Last minute deals

[abcnews]

At 2 PM today (Saturday) the California Zephyr departs Chicago for the Bay Area in California. Out of curiosity I looked at the fares for today... Let's say you desired to take a last minute "spontaneous" rail trip. To my surprise, a Bedroom with two adults = $1002 or 34,569 points. Obviously the old program was 40,000 points. That low rate is available today or for a Sunday departure (tomorrow).

Also the Capital Limited today has extra bedrooms, and it too offers a nice $498 low bucket fare for today (two adults/DC to Chicago). Just 17,181 points.

So at this moment, - you could purchase a ticket for two adults and depart Union Station in Washington, DC today, on the Capital Limited (and CZ), and travel across the country in a bedroom for just 51,750 points (two people). Thats great if you like to travel on the spur of a moment.

I hope they continue to allow additional bedroom space to be sold at low bucket fares on last minute travel. This would help with the new (higher) redemption guidelines.

Has this always been the case?

 

[Train2104]

At the really really last minute, it makes sense to lower fares...rather get a little bit of money for a room you're hauling around already than $0. It's not like you can avoid the costs if the room lay unsold.

 

[abcnews]

It's funny, for today on the California Zephyr the bedroom is $1002 for two adults (Chicago - SF), but the roomettes are sold out. I have noticed much higher prices on bedrooms (for future dates), so maybe they have been pricing bedrooms at too high a rate, and they miss the window to sell the upgraded accommodation. Maybe folks settle on a roomette and move on...

This could possibly lead to lower overall pricing on the larger bedrooms. I guess supply and demand will fix that.

 

[HARHBG]

On a trip in Oct. '15 I tried to upgrade after boarding the Capitol Limited from a roomette to a bedroom because next door was a screaming child. Pulling out of Washington, Amtrak wanted an additional $900.00 for the bedroom, after crediting me with the roomette I had paid for. I said no but asked Amtrak to move me to a vacant roomette. Amtrak then demanded an additional $128. to move me to the 2nd sleeper car. Tere were vacant bedrooms and vacant roomettes in both sleeper cars.

Those vacant bedrooms remained vacant to Chicago, along with several vacant roomettes in both sleepers..

I wrote Amtrak a letter of complaint about the exorbitant price to upgrade AND the demand for $128. just to change my roomette location because of the screaming child next to me. To date, I've not received a reply but it seems Amtrak has changed its policy once again. In my complaint letter I wrote I suggested Amtrak adopt a policy more like the on-line hotel sites pointing out less money for an accommodation is still money ahead for Amtrak.

Won't say my letter of complain made any impact on anyone at Amtrak but its just another example of the wild inconsistencies that seem to now be the "norm" when you speak to anyone at Amtrak Customer Service.

 

[jis]

They should not have charged you the $128 to just change a room. But it is an old Amtrak tradition that half the people don't seem to know what they are doing, and there are not enough knowledgable people around apparently to correct their misadventures.

 

[the_traveler]

Did you call Amtrakfrom the train and ask that your room be changed? :huh: If so, Amtrak could say that you did request the change, and thus charge you the current bucket for that room. But I agree, you should not have been charged more.

What you could have done (and should have done) is to speak with your SCA and/or the Conductor and explain the situation. They could (and should) have moved you for no charge.

 

[Railroad Bill]

Did you call Amtrakfrom the train and ask that your room be changed? :huh: If so, Amtrak could say that you did request the change, and thus charge you the current bucket for that room. But I agree, you should not have been charged more.

What you could have done (and should have done) is to speak with your SCA and/or the Conductor and explain the situation. They could (and should) have moved you for no charge.

I agree with Dave. We have found the SCAs on the Capitol to be very accommodating and it is likely they would have just moved you to another room down the hall if that room was not in the manifest for another passenger down the line. You might try calling Customer Relations and explain your situation but not sure if they can do anything other than perhaps offer you a voucher for your trouble??