# Prestige Class Available?



## me_little_me (Jun 14, 2016)

I randomly checked days this year and next for Jasper to Vancouver. No Prestige Class available on any day I checked. I also noted that, like Amtrak's old cancellation policy, penalty wasn't much. All these taken by Travel Agencies?


----------



## OBS (Jun 14, 2016)

I've noticed that it seems they try not to sell it for that short distance. If you check the same dates for longer distance, I think you might find availability. They may open up for short trips closer to departure dates...


----------



## Palmetto (Jun 14, 2016)

There are a lot of passengers getting on and off in Jasper. I think things get jammed between there and Vancouver. Did you happen try Jasper and somewhere east?


----------



## Palmetto (Jun 14, 2016)

OBS said:


> I've noticed that it seems they try not to sell it for that short distance. If you check the same dates for longer distance, I think you might find availability. They may open up for short trips closer to departure dates...


I did some checking, and I think you're right. Prestige is available between Jasper and Toronto on a given day, but not between Jasper and Winnepeg on the same day. There are examples of the same phenomenon for going west from Jasper as well.


----------



## JRR (Sep 12, 2017)

Palmetto said:


> OBS said:
> 
> 
> > I've noticed that it seems they try not to sell it for that short distance. If you check the same dates for longer distance, I think you might find availability. They may open up for short trips closer to departure dates...
> ...


I booked a room Jasper to Toronto this summer, and the agent, after conferring with her supervisor, told me that I wouldn't want to pay the upgrade cost. She was right, it was $8,000. Though Canadian, it was as she suggested, outrageous!


----------



## JRR (Sep 12, 2017)

In case I wasn't totally clear, the $8,000, was in addition to the cost of the bedroom which I had already paid for!


----------



## Devil's Advocate (Sep 13, 2017)

Jasper used to be an included stopover that was free for the asking. Kind of amazing to go from charging $0 to $8000 with a straight face. I wonder if VIA massively overpaid for all their "prestige" upgrades and now they're looking for any possible way to cover the shortfall. When I rode The Canadian most of the unsold rooms were bunk bed style curtained compartments. Maybe it would have been better to convert those dual passenger berths into private rooms rather than convert compartments that were already private into hotel style rooms at great effort an expense?


----------



## Bob Dylan (Sep 13, 2017)

Yep, this is outrageous!

But if people with the means want to pay it, more power to VIA!( Wonder how often these rooms run empty?)


----------



## zephyr17 (Sep 13, 2017)

Via's whole intent on setting up Prestige was to "overcharge". They want to get every penny they can out of them. My understanding is it is pretty successful, especially in the summer season.

I ride regularly in the off-season (early November), and my experience is Prestige is pretty empty in the off season, only one or two rooms generally occupied in the single Prestige Chateau.

I don't have any interest in Prestige because of: 1) it's expense, many times the cost of Sleeper Plus and 2) part of the Canadian's appeal for me is classic railroad accommodations, which Prestige emphatically is not.


----------



## zephyr17 (Sep 13, 2017)

DA, by "bunk bed style curtained compartments" do you mean open berth sections?

I know from talking with Via crews that there were a lot of surprised complaints about the size of the double bedrooms ("Cabin for 2" in Via speak) by passengers accustomed to cruise line accommodations that expected something similar on this "land cruise". So turning the sections private (aside from issues about how to do it, especially since one of the sections was replaced by the shower room) would not have addressed that. The large Prestige accommodations were targeted directly at that audience.

Also, as part of that $8000, you get hors d'oeuvres before your dinner that the hoi polloi don't get, so the price difference is well worth it [/sarcasm]


----------



## Devil's Advocate (Sep 13, 2017)

zephyr17 said:


> DA, by "bunk bed style curtained compartments" do you mean open berth sections? I know from talking with Via crews that there were a lot of surprised complaints about the size of the double bedrooms ("Cabin for 2" in Via speak) by passengers accustomed to cruise line accommodations that expected something similar on this "land cruise". So turning the sections private (aside from issues about how to do it, especially since one of the sections was replaced by the shower room) would not have addressed that. The large Prestige accommodations were targeted directly at that audience. Also, as part of that $8000, you get hors d'oeuvres before your dinner that the hoi polloi don't get, so the price difference is well worth it [/sarcasm]


Yeah, I think that's right. The two seats that can be shared with strangers and become two beds at different levels with separate curtains at night. I'm not against open berths per se, I've never used them myself so I don't have a strong opinion on them, but they seemed confusing to me and most/all of them appeared to be empty when I rode.


----------

