The launch, set for Jan. 19 eastbound and Jan. 20 westbound next week, follows a successful long-distance train pilot program begun last summer on the Seattle-Los Angeles Coast Starlight, but the Cardinal’s version more closely resembles offerings on Midwest Corridor, Empire Service, and Northeast Regional trains than either the Starlight or the Iowa Pacific-operated Hoosier State, which shares the Chicago-Indianapolis portion of the Cardinal schedule on days that the overnight train doesn’t operate.
Trains News Wire has learned that each of the Cardinal’s two equipment sets will carry an additional Amfleet I café car with 18 leather seats in a 2-1 configuration and more legroom, similar to cars used on Illinois and Michigan corridors. Tables on the other side of this car’s service section will thus augment the Cardinal’s meager lounge and work space, since the assigned Amfleet II lounge doubles as a diner during meal periods.
Another significant perk is WiFi; this is the first overnight, non-Northeast Corridor train in the east to officially promote it, although WiFi is now available on Auto Train and occasionally on single-level long-distance trains as lounges are being equipped for a roll-out later this year. For an additional $20, business class passengers are allowed to buy their way into Philadelphia 30th Street Station’s Acela Lounge, which otherwise serves Acela Express first class and all sleeping car passengers for free.
Complimentary nonalcoholic beverages are included in the Cardinal’s business class premium fares that became available in the www.amtrak.com reservation system for the first time on Tuesday. Curiously, the Chicago-Indianapolis business class fare for the first Tuesday Chicago departure is $71, one dollar more than the $70 price shown most days for the Hoosier State, which includes breakfast or dinner in the upper level of a dome car for business class passengers. But this is just a coincidence because business class costs for both trains are calculated at the same fixed premium ($39 for Chicago-Indianapolis) by destination over the latest demand-determined coach pricing. The Cardinal coach fare is typically lower because it usually has more available coach seats, so its business class fare might be lower.
Providing business class over the entire route opens up another price point and intermediate service option between coach and the limited—usually sold-out—roomette and bedroom accommodations in the lone Viewliner sleeper. Between Washington, D.C., and White Sulphur Springs, W. Va., on Jan. 24 (as of this Tuesday), the adult coach fare is $51, business class $76, and a roomette $334. New York-Cinncinati on the same date is $102 in coach (one seat at this price), $150 in business class, and the only first class room available is $800 for an accessible bedroom.
Mr.Smith,
Business class seats on AMTRAK are really not that comfortable if you are traveling overnight. They are similar to airline international business class in the 1990s. Believe me they were not that comfortable for long distance, overnight flights.
Wi-Fi and Business class on the Cardinal but can't figure out how to run this train on a daily basis? This looks much like Amtrak retaliating against Ed Ellis and Iowa Pacific Holdings much more professional and passenger-friendly operation of the "Hoosier State" with their Business Class and dome dining. Shameful how petty Amtrak is getting when they get honest competition from the private sector.
What is the strategy here? Did IPH's operation of the "Hoosier State" evidence an unbeknownst interest in business class, even if this train has not increased traffic overall? Or, is this an effort to provide some continuity, if not, some competition, between the two operators on the CHI-IND route?
Or, to what extent is the addition of business class merely an effort to market this train as another Richmond-NYC NEC operation, by providing comparable accommodations as found on the Northeast Regionals?
Mr. Smith, Amtrak sleeping accomodations are expensive but by using Guest Rewards points you can travel for free including meals. Get a Guest Rewards Master Card and charge everything (I use $10.00 as a minimum) and when when you get the bill pay it off entirely. Be careful not to charge more than you can afford to pay off. Then the only cost will be the annual fee ($70) which is a cheap price to pay for almost any sleeping car trip. I haven't paid for sleeping car accomodations in the years that the Guest Rewards program has been in effect. I do pay for coach tickets (and some Business Class) to get the 3X points and conserve points for more expensive trips. During a 10 day western circle trip a couple of years ago I avoided the $2,300 in fares and used points exclusively for sleepers only paying about $100 for three coach tickets. Great deal.
The Cardinal has two Viewliners during heavy traffic times. It had two when I got a roomette for me and my grandson on short notice last May so I could bring him east to see 611. Our attendant said it also routinely has two over the Thanksgiving – Christmas period. This business-class with 2-1 seating is a nice feature. Once I was booked business class on a Northeast Regional and was placed in one of those. Very roomy and comfortable.
I wish Amtrak had the resources to provide a quality 2-1 seating business class in all its long-distance trains, especially the overnight routes. As a single traveler, a roomette or bedroom is usually too expensive. Coach seating is very comfortable, but if you are traveling solo and get stuck with an aisle seat, it is very difficult to sleep without ending up leaning onto the stranger seated next to you.