Amtrak to Overnight Travelers: Drink Up!
Travel Blog • Jim Benning • 08.03.07 | 1:48 PM ET
The last Amtrak train I took in California was delayed so long it fouled up my weekend plans and nearly drove me to drink. Now Amtrak is going out of its way to get some passengers liquored up. It’s offering $100 in alcohol credit to members of its guest rewards program traveling between November and January in sleeper cars on select legs of the California Zephyr, Southwest Chief and Silver Meteor. According to the AP, it’s “part of an effort to revive some of the luxury of old-fashioned, cross-country train trips.” And it’ll help some passengers drown their Amtrak travel sorrows.
Related on World Hum:
* ‘Hey America, Make With the !@~$ High-Speed Rail Already’
Photo by tompagenet via Flickr, (Creative Commons).
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Jim Benning is the editor and co-founder of World Hum.
TambourineMan 08.03.07 | 5:55 PM ET
I don’t have any problem with MADD, and hate to state the obvious, but this is just plain ridiculous:
“This sounds like a lot of credit toward possible overindulging,” said MADD spokeswoman Misty Moyse.
Um, yeah. So what? You’re on an overnight train. I’m guessing Misty has never had the displeasure of riding Amtrak.
Andrea 04.17.08 | 1:32 AM ET
I don’t necessarily blame Amtrak for delays. I used to take the train a lot and am going on another cross country tour on Amtrak in a few weeks. Amtrak trains share track with whatever freight train company owns the tracks. Amtrak, by contract with the freight company, is supposed to have the right of way whenever the tracks are congested but most of the time this is not honored, and Amtrak trains have to move off onto a siding or just stop where they are and wait for the freight trains to pass. One time in Kansas we had a three hour wait for freight train congestion to let up. It just comes with the territory unfortunately. I learned a long time ago that it’s best to travel Amtrak when time is not a concern. I have the luxury, this year, of being able to build enough days into my vacation that the trains could be delayed several days and it would not affect me.
andrea 04.17.08 | 1:38 AM ET
Oh and by the way, I’m not a drinker of alcohol normally, but yes, I do indulge while I’m riding the cross country Amtrak trains - why not? Those trips last at least 2 days…
Like I said before I don’t think an alcohol credit should be necessary because Amtrak usually can’t help these delayss, but heck if I got that alcohol credit I sure as heck would not complain about it…
ram 07.31.08 | 11:34 AM ET
superb