"I Did It Once"; Or Overnight Amtrak Business Travel

As Mr. Norman states, the 19 Crescent is very convenient for Atlanta travel from WAS. I'll never forget showing up to National Airport in January at 5:30 PM and seeing my Delta flight "On-Time" and watching a tug pulling baggage through the slush. I knew my flight wasn't leaving. I called "Julie" (dating myself) and got a ticket on the Crescent back home; I got to Union Station at 6, there was no line at the checkin desk and I asked if they still had a room. Got the last one. When I showed up at my meeting the next morning at 10 AM in downtown Atlanta (after having dinner with the Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, taking the MARTA 110 bus and showering at home), several of my colleagues ask how I got home since half the staff was still stuck in Washington. (It was at that big transportation geek conference some of you may know as TRB). BTW, you can still book Amtrak through the federal travel system. You just can't take any Acela trains.

Yeah, the Crescent isn't perfect, but it's not terrible for WAS-ATL. I think some improvements and adding a day train would be the trick. It's a fairly popular ride.
Also "off corridor" if you define it strictly as the NEC, the LSL is feasible for some business travel. It still needs improvement to make it viable going to Chicago.

https://www.insider.com/why-train-trave ... ing-2021-8

Now here is the same author from the opening post with an article on his trip spun in a positive way. It must be that these guys get money per click so they review something and then farm out multiple stories on the same experience spun to meet every possible angle (negative/neutral/positive). Makes it harder to take these kind of reviews seriously - not picking on this guy individually - I'm sure that's just how things are done in this modern age of internet publications.

another support article.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/w ... d=msedgntp

Note too The Points Guy has a pretty decent following.

Let us not lose sight that "The Points Guy" site is all about maximizing return on points from whatever source a reader may earn them.

Reportedly, the Amtrak points plan, either direct or their co branded credit card are considered to be "liberal", so it is no wonder that for readers residing in markets where Amtrak day travel is "in the running", the site reports on Amtrak travel.

It would appear to me that most points earned regardless of source are redeemed for travel related services.

I know a gal who travels frequently to visit her three daughters and grand children - two of which live out of area - and she tells me she has not paid for an airline ticket in "many a moon". Because she is a former Director of Development for a child welfare agency client I had while in practice, this means her skill set includes "persuasioneering". She tells me how with a little "friendly persuasion" she avoids having to fly some of the "not exactly direct" routings the airlines dream up for points redemptions. Recently she told me about two ORD-RNO journeys on which in both directions she avoided ORD-LAS-RNO or ORD-PHX-RNO with her skills resulting in nonstops. Once on a trip a few years back, she "accepted" a ORD-MSN-FSD-DEN (puddle jumper)/DEN-RNO routing getting there, but "didn't exactly" for the return. So for those around here who fly on points, may as well try; with tact, what have you to lose.

As for myself, I can't be bothered. I ran up 33K points for my overseas journey this month. They'll be off to one military relief charity or the other that United has at their site. Also, I wish Amtrak could partner with a charity as the 17K points I have would have a worthy home.

Oh, hotel points I use - no need for your stay to include a Blue Moon!!!

I'll happily take those Amtrak points off your hands

Mr. Daybeers, do you represent an Exempt Organization under IRC Sec 501 (c)(3) that could apply those points to a program?

I had a bedroom on last night's #67 from BBY-WAS and rolled into the office straight from Union Station and I don't think I can do this again. Overnight train travel is going to be a vacation thing where I can either sleep in or don't need to be fully functional the next day.

By now long ago, I would take the Executive Sleeper out of New York on Sunday nights, falling asleep about 10 p.m., and arriving in Philadelphia in time to catch the 2nd commuter train of a Monday morning, which would get me to work in the suburbs on time. I thought it was better than leaving New York early enough to get home in time to get a full night's sleep.
Of course, the Travel Agent was puzzled when I asked her to book me a Sleeping Car Roomette from New York to Philadelphia.

So what happened when you asked her? And presumably explained?

Regardless of the realities, there was a time that overnight business travel by train and sleeper worked very well. My hometown of Scranton had very good such service to the midwest, and my father used it from time to time - far nicer than flying, getting into the city, going to a hotel, etc. Far more civilized.

photobug56 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 27, 2021 12:36 am My hometown of Scranton had very good such service to the midwest, and my father used it from time to time.

That would been EL to Buffalo and Chicago. Pre-EL Lackawanna only made as far as Buffalo.

When it was plain DL & W, through cars, sleeper and coach, were operated from New York (Hoboken Terminal) via Scranton and Buffalo using the Nickel Plate from Buffalo to Chicago.

While it was "TILT; Game Over" on M-Day, DL&W #7, Westerner, had a convenient Scranton-Chicago Pullman line interchanged to NKP #7 at Buffalo. It offered "a touch of Europe" in that the station was stub end and the through Pullmans were reversed. If Cleveland was destination, it was overnight with AM arrival. Chicago was in time to make most Western connections. If early AM Chicago was needed, #3 Miss Phoebe carried a through Pullman (and Coach).

And yes, I did have pleasant DL&W memories, except for a college return once Dec '61 owing to a misconnect (I visited a Girlfriend in Cedar Rapids before heading home and MILW #20 Arrow was something it never was - late. I had to listen to from my Father "Why can't you just fly like everyone else does?"

Well nowadays I do; I'm simply no longer the railfan I once was.

Comments:

- I’ve slept in Pullman berths, Amtrak boughten Pullman berths, and Superliner sleepers.
Amtrak’s car comfort leaves much to be desired compared to a Pullman, except maybe the compartment aka the deluxe bedroom.

- The food is substandard.

- The rate of advance is substandard.

- I’m perfectly willing to sleep in front rank hotels. I do, indeed. Amtrak is not a front rank hotel.

The only way Amtrak will get significant overnight business travel is if air pollution solutions mandate the reduction of air travel.