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The Via Rail Promotion For CF Members Thread

Sweeeeeeeeet!

Via, you guys rock.

I take the train pretty often anyway, but this is just too cool. Here's hoping my pre-deployment leave at least partly coincides with July.
 
Too bad there are no VIA trains where I live... :(

When I went Supp List, my unit took my ID from me.  I wouldn't be able to prove my service anyways!
 
Sgt  Schultz said:
Trains don't sail across to the Rock...  ;)

Magical things happen on the island of soldor. (sp?)

Hey good point actually!Maybe Marine Atlantic could cut fee's to and from NFLD all summer for vet's and serving members!

Of course how else would they scam over 600 dollars per way out of me and my family.Hell it's only part of the TCH (another discussion for another time)

Thanks to VIA rail.


 
I read the 'terms and conditions,' and then reread them again, and I still couldn't believe what I was reading.  Then decided to say 'what the hell' and jumped in with both feet and booked a train out west.  Called the VIA numbers provided, and had a very easy time of it.  Just had to tell him what type of ID I would be using when I pick up the tickets.  I'll be picking up the tickets tomorrow.

Checked out the same fare on the VIA travel planner and for two people we saved ~$3500.00.  I've always dreamed of crossing the country (or at least 3/4 of it) by train.  Long way to go in 'comfort' class, but I figure this is a rare event.

Wow.  Never thought I'd see the day.
 
I'm thinking I may do the same thing...with a few breaks in between for overnight visits to friends.  I may even go visit my sister in Halifax!
 
Mortarman Rockpainter said:
Hot damn!  I will be on leave during the entire month of July!  If I read things right, for me, my wife and our two kids, it will cost 1/2 an adult's rate to travel ANYWHERE in Canada.  ("Kids travel free": she takes one with her, I take one with me, so to speak).  I think my summer leave plans have just changed!  I'm not driving back to NB: I'm taking the train!  We're taking the train to Ontario to see everyone!  Heck, we just may go to BC on that funky rail car to see the Rockies!

Thank You VIA rail!


You do get unlimited stopovers, but... does "comfort class" include sleeper cars on the train to BC?
 
Meridian said:
You do get unlimited stopovers, but... does "comfort class" include sleeper cars on the train to BC?

Negative on the sleeper car, but the seats are fairly wide, and they do recline with a foot rest.  Sleeper car would be preferred, but for $0, I'd suck it up :)

Decent info at http://www.viarail.ca/classes/en_serv_clas_econ_toja.html
 
Meridian said:
You do get unlimited stopovers, but... does "comfort class" include sleeper cars on the train to BC?
I doubt it.  Hence my use of the vague term "funky", because after a few days, that's exactly how it would be: funky! (as in stinky!)  But, with unlimited stops, it would rock.  I can't wait to book tickets!
 
X-mo-1979 said:
Of course how else would they scam over 600 dollars per way out of me and my family.Hell it's only part of the TCH (another discussion for another time)

Yeah, so was that bridge from PEI that I got to drive over constantly during my IR ... at 40.75 a pop.  :mad:

Good on Via!!
 
Too bad most of my July is being spent in Gagetown at Charm School - now, if I could find someone to pick me up in Moncton that might be a good go to get there, see a bit of the countryside on the way (not that I haven't driven it a million times, but it'd be different.)
 
Just for Laughs Fest in Montreal and then on to Quebec City for the 400th celebrations. Not a bad way to go before going on tour.
 
Last night we made our vacation plans cross-Canada, using the Via rail offer. Today we we not even at the train station 4minutes and had picked up our tickets.  The only cost was for parking. There was two other couples to pick up their tickets as well.

The clerk mentioned the online registration and the toll free phones have been busy since the announcement. He said  that he had already confirmed 50 seats for people in person today. Doing the math, he said there are 300,000 available seats in July and nearly 5million eligible people who could make use of this offer.
 
Phoned Via today, and while I could get a one way seat 28 Jul Edmonton to Toronto, upgrading with me paying the difference to have even an upper berth bed was impossible, not due to unavailabilty, but I was frankly told they have no problem selling bed spaces at full price in summer, so why give away a portion of that for free.  Sitting up overnight in a coach seat for two nights, no thanks. I sat through nights on trains when I had no money or in Vancouver airport DND was too "thrifty" to pay for hotel rooms when svc air westbound left you repeatedly in the lurch  at 2300 en route to Vic after the last civy connector had flown off into the night towards the Island.  Not today, too old, pensioned off and earning too much money. Might work on shorter trips though. It would have been nostalgic to have taken the train east, the last time I did so from Edmonton was in 1965 when I was six. So Air Canada will get all my business in both directions on my trip to Toronto for the Aug long weekend. All aboard so long as you restrict yourself to "the back of the bus." . Sort of reminds me of John Lennon ca 1963, "Those of you in the cheap seats clap, those of you in the expensive ones just rattle your jewelry."
 
a78jumper said:
No,  see my previous post.

Read it. That sucks, but hey -- I can see where they are coming from.

As every "comfort class" seat on every train in the month of July is going to be filled with those travelling free or for 1/2 price (and you know there's a landslide of leave passes about to swamp the system for July / may as well stand the CF down for the month ...  ;)), the only money Via will be making that month, and the only way any other Canadian is going to manage to get a seat on a train is by forking out the dough for the sleeper berths.

Edited to add: well they'll be making money on the "food" ... 10 bucks for a plain ole ham sandwich etc <--- Via's food prices has always amazed me.

Speaking of every train being fully loaded with CF members and PSs ... I'm wondering if they'll realize that it'd be to their great financial benefit to designate every car as the "bar car".  :eek:
 
Perhaps booking the berth at full fare and cancelling at the last minute and getting a refund would be in order................ ;D
 
a78jumper said:
Perhaps booking the berth at full fare and cancelling at the last minute and getting a refund would be in order................ ;D

Trying to keep the trains all in "The Family" are we?  :eek:
 
Might free up a berth as a walk up at the last minute......I have seen this happen with Via 1 upgrades, they were flogging them for $25 on the spot at checkin because they were underbooked, last in cancellations etc. As for the Bar Car Vern, BYOB, just be discrete. Been there, done that when I was sitting up all night going to and returning from Kapuskasing  on CN (pre Via) in the 1970s when I visited my aunt and uncle at CFS Lowther. Bring your own ham sangies as well.....
 
a78jumper said:
Phoned Via today, and while I could get a one way seat 28 Jul Edmonton to Toronto, upgrading with me paying the difference to have even an upper berth bed was impossible, not due to unavailabilty, but I was frankly told they have no problem selling bed spaces at full price in summer, so why give away a portion of that for free.  Sitting up overnight in a coach seat for two nights, no thanks. I sat through nights on trains when I had no money or in Vancouver airport DND was too "thrifty" to pay for hotel rooms when svc air westbound left you repeatedly in the lurch  at 2300 en route to Vic after the last civy connector had flown off into the night towards the Island.  Not today, too old, pensioned off and earning too much money. Might work on shorter trips or longer ones with stop overs though. It would have been nostalgic to have taken the train east, the last time I did so from Edmonton was in 1965 when I was six. So Air Canada will get all my business in both directions on my trip to Toronto for the Aug long weekend. All aboard so long as you restrict yourself to "the back of the bus." . Sort of reminds me of John Lennon ca 1963, "Those of you in the cheap seats clap, those of you in the expensive ones just rattle your jewelry."
 
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