# Bid Up?



## LTJDennis (Jan 5, 2022)

Can someone tell me how this works? Can I use it to try to upgrade from a roomette to a bedroom? I leave on Jan. 9.


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## Tlcooper93 (Jan 5, 2022)

LTJDennis said:


> Can someone tell me how this works? Can I use it to try to upgrade from a roomette to a bedroom? I leave on Jan. 9.



You essentially offer money against other people bidding to upgrade your accommodation. BidUp only works however, if there is availability, which isn’t always the case.
Very rarely, it’s possible to snag a room. I’ve never done it. If your willing to spend some money on the room, I’ve always found it better to just modify your reservation and upgrade... the difference will probably be negligible.

In my opinion, the system is best used on the NEC with Acela.


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## jis (Jan 5, 2022)

Moderator's Note: Just FYI - there is a long thread on this subject with a very good first article describing what it is all about. Take a look at:






Amtrak BidUp (Bidding for Upgrades - Business Class, First Class, and Sleepers)


Just read this on the Amtrak Media site. I have experienced e-standby upgrade offers via email from hotels where they offer a fixed, often discounted price for additional services (i.e. early/late check-out) or upgraded rooms on a stand-by basis (i.e. if available at check-in). If it is...




www.amtraktrains.com





Since that thread has grown to a great length, this thread is being kept open so that people can quickly get answers to questions without wading through many pages. But the reference is there above so that you have access to the previous discussion. Best....


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## amtrakpass (Jan 5, 2022)

Should show as an option in the app or website if it is available for your trip. I used it recently to upgrade to a roomette from coach but on another segment it would not allow a bid from roomette to bedroom. However it may in your case. Keep in mind if you do it correctly you will receive a new email from Amtrak bid up confirming your bid. It took me awhile to figure out how many steps there were to complete the bid since I was unfamiliar with it. You can also modify or cancel your bid later after it has been submitted up to a certain cut off point. Anyway for me the upgrade to roomette from coach was less than it was showing for purchasing outright. However on this particular segment (Minneapolis St paul-Chicago) the sleeper prices for any date no matter how far in the future have been pegged to the highest price every day. They used to vary and change from day to day as they still do in some segments(city pairs) However in this particular case they seem to have it setup to either pay top price or use the bid-up feature.


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## Sidney (Jan 28, 2022)

I am in Coach on the Coast Starlight tomorrow(Saturday the 29th). I was offered the chance to bid up. I'm going from San Jose to LA,so it is a day trip. $75 was the lowest bid for a roomette and my chances were poor. I figure at $75 that would cover lunch and dinner. I think lunch,if you were in BC was $20 or $25 and dinner was $45 so my bid would cost me about $15 for a private room.

Imagine my surprise when I checked my E Mail and my bid was accepted! Has anybody here bid the lowest possible price for a sleeper and had their bid accepted?


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## Cal (Jan 28, 2022)

Sidney said:


> I am in Coach on the Coast Starlight tomorrow(Saturday the 29th). I was offered the chance to bid up. I'm going from San Jose to LA,so it is a day trip. $75 was the lowest bid for a roomette and my chances were poor. I figure at $75 that would cover lunch and dinner. I think lunch,if you were in BC was $20 or $25 and dinner was $45 so my bid would cost me about $15 for a private room.
> 
> Imagine my surprise when I checked my E Mail and my bid was accepted! Has anybody here bid the lowest possible price for a sleeper and had their bid accepted?


That's a pretty good deal, have a good trip!


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## Zack (Jan 28, 2022)

Sidney said:


> I am in Coach on the Coast Starlight tomorrow(Saturday the 29th). I was offered the chance to bid up. I'm going from San Jose to LA,so it is a day trip. $75 was the lowest bid for a roomette and my chances were poor. I figure at $75 that would cover lunch and dinner. I think lunch,if you were in BC was $20 or $25 and dinner was $45 so my bid would cost me about $15 for a private room.
> 
> Imagine my surprise when I checked my E Mail and my bid was accepted! Has anybody here bid the lowest possible price for a sleeper and had their bid accepted?


I’ve only used BidUp once, and it was from a roomette to bedroom on the Empire Builder. Minimum bid price was $270, so I did that and got it.


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## Sidney (Jan 29, 2022)

So much for my great bid on today's 11. It was four hours late getting into Dunsmuir this morning and almost twelve hours later it is still at the San Jose station now five hours late. I opted for a Thruway bus to SLO and the Surfliner to LA. At least I ll get to LA before 10 and still get the ocean view.

Anyone know what's up with 11?


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## Cal (Jan 29, 2022)

Sidney said:


> So much for my great bid on today's 11. It was four hours late getting into Dunsmuir this morning and almost twelve hours later it is still at the San Jose station now five hours late. I opted for a Thruway bus to SLO and the Surfliner to LA. At least I ll get to LA before 10 and still get the ocean view.
> 
> Anyone know what's up with 11?


