Roomette Prices !!

[njulian]

OK..I'm looking at 7 months out for a trip on SWC. Roomette one way is over 200, and the way back over 300! Is this normal this early? I guess it's going into the summer season, but still. Seems I checked a few days ago a different date and was only 150 or so for roomette. Does anyone know the lowest cost for this leg? Its a couple meals and one night's worth...

So..how does that upgrading on board work? Do you wait until you board then ask the steward or ask in the depot? is the rate the lowest?

 

[MrFSS]

OK..I'm looking at 7 months out for a trip on SWC. Roomette one way is over 200, and the way back over 300! Is this normal this early? I guess it's going into the summer season, but still. Seems I checked a few days ago a different date and was only 150 or so for roomette. Does anyone know the lowest cost for this leg? Its a couple meals and one night's worth...So..how does that upgrading on board work? Do you wait until you board then ask the steward or ask in the depot? is the rate the lowest?

We need to know which two cities are involved to properly answer the question.

 

[zephyr17]

OK..I'm looking at 7 months out for a trip on SWC. Roomette one way is over 200, and the way back over 300! Is this normal this early? I guess it's going into the summer season, but still. Seems I checked a few days ago a different date and was only 150 or so for roomette. Does anyone know the lowest cost for this leg? Its a couple meals and one night's worth...So..how does that upgrading on board work? Do you wait until you board then ask the steward or ask in the depot? is the rate the lowest?

What leg?

It is perfectly normal. Sleeper prices vary widely across 4 pricing buckets D-A. It is yield management, and they sold out of the lower bucket for your return. As an example I know about, a roomette between Seattle and Los Angeles can range from $210 low bucket to well over $600 high bucket. Book early for those low buckets, and they sell out early, too. Also, the number of spaces in each bucket is not set. How many are offered at each bucket is a function of how popular they anticipate that particular departure will be.

If you ask at the depot, you will be quoted the current price as a normal sale. If you upgrade onboard, assuming you have a conductor willing to do it even if there space -- no sure thing -- you'll get the lowest bucket.

 

[njulian]

OK..I'm looking at 7 months out for a trip on SWC. Roomette one way is over 200, and the way back over 300! Is this normal this early? I guess it's going into the summer season, but still. Seems I checked a few days ago a different date and was only 150 or so for roomette. Does anyone know the lowest cost for this leg? Its a couple meals and one night's worth...So..how does that upgrading on board work? Do you wait until you board then ask the steward or ask in the depot? is the rate the lowest?

We need to know which two cities are involved to properly answer the question.

Oh sorry. Yes. Going from ABQ to FUL then back again.

 

[the_traveler]

As stated, if you ask inside the station, you will be quoted the current bucket fare. (Just using an example - assuming the current bucket is high bucket and that is $362, you will be told the fare is $362.) Once you set foot on the train - even if it is 5 minutes later - the fare drops to low bucket! (Again if the low bucket price is $134, the price will be $134!)

So, it's better to ask on the train then inside the station. Using these examples, waiting 5 minutes would save you $228! (Again I just made those fares up, but you get the idea.)

 

[Tony]

Its a couple meals and one night's worth...

Just remember, that is for the roomette, which can accommodate either one or two passengers for the same flat upgrade fare. In other words, if doesn't sound as expensive if you could split it, mentally, against two people, and that it is couple of meals for two people.

 

[AlanB]

Sleeper prices vary widely across 4 pricing buckets D-A.

Actually there are 5 sleeper price buckets, D-A and then S. D being the lowest and S being the highest.

 

[AlanB]

OK..I'm looking at 7 months out for a trip on SWC. Roomette one way is over 200, and the way back over 300! Is this normal this early?

While I don't know for sure just what the low bucket is for that run, it sounds like the way out is probably in the second bucket already and the way back is in the third bucket. Low bucket for the entire run, LA to Chicago is $295, so based upon that, I'm making an educated guess that you're getting the C bucket going and the B bucket coming home.