Fare Buckets discussion 2023 Q4 - 2024

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For several years I have been booking a roomette to GSC. (Yes, I know it's a waste of money). Last month I paid $267 each way. Now, no matter what date I check, it's $518 each way, I have never seen that before - the prices always varied by date. I will drive.
Any thoughts on this high and rigid fare?
With the equipment shortages, Amtrak has jacked up fares. That is particularly true of segments within long distance runs that might occupy space that blocks sales of a higher fare trip.

Example: on Sunday, December 10th, a roomette PDX > SEA on Train 14 is shown as $165 for a 183-mile trip. That same roomette EUG > PDX is shown as $394 for a 124-mile trip. A EUG > SEA trip is $450. They are trying to keep the 124-mile trip from blocking sales of the 307-mile trip.
 
With the equipment shortages, Amtrak has jacked up fares. That is particularly true of segments within long distance runs that might occupy space that blocks sales of a higher fare trip.

Example: on Sunday, December 10th, a roomette PDX > SEA on Train 14 is shown as $165 for a 183-mile trip. That same roomette EUG > PDX is shown as $394 for a 124-mile trip. A EUG > SEA trip is $450. They are trying to keep the 124-mile trip from blocking sales of the 307-mile trip.
I see. Amtrak makes it so difficult.
 
An updated fare bucket chart was just posted here. . .Long Distance Train Coach & Sleeper Fares (Buckets). . .and is based on the previously mentioned sleeper fare increases.

The only Coach fare posted is the rail fare and those for two trains (LSL to BOS and AT) are marked as estimates as explained in that other thread..

Would appreciate knowing if anybody finds more than one rail fare for any of the other 14 LD trains.

Also any theories on why the LSL to BOS was found to have 8 different rail fares ranging from $166 to $451?
 
Wow. So the $400-ish base fare my RVR-ORL ticket was based on for last night's trip really was a low-bucket luck-out...
 
With the equipment shortages, Amtrak has jacked up fares. That is particularly true of segments within long distance runs that might occupy space that blocks sales of a higher fare trip.

Example: on Sunday, December 10th, a roomette PDX > SEA on Train 14 is shown as $165 for a 183-mile trip. That same roomette EUG > PDX is shown as $394 for a 124-mile trip. A EUG > SEA trip is $450. They are trying to keep the 124-mile trip from blocking sales of the 307-mile trip.
I see. Amtrak makes it so difficult.
I noticed that as well on the starlight. It seems to regularly cost MORE to take the Starlight from SAC to EUG than it does to take it from SAC to PDX (even though the ride to PDX is almost 3 hours longer than if you were to get off at Eugene).

However, since many of the "long-haul" passengers start/end in Portland, the short segment between PDX-SEA can be cheap because they would otherwise run those rooms empty and gain no revenue for that segment.
 
I noticed that as well on the starlight. It seems to regularly cost MORE to take the Starlight from SAC to EUG than it does to take it from SAC to PDX (even though the ride to PDX is almost 3 hours longer than if you were to get off at Eugene).

Does this occur using the same travel start dates?

Or is it simply the case of the cheaper fare being offered on a different travel date where a lower bucket is being offered?
 
Just did a back to back search to test this out. Doing the test for 11 months out.

11/18/2024 - PDX-SAC is 393/810 (BR)/981(FB)
11/18/2024 - EUG-SAC is $560/$956(FB)/$1170(BR)

So over $350 more to travel in a bedroom on a slightly shorter segment.

So it seems as if they are pricing this segment at a higher bucket.
 
Well, I'll be dipped in . . . . Did the same thing for travel starting 17 Nov and found for a Roomette or Bedroom:

• SAC to PDX is $424 or $891, while the shorter . . .
• SAC to EUG is $560 or $1170

So with no checked bags and wanting to go from SAC to just EUG in a Roomette or Bedroom, by booking SAC to PDX and getting off in EUG one could save $136 or $279! Nifty, eh? Coach was a little more for the longer trip, but maybe there are similar incongruities out there somewhere for coach travel, maybe not.

Have heard the same sort of incongruity exists with airlines where, say, wanting to go CHI to BAL a ticket for CHI to BAL to NYC is cheaper so just get off the plane in BAL and pocket the difference. But I wondered if the CHI to BAL flights have the same flight number (and thus the same departure time) in the example I heard.
 
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Well, I'll be dipped in . . . . Did the same thing for travel starting 17 Nov and found for a Roomette or Bedroom:

• SAC to PDX is $424 or $891, while the shorter . . .
• SAC to EUG is $560 or $1170

So with no checked bags and wanting to go from SAC to just EUG in a Roomette or Bedroom, by booking SAC to PDX and getting off in EUG one could save $136 or $279! Nifty, eh?