"UPDATE: Coast Starlight Train 11 which departed Seattle (SEA) on 1/28 is still currently stopped at Klamath Falls (KFS) due to mechanical issues. Updates to follow as more information becomes available."

That's all it says on Amtrak Alerts Twitter


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## Sidney (Jan 30, 2022)

Sidney said:


> So much for my great bid on today's 11. It was four hours late getting into Dunsmuir this morning and almost twelve hours later it is still at the San Jose station now five hours late. I opted for a Thruway bus to SLO and the Surfliner to LA. At least I ll get to LA before 10 and still get the ocean view.
> 
> Anyone know what's up with 11?


11 arrived in LA at 3AM last night. Almost six hours late. If I knew that ahead of time I would have canceled my reservation at the Metro Plaza and slept in my roomette.


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## ornatewrasse (Jan 31, 2022)

Sidney said:


> I am in Coach on the Coast Starlight tomorrow(Saturday the 29th). I was offered the chance to bid up. I'm going from San Jose to LA,so it is a day trip. $75 was the lowest bid for a roomette and my chances were poor. I figure at $75 that would cover lunch and dinner. I think lunch,if you were in BC was $20 or $25 and dinner was $45 so my bid would cost me about $15 for a private room.
> 
> Imagine my surprise when I checked my E Mail and my bid was accepted! Has anybody here bid the lowest possible price for a sleeper and had their bid accepted?



I am a new member and have a trip coming up on the Empire Builder on February 1st, followed by a trip on the Capitol Limited two days later. I booked a roomette on both trains. I received an email from Amtrak asking me if I wanted to bid for an upgrade to a bedroom. The Empire Builder upgrade was $295 for the least expensive bid. The Capitol Limited upgrade was $70 for the least expensive bid. My initial thought was that I didn't really need a bedroom since I am traveling by myself and a roomette would probably be sufficient. But I ended up bidding the lowest amount for the upgrade to a bedroom. I will probably find out tomorrow if they accept my bid. I'll let everyone know if they accept my bids.


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## Joe from PA (Jan 31, 2022)

As far as I'm concerned, the "bedroom" is a joke because you still have bunk beds. Plus, 2 roomettes can cost less than 1 bedroom.


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## joelkfla (Jan 31, 2022)

Joe from PA said:


> As far as I'm concerned, the "bedroom" is a joke because you still have bunk beds. Plus, 2 roomettes can cost less than 1 bedroom.


Differences are:

You can stand up and get dressed without opening the door and sticking your toes out under the curtain
Upper berth occupant can get down with less disturbance to lower berth occupant
You have a private toilet and shower
Beds are slightly larger
Beds are transverse, as opposed to longitudinal in the Roomette. Preferences vary.


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## Sidney (Jan 31, 2022)

joelkfla said:


> Differences are:
> 
> You can stand up and get dressed without opening the door and sticking your toes out under the curtain
> Upper berth occupant can get down with less disturbance to lower berth occupant
> ...


I did the bedroom on the CONO where normally it' s only $60 more than a roomette. Love the space. When it's $200 to $1000 more I'll pass


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## Cal (Jan 31, 2022)

Joe from PA said:


> As far as I'm concerned, the "bedroom" is a joke because you still have bunk beds. Plus, 2 roomettes can cost less than 1 bedroom.





joelkfla said:


> Differences are:
> 
> You can stand up and get dressed without opening the door and sticking your toes out under the curtain
> Upper berth occupant can get down with less disturbance to lower berth occupant
> ...


This! Last May I tried out a bedroom for round trip LAX-CHI, and after only travelling in roomettes the difference was amazing. It felt so good to actually be able to stand and STRETCH. Having your own sink and restroom is also a big plus. The beds are also noticeably larger. 

When you're only used to roomettes, the bedroom feels like a suite.


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## Joe from PA (Feb 1, 2022)

Cal said:


> This! Last May I tried out a bedroom for round trip LAX-CHI, and after only travelling in roomettes the difference was amazing. It felt so good to actually be able to stand and STRETCH. Having your own sink and restroom is also a big plus. The beds are also noticeably larger.
> 
> When you're only used to roomettes, the bedroom feels like a suite.



I see your point...however, my wife is 78, and I'm 80. Our "climbing" days are over. So far, we have had a sink and toilet on the "Silver" trips, but I realize that will change. I will say that I cannot imagine the two of us in one roomette after getting up in the morning...which is why we get two roomettes.


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## jis (Feb 1, 2022)

Joe from PA said:


> I see your point...however, my wife is 78, and I'm 80. Our "climbing" days are over. So far, we have had a sink and toilet on the "Silver" trips, but I realize that will change. I will say that I cannot imagine the two of us in one roomette after getting up in the morning...which is why we get two roomettes.


