I just finished booking my annual Everett, WA, New York, NY round trip, VIA going eastbound, Amtrak returning.
EVR-NYP using the Canadian:
$22 EVR-VAC coach
$1132 USD ($1559.55 CAD) Vancouver(VCVR)-Toronto(TRTO) Roomette. Note this was after a 30% off promotion VIA is running (VIA2024) available to anyone. I didn't use my 20% off Privilege status coupon.
$225 TWO-NYP Business Class (note I could save $100 by going coach, but Toronto-New York is a really long day).
Total: $1379 USD
NYP-EVR $1317 49/7 Roomettes.
Broken down into segments, NYP-CHI on 49 was $698. Apparently the second highest bucket. @niemi24s , looks like they boosted the LSL's buckets again.
CHI-EVR $619. Low bucket! Got to go out and sacrifice a goat.
So the fares are pretty comparable, and the value provided by VIA is immensely higher. $700 for one night in a roomette NYP-CHI with Flex dining? Versus $1132 for 4 nights with domes, great food, and a better berth? I'd probably have held out longer, but both trains were below 8 roomettes available, I think there were 6 each open on both, plus the Builder was at low bucket.
In any event, I was looking at cash fares to be able to reference where the prices were in relation to buckets. I actually booked NYP-EVR with AGR points. 49,388 AGR points, which pretty much equates to the generally accepted 0.02666/point value, plus I got 2469 points rebated as a FNBO AGR cardholder.
In fairness, the trip absolutely requires a hotel night in Toronto, and I will be taking another at Vancouver although a same day connection there is possible.
Still, my basic point remains. The VIA Canadian is not significantly more than Amtrak any longer, or at least it doesn't have to be.
EVR-NYP using the Canadian:
$22 EVR-VAC coach
$1132 USD ($1559.55 CAD) Vancouver(VCVR)-Toronto(TRTO) Roomette. Note this was after a 30% off promotion VIA is running (VIA2024) available to anyone. I didn't use my 20% off Privilege status coupon.
$225 TWO-NYP Business Class (note I could save $100 by going coach, but Toronto-New York is a really long day).
Total: $1379 USD
NYP-EVR $1317 49/7 Roomettes.
Broken down into segments, NYP-CHI on 49 was $698. Apparently the second highest bucket. @niemi24s , looks like they boosted the LSL's buckets again.
CHI-EVR $619. Low bucket! Got to go out and sacrifice a goat.
So the fares are pretty comparable, and the value provided by VIA is immensely higher. $700 for one night in a roomette NYP-CHI with Flex dining? Versus $1132 for 4 nights with domes, great food, and a better berth? I'd probably have held out longer, but both trains were below 8 roomettes available, I think there were 6 each open on both, plus the Builder was at low bucket.
In any event, I was looking at cash fares to be able to reference where the prices were in relation to buckets. I actually booked NYP-EVR with AGR points. 49,388 AGR points, which pretty much equates to the generally accepted 0.02666/point value, plus I got 2469 points rebated as a FNBO AGR cardholder.
In fairness, the trip absolutely requires a hotel night in Toronto, and I will be taking another at Vancouver although a same day connection there is possible.
Still, my basic point remains. The VIA Canadian is not significantly more than Amtrak any longer, or at least it doesn't have to be.