Multicity booking question

[ABQFloridian]

Since I read about it on this board, I have been experimenting with the multi-city booking tool on the Amtrak website. I have been pricing trips on my current "home train", the SWC, and my old one, the Silver Star.

I have found that I can change from sleeper to coach almost anywhere along the route, because, except for KCY, nowhere else has an alternative route. On the Star, however, I can only change classes at points between Raleigh and Savannah, because those are served by the Carolinian, Palmetto, or NER.

So, I have definitely figured out that I can't change classes using multi-city booking if there are alternatives. My question is this: can I do an " under the table" multi-city booking by booking the tickets individually?

For example could I by a roomette from Rocky Mount, NC to Tampa, FL and then in a separate transaction buy a coach ticket from NYP to Rocky Mount? Or do I have to take the Palmetto or Carolinian and lay over in RMT?

Thanks in advance for the help. I know if anyone can answer my question, they would be on AU.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Since I read about it on this board, I have been experimenting with the multi-city booking tool on the Amtrak website. I have been pricing trips on my current "home train", the SWC, and my old one, the Silver Star.

I have found that I can change from sleeper to coach almost anywhere along the route, because, except for KCY, nowhere else has an alternative route. On the Star, however, I can only change classes at points between Raleigh and Savannah, because those are served by the Carolinian, Palmetto, or NER.

So, I have definitely figured out that I can't change classes using multi-city booking if there are alternatives. My question is this: can I do an " under the table" multi-city booking by booking the tickets individually?

For example could I by a roomette from Rocky Mount, NC to Tampa, FL and then in a separate transaction buy a coach ticket from NYP to Rocky Mount? Or do I have to take the Palmetto or Carolinian and lay over in RMT?

Thanks in advance for the help. I know if anyone can answer my question, they would be on AU.

If you're not changing trains, it might work for you. However, just be aware that multi-city bookings do NOT have guaranteed connections.

 

[ABQFloridian]

If you're not changing trains, it might work for you. However, just be aware that multi-city bookings do NOT have guaranteed connections.

I definitely don't want to have to change trains if I don't have to, but that raises another question. Is there any chance I might get off the train and not make it to the sleeper car before the train leaves? I have seen some pretty short stops. Would they let me walk through the train to get to my sleeper?

 

[wjh2]

The conductor will mention when there is a longer stop along the way. You need to be close to the car you are riding in while on the platform, but this varies based on the route.

 

[AG1]

The Multi-city option allows you to break a trip into segments with transfers of less than 24 hours and can result in an overall lower cost . Separate tickets usually result in a higher cost. You can travel on the same train with separate segment tickets and make instant transfers. I have walked through the train many times too change from sleeper to coach.

You are missing the best benefit of Multi-city ticketing which is stopping off at a station and continuing you trip on a later available train while maintaining the same cost.

 

[niemi24s]

You are missing the best benefit of Multi-city ticketing which is stopping off at a station and continuing you trip on a later available train while maintaining the same cost.

For a sleeper, perhaps the same cost but perhaps not. It all depends on whether the sleeper cost for that same train at a later date (different train, actually) changes and if it does change, whether it goes up or down.

 

[BCL]

You are missing the best benefit of Multi-city ticketing which is stopping off at a station and continuing you trip on a later available train while maintaining the same cost.

Doesn't bucket pricing sometimes make multicity pricing more complex?
I and others use it to force more segments for AGR Points. I can even make some interesting bookings with Amtrak California buses even without a direct connection with a train.

 

[ABQFloridian]

The Multi-city option allows you to break a trip into segments with transfers of less than 24 hours and can result in an overall lower cost . Separate tickets usually result in a higher cost. You can travel on the same train with separate segment tickets and make instant transfers. I have walked through the train many times too change from sleeper to coach.

You are missing the best benefit of Multi-city ticketing which is stopping off at a station and continuing you trip on a later available train while maintaining the same cost.

Aha! I didn't realize that it was more expensive to book separately. If I book separately, it is an extra 50, which is almost half of what I would save in the first place by only using a roomette part of the way.

Since it won't let me do it entirely on the Star, I guess I will plan on taking the Palmetto and exploring RMT a little.

I was just trying to get something that didn't leave so early because all the cheap flights in New York arrive dangerously close to 7:05 when the Carolinian leaves, meaning to take it, or the Palmetto, I would have to lay over in NYC for 24 hours. However, every time I say that like it's a bad thing, it sounds more and more like a good thing, so I'm getting excited about it now.

Maybe I will take the 67 to WAS and lay over there a few hours! I'm very familiar with the area around that station and it would save me from loitering around all night at NYP.

 

[ABQFloridian]

I and others use it to force more segments for AGR Points. I can even make some interesting bookings with Amtrak California buses even without a direct connection with a train.

AND I get extra points? The prospect of changing trains is sounding better all the time.

 

[KmH]

However, just be aware that multi-city bookings do NOT have guaranteed connections.

I am currently on a trip I booked in 3 segments using the multi-city booking option: OTM - DEN (coach), DEN - RNO (sleeper), RNO - EUG (coach).The segment from Reno to Eugene, and from Eugene to Reno, has what I believe is indeed a guaranteed connection in Sacramento between the CZ and the CS.

Note that Sacramento was not one of the stops I used to book my multi-city reservation.

I'll be getting on the CS in about 8 hours to head for Sacramento so I can get the CZ to Reno.

 

[the_traveler]

Yes, as long as the new "train" has a different number, each is considered separately for points. No matter if it's arriving in PHL from WAS at 3 pm and then you board the 4 pm train to NYP, or you go from CHI-MSP taking "train" 7 to WIN and "train" 27 from WIN. (They are the same train - one goes to SEA and one goes to PDX splitting in SPK, well after MSP.)

 

[BCL]

I and others use it to force more segments for AGR Points. I can even make some interesting bookings with Amtrak California buses even without a direct connection with a train.

AND I get extra points? The prospect of changing trains is sounding better all the time.

It has to do with the 100 point minimum per segment, regardless of how much AGR prices each segment. You're allowed up to 4 minimum point segments accruing per calendar day. I've had some segments that AGR considered as worth $1, and I still got 100 points. It also includes bus segments, which often don't have to be forced with multicity bookings.
For instance, once I took the Keystone Service from NYP to a Philly suburb. Although we got on another physical train in Philly, they didn't consider that a new train #. I paid $52 for that ticket and got the standard 104 points (2 points per dollar spent).

Recently I took advantage of a special to go EMY-OKJ-OAC for $6.75. A straight shot EMY-OAC would get me 100 points. My regular commute ride of EMY-GAC ($18 minus any discounts) will also get me 100 points. However, splitting that up gives me 200 points since its two minimum point segments. AGR also priced the segments as $2 and $4. If I spent $100 EMY-SEA on the Coast Starlight I would also get 200 points.

Without those tricks, I wouldn't have made Select Plus last year.