With a little care and help from folks here on AU, you should be able to get yourself Viewliner II Roomettes on the Silvers which would eliminate the toilet in room issue. But then again, you may not wish to climb into the upper berth either as age advances.


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## joelkfla (Feb 1, 2022)

Joe from PA said:


> I see your point...however, my wife is 78, and I'm 80. Our "climbing" days are over. So far, we have had a sink and toilet on the "Silver" trips, but I realize that will change. I will say that I cannot imagine the two of us in one roomette after getting up in the morning...which is why we get two roomettes.


At 69, I can't see even just myself in a Roomette anymore. I no longer have the limberness to maneuver around a Roomette in night mode.


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## McLeansvilleAppFan (Mar 2, 2022)

When did Amtrak start using the bid-up process for upgraded tickets?

Is this handled by a 3rd party or is this just the software being used with approval handled by Amtrak (or an Amtrak formula)

Any idea of how the decision to accept the bid works on the Amtrak side. The customer side was easy enough.


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## TheVig (Mar 2, 2022)

I did a bid up recently to business class on the Carolinian. WAS to CLT. $21ea for the wife and I. It was worth it to us.

Wife kinda gave me hard time for not booking BC to begin with. We are generally roomette and BC travelers. A couple of years ago on the Crescent, she got a taste of what bedroom travel is like. We boarded in CLT, not even ten minutes after leaving the station, the attendant came knocking. I've got some empty bedrooms all the way to NYP. You want one? It's free! Heck yes we will take it! We tipped him well.


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## daybeers (Mar 2, 2022)

TheVig said:


> I've got some empty bedrooms all the way to NYP. You want one? It's free! Heck yes we will take it! We tipped him well.


What?! Omg amazing!!! THIS is how you keep customers!



McLeansvilleAppFan said:


> When did Amtrak start using the bid-up process for upgraded tickets?
> 
> Is this handled by a 3rd party or is this just the software being used with approval handled by Amtrak (or an Amtrak formula)


I can't remember how long it's been, but they do use a third party. Can't remember the name of the company, but from the name it sounded like they specialize in this sort of thing.


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## Sidney (Mar 2, 2022)

I did a bid up from Coach to Roomette on the Coast Starlight from San Jose to LA. I bid the minimum $75 and got it. It's a day trip. If it was overnight it would have been a lot more.


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## Mailliw (Mar 16, 2022)

Tlcooper93 said:


> ...In my opinion, the system is best used on the NEC with Acela.


If you successfully bid up to First Class on the Acela do you get the 50% AGR points bonus.?


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## daybeers (Mar 16, 2022)

Mailliw said:


> If you successfully bid up to First Class on the Acela do you get the 50% AGR points bonus.?


I believe so!


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## Suzmk (Mar 17, 2022)

What is bid up and how does it work?


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## AmtrakBlue (Mar 17, 2022)

Suzmk said:


> What is bid up and how does it work?











BidUp | Amtrak







www.amtrak.com


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## jpeterson (Mar 17, 2022)

daybeers said:


> I believe so!


You do. Your base calculation becomes 2 * ([Price of original ticket] + [Cost to bid up]). Then calculate class of service bonus plus any other applicable bonuses for you. Also, point calculations are rounded down to the nearest whole number if something causes a non-integer value anywhere in the calculation.


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## DaveW (Mar 24, 2022)

Nine days ago I bought a coach ticket from MSP to EVR for $142 on Sunday 3/27. The lowest roomette at the time was $886 or 28xxx points. I put in a BidUp to roomette for $300 more which was not quite the lowest. I checked yesterday and the lowest coach was near $200 but a roomette for $486. I will find out in a couple days if successful on BidUp.


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## DaveW (Mar 26, 2022)

Just got notified my BidUp was successful, 37 hours before departure


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## TheCrescent (Mar 28, 2022)

I’d be curious about success rates using BidUp to upgrade to roomettes and bedrooms, in light of the following:

When Amtrak prices rooms on some trains at over $1,000 one-way, does Amtrak usually sell them at that price? Or does Amtrak just sell a few rooms here and there at that price, and the high revenue from selling a room at that price is so high that Amtrak comes out ahead even if most rooms offered at that price remain empty.

If they mostly remain empty, then I’m wondering if it makes sense to still book a coach ticket on days when rooms are over $1,000 and offer a reasonable amount to BidUp (for example, offer to pay the normal room price) and have a good shot at getting upgraded.


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## Amtrakfflyer (Mar 28, 2022)

It’s worth a try, if the upgrade doesn’t go through cancel if coach isn’t your thing. A last min airfare is still cheaper than what Amtrak is charging for sleepers these days.


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## DaveW (Apr 3, 2022)

I had roomette 18 and was in employee/transition car upper level. I was on second floor near sleeper car, behind that was dining car. My nearest bathroom on the car was on upper floor near center and stairs. As far as I could tell, there were 9 empty roomettes on my side of the restroom. Only traffic in the hall outside my door was employees. I do not understand how their pricing model jumps around before the trip and the cash price is not directly in line with the points price.


