Onboard Upgrades

[tourlink]

As I write this post my parents are on #52, The Auto Train! I told them to approach the conductor regarding an upgrade. I also advised them that subject to availability, 1/2 off the lowest bucket was a possibility! There were also a number of sleepers available, according to the station agent who wanted $400 additional. The conductor advised them they are no longer allowed to sell upgrades on board! Has anyone heard of this new rule or was it a conductor who didnt want to bother, or possibly strictly an auto train rule?

 

[amtrakmichigan]

I personelly have never attempted to purchase a sleeper onboard. But I do know some conductors don't like playing the role of ticket agent. In this case if I was in your parents shoes and had a cell phone, I think I would have called Amtrak on the train and asked for the customer service dept. and asked them this same question. As far as I know, conductors can and are supposed to sell sleeprs if available. In fact on Thanksgiving night when I was on the sunset Limited in the Diner, I overheard the conductor say he had to make a sleeper upgrade for someone. You may want to tell your parents to call Amtrak's 1-800 number when they get home and ask for the customer service department. They should have there reservation number ready and have them explain what happened with being rejected when trying to upgade onboard. They will be able to look up that information and see if indeed a sleeper was available, and if so check into why a conductor wouldn't sell it. Who knows...Amtrak may send them a voucher towards a sleeper in the future if someone wasn't doing there job.

 

[AlanB]

Tourlink,

The Autotrain is probably the one exception to the on-board upgrade rule. Since this train makes no intermediate stops, the conductor probably does not carry the normal ticketing supplies. He has no need to sell tickets along the way, since no one else can board the train once it leaves the starting station.

In fact the conductor doesn't even collect tickets. All tickets are collected when you checkin inside the terminal.

Is it possible that he was being lazy? Sure. But it is entirely possible that he couldn't sell an uppgrade.

 

[amtrakmichigan]

Allen,

What you just said does make perfect sense. I didn't think of the fact that the Auto train has no station stops along the way. But on the other hand , this is not any excuse for a conductor to explain in full detail why he can't sell an upgrade. It sort of sounds like these people felt like they were "blown off" when they asked to spend a few hundred dollars. I find it very funny in a way to see Amtrak which always been in need for more cash flow, to tell someone to "go away" when they are willing to spend extra money.

Jamie

 

[AlanB]

I find it very funny in a way to see Amtrak which always been in need for more cash flow, to tell someone to "go away" when they are willing to spend extra money.

Well they weren't exactly told to go away. They did ask at checkin and they were given an upgrade price. They declined that price, perhaps hoping to do better on the train, since again those in the know normally are aware that they can usually upgrade on the train.

Now on the other hand, if the conductor treated them rudely, then that would be a horse of a different color.

Mind you, I do feel that it was foolish of Amtrak at the point of checkin, not to have offered a better upgrade price. That sleeper room was going to run empty, so it would have been better to have asked for say $200 more instead of $400 more.

Especially when one considers that would have better helped to offset the sleeper attendant's salary. I don't think that Amtrak assigns one attendant to each coach, I think that it's one per two coaches on the AT.

Plus there really is no increased cost for the meals either. On the AT all passengers have their meals included, both coach & sleeper. Yes the sleeping car passengers get higher quality meals, but again the cost difference isn't that much for the meals.

 

[jccollins]

If rooms are not allowed to be sold on-board the auto train, it seems like Amtrak would be willing to sell the remaining rooms at discounted rates at, say, one hour before departure time, or something like that. It does makes sense not to sell them onboard since the conductor doesn't deal with tickets and fares since the stations are staffed at both ends, but the stations should make a reasonable attempt to make sure all the rooms are sold before the trains depart.

 

[tourlink99]

Just to finish off this thread, my parents advised me the train arrived on time, the food was excellent, as was the service. The train was spotless and they slept better as the train rocked less downstairs. What a relief as I talked them into taking the auto train(elderly folks) and didnt want them to have a problem. As for the the onboard upgrade, they just thought it was a case of their son not knowing what he is talking about! I can live with that as long as they thought everything was wonderful.

 

[AlanB]

Well I'm glad to hear that overall they had a great trip, even if they didn't get an upgrade.

Next time maybe you can talk them into a bedroom right up front. I bet they'll enjoy it even more.

 

[EBS]

If sleeping car space is available, it is sold at the terminals until time of departure. One issue A-T has to deal with is every time it upgrades a passenger to a sleeper it has to make sure there is additional food in the first class dining car. The menus are quite different in first class and coach.

 

[PRR 60]

If sleeping car space is available, it is sold at the terminals until time of departure.  One issue A-T has to deal with is every time it upgrades a passenger to a sleeper it has to make sure there is additional food in the first class dining car.  The menus are quite different in first class and coach.

The dining car menus offered to first class and coach are identical. The fact that a passenger is in a sleeper makes if far more likely that he or she will patronize the diner (since it is almost free), so the number of meals that need to be available could be affected, but not the offerings themselves.

 

[AlanB]

If sleeping car space is available, it is sold at the terminals until time of departure.  One issue A-T has to deal with is every time it upgrades a passenger to a sleeper it has to make sure there is additional food in the first class dining car.  The menus are quite different in first class and coach.

