is a sure way to end up with the northeast corridor as the ONLY passenger rail service in the U.S. Split everything else off, remove the nationwide mandate from Amtrak, then kill/starve the other, leaving only the northeast corridor.

either the Southwest Chief or the Empire Builder.

I've already booked a roomette on those two to get from New Mexico to Seattle next April. Overnight from Lamy, NM to Chicago on the Southwest Chief. Hotel there. Then two nights on the Empire Builder to Seattle. I know, it's the long way around but I've taken Amtrak several times in recent years, most recently from Lamy to Kansas City in May.

I love the long distance trains. If you have the time, it's a wonderful way to travel.

What's sadly missing is a good north-south route from, say Albuquerque, to Denver. To get from NM to Denver by train I'd have to go to either Los Angeles or Chicago, which is absurd. Although, maybe someday I'll do that just for the pleasure of going the long way around, like my trip next year to Seattle.

the low-cost, no frills, jam-em-in-like-sardines airlines have killed passenger train travel outside of the Northeast.

to go for the lowest fare, regardless of flight time or weird/inconvenient routing, or how much it will cost to check a bag and select a seat.

I refuse to play that game, and the rare times I fly I always book a first class seat. I've learned that if I plan correctly, I can get first class at a price I'm willing to pay. And it's not as though if I went for the cheapest seats I'd be flying a lot more. I love to travel and do a reasonable amount, but I'm willing to drive fairly long distances. The last time I got on an airplane was in June, 2017. I will be flying a couple of times next year in conjunction with my Hawaii cruise (to and from San Diego) and the Seattle trip. I'll fly home from that city, after having taken four days to get there by train.

I, too, get first class seating, but from using miles. When you go to pay for a first class seat, it's 4,5, 6 times as much as a cattle class seat, but when you use miles, it's only twice as much. I keep my American Airlines miles up with survey sites, an AA-branded credit card, and i-Dine. Even my cell phone plan dumps miles into my account every month.

Like you, I'm willing to drive, and being retired, I have the time to do it.

It's good to have options when travelling, and even better to create those opportunities.

I also don't have a credit card that gives me miles. So I cheerfully pay. Perhaps more to the point, I have zero loyalty to a specific airline, so an airline connected credit card doesn't work for me.

Here's something else that's important. I used to be an airline employee. I was a ticket agent at DCA from January, 1969 to August, 1979. Back then the travel benefits, especially working for a smaller airline which I did, were phenomenal. We were almost always boarded first class, so I got spoiled. Even before the current cattle car configuration of so many airlines, first class was, in my opinion, well worth it. Okay, so back then I wasn't paying for it. But now I'm willing to do so.

The secret is to book about three, maybe two months before the flight. Right now I keep on checking on the San Diego and the Seattle flights. At present the fares are higher than I'm willing to pay. In another month or so they'll drop for the flights I want.

I am likewise retired and have plenty of time. That's why I'm happily taking the train from New Mexico to Seattle, which will be four days of travel. I can hardly wait! I've done Amtrak a couple of other times and I'm totally sold on it. Especially booking a roomette.

I have a good friend who cannot imagine spending the money for a roomette, and would take the same trip in a regular coach car. Shudder. I want the privacy and access to a shower I get in a roomette, especially if I'm going to spend more than one night on the train, which I will from Chicago to Seattle. Plus, I'm a really sound sleeper, and I'd honestly be concerned about my purse or overnight case being taken while I'm totally asleep.