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## Kbyrdleroydogg (May 20, 2022)

I'm participating in this program to hopefully get a bedroom sleeper on my 50 Corridor train from Chicago to Washington. Just when do they notify you if you won or lost the bid? They say "email in the hours leading up to the scheduled departure time of each train." So within 24hrs? I'd hate to miss the e-mail and not get an updated itinerary and step on the train.


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## TheVig (May 20, 2022)

Kbyrdleroydogg said:


> I'm participating in this program to hopefully get a bedroom sleeper on my 50 Corridor train from Chicago to Washington. Just when do they notify you if you won or lost the bid? They say "email in the hours leading up to the scheduled departure time of each train." So within 24hrs? I'd hate to miss the e-mail and not get an updated itinerary and step on the train.



As far as notification if you won goes. I've seen it be as close to two hours before departure.


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## greatwestern (May 21, 2022)

I have just tried to "Bid Up" (Roomette to Bedroom) for my trip on the Coast Starlight in September.

I fill in all fields required and change the address country from the default United States to United Kingdom using the drop down country selection box (you cannot type United Kingdom directly in as the U leaves you with USA and then on typing the N it calls up Nigeria !!).

So on picking up United Kingdom from the drop down box (and ticking the accept conditions box) it still leaves the Complete box greyed out and inactive!

I eventually succeeded by selecting France from the Country drop down box (Complete box turned green) then re-visited the Country box to scroll down from France to the United Kingdom. Selection of the UK then left the Complete box green and my clicking it successfully submitted my bid.

Perhaps another example of Amtrak IT "failings" or is it just a way of testing one's perseverance or possibly it is a bias against the UK ????


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## Sidney (May 21, 2022)

I booked BC on the LSL from Chicago to Utica for Sunday. I am currently on the SWC from LA. Roomettes were almost $400 from Chi to Utica,so I passed on that exboritant fare. I did a bid up for the lowest possible price last week at $135,thinking there was no way that would be accepted.

Imagine my surprise when I checked my e mail a moment ago! If only that fare or similar could be the norm! i m a very happy camper.


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## jis (May 21, 2022)

greatwestern said:


> Perhaps another example of Amtrak IT "failings" or is it just a way of testing one's perseverance or possibly it is a bias against the UK ????


Stupidity or incompetence generally trumps malice as an explanation for a failure or odd behavior in most such situations.


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## TheCrescent (Jun 4, 2022)

Maybe Amtrak doesn’t have the data needed to make BidUp run smoothly?

I’ve booked coach tickets lately on Amtrak for long-distance trips and have put in BidUp bids for rooms.

Both times, I haven’t been upgraded. Even though this most recent time, my bid was close to the low-bucket price for a room (the total price in the lowest bucket would be about $375; I had paid $125 for a coach ticket and bid $240 for the upgrade). And this most recent time, even though I wasn’t upgraded, the Amtrak app showed 4 rooms still available at (and after) departure.

Conversely, for the same trip, I also booked a coach ticket on American Airlines. There was only one seat available in first class yesterday, but I was still upgraded (for free), and the flight ended up having 2 empty first class seats.

Guess which ticket I kept and guess which ticket I cancelled.

I don’t understand why Amtrak would decline a BidUp upgrade at close to the low-bucket fare and let a train leave with 4 empty rooms. I guess Amtrak miscalculated. American did a better job predicting what demand would be for upgraded travel.

Amtrak also processes BidUp upgrades for rooms once, about 36 hours before departure. If you’re not upgraded then, you’re out of luck. Amtrak ought to do like airlines do and process upgrades multiple times, including just before boarding. That would help maximize revenues.


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## danasgoodstuff (Jun 5, 2022)

I successfully bid up from a roomette to a bedroom on the Star just last month for $280. Totally worth it for travelling with my wife as we like to keep our stuff with us and the roomette would've been very crowed with the two of us and 4 bags. And I don't understand the post above about trying to bid up months out, that's not how it works is it?


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## trimetbusfan (Jun 5, 2022)

danasgoodstuff said:


> I successfully bid up from a roomette to a bedroom on the Star just last month for $280. Totally worth it for travelling with my wife as we like to keep our stuff with us and the roomette would've been very crowed with the two of us and 4 bags. And I don't understand the post above about trying to bid up months out, that's not how it works is it?


Bids aren’t processed until 36hrs before. You’d likely have the same chance getting upgraded if you bid months in advance / minutes before the cutoff. 



TheCrescent said:


> Maybe Amtrak doesn’t have the data needed to make BidUp run smoothly?
> 
> I’ve booked coach tickets lately on Amtrak for long-distance trips and have put in BidUp bids for rooms.
> 
> ...