The dining car menus offered to first class and coach are identical. The fact that a passenger is in a sleeper makes if far more likely that he or she will patronize the diner (since it is almost free), so the number of meals that need to be available could be affected, but not the offerings themselves.

PRR60,

You are correct for every long distance Amtrak train, except for the Auto Train.

When you ride the Auto Train all passengers are served a meal with their ticket purchase, regardless of whether they are in coach or a sleeper. The sleeper passengers however do get a higher quality menu, than do the coach passengers. As an example a sleeping car pax might be offered a filet mingon, while a coach pax might get strip steak instead. Sleeper pax also get free wine with their meals.

This is possible on the AT, since it runs with at least a minimum of two diners at all times. One diner is for the sleepers and one is for the coach passengers. During busy periods, there can be two diners assigned to the coach section.

On the other hand however, the sleeper dining car would have to have some extra meals on board simply because one can't predict what each passenger will order. My guess is to say that Amtrak must overstock by at least 15 meals. Lets say that you have 3 choices on the menu, then they would have to overstock each choice by a quantity of 5, some choices may get overstocked by even more. That in my mind would be the bare minimum and since the AT is considered Amtrak's premier train on the east coast, I wouldn't be surprised however if they don't overstock by even more than 15 meals.

Therefore a last minute upgrade could just cut into that overstock and might not require extra meals to be rushed out to the train.

There is also a seperate lounge car for the sleeper pax and one for the coach pax.

 

[railman]

The case for upgrading to sleeper at the terminal rather than on-board the train does have something to do with the meal service -- but it's not the menu. Ayone who has ever ridden A-T knows that seating times are assigned at check-in at the stations. And there are a limited number of seats offered for each dinner time. If coach passengers were to upgare on board the train rather than at the termianls the assignment of dinner seatings would get screwed up royally.

 

[AlanB]

The case for upgrading to sleeper at the terminal rather than on-board the train does have something to do with the meal service -- but it's not the menu. Ayone who has ever ridden A-T knows that seating times are assigned at check-in at the stations. And there are a limited number of seats offered for each dinner time. If coach passengers were to upgare on board the train rather than at the termianls the assignment of dinner seatings would get screwed up royally.

That is a good point and one I hadn't thought about.

I suspect however that could be overcome by just telling the upgrading passenger that they would have to take what ever time was available. IF the pax was warned prior to paying that they might well be getting a crappy dinner time, then it would be their option to upgrade or not.

But it is still one more reason, when coupled with the others, to have a policy of no upgrades while on-board the AT.

 

[battalion51]

Well it also simplifies life for everyone on board when there are no on board upgrades. The Conductor would be required to carry the on board upgrades, submit RRB reports every trip (regardless of sales or no sales), plus it ain't easy to move people through a moving train to a sleeping car. I would have to guess that if there is unsold space available before departure the agent would make an announcement that sleeping car space is still available, so they passengers can't claim they weren't informed, and the bottom line for the train looks better.

 

[AlanB]

plus it ain't easy to move people through a moving train to a sleeping car.

That's for sure. I was once forced to do just that on the Silver Palm, when a conductor blew a double spot at Hollywood. So instead of just boarding my sleeper, I was forced to wait in the line of pax waiting to ride in coach. Then I had to explain to the car attendant why I didn't need a seat assignment.

Then I had to walk through two coaches, the cafe car, and the dining car to reach my sleeper. All while dragging my computer bag and my suitcase.

That was a short walk, as the Palm wasn't a long train. On the AT, a passenger sitting in the very last coach upgrading to a compartment in the very first sleeper has a huge walk. They would have to pass through at least two sleepers, two diners, two cafe cars, and at least 3 coaches. If they were traveling in peak season, then there would be even more sleepers and coaches to walk through, plus maybe even one more diner.

Carrying luggage, it could take you a half hour to get from one end of the train to the other. :blink:

 

[battalion51]

Actually Alan, it'd be more like 3 coaches, 3 sleepers, a diner, and a lounge. The coach dining car and lounge are always on the south end of the coaches, not in the middle of them (probably so that Southbound passengers in the sourther coach aren't as bothered by engine noise and the horn. :lol: But one thing's for sure, it ain't easy to walk through cars with all your stuff, unless you're mobile, agile, and hostile like me (well not so much on the hostile side :lol: ).

 

[PRR 60]

PRR60,
You are correct for every long distance Amtrak train, except for the Auto Train.

Auto Train! Missed that little detail. That is why I should read the entire thread, not just the last post.

 

[Amfleet]

That was a short walk, as the Palm wasn't a long train. On the AT, a passenger sitting in the very last coach upgrading to a compartment in the very first sleeper has a huge walk. They would have to pass through at least two sleepers, two diners, two cafe cars, and at least 3 coaches. If they were traveling in peak season, then there would be even more sleepers and coaches to walk through, plus maybe even one more diner.
Carrying luggage, it could take you a half hour to get from one end of the train to the other. :blink:

When you do out the math, from the Transition Sleeper all the way to the Coach Dining Car is a little over a quarter of a mile. Impressive!