Canadian Railroads > "Prestige" busy this week.

On Tuesday the 26th, train #2 arrived about six hours late, which is unusual for the past two months or so.  One day last week it arrived 90 minutes early.

Number 1 was expected to depart on time.  It had two Prestige Chateau sleepers that day and Reservia showed that class being sold out.

This week-end is the last opportunity to book Prestige at a cheap fare - a mere $6806 plus tax of course. The $7700 fare applies from the 1st of May.  The last cheap departure from Vancouver on Friday is sold out in all accommodation. There is one Prestige cabin available ex-Toronto on Saturday the 30th.

DrawingroomA Wrote:
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> On Tuesday the 26th, train #2 arrived about six
> hours late, which is unusual for the past two
> months or so.  One day last week it arrived 90
> minutes early.

A friend rode that No. 2 all the way from Vancouver to Toronto. Here's his account: "We were held out for two hours just west of the Kamloops station due to freight train congestion, then lost five hours on account of a freight train problem near Valemount, lost another hour outside of Melville on account of a freight locomotive going down and blocking the main line, which put us eight hours late into Winnipeg.  Woke up in the Muskokas down six hours.  CN trackwork from Washago south put us back another hour."  

prestige class not worth it imo...

By way of comparison, Delta typically charges about $6,000 to fly 8 hours from DTW to AMS in Delta One (Business Class). And it is normally full. That's 8 hours in a very small flat bed with a better meal than the main cabin, and all the movies you could ever want. By contrast, VIA offers 4 nights of semi-luxury accommodations (not quite in the class of Rovos Rail or Eastern Orient Expresss to sight two examples), and excellent cooked on board meals for about the same price. So by that comparison, it is totally worth it. That said, I'll save my money and continue to use "Sleeper Plus" class (traditional Budd rooms) as I only use the room to sleep. The savings can be used for future Delta One upgrades!

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> By way of comparison, Delta typically charges
> about $6,000 to fly 8 hours from DTW to AMS in
> Delta One (Business Class). 

That seems awfully high.  From SFO to various European destinations on about any airline that would buy a business class ROUNDTRIP (20 hours in a narrow bed that may or may not be horizonal with mediocre food but all the booze you can drink), and my wife and I are paying less than that for TWO roundtrip business seats of AF, albeit at a discount through a cruise line.  But the basic point is how do you define worth it.  A lot depends on how much is in your bank account.  For myself I will be a loyal Sleeper Plus customer (when I can find a discount fare).  If Barbara decides the time has come to ride the Canadian again, I might spring for a Prestige room, since she would look at the trip as a chance to sleep in while I enjoy the Park dome.  I suspect the folks filling up the Prestige rooms aren't doing it for "value".

JBWX