Also had this situation happen to me on the SWC in February. This is not always the case though. I’ve had some great success with bidup as well.


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## trimetbusfan (Jun 5, 2022)

Keep in mind it’s much harder to win room a Bid-upgrade this time of the year, due to trains (almost daily) being sold out with high demand. BidUp will let you bid on rooms even if they all are already sold out!


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## TheCrescent (Jun 5, 2022)

trimetbusfan said:


> Keep in mind it’s much harder to win room a Bid-upgrade this time of the year, due to trains (almost daily) being sold out with high demand. BidUp will let you bid on rooms even if they all are already sold out!


Sure, it makes sense to not accept BidUp requests if the train will be sold out.

I don’t understand why my close-to-low-bucket-fare offer was rejected when the Crescent departed with 4 empty rooms. Looks like the Amtrak algorithm could use some tweaking.


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## trimetbusfan (Jun 5, 2022)

TheCrescent said:


> Sure, it makes sense to not accept BidUp requests if the train will be sold out.
> 
> I don’t understand why my close-to-low-bucket-fare offer was rejected when the Crescent departed with 4 empty rooms. Looks like the Amtrak algorithm could use some tweaking.


I have had this happen twice, where there was the abalibllity, I bid a fair amount, and still got rejected. (And the rooms were still there afterwards). 

(of course, I have lost other times because the train was sold out, or I was out bid). 

I don’t know what their algorithm is either, but I am kind of glad they don’t sell out the train from people using bidup. There are times when people miss connections and Amtk has to get pax on the next days train. If the rooms were always sold out due to bid up (sometimes up to 36 hours before to departure) those pax would have no choice but to get downgraded to coach at the last minute. 

Of course, there needs to be a balance, maybe 4 open rooms is a little excessive for that train.


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## Michigan Mom (Jun 6, 2022)

My experience with BidUp has been 100% unsuccessful and I don't mind a bit, for the reasons mentioned here, and for money saving reasons. Just got back a couple days ago from a holiday RT on the Wolverine, and I submitted a lowball bid that was rejected a few minutes before departure, for both segments. If it were up to me I'd let BC go out a few seats short rather than take the chance of not being able to upgrade misconnects.


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## Bonser (Jun 7, 2022)

TheCrescent said:


> Sure, it makes sense to not accept BidUp requests if the train will be sold out.
> 
> I don’t understand why my close-to-low-bucket-fare offer was rejected when the Crescent departed with 4 empty rooms. Looks like the Amtrak algorithm could use some tweaking.


Could it be that those rooms were already sold for some portion of the trip?


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## TheCrescent (Jun 7, 2022)

Tom Booth said:


> Could it be that those rooms were already sold for some portion of the trip?


Good point but no: I started to book a room for my trip (to check availability) and 4 rooms were available for the entire trip that I was going to take.


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## Kbyrdleroydogg (Jul 13, 2022)

What if the Bid Up webpage won't let you modify or cancel a bid? Mine has said that when I switched from the original train I bid on. Hate to be double charged here.


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## moosejunky99 (Aug 2, 2022)

if you had to cancel a trip.. would your bidup be removed? or would you be charged for a bid?

what happens if you switch trains. are you responsible for the bidup or is it cancelled?


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## Ryan (Aug 2, 2022)

Amtrak's FAQ at the link posted above said:


> What if I bid for an upgrade and then need to modify or cancel my trip?
> If you choose to modify or cancel your trip before your bid is awarded, your bid will automatically be canceled and your credit card will not be charged. Once your bid has been awarded, your trip can not be modified or canceled.


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## moosejunky99 (Aug 2, 2022)

ya i just looked at the FAQ  thanks for answering... always read the FAQs lol!


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## trimetbusfan (Aug 2, 2022)

moosejunky99 said:


> if you had to cancel a trip.. would your bidup be removed? or would you be charged for a bid?
> 
> what happens if you switch trains. are you responsible for the bidup or is it cancelled?


Reservations with scheduled connections are also not eligible for bidup


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## moosejunky99 (Aug 2, 2022)

So, i got a question then. it is best to 1 reseveration for each leg of the trip to get eligible?


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## trimetbusfan (Aug 2, 2022)

moosejunky99 said:


> So, i got a question then. it is best to 1 reseveration for each leg of the trip to get eligible?


Yes, although technically if you miss your connection they aren’t responsible to accommodate you in the event of a delay.


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## Devil's Advocate (Aug 2, 2022)

trimetbusfan said:


> Yes, although technically if you miss your connection they aren’t responsible to accommodate you in the event of a delay.


Supposedly the policy (or at least the practice) is to protect you anyway, at least insomuch as they choose to protect anyone on that particular day.


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## trimetbusfan (Aug 2, 2022)

Devil's Advocate said:


> Supposedly the policy (or at least the practice) is to protect you anyway, at least insomuch as they choose to protect anyone on that particular day.


