is September the new high season?

[PaulM]

Chicago to Sacramento

 

[AmtrakBlue]

DEN to SAC has roomettes and family bedroom(s) on 9/6, so it seems to be between CHI and DEN. I know it's not AU's Gathering :giggle: (did Denver last year and this year is in late Sept).

 

[Lonestar648]

Too early for Fall sightseeing, though you can still have some tour group overflow from summer the first couple weeks of September.

 

[librarian]

I am on the America By Rail Group Trip that begins Sept 7 from Chicago on the CZ. The trip is sold out, so that would fill some of the train.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Wow! $1091 for a Roomette from CHI-SAC!!!

I've found Non-stop Flights from the West Coast to CHI (3+ Hours) for Less than $200 and Upgrades to First Class for about $600!!

Supply and Demand indeed!

 

[Lonestar648]

True you can fly cheaper, but you miss the wonderful beauty of the Rockies and Sierras. It doesn't seem to matter what season, it consumes your day with breath taking views.

 

[KmH]

Plus 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners, and 3 or so showers.

But as long as it's not cloudy, from a plane you get to see the Rockies and the Sierras - in miniature.

But no flying through tunnels.

 

[Lonestar648]

As long as you have the window seat you get to see the Rockies in 2D, but never the 3D detail you get from the train. I have flown millions of miles domestically, so i have seen the difference.

 

[west point]

So where is the cut off sleeper CHI <> DEN ?

 

[Woodcut60]

I had a beautiful view of the Cascade Range and the Rocky Mountains from a plane last month, flying from Portland, OR, to Newark Liberty. But, oh, how I longed to be on a train instead...

 

[neroden]

CHI-DEN is getting super busy. Needs an extra sleeper. Or an extra train.

 

[Lonestar648]

The sleeper stays on the whole trip. All three sleepers are generally sold out during the summer. A fourth day could be sold most summer days.

 

[chakk]

Certainly, the best time for aspen fall colors in Colorado are the second and third weeks of September.

 

[Asher]

True you can fly cheaper, but you miss the wonderful beauty of the Rockies and Sierras. It doesn't seem to matter what season, it consumes your day with breath taking views.

$1090 one way SAC TO CHI leaves me breathless.

 

[Train2104]

For the same dates, CHI-LAX on 3 ranges from $962 to $1224, with no sellouts. End to end on 7 shows 5 days SO and 5 days with the $1128 high bucket fare.

I'm surprised the high bucket Zephyr is lower than both of the other major transcons... usually the Zephyr is always the more expensive choice.

 

[Anderson]

The sleeper stays on the whole trip. All three sleepers are generally sold out during the summer. A fourth day could be sold most summer days.

From what I can tell, there are multiple trains which could either sell out another sleeper at present or could do so with somewhat more modest pricing (I think some trains only don't sell out the last few spaces because the room prices go through the roof for those spaces.)

 

[west point]

Yes have noticed last few sleeper spaces price sky high. Then often last day before trip price falls if still vacant..

 

[niemi24s]

I'm surprised the high bucket Zephyr is lower than both of the other major transcons... usually the Zephyr is always the more expensive choice.

That's no doubt because you're comparing different bucket levels. For all three sleepers, the high bucket upcharge, low bucket upcharge or total fare for either on the CZ is always less than the 3 other Western LD trains -except for the lower buckets on the EB. All are shown below:

 

[kbmiflyer]

At what point do they drop the third sleeper for the CZ? That may be the reason you are seeing so many sellouts in September?