(The following column by Roger Rapoport appeared on the Seattle Times website on Febraury 23, 2010.)
SEATTLE — On a recent bad-weather day when more than 5,700 commercial jetliner flights across the U.S. were canceled because of snowstorms, I was riding in the upper deck of a roomy Amtrak Superliner car, gazing out at ice fishermen on Lake Michigan. My conductor, Chris, had just delivered coffee to my seat as I read about tens of thousands of air passengers prevented from reaching Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway, just a few miles from my final destination, Chicago’s venerable Union Station.
Our train also was delayed that morning, by a total of seven minutes. And that’s the way it is with Amtrak, where you can be “green,” save money and time, skip the $25 airline fee to check a bag or talk to a reservation agent, carry on liquids or toe nail clippers, keep your shoes on and enjoy first-class leg room.
Amtrak reaches hundreds of destinations that have no air service, and also has hundreds of dedicated bus connections. Another big plus is comfy sleeping car service, with meals served in the dining car included in the fare.
I am a big fan of Amtrak reservations. It usually takes just a few minutes to book a train ticket. The prices quoted online are firm, and while there are capacity controls, there are no Saturday-night stay requirements. Yes, last-minute bookings can be higher, but they usually are well below the price of an airline same-day walk-on fare. And when I booked a $53 ticket from Michigan to Chicago the other day, Amtrak threw in 1,000 reward miles, enough for another free trip.
Contrast this with some of the hassles encountered buying an airline ticket. The other day one of our nation’s largest airlines sold me a $791 ticket to France and Italy online, but then refused to issue me the ticket. The only explanation was a mysterious computer code with no detail.
After spending an hour working my way through reservations and tech support staff from India to Chicago, I learned that the system couldn’t actually sell the ticket because it wasn’t available at the quoted price. When I tried to buy the same ticket on the phone, an agent apologized that this discount seat didn’t exist. The actual fare was over $104 higher than quoted on the Web site.
Airlines make a big deal out of the fact that they waive some cancellation penalties when it’s their fault. But they are quick to add a hefty up charge when passengers have a change of plans. Amtrak’s change and cancellation fees are either minuscule or nonexistent.
Recently my family had to change our schedule for a trip to Wisconsin. If we had flown the rebooking fees alone would have been $150 each — $450 for the three of us. And that doesn’t include the potentially higher cost of issuing new tickets at the last minute. We didn’t pay a cent to change our Amtrak schedule and rebook.
Unlike planes, trains are always family friendly. If you’re traveling with kids they can move around or go for a walk. There’s no problem bringing along their favorite toys, games and books. They always have plenty of room to spread out at their seat, or on longer routes, the lounge car.
Lines for the bathroom, often a problem on planes, are nonexistent on trains. Because there are no beverage carts on planes, you always have access, and there is no turbulence forcing you to stay seated.
Of course, trains do encounter delays. But when this happens you rarely are diverted to another city.
Amtrak trains also are ideal for passengers with limited mobility, claustrophobia or fear of flying. Unlike some airlines, the railroad does not force heavyset passengers to buy two seats. And if you’re trying to get some work done, it’s good to know that many trains have convenient plugs for your laptop computer and, in most instances, the kind of cell service you won’t able to receive on a flight.
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Because trains arrive downtown, you can count on quickly reaching meetings in city centers. There’s no need to worry about being stuck in rush-hour traffic on the way in from the airport.
I’ll be the first to admit that Amtrak isn’t perfect. But on the whole train service appears to be improving. During my regular weekly trips over the past two months only one of my trains was delayed a mere 45 minutes, though several others were early.
Amtrak has a few other problems, like the lack of entertainment systems at your seat. There are also some bumpy roadbeds and equipment shortages, which can mean fewer departure choices. Nonetheless, trains remain a reliable, cost-effective alternative to flying on short- and medium-distance routes.