Empire Builder Train Trip Thanksgiving

[WmZiggy]

You don't have to run the gauntlet and they don't search your bags. I hope this lasts. You are allowed two good sized bags per person. Since we were taking additional clothing to our son in Michigan, I and my wife had two bags on wheels each, and a smaller bag for electronics. I usually take my small CD player so I can watch a movie in our room if I want to. Cell phones work very well on the train, and there are outlets to keep batteries charged.

[dusty]

sounds like a deal compared to airline. And you probably didn't have to experience a body cavity search.

Price wise it is a real deal but you can not value your time. A 4 hour trip by air might take days by train. A train trip is an excellent opportunity to catch up on reading, sleeping and snack foods consumption. I have not traveled by train since the advent of the web. I can see a lot of good forum time or maybe a good time to rebuild (software wise) a computer.

[Ed in Tampa]

Price wise it is a real deal but you can not value your time. A 4 hour trip by air might take days by train. A train trip iss an excellent opportunity to catch up on reading, sleeping and snack foods consumption. I have not traveled by train since the advent of the web. I can see a lot of good forum time or maybe a good time to rebuild (software wise) a computer.

My time is not so precious I would ever willing subject myself to the ill treatment of passengers by the airlines since the days of deregulation.

In the late 60 early and mid 70's I spent countless hours flying and I loved it. I was treated with respect, dignity and many cases was made to feel pampered.

Then deregulation came in and soon air travel degraded to what I equate to cattle herding.

Gone was the respect, gone was all trace of dignity of flying, and even the lowest thought of being pampered has long been lost.

Today the attitude is here is what we call a seat now sit down and if you don't like it look there at the stand by seat line we don't need you so shut up.

When that occurred due to employment I endured many a terrible flights and on one of the flights where I was most ill treated I swore to myself that short of an emergency I would never fly again by my own choice.

Since that time and even having bonus unused air miles I have never flown and never intend to.

And before anyone asks no I will not send you the unused bonus air miles In most cases they were from airlines no longer in existence. I wonder why??? And the ones that are still good I'm keeping in case there is an emergency and I must fly.

[fredsheldon]

Back when I was consulting and could afford it I flew my own airplane, a Cessna 182 Tubro RG. Since I had an instrument rating I could fly in most any kind of weather. What now takes me 6 hours to drive to New Orleans 5 times a year only took 1 hour and 45 minutes in my plane. I did this for 10 years and it was great not to have to deal with the airlines. Now that I'm working for the State at a much reduced pay rate I'm at the mercy of the airlines like most everyone else and I don't like it one bit. I would rather drive 1,000 miles in my little RV than fly if I have a choice. I dread my first trip to Jakata to visit my daughter, a 30 hour affair cramped up in economy in those tiny seats.

[WmZiggy]

I'm with you Fred. For five years when I worked out of Hickam AFB, Hawaii I flew 100,000 miles a year. Government only purchases coach tickets which is fine; you can understand that given it's the people's money. Yet, seldom could I get bumped-up to first class, or use my miles to upgrade to first on those long flights to Hawaii. Old NW Airlines (now Delta) had a rule that only paying passengers got seats in First class to Hawaii. When I flew east to Europe and Africa, I could use my miles to upgrade. And then to ease life a little, I purchased membership in NW World Club - it was expensive, but worth it. When I retired in 2012 I swore I would only take the airlines if I had to. The airlines have managed to squeeze all the glamor out of flying.