In the Fall of 2022 I had an opportunity to ride from Los Angeles to Flagstaff Arizona for free. Since it was just an overnight journey, my husband and I took a gamble, and booked 2 seats in the Coach car. We used our saved money to book a lovely hotel room right near the rim of the Grand Canyon.
For the trip over to Flagstaff, we booked something called the Lower Level Coach car seats. I had never done this before, but it sounded to me as a safer way to travel. There were 12 seats in the lower level and 3 bathrooms across the way from us. We had absolutely no contact with the passengers in the upper level and only the Amtrak Staff, who offered to bring us food if we wanted. If you are handicapped, this is definitely the area of the car for you. We were spread out decently and we kept our mask on the entire night, for extra safety. When it was time for sleep, they turned the lights down and shut the door to our little area. An even better protection from passengers getting on and off the train.
For the return trip from Flagstaff to Los Angeles, we were not so lucky. We had to book a regular Coach seat on the Upper Level. Again, it was an overnight trip, so we sat in our seats and went to sleep with our masks on. I figured if we ended up catching COVID-19 or some other illness, we would be home before we tested positive and had to quarantine. We did stay home for 5 days just in case, and nothing happened. The next week, we resumed our normal life, going to the gym, etc.
A couple of things regarding Coach.
No food is provided. You have to bring your own, or purchase it from the Café Car.
You can’t choose your seats. The Coach attendant does that, as you board.
Many people are not wearing masks and some are coughing. Let the buyer beware.
If it was longer than an overnight journey, I would definitely book a room.