I guess either way, if you get awarded an upgrade and then that accommodation is sold out on the next days train you’ll have to get put in Coach.


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## jis (Aug 3, 2022)

trimetbusfan said:


> I guess either way, if you get awarded an upgrade and then that accommodation is sold out on the next days train you’ll have to get put in Coach.


That happens even if your original booking was in Sleeper. When there is no space in the alternate provided one gets a downgrade. This happens on airlines too, so nothing new there. Usually the difference in fare is refunded when that happens.


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## JermyZP (Aug 7, 2022)

It's it possible to see other bids from other people so I can increase my bid or I just need to make a bid amount and who ever put in the highest amount gets it?


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## daybeers (Aug 9, 2022)

JermyZP said:


> It's it possible to see other bids from other people so I can increase my bid or I just need to make a bid amount and who ever put in the highest amount gets it?


Just the latter unfortunately.


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## Sidney (Aug 17, 2022)

I had Coach on the Cardinal for this Friday from NYP to CHI. I put a bid in for $250 for a roomette which gave me a fair chance. Just got the roomette via email. At $350 total,it's totally worth it,even with flex food. This is the third time I've gotten rooms from bid ups. The thought of a seatmate for that long a trip was a downer,but at $500 extra I couldn't justity a roomette. At $250,a no brainer.


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## Devil's Advocate (Aug 17, 2022)

Sidney said:


> I had Coach on the Cardinal for this Friday from NYP to CHI. I put a bid in for $250 for a roomette which gave me a fair chance. Just got the roomette via email. At $350 total,it's totally worth it,even with flex food. This is the third time I've gotten rooms from bid ups. The thought of a seatmate for that long a trip was a downer,but at $500 extra I couldn't justity a roomette. At $250,a no brainer.


It's amazing to me that Amtrak will sell sleepers at a reasonable fee to coach passengers who bid up but refuse to sell the same room to someone who is willing to pay a reasonable rate at booking. Passengers with a flexible schedule should consider buying a standard coach trip and bidding up. If the bid fails move the coach trip to another convenient date and try to bid again. No harm, no foul.


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## Sidney (Aug 17, 2022)

Indeed. As I mentioned,this is the third time I've bid up and won. First couple of times I bid the lowest price possible on the Coast Starlight and Lake Shore and got them. Last month I bid up on the Capitol Ltd from DC to Chicago at the lowest price and didn't get it. I had my wife with me,so at least riding Coach I wouldn't be seated with a stranger. This time for the Cardinal I put in the lowest bid in the "chances are fair" category and got it. 

Agree. Buying a roomette on the Cardinal,Lake Shore and Capitol Ltd is expensive. Seems bid up is the only way to get a roomette at a decent price. Several years ago when Amtrak let you buy a sleeper once on board,I went from Chicago to.DC on the Cardinal for $125 more than Coach.

The Cardinal is my first leg of a Circle trip that begins Friday. I got a roomette at low bucket on the Eagle/Sunset to LA on Sunday and low bucket on the Builder from SEA-CHI for the following Sunday. The price for a roomette on the Starlight from LAX to SEA was outrageous 
and no bid ups wers allowed so I opted for Business Class. Just wish all LD trains had it. My last leg is from CHI-NYP on the Lake Shore. BC is gone,so I settled for Coach. I put a bid up on that. 

Nice feeling paying a decent price for a sleeper.


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## Laurajeantx (Aug 18, 2022)

Anyone ever told you were "ineligible" for bid up? They offered the opportunity and I accepted and placed a bid up offer. It confirmed I had successfully placed the offer. The night before trip back I received an email stating we were "ineligible" for a bid up. It wasn't that we lost or were outbid, just ineligible. Confused. Tried to reach out to customer service but no response.


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## tricia (Aug 18, 2022)

I'd been thinking of doing a bid-up from coach to roomette for two of us on the CONO southbound from northern Mississippi into NOL in November ... but with the degradation in sleeper service it no longer seems worth it for a daytime trip.


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## trimetbusfan (Aug 18, 2022)

Laurajeantx said:


> Anyone ever told you were "ineligible" for bid up? They offered the opportunity and I accepted and placed a bid up offer. It confirmed I had successfully placed the offer. The night before trip back I received an email stating we were "ineligible" for a bid up. It wasn't that we lost or were outbid, just ineligible. Confused. Tried to reach out to customer service but no response.


Once you loose the bid your reservation becomes ‘ineligible’ for an upgrade


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## 20th Century Rider (Aug 18, 2022)

Bidding up sounds like an enticing idea for the Eastern routes / CONO one nighters... where the specter of flex dining and poor service reduces the appeal to pay high prices. However a 2 night journey in the West is not a risk I would take. Unfortunately there only seem to be high bucket fares on the EB and CZ, so you gotta pay up.

