Which Sleeper?

[caravanman]

Hi folks I am fairly new to this, so please be patient!

I am booking a trip from LA to Jacksonville, and the sleeper options are: Superliner Standard accomodation or Family Bedroom. Surprising to me is the fact that the family bedroom is within a few dollars of the Standard bedroom...I am imagining that if I book the family room that I will have lots more space for the same cost...is there a catch? what am I missing?

Thanks again for your advice and assistance to date! Ed :blink:

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

I, too, am surprised that the cost is so similar. Hope indeed that there is not a a catch to that. The family bedroom is much, much larger.

One bad thing about the family bedroom is that it is downstairs so the view would not be as good from the sole standpoint of height. But you would get to see out both sides of the train----a rare priviledge indeed---I've never had that advantage. Few ever do. Getting a family bedroom is so rare(I've never even considered one) that you might want to spring for it if you are sure there is no misunderstanding about the fare.

One bad thing is that the family bedroom is near the downstairs restrooms and I understand that some people may knock on your door thinking it is a restroom.....maybe they have better signs now that make it clear. I have no experience being downstairs at all, so hopefully I am exaggerating the above problem.

 

[AlanB]

Hi folks I am fairly new to this, so please be patient!I am booking a trip from LA to Jacksonville, and the sleeper options are: Superliner Standard accomodation or Family Bedroom. Surprising to me is the fact that the family bedroom is within a few dollars of the Standard bedroom...I am imagining that if I book the family room that I will have lots more space for the same cost...is there a catch? what am I missing?

Thanks again for your advice and assistance to date! Ed :blink:

Ed,

Actually I'm not as surprised as Bill is. The family room while normally more expensive than a standard room, is always less than a deluxe bedroom. Usually there is a greater difference than what you seem to be describing, but there are several factors that can affect the price.

Here's a few reasons that the family room is typically cheaper than a deluxe room. One, it is a family room so they are trying to encourage families to travel by train, so they can't price them too high. Second, since the room holds four people, 2 adult - 2 children (with beds to match), Amtrak still gets rail fare for each person.

Three, unlike the deluxe bedroom, there is no private bathroom/shower in the family room. The standard room doesn't have a private bathroom/shower either. Four, the room is on the lower level, something that some people don't like since you must go upstairs to connect to the rest of the train.

The room is indeed much larger than a standard bedroom, but only slightly larger than a deluxe room if at all. Drawbacks to this room include, you are on the lower level, which increases track noise. You views are not as good as they are from the upper level, plus instead of the normal double window or double panes of glass side by side that other rooms have, this room only offers a single window. This cuts down on your ability to look ahead.

On the other hand, unlike other rooms the family room does have a window on each side of the train. You also have less noise from people walking by your room, like you would have on the upper level. There are three bathrooms and the public shower located at the other end of the hall on the lower level. Finally there is less sway of the car on the lower level.

One final thing to consider is the fact that this train only offers 2 family rooms. So if you are traveling during a peak period, then you could be depriving a family of that room. I would be less concerned during off peak times, like now.

You can find diagrams with measurements of the various bedrooms by clicking here. You can also take a virtual tour of the various bedrooms, also on the Amtrak site, by clicking here.

 

[AlanB]

One bad thing is that the family bedroom is near the downstairs restrooms and I understand that some people may knock on your door thinking it is a restroom.....maybe they have better signs now that make it clear. I have no experience being downstairs at all, so hopefully I am exaggerating the above problem.

Bill,

Actually the handicapped room is much closer to the restrooms downstairs. The family room is at the opposite end of the hall, past four standard bedrooms. So if there were to be any confusion, I would expect it to occur with the handicapped room.

I've actually stayed in the family room twice and never had someone come knocking on our door looking for the restroom.

 

[amtrakmichigan]

Actually I'm not as surprised as Bill is.  The family room while normally more expensive than a standard room, is always less than a deluxe bedroom.  Usually there is a greater difference than what you seem to be describing, but there are several factors that can affect the price.

The room is indeed much larger than a standard bedroom, but only slightly larger than a deluxe room if at all.  Drawbacks to this room include, you are on the lower level, which increases track noise.  You views are not as good as they are from the upper level, plus instead of the normal double window or double panes of glass side by side that other rooms have, this room only offers a single window.  This cuts down on your ability to look ahead.

One final thing to consider is the fact that this train only offers 2 family rooms.  So if you are traveling during a peak period, then you could be depriving a family of that room.  I would be less concerned during off peak times, like now.  

