I'm going to SB for a weekend in November. When I was booking my reservation, I noticed that coach seats are now reserved and it's the train that originates in Vancouver and goes to Seattle?
I booked business class but coach used to be unreserved. Don't the Pacific Surfliners usually travel up the coast (to SB at least)?
Posted by Surfer (Member # 1980) on :
Ummmm wait a minute. What you say doesn't make sense. No train that takes you to Santa Barbara is going to "...originate in Vancouver..." and go to Seattle.
Pacific Surfliners travel San Diego-Los Angeles-Santa Barbara-San Luis Obisbo. You probably made a reservation on the Coast Starlight.
Posted by cajon (Member # 40) on :
On Surfliners coach seats are unreserved. First come first served so you could be standing on a busy weekend. On the Starlight you get Reserved coach seats. You don't pick the seat though. You will be assigned one by the train attendant when you board.
Posted by traveler (Member # 1415) on :
I think the Amtrak transportation form Vancouver is by bus to Seattle. Brad
Posted by cajon (Member # 40) on :
Sorry Brad There are 5 trains each way SEA-VAC. Check the Amtrak web site.
Posted by royaltrain (Member # 622) on :
I think there is some confusion between Vancouver BC and Vancouver Washington. The first post indicates that a train originating in "Vancouver" termintates in Seattle. There is only one Vancouver BC train to Seattle. There are five Vancouver Wash. trains (originating in Portland, Eugene or Los Angeles)terminating in Seattle. No trains originate in Vancouver Wash. It is possible, of course, to take the Coast Starlight Vancouver Wash. directly to Santa Barbara (presuming this is what he means by SB).
Posted by Eric (Member # 674) on :
Are these the 'Cascades' we're talking about?
Posted by trainrider (Member # 1619) on :
Reply to all the above: I'm traveling to SB for Thanksgiving. When I checked schedules from LA to SB this is what I got: Train Origin Destination Services
763 Cascades dly Vancouver Seattle Snack bar Non Smoking This train leaves at 9:05 and arrives in SB around 11-12ish. The train number was 763. I think it is the Cascades. This train has business class and reserved coach. All reserved coach on the Starlight are sold out.I usually take pacific surfliner to SB so I was just curious as to what was the 763.
Posted by Surfer (Member # 1980) on :
The cascades don't run in California, they run in the Pacific Northwest!!! Train 763 is a cascade leaving Vancouver at 6pm and arriving in Seattle at 9:55pm. That's it. You are not on train 763 or a Cascade train.
(Boy a train that left Vacouver at 9:05 and got to Santa Barbara at 11-12ish the same day? Now that would be one super high speed rocket supersonic fast train! LOL)
[This message has been edited by Surfer (edited 11-01-2002).]
[This message has been edited by Surfer (edited 11-01-2002).]
Posted by Surfer (Member # 1980) on :
You're thinking of Pacific Surfliner train 765 that leaves Los Angeles at 9:05am and arrives Santa Barbara at 11:45am.
Posted by efin98 (Member # 1943) on :
I think I get the problem now. Didnt the Pacific Surfliners and Cascades change numbers recently? I read on another board that this was causing some confusion in the computers.
Posted by trainrider (Member # 1619) on :
Elfin8: I think you've got it. Thank You! That's probably what happened....I researched the schedule online going from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara and one of the results that came up was the 763 Cascade schedule. Surfer: I am familiar w/the Pacific Surfliner and Coast Starlight as I travel by train to various destinations along those rail lines frequently. I was just curious as to why the schedule for 763 Cascades came up when I check schedules leaving for SB (Santa Barbara) on Thanksgiving Day.
Posted by cajon (Member # 40) on :
Amtraks abbreviation for Santa Barbara is SBA, not just SB. Could this be part of the problem also?
Posted by trainrider (Member # 1619) on :
Possibly but I believe I typed "Santa Barbara" as the destination. But that's a good point; thanks!! :-)
Posted by rsher1 (Member # 984) on :
Reserved seats on Amtrak are a joke. You don't even get a seat assignment. Rather, you have to hunt for a seat.
