Way to pick/suggest seats????

[Cole737]

Is there any way that I can suggest to the conductor or ticket agent at the station that I would like the right side of the train, and seats next to eachother for my brother and I for PDX-CHI. And left side for CHI-SDY? Do I just ask? (Yes, we are doing coach the whole way)

 

[CCC]

Nope, the ticket only guarantees a seat will be available, not which seat you will get.

 

[oregon pioneer]

You can ask the attendant at the door when you board the train, and if you are nice about it, and they are nice, they may be able to accommodate you. They always try to accommodate two people traveling together by seating them together, and since you are starting at the origin of the train, this part is nearly certain. What is uncertain is whether the attendant will be able to seat you on the side you want.

Some attendants are inclined to be accommodating, and some are control-freaks, but being nice to them always seems to help.

 

[amtkstn]

To get the best view on the train head for the lounge car. It has large windows and big chairs. Make sure you wait in your coach seat until the conductor checks your E-ticket.

 

[Steve4031]

Try to be one of the first in line if this is really important. The attendants who are control freaks tend to be easily distressed by requests like this. If there are plenty of seats to assign, this will be easier for them to do.

In Chicago you can request red cap service. Tip for this service if you don't really need it. It does give you a change at getting a better choice of seats.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Seat selection is still a mind blowing concept at Amtrak.

 

[Eric S]

Seat selection is still a mind blowing concept at Amtrak.

Sigh.

But yet some Amtrak staff, whether conductors or coach attendants on some trains, are all too willing to insist on assigning seats themselves, particularly (at least to me, it seems) to single/individual travelers.

 

[mfastx]

Seat selection is still a mind blowing concept at Amtrak.

Ain't that the truth. I'm not sure how pretty much every intercity service in Europe I've been on can do it, but Amtrak can't.

 

[chakk]

I have never been assigned coach Seats on the CZ; just the coach Car in which to sit.

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