

I've done that. I have bad feet so I feel absolutely no compunction about sitting down if I'm not preventing someone else from doing so.

I recently watched a passenger pour her large coffee directly on the seat next to her. Then she proceeded to tell everyone that they probably didn't want to sit next to her since the seat was wet and there was a leak.

After a while, I had enough so I sat next to her. She was quite shocked. Too bad it was in the quiet car because I would have surely attempted to get on her nerves by having some sort of ludicrous conversation.

Several years ago I was on the Texas Eagle and a maggoty parent allowed its baby to puke all over the adjacent seat . Now that would likely be enough to keep someone from sitting dow. :angry: :angry:

 

[Ryan]

Having a kid that's puked all over the place (including the interior of an airplane), calling a parent "maggoty" because of something they have little control over is a pretty crappy thing to do.