Actually, I have seen Deluxe rooms priced less then family rooms many times. This is due to the "supply and demand" fare system Amtrak uses to determine how much to charge for a room. In your case Ed, what probably has happened is a few Std. rooms have been sold already. As each room is sold, the price for the SAME type of room raises each time one has sold. It's very well possible that all family rooms are available when you checked the fare. I will give you an example of how this works. I recently purchased tickets for a trip from Chicago to Minneapolis. I purchased a Deluxe room for $70 (one way) on the internet. Right after I purchased these tickets I went back to see how much a deluxe room was after my purchase. The price went up to $142. However the price of the standard room stayed the same. A few days ago I checked it again, well someone else must have bought a deluxe room, because the price is now over $200. Again standard rooms remained the same price. If you feel you are getting a good deal on a family room, by all means purchase it ASAP. I would not "feel bad" because I might deprive a family from a family room. There is no rules that state a single person can't purchase a family room. Besides your money spends just as much as the family of 4. If this was an issue, then Amtrak would make a rule regarding this.

Also Ed, what is the date you used to figure your fare? There may be a way to save a couple bucks. let me know and I will look into it.

Because a family room on the lower level at the end of the hall, it uses the whole width of the car... about 10 ft. wide but only about 5' deep. The problem with a deluxe room is that the toilet/shower compartment in the room takes up about 30-40% of the floor space. This actually makes the deluxe room smaller then a family room as far as floor space is concerned. I agree that the windows are not the best in the world for viewing in a family room.

Ed, you asked the question "what's the catch"? There is no catches. Amtrak does not do shaddy business deals or offer gimmicks. Rest assured that a family room with only a few bucks added to the price over a standard room isn't going to put you in a wood crate in the baggage car or engine room of the locomotive.

 

[AlanB]

Actually, I have seen Deluxe rooms priced less then family rooms many times. This is due to the "supply and demand" fare system Amtrak uses to determine how much to charge for a room. In your case Ed, what probably has happened is a few Std. rooms have been sold already. As each room is sold, the price for the SAME type of room raises each time one has sold. It's very well possible that all family rooms are available when you checked the fare. I will give you an example of how this works. I recently purchased tickets for a trip from Chicago to Minneapolis. I purchased a Deluxe room for $70 (one way) on the internet. Right after I purchased these tickets I went back to see how much a deluxe room was after my purchase. The price went up to $142. However the price of the standard room stayed the same. A few days ago I checked it again, well someone else must have bought a deluxe room, because the price is now over $200. Again standard rooms remained the same price. If you feel you are getting a good deal on a family room, by all means purchase it ASAP. I would not "feel bad" because I might deprive a family from a family room. There is no rules that state a single person can't purchase a family room. Besides your money spends just as much as the family of 4. If this was an issue, then Amtrak would make a rule regarding this.

Jamie,

While Amtrak does use a supply & demand formula, it is based on % of capacity, not on individual rooms being sold. For example when 50% of all bedrooms in one car are sold, then the price for all remaining bedrooms regardless of type, goes up. Please note that each sleeper has it's own levels or buckets, not the train itself.

In the case of your example, you kicked the bucket when you brought your room. However there may have been 5 or 6 more rooms sold, before you saw the second increase.

So it's also possible that the standard room price came from the first sleeper, while the family room price came from the second sleeper. If the bucket were kicked to a higher level on the first sleeper, but not on the second sleeper, that would also bring the prices closer.

Because a family room on the lower level at the end of the hall, it uses the whole width of the car... about 10 ft. wide but only about 5' deep. The problem with a deluxe room is that the toilet/shower compartment in the room takes up about 30-40% of the floor space. This actually makes the deluxe room smaller then a family room as far as floor space is concerned. I agree that the windows are not the best in the world for viewing in a family room.

I've been in both the deluxe & the family room on more than one occasion. Trust me, floor space is almost the same. The closet in the family room eats up some floor space, along with the child's seat. If the family room has more floor space than a deluxe, it's very minimal. Once the beds are down, the family room's floor space evaporates almost totally. The deluxe actually ends up with more floor space when the beds are down.

Ps. I edited your post, since you had placed the question asking Ed when he was traveling, in with the quote of my first response.

 

[spot1181]

Plus there is some room for your luggage in the family room and you don't have as far to walk when you find out the shower is occupied.

 

[GG-1]

Aloha

Reading all the coments was interestimg. I have had the opertunity to try several different rooms on different trains.

All trips were solo.

First & Second trips were on the east cost and I had standard rooms in the Older hearitage cars, most confortable.

Third, forth, seventh, were in Upstairs Bi-leval Standard rooms, quieter.

Fifth was downstairs in Standard smoother, less sway but noiser.

Sixth was in a deluxe upstairs, I found the included shower uncomfortable(I am large) and the sway being "head to toe" harder to sleep.

The down stair shower is much better and on any trip over 24 hours I will choose a sleeper, Diner meals are class 1 resturant.

Most people spend a lot of time in the lounges meeting others and great views.

Eric

 

[caravanman]

Thanks again for all your advice and contributions. When I asked "what is the catch" I was imagining that I had misunderstood what my computer screen was telling me, as I couldn't see how the standard bedroom was priced the same as the family room! - I really didn't think I was dealing with a rip off company!

Having looked at all the options I am now thinking that I will book the Texas Eagle service from LA to chicago which will make a nice "round trip", having travelled out to San Francisco on the Zephyr.

Thanks again. Ed