High-speed rail is looking better all the time

[gyroscope]

the anti-rail idiots are looking dumber than ever.

why the hell would anyone want to fly these days? I sure don't and if I had no other choice it certainly would not be on a US airline.

[BannonsLiver]

1. I like to travel

Not a lot of "steamers" going to Europe or anywhere else these days.

So that's one reason why.

[gyroscope]

3. Unfortunately that is true.

I wouldn't mind an ocean voyage across the Atlantic aboard a luxury liner.
The trip across the ocean in itself would be a great adventure.

Sure beats getting stuffed onboard an overbooked airline flight like sardines and getting treated like cattle or worse.

[BannonsLiver]

5. No doubt, it would be wonderful

But it also takes 5-6 days and given that Americans have the least amount of vacation time among industrialized nations it probably wouldn't be practical. But Cunard still operates a transatlantic service with one or two of their ships and believe it or not if you're in the lowest category of travel it's not much more than flying.

[gyroscope]

6. Why?

But Cunard still operates a transatlantic service with one or two of their ships and believe it or not if you're in the lowest category of travel it's not much more than flying.

So why would anyone buy a third class ticket aboard a cruise liner? The only reason they did that during the days of Titanic is because passenger airlines did not exist, and third class passengers on the ship just wanted to get from point A to point B. Nowadays there is no reason to buy a 3rd class ticket on a cruise liner, if they even exist when it is cheaper and much faster to get there on an airplane.

These days the only reason people would travel on an ocean liner is for recreation/vacationing not transportation.

[BannonsLiver]

8. It's not third class

They have 2 classes. The higher of which has a better dining room food and some added perks. It's not like steerage vs. first class was in the old days. For that price point it's likely an inside cabin but It's still a pretty nice way to travel.

Id guess some of cunards business comes from people who want to use it as a means of conveyance otherwise the ships would sail empty. It's not a very scenic 5-6 days. Years ago I had friends who relocated to France for work and they took Cunard because they were bringing their 2 dogs and didn't want them stuffed into the cargo hold of an airliner.

[pangaia]

2. Flying is necessary for some, no trains from Rochester, NY to Taipei. LOL!!

[gyroscope]

4. True, but fortunately

we can choose the airline we travel on.

[pangaia]

9. Yes, sometimes...

Example.. I can fly to Incheon on Korean Air and get great food and service with an inconvenient connection at JFK where I must change terminals and check in again.WITH AN AGENT.....yeah, I do have Global Entry which includes TSAPre....., or Delta with an easy change in Detroit..also about 3 hours faster.. similar price...

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

7. Time is also an issue.

People tend to forget how much larger this country is than Japan or France, two places that already have high speed rail.

I do love train travel. I took the train a couple of years ago to Portland, OR and just loved it. I sprang for the sleeper car. It was a full two days on the train, maybe longer. Overnight from New Mexico to Los Angeles, then more than 24 hours to Portland. I flew home. Since there is only one train a day in each direction, taking the train back would have required an overnight stay in Los Angeles, making the return trip three days long.

Yeah, high speed train would cut that time by a lot, but unless they put in a lot more routes than Amtrak currently has, it still won't get you between two somewhat-off-the-beaten track places. I wish there were more trains, more routes, more frequency. But without a serious commitment on the part of Congress to fund them, it will never happen.

[LeftInTX]

10. I was at a forum this evening

There was this Tea Party guy who said we should not have commuter rails because it impedes freedom. (Everyone gave the gave guy a weird look. )

Anyway, with Republicans running the show, don't expect any high speed rails in the future. They are even getting rid of Amtrak.

[GulfCoast66]

11. The hyperbole is always fun on DU after a high profile incedent.

I love flying to Europe and Asia. I am a frequent flyer on Delta and have had very positive experiences. The wife and I have Global Entry and skip the more onerous customs stuff and get to keep our belts and shoes on. Cost $110 bucks or so for 5 years I think, but money well spent.

Why do you automatically think US airlines are inferior to foreign ones? Many of the cheapest and worst reviewed airlines are discount European ones. The knee jerk anti US bias of some DU users gets old after a while. I love Europe, but they can be just as shitty as we Americans.

