today for the first time, I reserved business class instead coach for amtrak, I figure I might as well treat myself, and for an extra $20 I upgraded from coach to business...
was the $20 worth it? sort of,
the perks:
definitely spacier
free drinks
and nicer customer service
in general, the amtrak experience is pretty spacey (not like greyhound) but in the business class, it's super spacey. I'm fortunate, usually the station that I depart from (greensburg/philadelphia) is always the stop that is near the beginning of the journey (which means that the train is not crowded yet- I don't have to rush to get a seat)-- less people make it appear extra, extra spacey. the chair is not worn-out fabric- smoother leather-esque
of course, the free drinks are awesome (non-alcoholic of course)- some of these drinks and coffee begin as low as $2 a pop so if you're a drinker, this works well for you, more drink also mean going to the bathroom a lot. I didn't get as much drinks because I was so consumer/environmentally-conscious, I was thinking about all the plastics: cups, bottles, plastic bag used to package the blanket (amtrak if you ever read this, I hope you recycle, someday I'll research more about your company's recycling plan if you have one or not), the little thing that I did was refuse the plastic cups given to me everytime I asked for a bottle of water. I just drank straight from the bottle, I took the two small bottles with me because I know my family recycles...
i usually take the coach instead of business, and the first thing I noticed is that the conductors are more accomodating in business class (I'm not saying that they're rude when handling coach passengers- it just seem that they're just putting time/obligation. in business class, they tend to put extra effort in socializing and being jolly). They ask if you want drinks, they joke with you, they chit chat as if it's a Gala. it has a curtain to close off the cafe part, it's like a whole new world, you take a special exit reserved for you- escorted out, you get a complimentary newspaper- and the temperature seems to be always right
convenience- near the cafe and near two bathrooms and near the exit- everything seems to be brighter,- this is the incentive
being nice and jolly is not difficult to do, everybody in this trip has a common goal- travelling to their destination to go home, do their job etc. (working together to get home and make a living- to live). why does it have to take an extra $20 to be more welcoming to certain passengers? people in general are more receptive and open to other nice people...
Posted by Michael Diezmos at March 2, 2007 8:45 PM