The CS does have a business class which seems to be a good compromise as it is usually less crowded and a single traveler has a better chance of having next to seat open... I'm wondering if BC has any effect on the bidding up process... has anyone had that experience???


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## Devil's Advocate (Aug 18, 2022)

trimetbusfan said:


> Once you loose the bid your reservation becomes ‘ineligible’ for an upgrade


Do you know if this is true if you move your coach reservation to another date after the bid fails?


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## zephyr17 (Aug 18, 2022)

moosejunky99 said:


> So, i got a question then. it is best to 1 reseveration for each leg of the trip to get eligible?


Personally, I wouldn't trade the assurance of protection afforded by the explicit guarantee for a chance at Bid Up.


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## moosejunky99 (Aug 18, 2022)

zephyr17 said:


> Personally, I wouldn't trade the assurance of protection afforded by the explicit guarantee for a chance at Bid Up.


Ya that make sense. I was going to do a single sections for my CHI to SAN next year because i figure i can just book a train when i get to LAX to SAN via the app. In case i'm running late via the Southwest Chef plus i want to see the LAX union station.


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## Amtrakfflyer (Aug 18, 2022)

Apparently some trains aren’t as full as they used to be. Poor service and flex meals finally catching up to Amtrak? The Cardinal example above blows me away. Summer season on a 3x weekly, single sleeper train getting the bid approved for only $250. I think we will be seeing this more often as prices stay artificially high and service for lack of a better word stinks.


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## trimetbusfan (Aug 18, 2022)

Amtrakfflyer said:


> Apparently some trains aren’t as full as they used to be. Poor service and flex meals finally catching up to Amtrak? The Cardinal example above blows me away. Summer season on a 3x weekly, single sleeper train getting the bid approved for only $250. I think we will be seeing this more often as prices stay artificially high and service for lack of a better word stinks.


Most trains have been sold out. But someone ALWAYS cancels last minute so it makes sense bidup works every now and then.


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## Sidney (Sep 4, 2022)

Reading on facebook someone did a bid up to BC on the Lake Shore and got it Only one flaw. There is no longer BC on the LS. Amtrak strikes again. Guess she'll be dissapointed when she boards


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## Devil's Advocate (Sep 4, 2022)

Sidney said:


> Reading on facebook someone did a bid up to BC on the Lake Shore and got it Only one flaw. There is no longer BC on the LS. Amtrak strikes again. Guess she'll be dissapointed when she boards


_Your bid has been accepted! Enjoy your upgrade to Coach Class._


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## user4321 (Sep 22, 2022)

How does it work if you submit two offers? E.g.:

Currently travelling in Business Class

Bedroom
Bid of $425 USD for 1 Bedroom
Roomette
Bid of $240 USD for 1 Roomette

If both clear, would you get charged $240+$425 = $665? Or?


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## zephyr17 (Sep 22, 2022)

user4321 said:


> How does it work if you submit two offers? E.g.:
> 
> Currently travelling in Business Class
> 
> ...


Boy, I wouldn't trust Amtrak IT with that one...


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## trimetbusfan (Sep 22, 2022)

user4321 said:


> How does it work if you submit two offers? E.g.:
> 
> Currently travelling in Business Class
> 
> ...


It would charge you for just one. Not combined.


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## daybeers (Sep 26, 2022)

Devil's Advocate said:


> _Your bid has been accepted! Enjoy your upgrade to Coach Class._


Foreshadowing for Economy Class?


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## n3rdg1rl (Oct 2, 2022)

I tried to Bid Up from Roomette on tomorrow's LSL to BOS. At $285 I didn't get it. Also only one sleeper so I'm sure it was already booked. It was worth a shot for my husband's first train trip.


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## Ragman (Oct 2, 2022)

I'm reserved on TE 421 on 10/14 in a roomette. I went into the app to see about doing a bid up to a bedroom. The app said I was not eligible to do a bid up. I'm confused. Any explanations?


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## zephyr17 (Oct 2, 2022)

Ragman said:


> I'm reserved on TE 421 on 10/14 in a roomette. I went into the app to see about doing a bid up to a bedroom. The app said I was not eligible to do a bid up. I'm confused. Any explanations?


Any reservations involving connections are ineligible, as are those made using points. The only ones that can be bid up are paid single segments (including round trips of single segments each way).

Just too tough for Amtrak's crack IT, I guess.


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## Ragman (Oct 3, 2022)

zephyr17 said:


> Any reservations involving connections are ineligible, ......


That gotta be the dumbest thing I've ever heard. What difference could it make.

Thanks for the info, though.


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## trimetbusfan (Oct 3, 2022)

Ragman said:


> That gotta be the dumbest thing I've ever heard. What difference could it make.
> 
> Thanks for the info, though.


My only thought is if you were to win an upgrade on your connecting leg and then you end up missing the connection. Perhaps Amtrak doesn't want to guarantee you upgraded accommodations on the next train available. (plus the terms say no change/refunds allowed after an upgrade has been awarded..)