I am fortunate that I can book 9-10 months ahead of time which allow me to get good prices, my choice of seats, and a pretty affordable upgrade to what I call Fancy Pants Economy. More leg room and a better spot on the plane. And yes, I can afford business class, but the reason I can afford business class is that I too cheap to buy it. I am only 5'11" and a bulkhead coach seat works for me.

As for high speed rail...you ever travel economy passenger high speed rail in Europe or China? I will never do that again. Seats as small as on an Airline and bathrooms even more hard to come by. And lots of drunks kids running around in Europe and folks eating picnic lunches with unbelievable aromas in China.

I learned that United and American Airlines are by far the worst years ago by the way I was treated. I decided at that time to never use them again, even if they are the cheapest option.

When I grew up flying to distant places was what rich people did. The idea that I could afford to fly to exotic places was something I never even considered. Now it is possible. And I take full advantage of it.

[gyroscope]

12. Talk about hyperbole

As for high speed rail...you ever travel economy passenger high speed rail in Europe or China? I will never do that again. Seats as small as on an Airline and bathrooms even more hard to come by. And lots of drunks kids running around in Europe and folks eating picnic lunches with unbelievable aromas in China.

I've been on HSR in Europe and Japan. The mid-grade and economy seats were much roomier then on any airline I've ever experienced. People eat on trains all the time, and the food is a whole lot better. They have dining cars where you can sit down at a real dining table, eat real food on real plates and silverware instead of the fold down plastic trays and plastic forks you get on an airline. And train schedules are rarely subject to weather conditions, whereas flights are routinely canceled due to poor weather.

I've never heard of anyone getting kicked off of a train because the trip was overbooked, whereas people are routinely kicked off of the airplane flight that they paid for. If you enjoy watching you and your loved ones getting molested by the TSA and harassed by airline security, having your flight canceled due to bad weather or kicked off the flight because there was no room for you, take the airplane!

[GulfCoast66]

13. Cannot comment on Japan

But have gone by train in both Europe and China. The food they served was fine. But most people did not eat that food. At least in China. They brought in every kind of food imaginable. I love exoctic food, but riding on a train with people next to me eating spicy chicken feet and spitting out the bones in a napkin is just too much. I realize that is their culture and I actually like chicken feet. But not a foot from me on a train.

And in German it was alcohol that the kids brought on.

Don't get me wrong I like train travel and will be taking 4 trips this fall when in Europe. But I have yet to figure out how to get to Europe by train.

Have a nice day.

[Ezior]

14. It happens

I've never heard of anyone getting kicked off of a train because the trip was overbooked

It happens in Germany. They sell unlimited amounts of tickets for each route and it's up to you at which time of the day you take the train, so sometimes there are just too many people on a train and they can't even close the doors. Especially when the previous train (e.g. 1 hour earlier) was cancelled for some reason. Sometimes police is ordered to go in and kick some people out and they have to take the next train. That is usually just a 1 hour or less delay though.

Generally, you better book a seat for longer trips (it's a few € extra) unless the trains you want to use are expected to have lots of empty seats.

[MineralMan]

15. Well, for now, high-speed rail is not something that is happening.

In fact, the Trump administration is going to gut even Amtrak's routes. In any case, air travel is not going to go away. That's because of the time issue. With cross-country flights taking only about 5 hours of actual air time, no high speed rail is going to be attractive to most travelers. Who has the time for that?

For short hops, it could be an attractive solution, but for long-distance travel, people are not going to give up flying.

The answer, of course, is to punish airlines like United by choosing another carrier. While that may not be simple for people living in secondary markets, it certainly is for travel between large market areas. Alternatives to any particular airline exist in most places. Use them, instead of an airline company that is demonstrating its lack of concern for its own customers.

If your trip is under 500 miles, you can take the alternative of driving to your destination in back. You can do any 500 mile trip in a day, and you'll lose a day anyhow if you fly, really. For any trip that can't be driven in a reasonable day of driving, though, the time required for a round trip will mean that flying is the best option. But, you can choose your airline company.

I know that all airlines are implementing less than friendly policies, but not all are the same, by any means.