President Joe Biden, known for his folksy embellishments of the truth over the years, now has added to the archive with a new tall tale over how he earned over 1.5 million Amtrak miles. Biden’s Story On Traveling 1.5...
United Airlines + Amtrak End Partnership
United Airlines and Amtrak will end a decades-long partnership, eliminating reciprocal lounge access and what historically has been a convenient way to earn miles when traveling on Amtrak. Amtrak + United Wind Down Partnership Stretching back two decades, Amtrak...
Amtrak Won’t Let You Sue, Even After A Crash
You buy an Amtrak ticket. Your train derails. You are severely injured. And you can’t sue. Why? Blame the fine print in your ticket rules. Back in January, Amtrak quietly revised the language of its ticket terms and conditions....
End Of An Era: The Amtrak Dining Car
Amtrak is “reinventing” dining on its longhaul train service. Dining cars are out on many routes. “Flexibility” is in. Driven by cost-cutting and a desire to appeal to millennials, Amtrak will close onboard kitchens and shift to pre-packaged meals...
Amtrak Hints At Long-Haul Route Cuts
Amtrak is hinting that long-haul train service will remain, but will be scaled back from current levels. I’d call that wildly optimistic thinking. Speaking to Skift’s Brian Sumers, Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson explained: There will always be a place...
Amtrak Wants To Turn European
Amtrak wants to turn European, which is probably good news for taxpayers and bad news for customers. The stereotype of the western European rail network is efficient, punctual, cheap, and fast. I’ll certainly agree to the efficient and fast...
Amtrak’s Coast Starlight Train Stuck In Snow For 37 Hours
An Amtrak train traveling from Seattle to Los Angeles made an unexpected stop in a small town in Oregon…for 37 hours. Amtrak’s Coast Starlight service runs daily between Los Angeles and Seattle. The 36-hour journey mostly follows the Pacific...
Amtrak Faces A Daunting Dilemma
Amtrak, America’s state-run passenger railroad company, faces a daunting dilemma. Its path to profit is to cut what its Congressional overlords seem unwilling to even consider eliminating. I’m taking about long-distance rail service. Storied routes like the Empire Builder...
Review: Amtrak Empire Builder (Superliner Bedroom)
My journey from from Portland, Oregon to Whitefish, Montana aboard Amtrak’s Empire Builder service was not what I expected, but still enjoyable. After arriving from Los Angeles on the Coast Starlight, we had about an hour before continuing our...
Review: Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge Portland Union Station
While certainly more private than the station itself, the Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge in Portland, Oregon is hardly a compelling highlight. You’ll find the lounge toward the left side of the station, as you enter. Coffee and water are available....
Review: Amtrak Coast Starlight Superliner Bedroom Los Angeles To Portland
The day had finally arrived. It was time for the great train adventure. All my life I had wanted to take a long-distance journey on Amtrak and now I would have my chance…29.5 hours to Portland, Oregon then another...
Review: Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge Los Angeles Union Station
Prior to boarding my Coast Starlight train for Portland, my wife and I spent about 30 minutes in the Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge at Los Angeles Union Station. You’ll find the lounge on the second floor of the station, near...
Introduction: An Astounding Amtrak Adventure
I am switching gears for my next trip report, pivoting away from flying and writing about a wonderful train trip I enjoyed with my wife in 2016 from Los Angeles to Glacier National Park in Montana. Whenever I publish...
Trump Budget: Higher Passenger Fees
U.S. President Donald Trump’s first budget proposal includes a number of travel-related items including increased TSA fees, privatizing the air traffic control system, and cutting Amtrak and Essential Air Service funding. Let’s not forget that Trump said this during...
My Incredible Amtrak Guest Rewards Redemption
Amtrak is devaluing its Guest Rewards program tomorrow, so if you are sitting on any sizable quantity of Amtrak points and thinking about a long-distance journey in the next year, you need to call Guest Rewards at 1-800-307-5000 before midnight ET...
Final Hours to Transfer Chase Points to Amtrak
In just a few hours, the ability to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Amtrak Guest Rewards will no longer be possible. If you are considering an Amtrak redemption in the coming months, now is the final call to...
Amtrak Train Derails in Philadelphia – 240 Onboard, 50 injured
On May 13th, 2015, an Amtrak train derail appears to have taken place on a track near Philadelphia and several injuries resulted. Washington DC to New York City While details are still sketchy at this time, an Amtrak train en...
Amtrak ClubAcela Lounge Access for United Club Members + Premium Passengers
I live just a flew blocks from Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station when I am in Philadelphia and conveniently for me, United Airlines has codeshare service with Amtrak out of ZVF to Newark Airport, allowing me to easily make my...
Escaping the Cold – Back to California
The last couple days have been cold, and I mean cold. As a California native who has spent a handful of winters on the East Coast (and Germany), I honestly cannot recall weather this cold before. It was 13ºF...
Megabus Wins Again
A quick update on my perpetual struggle of choosing between the value of Megabus or the comfort and convenience of Amtrak to get between Philadelphia and Washington. Yesterday, I found I needed to get to Washington as soon as...