Have heard the same sort of incongruity exists with airlines where, say, wanting to go CHI to BAL a ticket for CHI to BAL to NYC is cheaper so just get off the plane in BAL and pocket the difference. But I wondered if the CHI to BAL flights have the same flight number (and thus the same departure time) in the example I heard.
Yeah it probably wouldn’t be too hard to get off early, but going the other way, by getting on ‘late’ you might get marked as a no-show
 
You should be good in the 532, it’s the 540 car that’s been dropped for the off season this time around
540 car is the dorm car that has no bedrooms just roomettes. But if dorm car is gone then sleeper rooms are needed for on board crew. So if dorm car is not there some sleeper rooms might be canceled for the crew?
 
Wow now this is weird.

Just did two back-to-back searches for the same train. In particular, I searched Northbound Coast Starlight #14 (originating 1/14/2024) from EMY-PDX and SAC-PDX. With the origin set at SAC, it said roomettes and bedrooms were sold out (only a family room available). However, set the origin to EMY (about two hours before SAC) and it shows every type of room as being available. (yet those same rooms are not available if you want to get on at Sacramento?)

Curious if anyone else has discovered this 'blocking' of rooms for certain segments.

Screenshot 2023-12-22 at 11.20.53 PM.pngScreenshot 2023-12-22 at 11.20.38 PM.png
 
Uh,. . .er,. . .hmmm. . .well no, as a matter of fact. But when silly stuff like this is found it's easily explained by blaming a square electron getting hung up in one of Arrows P-N junctions. :rolleyes:
Makes me wonder if any authorities at Amtrak ever did a fare search on Amsnag when it was operating and discovered a snafu like this and then had it corrected. A shame Amtrak can't hire an IT person to bring their website up to the 21st century.
 
Wow now this is weird.

Just did two back-to-back searches for the same train. In particular, I searched Northbound Coast Starlight #14 (originating 1/14/2024) from EMY-PDX and SAC-PDX. With the origin set at SAC, it said roomettes and bedrooms were sold out (only a family room available). However, set the origin to EMY (about two hours before SAC) and it shows every type of room as being available. (yet those same rooms are not available if you want to get on at Sacramento?)

Curious if anyone else has discovered this 'blocking' of rooms for certain segments.

View attachment 35033View attachment 35034
Like you say, it could be Amtrak wants people to be able to travel EMY-PDX, without making a transfer*. I'd assumed that was standard operating procedure on LD trains. On the other hand, Amtrak would make more moolah if it could book both segments seperately. The EMY-SAC family room on that date is currently at $406 with the RPA discount. This blocking does not prevent filling both segments. EMY-SAC on a Sunday night could have decent demand for rooms. They may have already paid that for a hotel room per night in SF, and this train does not have business class, if I recall correctly. On the other, other hand, it's not sold out, three weeks out, for any type of room, so the demand is not super high.

(*) There's a Cap Corridor EMY-SAC only 20 minutes earlier, but it's not much good to somone who wants a room.
 
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FWIW, sleeper fares on all LD trains increased by $1 earlier this week. This includes the accommodation charge - the one in the C column on the bucket chart followed by the > symbol.
 
Wow now this is weird.

Just did two back-to-back searches for the same train. In particular, I searched Northbound Coast Starlight #14 (originating 1/14/2024) from EMY-PDX and SAC-PDX. With the origin set at SAC, it said roomettes and bedrooms were sold out (only a family room available). However, set the origin to EMY (about two hours before SAC) and it shows every type of room as being available. (yet those same rooms are not available if you want to get on at Sacramento?)

Curious if anyone else has discovered this 'blocking' of rooms for certain segments.

View attachment 35033View attachment 35034

Uh,. . .er,. . .hmmm. . .well no, as a matter of fact. But when silly stuff like this is found it's easily explained by blaming a square electron getting hung up in one of Arrows P-N junctions. :rolleyes:
4DA4FDC2-DFC8-4685-B58F-0D5B4EC705A5.jpeg
Just saw another user complaining about this on Facebook
 
I am traveling from LA to DC on the Southwest Chief and Capitol Limited Got Los bucket for a roomette on both trains. I was offered to bid up for $80 to a bedroom on the Capitol Limited. That was the lowest price. I figure, why not? If I don’t get it I’m still in a sleeper. I hardly book bedrooms because of the price. My bid was accepted! A little more space and a private toilet and shower for a one night trip, if only the price difference between roomette and bedroom was always under $100.
 
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