Overnight Question for the Cal Zephyr

[Kat]

Greetings! I need some advice from you all please. I'm considering a trip for two from Emeryville to Denver later this month. There's a Rail Sale fare that's wonderfully priced. The trip involves one overnight each way, but the first class fares are really high. My 15 year old daughter hasn't gone overnight on a train before and I have once, on the Crescent (first class). She's pretty hardy, but is not sure about sleeping in a coach car. I've explained that coach seats are pretty comfortable, equivilent to first class on a plane.

One of the Amtrak travel books in our library (USA By Rail, I think), recommended upgrading to f/c for only the overnight portion of the trip. I estimate that to be from Winnemucca to Green River. It'd also give us dinner and breakfast.

My question is how do we ask for the upgrade, once we're onboard? And how much are we likely to pay?

Any other suggestions/ideas/tips are extremely welcome.

 

[Viewliner]

Judging by the time of the year, I wouldn't chance upgrading on board, as its a busy travel period and sleepers sell out easily. You could book the Standard Sleeper (ASAP) for the overnight portion as you said and then only go Coach for the other segments.

If you'd like to take the risk of trying to get an onboard upgrade, you should ask to see the conductor who will see if anything is available, which as I said is not very likely based on the time of the year you're traveling. The discount is about 20% (I believe)

Hope this helps.

Enjoy Your Trip and feel free to ask further questions.

 

[Guest]

Since this is a holiday time of year, book the first class and make that a Christmas present for your daughter. You will both remember this trip for the rest of your life.

 

[Kat]

That's a nice idea, Guest, but she's already getting nice gifts, and her brother might object to the inequity.

Viewliner, with the Rail Sale being online, can I book it there, and then call Amtrak to add on the sleeping accomodations? Do you recommend proceeding another way?

I tried to get a trip from Mtz to San Luis Obispo, but their Rail Sale is already sold out. It's actually cheaper to go to Denver on the Rail Sale, than the AAA discount to SLO. This is a college look-see trip, not urgent, but it fits in with school/vacations schedule.

BTW: Chances are our return will be December 31 (yes seats are avail). Do people do anything for New Years Eve on the train? I'm pretty sure it won't be like in the movie, "Trading Places". :lol:

 

[Viewliner]

Sorry, but Amtrak won't let you use Rail Sale for Sleeper Accomodations, unless you upgrade on-board, which is very risky at this time of year. You should try to do something like Coach-Sleeper-Coach if you can, by Getting the Sleeper for overnight usage, and breakfast/dinner. My advice, book coach from after breakfast to before dinner (closest stations), and sleeper from before dinner-after breakfast. If you know you're daughter won't be able to sleep in coach, book the Sleeper and Book it fast, the fare gets higher once 1/2 of the Sleeper Space is booked, unless you risk upgrading on board, which as I mentioned, is risky.

I don't know what they do on New Years, hopefully someone else can answer that.

 

[Amfleet]

I thought you were able to upgrade if you had a rail-sale ticket? Can't hurt Amtrak, they'd get more profit.

 

[tp49]

I thought you were able to upgrade if you had a rail-sale ticket? Can't hurt Amtrak, they'd get more profit.

Yes, you can upgrade with a rail sale ticket but only on the train, not before. Otherwise Amtrak would be undercutting their profits for people who do reserve sleepers in advance.

 

[gswager]

I tried to get a trip from Mtz to San Luis Obispo, but their Rail Sale is already sold out.  It's actually cheaper to go to Denver on the Rail Sale, than the AAA discount to SLO.  This is a college look-see trip, not urgent, but it fits in with school/vacations schedule.  

Are you going to Cal Poly? I graduated from Cal Poly. It's a beautiful campus in rolling hills.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

I have been on a train on New Year's Eve and do not remember anything special happening. Perhaps Xmas there might be some deorations or something....but New Year's.....don't think so.

 

[Viewliner]

What Bill Says makes sense, as quite a few passengers would be asleep by the time the new year begins.

 

[EmpireBuilderFan]

I have been on a train on New Year's Eve and do not remember anything special happening.  Perhaps  Xmas there might be some deorations or something....but New Year's.....don't think so.

It probably depends on the crew working the train, but I've seen the inside of the lounge car on the Empire Builder decorated with Christmas lights. The lights were put up along the top of the big windows. It looked very cool from the outside. Unfortunately, I wasn't on the train at the time, but was driving on US Hwy 2 in Montana where it parallels the tracks that the Empire Builder runs on.

 

[WoodenMike]

USE RAIL SALE.

The savings are so much over what you'd pay otherwise, I'm sure your daughter would rather have the CASH DIFFERENCE. (wink)

I'll post my story about my trip I just returned from, and some of the good service, and very bad service, I came across.

I tried to upgrade to a sleeper on the Coast Starlight in Sacramento, and the conductor denied rooms available, THREE TIMES!!!...well, when the crew changed, the new conductor not only got us a room, but acknowleged the other conductor NEVER EVEN BOTHERED TO CHECK, as ROOMS WERE AVAILABLE in BOTH sleeping cars!!!

(Thanks Terry! You are an A#1 car attendant!)

What a lying scumbag! The Conductor was furious and even got me a refund for the meal I had paid for, because I should have had a sleeper room!

More later, but, Kudos to Conductor JIM KELLY for doing his job correctly and working hard for me and the other people who rode his train.

I will be mentioning a few JERKS Amtrak could do without, and praising a few employees that went out of their way to make Amtrak what it should be, a GREAT EXPERIENCE for those of us who love taking the train!

More later, but I had to get that off my chest, as Amtrak, like any good business, doesn't need employees who lie and are lax to their patrons needs.

CALL AND/OR WRITE YOUR LEGISLATORS AND TELL THEM TO VOTE FOR MORE AMTRAK FUNDING!!!

Mike

 

[amfan]

Maybe payroll won't have time to look up that conductors time???(who wouldn't take time to upgrade to sleeper) He/she just didn't want to do the paperwork. I hope they get fired and lose all retirement. If that happened, I bet the next one would check for sleepers.

 

[pismobum]

when looking for RAIL SALE tickets, you may have to play around a little. For example, I looked for SLO-LAX, and it was sold out. Then I tried the next station north (Paso Robles) to LA, and VOILA! $9.60!