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## zephyr17 (Oct 3, 2022)

trimetbusfan said:


> My only thought is if you were to win an upgrade on your connecting leg and then you end up missing the connection. Perhaps Amtrak doesn't want to guarantee you upgraded accommodations on the next train available. (plus the terms say no change/refunds allowed after an upgrade has been awarded..)


I think it is more of a system limitation. On a normal reservation the current "improved" UI was unable to handle two different accommodation types on different segments on a single trip. The "continue" button once the second train was chosen was simply unresponsive.

My guess is that problem is related to the underlying cause of their not offering bid up on connections.

I don't think it is intentional, I think management would want to be able to offer bid up on any segment, whether or not with connections. I think their IT is unable to deliver it, at least so far.


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## trimetbusfan (Oct 3, 2022)

zephyr17 said:


> I think it is more of a system limitation. On a normal reservation the current "improved" UI was unable to handle two different accommodation types on different segments on a single trip. The "continue" button once the second train was chosen was simply unresponsive.
> 
> My guess is that problem is related to the underlying cause of their not offering bid up on connections.
> 
> I don't think it is intentional, I think management would want to be able to offer bid up on any segment, whether or not with connections. I think their IT is unable to deliver it, at least so far.


Is is weird though, as if you were to book 2 trains on a multi-city res with the same trains, it would let you use bidup.


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## Ragman (Oct 3, 2022)

trimetbusfan said:


> My only thought is if you were to win an upgrade on your connecting leg and then you end up missing the connection.


But there is no connection. I get on in Chicago and get off in Tucson.


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## zephyr17 (Oct 3, 2022)

Ragman said:


> But there is no connection. I get on in Chicago and get off in Tucson.


And on 421 all the way? If it shows two segments, it is a connection as far as the system is concerned.

I have no explanation if so.


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## Sidney (Oct 3, 2022)

421 is one train from Chicago to LA,even though it is part of the Texas Eagle and Sunset Limited. 422 could be a problem because of the frequent missed connection in San Antonio for 22.


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## Ragman (Oct 3, 2022)

zephyr17 said:


> And on 421 all the way? If it shows two segments, it is a connection as far as the system is concerned.
> 
> I have no explanation if so.


In SA the TE meets up with SL, they detatch one sleeper and one coach from TE, hook them to SL. 
Passengers don't have to leave the car. 

It's on the reservation as one segment. 

Guess I'll have to learn how to speak Amtrakees.


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## jis (Oct 3, 2022)

Ragman said:


> In SA the TE meets up with SL, they detatch one sleeper and one coach from TE, hook them to SL.
> Passengers don't have to leave the car.
> 
> It's on the reservation as one segment.
> ...


To speak proper Amtrakees you must refer to San Antonio as SAS


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## Ragman (Oct 3, 2022)

jis said:


> To speak proper Amtrakees you must refer to San Antonio as SAS


Gotcha.


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## zephyr17 (Oct 3, 2022)

Ragman said:


> In SA the TE meets up with SL, they detatch one sleeper and one coach from TE, hook them to SL.
> Passengers don't have to leave the car.
> 
> It's on the reservation as one segment.
> ...


If it is on the reservation as one segment, it's one segment. What physically happens is immaterial, what rules here is how the system sees it.

Is there a return on the same reservation, and is that multiple segments? Amtrak's IT systems are pretty brittle and if it sees multiple segments anywhere on the reservation, it might prevent it from being eligible for Bid Up.

Other than that, I'm out of ideas.


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## Ragman (Oct 3, 2022)

zephyr17 said:


> If it is on the reservation as one segment, it's one segment. What physically happens is immaterial, what rules here is how the system sees it.
> 
> Is there a return on the same reservation, and is that multiple segments? Amtrak's IT systems are pretty brittle and if it sees multiple segments anywhere on the reservation, it might prevent it from being eligible for Bid Up.
> 
> Other than that, I'm out of ideas.


I was just told by a buddy that used Amtrak, the train might be sold out.

Guess that would do it. After all, it's just one car affected.


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## zephyr17 (Oct 3, 2022)

Ragman said:


> I was just told by a buddy that used Amtrak, the train might be sold out.
> 
> Guess that would do it.


Well, there are only 5 bedrooms total on 421.


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## Ragman (Oct 3, 2022)

zephyr17 said:


> Well, there are only 5 bedrooms total on 421.


Still, you would think it would come back as "sold out" instead of " ineligible".


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## zephyr17 (Oct 3, 2022)

Ragman said:


> Still, you would think it would come back as "sold out" instead of " ineligible".


Yeah, but Amtrak IT will be Amtrak IT. I think your friend might have won the Occam's Razor award for a simple explanation.


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## kangforpres (Oct 17, 2022)

Website will not let me modify my bid. I click submit and nothing happens


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