Posted by coach34135 (Member # 1979) on :
quote:Originally posted by rsher1: Reserved seats on Amtrak are a joke. You don't even get a seat assignment. Rather, you have to hunt for a seat.
I liked having to choose my seat, I was able to somehow snag the only seat on my half of the car with the power socket.
Posted by Surfer (Member # 1980) on :
Reserved Coach means THERE WILL BE A SEAT FOR YOU, whereas in unreserved coach, people sometimes STAND. Understand the concept?
On the Coast Starlight, you actually get a reserved seat number at check-in.
Posted by Dave Burden (Member # 88) on :
On my northbound Crescent run in Auugst the car attendant assigned everyone seats. The car was pretty full so that may have been the reason. On the return trip, with a lighter passenger load (and a different attendant) it was open seating.
Dave
Posted by rmiller (Member # 341) on :
Assigning seats has its pros and cons. From the attendants point of view, it is a way to control the car...singles are seated together right away and you don't have to ask them to double up to find seats for couples/families later. For example, I worked the SW Chief in July and seats were assigned. Leaving LA, I had about 8 pairs of empty seats which was a good thing since at Fullerton a family of 6 was waiting with the father stating firmly he "expected" to be seated together, which I was able to do easily.
Asking passengers to move seats enroute can be a hassle and sometimes they aren't cooperative. On a crowded train with unreserved seating, I've had to tell one or two argumentative singles, that the only way they can be sure they will have a double seat is to buy two tickets.
From a passenger's perspective, on the other hand, I prefer unassigned seating since I can pick and chose and become that single in a double seat and perhaps be lucky enough to keep it. I rode the SW Chief from Chicago in October and the attendant was handing out seat assignment starting from the front of the car, so I asked for one near the rear and I kept the double to myself to L.A. It was off season though, and the load wasn't heavy plus the car wasn't popular since none of the toilets worked.
There is no standard policy about assigning seats as far as I know. Depends upon the conductor/car attendant/on board supervisor (if there is one). Of the western runs I've worked or ridden, seats haven't been assigned on the California Zephyr, Empire Builder or Texas Eagle, but are on the SW Chief and Coast Starlight. Other readers may have found a different situation depending upon the level of traffic and perhaps, the phase of the moon.
rick
------------------ _ V Rick Miller Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A. ICQ 104290053 Linux - The Freedom to Chose
Posted by Eric (Member # 674) on :
I took my mom from FLG-LAJ, and LAJ-FLG last Sept. on the Chief. On the return (Train 3), we got two seats together (unassigned), and figured we would have the seats for the 12 hour journey. We had had the seats for about seven hours, coming and going as we pleased. We went to the snack bar in the SSL for only about five minutes, and when we came back, our seats had been taken by a single woman, and our luggage had been stuffed under the seats. We asked the car attendant what had happened, and he just told us to switch seats. We told him "no", and the woman moved. The next time we got up, we told two ladies sitting across from us to keep an eye on our seats for us. They got a laugh out of that. The strange thing is, in the 5 minutes we were gone, the train had made no stops, so where that lady came from, and where the car attendant thought we were, remains a mystery.
[This message has been edited by Eric (edited 11-06-2002).]
Posted by rmiller (Member # 341) on :
Was there a seat check about your seat? If so, that should indicate to anyone but the novice traveler that the seat is taken and to look elsewhere. Based on your account, the attendant should have helped the woman find an unoccupied seat.
------------------ _ V Rick Miller Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A. ICQ 104290053 Linux - The Freedom to Chose
Posted by Eric (Member # 674) on :
Yes, there was a seat check, with "FLG: 2" written on it! We got to our seats as the woman was sitting down, and from what I could tell, the attendant was the one that gave her our seats, as he was standing in the aisle writing a new check. He must have just figured that we had left, but he definitely told the woman to sit there.
