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Travel to Ann Arbor

Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

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Travel to Ann Arbor

 #67691  by Greg Moore
 
Actually I'll be taking the LSL from Albany to Toledo and driving to Ann Arbor. The Amtrak Bus connection just isn't convenient.

This is for business, and it's on short notice.

Basically I have to be in Ann Arbor next Thursday and Friday. So of course I looked at all the options.

Flying.. well let's just say a non-stop flight was about 2x as much as Amtrak. Not sure of the exact times of arrival/depature as the cost was just out of there.

Now, if I don't mind flying SOUTH to DC first and then Detroit, a one stop flight is about the same cost (actually a bit more) than Amtrak.

But, I wouldn't get to Ann Arbor before Noon on Thursday. Leaving Friday, I'd have to leave in the morning to get the good deal. Leaving in the evening is about 1.5x the cost of Amtrak.

Advantage of flying is I'm only away from home one night. Oh, and I don't have to catch the LSL in Toledo at 1:00 AM which is admittedly one huge drawback.

But of course on the train I'll be sleeping 1/2 the time so the extra travel time itself isn't all that bad.

The remarkable "problem" of course is as usual convincing co-workers (and my boss) that Amtrak is actually a viable choice. (now I'll admit the 1:00 AM departure time may definitely sway people).

So, I look forward to taking the train again for business, and not just because I'll enjoy it better, but because it ends up giving me two FULL days for business in Ann Arbor. It truly is the better option.

(btw.. anyone know about the location of the Toledo station. What part of town, etc?)

 #67735  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Interesting comments, Mr. Moore.

Others have noted same, that in certain markets, overnight Amtrak is a viable alternative for business travel - both with respect to cost and convenience.

Speaking for myself, during Aug 03, I had occasion to travel one way to Memphis; I would be accompanaying a friend back to Chicago in an auto. The trip was made on about 5 days notice. I'm not afraid to fly; just prefer not to.

So just as a means of getting from point A to point B, #59 looked mighty convenient (8PM dp CHI, 6A arr MEM) Compared with major carrier ORD-MEM nonstop and even discounter MDW-ATL-MEM (love flying East to fly West, eh), a Roomette on the City was "mighty attractive" - and Chef Frick's own Steak Sauce was indeed memorable.

Probably a reason Mr. Moore found air fares to be "whoppers' into DTW is that Detroit remains a "fortress' city. Although I think a discounter is headquartered there (Spirit??), they apparently do not have resources to compete in every NW owned market. Here is a "brief passage" from a Wall Street Journal (subscription site) article on this matter.

An analysis of nearly 1,000 major airline routes nationwide shows that average fares for both business and leisure travel have dropped to remarkably low levels, even by the standards of discount carriers -- but that passengers in some of the country's biggest markets still are paying well into the four digits......Overall, the numbers suggest that in markets with the least competition, which include Boston, Dallas, Minneapolis and Cleveland, major airlines are keeping a tight grip on high fares, even as they continue to slash prices elsewhere to stay competitive.....Passengers flying some of these routes who don't plan in advance can find their wallets emptied quickly. For instance, on the Boston-Minneapolis route, Northwest -- the only carrier to offer the three-hour trip nonstop -- charges more than $1,700 for a round-trip business fare....
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