posted
I have enough Amtrak Guest rewards to take the Pacific Surfliner r/t in business class from San Jose to LA. I had some questions.
#1 From www.360360.com it looks as if the Surfliner copied the Talgo train in terms of the seats and interior design am I right?
2 What type of video/audio programing can one expect?(XM Radio or airline audio) How many audio channels?
3.What is the "complimentary meal" for the 2 PM depaarture from SBA-LAX and the Noon departure from LAX-SBA.
4.I read that Amtrak has upgraded the Surfliner will it look different from the 360 tour at 360360.com or the same?
5. Are the legrest comfortable? How am I assured a forward facing seat that faces the direction of travel?
6.In the "Service Area" Do I get unlimited soda,coffee,water,juice? Will snaks always be provided so I can get something throughout the trip?
7. Is the complimentary meal enough or do I need to suppliment it with lunch in the cafe car?
8.If I am not mistaken I get free wine if so at what time is it served,do I get a small bottle like on the airlines or does the conducter come around and pour it?
9.Does the Surfliner have the GPS Tracker on each screen like on the Talgo?
10.Do the doors ding every three seconds like on the Capitol Corridor trains? Is there an automated message that says"Welcome Aboard Amtrak California Train 222 the Surfliner"?
posted
Can you tell me what train number you will be going on? The reason why I ask is because if you are taking either train 798/799, they are different (they use Horizon cars). Let me know and I will answer your questions as they pertain to your train.
Posts: 286 | From: Knee deep in the retention tank | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
Travel Plus -= I assume you mean you will be traveling from Santa Barbara to L.A., not from San Jose? Surfliners do not go as far north as San Jose!
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
I am looking at booking train 784 and 769 with a bust to SJC. Hope this helps. Also I wish the Surfliners went to San Francisco down to LA as opposed to Oakland. You could begin at the Caltrain Station at San Francisco and head down to Palo Alto,Sunnyvale and San Jose before going to Salinas,Paso Robles,San Luis Obispo etc.
Posts: 259 | Registered: Jan 2005
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Pacific Business Class features video and audio programming, however I have not seen this operational in about a year.
I have never heard of a complimentary meal on the Pacific Surfliner. They have the "Sea View Cafe" and in business class you get muffins, danish, etc. in the morning, and a "snack pack" after noon.
In business class you do get a small bottle of wine.
The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner looks the same as the 360360.com tour to me. The only change may be some of the seats have been refurbished.
I think the Business Class seats are very comfortable, yes.
No, you do not get unlimited from the "Sea View Cafe"...Only what I stated above, but you do get unlimited soft drinks I believe.
Pacific Surfliner trains do not have any GPS equipment.
The doors open when the Conductor remotely opens them. The only noise I have ever heard is a female voice saying "closing doors" when the doors are closing so the doors do not hit anyone. Surfliner trains do have LED displays, and they use to have an automated welcome aboard but I have not heard it in quite some time.
Posts: 1082 | From: Los Angeles, CA. USA | Registered: Aug 2003
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Here are a few observations I have from numerous Surfliner trips, especially SBA/LAX/SBA.
1) The Surfliner and Talgo trains are very different designs. The Surfliner cars are more like the "California Cars" used on the Capitols and San Joaquins. An important difference is that B/C seating on the Surfliners is 2/2 not 1/2 as on the Talgos.
2)Although the video monitors are still there in B/C there is no audio or video. The last time I saw the video used was during a lengthy weather related delay (flooded track) almost two years ago.
3)There is no "complimentary meal" on the Surfliners in either class. In the morning, in B/C, there are muffins and sweet rolls and juice boxes, coffee and tea and newspapers. In the afternoon there is a "snack pack" which has "sample sized" chips, salsa, cheese spread, cracker bread, sometimes a cookie and sometimes a granola bar and a mint.
4) I don't know where you read about an upgrade to the Surfliners. A few seat covers have been replaced (they need it after five years of hard use) but I haven't noticed any other changes.
5) I've never used the footrest. I'm over 6' and find that it gets in the way. Your seat will depend on what's available when you board. A "Reserved Seat" in B/C only means that you will not have to stand as sometimes happens on busy weekends and holidays.
6) I've never seen water or sodas in the service area. You can get it from the attendant when they come through, if they do. There seems to be a real lack of consistency with this. On my last two trips I've had to go to the cafe car to get my snack pack and wine. Take your ticket stub. They will mark it or tear it so you only get one serving.
7) Again, there is no complimentary meal. Buy something in the Cafe Car or take something on board. There is a Subway shop just down State Street (toward the wharf) in SBA and Philippe's at Alvarado and Ord is an easy walk from Union Station.
8) You get one airline sized bottle. Currently they are using Santa Ema as the Chard. It's from the Central Valley of Chile and not bad. You can buy a larger bottle and I believe that is Meridian from Santa Barbara County. Don't know about the reds.
9) No GPS system.
10) The doors are controlled by the conductor. Sometimes there are automated announcements, sometimes not. Occasionally there will be automated station announcements but they are sometimes out of synch with reality. I've also noticed the destination signs at the ends of the cars are frequently incorrect.
I hope you have a great trip. The scenery between here and Ventura is great. Unless it's a busy weekend or holiday, I generally don't spend the extra money for the upgrade anymore. It also seems to me that there are more cellphones being used in B/C. I'd like to see Amtrak create a "quiet car" like they do in the east.
Frank in SUNNY, but cooling off finally, SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
Thanks I went ahead and booked Business Class since I want to have reserved seats. What side of the trarain should I sit on so I will face forward?(SBA-LAX,LAX-SBA).
Thanks for the tips.
Posts: 259 | Registered: Jan 2005
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posted
Half of each car has seats that face forward and half face towards the rear. (I've been told that they all could be turned to face forward at each end of the run but labor costs make that prohibitive.) SBA-LAX you want to get a seat on the right side of the train for the ocean view and LAX-SBA you want a seat on the left.
Hope that helps.
Frank in Sunny but warm SBA.
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
On every trip I've taken, you can pick your seat, so be sure to choose the side noted above for the ocean view.
The business class car attendants do not stay with a particular train for its entire run. Rather, they stay with a train for a while, then hop off and get another train a short time later. Supposedly this improves efficiency and reduces headcount. So, there may be some time that there is no attendant.
Sometimes you can get several servings of drinks, sometimes you only get one (Choose the wine in that case-get your money's worth). It depends on how full the business class car is, and the mood of the attendant.
Posts: 286 | From: Knee deep in the retention tank | Registered: Jan 2006
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Point well taken. There are, sometimes, signs at the service centers to tell you that if there is no attendant you need to go to the Cafe Car. On most trains ex-SBA, the attendant boards at Oxnard, if then. There appears to be little consistency, however.
I'm generally a pretty mellow kind of guy and know how to say "please' and "thank you" but was yelled at by a Cafe Car attendant for "interupting" his lunch and to "come back later". I mentioned it to the conductor and she took care of it within five minutes with an apology. I haven't seen this employee since then.
On the other hand, there is a, dare I say it, "mature" blonde woman who does a great job and a young man who feigns brusqueness but never forgets a request or order.
Frank in dark and cooling SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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