# Point Difference for Individual Roomettes?



## shanghaiamtrak (Oct 23, 2019)

So I booked a trip from LAX to St Louis for next month. Online it showed 1 roomette available at the 20,800 point level. I wanted to book before the points required went up so I called and booked the roomette this evening. The agent I spoke with said that roomettes 9-14 were available. I prefer 9 or 10 as they are on upper level but the agent said those roomettes would require 24,000 point redemption but roomette 11 or above would only require 20,800. I told her this is news to me--different prices for individual roomettes. I know about buckets. And she mentioned bucket level. But she was implying that i would be charged a different amount for what appear to be upper vs lower roomettes. I didnt want to pay 24,000 so i booked room number 11 on lower level. Just out of curiosity I went on Amtrak website to look at prices for a computer- assigned roomette number and it says 24,000 points are required now. 

I wonder if the agent did not know what she was doing and was somehow holding a computer generated roomette reservation for me which may have been on lower level and the computer then showed a higher bucket level for remaining roomettes, which included the upper roomette I preferred. Would that be the case or is Amtrak really charging different amounts now for different roomettes (say upper vs lower). If the agent is in error, is it worth calling back and getting another agent to see if i can switch my lower level room to an upper? Thanks for any info anyone can give.


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## pennyk (Oct 23, 2019)

This almost identical situation was recently discussed here.

I think you should call AGR and see if you can switch roomettes. It may take an experienced agent since it appears that you may have received the last room in the lower bucket.


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## Devil's Advocate (Oct 23, 2019)

shanghaiamtrak said:


> ...is Amtrak really charging different amounts now for different roomettes (say upper vs lower).


Is Amtrak actually doing what they are literally telling you they're going to do over the phone? I'd going to go out on a limb and say yes. So far there seems to be a workaround for this practice by calling again and/or requesting a supervisor to override the requirement to pay more for a different room. That being said, enough people have complained about this to make me think the default policy is to charge different points/prices for specific rooms of the same type on the same train.


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## shanghaiamtrak (Oct 23, 2019)

oops sorry didnt see that other thread. I think its possible Amtrak is now charging different amounts for different roomettes but also possible that when I first gave the agent my travel info, the computer assigned me a room thus taking one out of inventory and when i asked about a different room the price went up because that next room was in a higher bucket. I may call back im thinking about it. Now i have room 11. Im in the Texas Eagle sleeper on end of the Sunset Limited out of LAX. If i was guaranteed, or at least given a high probability that the car would be orientated with bedrooms at head end, id try taking room 9 or 10 for sure because they would be at the very end of the train. If the car is orientated the other direction, however, there will be foot traffic of everyone going past my room to go to the diner, the lounge or whatever. I picked room 11 instead of 13 or 14 because those lower level rooms are next to the family room. I had one trip where the family in that room was loud and I was in room 13 and i could hear everything through the wall. So i picked room 11. Hopefully that would be quieter but then you have people coming down the stairs to use restroom or shower, go outside at station stops, or access their luggage on the luggage racks.


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## Judy Tee (Oct 24, 2019)

shanghaiamtrak said:


> oops sorry didnt see that other thread. I think its possible Amtrak is now charging different amounts for different roomettes but also possible that when I first gave the agent my travel info, the computer assigned me a room thus taking one out of inventory and when i asked about a different room the price went up because that next room was in a higher bucket. I may call back im thinking about it. Now i have room 11. Im in the Texas Eagle sleeper on end of the Sunset Limited out of LAX. If i was guaranteed, or at least given a high probability that the car would be orientated with bedrooms at head end, id try taking room 9 or 10 for sure because they would be at the very end of the train. If the car is orientated the other direction, however, there will be foot traffic of everyone going past my room to go to the diner, the lounge or whatever. I picked room 11 instead of 13 or 14 because those lower level rooms are next to the family room. I had one trip where the family in that room was loud and I was in room 13 and i could hear everything through the wall. So i picked room 11. Hopefully that would be quieter but then you have people coming down the stairs to use restroom or shower, go outside at station stops, or access their luggage on the luggage racks.




When I booked a roomette the other day on the WB EB out of Chicago, I was asking if there was an Amtrak illustration of exactly where the roomettes are on the train. My agent was new and didn’t think so. Seems like there should be. Anyone know?


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## Devil's Advocate (Oct 24, 2019)

Judy Tee said:


> When I booked a roomette the other day on the WB EB out of Chicago, I was asking if there was an Amtrak illustration of exactly where the roomettes are on the train. My agent was new and didn’t think so. Seems like there should be. Anyone know?


Amtrak used to have them but apparently got rid of them at some point.

Link to old diagrams: http://www.craigmashburn.com/amtrakcardiagrams.html


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## Judy Tee (Oct 24, 2019)

Devil's Advocate said:


> Amtrak used to have them but apparently got rid of them at some point.
> 
> Link to old diagrams: http://www.craigmashburn.com/amtrakcardiagrams.html




I wonder if that's still an accurate diagram. I didn't even know I could ask for a specific room. Just the upper or lower. Figured upper might be more quiet. There's bound to be come annoyance so I'll just roll with it. Only one night!


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## Devil's Advocate (Oct 24, 2019)

Judy Tee said:


> I wonder if that's still an accurate diagram. I didn't even know I could ask for a specific room. Just the upper or lower. Figured upper might be more quiet. There's bound to be come annoyance so I'll just roll with it. Only one night!


They've been accurate in my experience. I mainly travel Western routes but other than the dining car conversions Superliners haven't really changed appreciably in decades. I'm far less familiar with the Eastern Viewliners but I think they've mostly stayed the same as well. Supposedly there are some newly constructed Viewliner sleepers on the way but I haven't kept up with any of that.


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## railiner (Oct 24, 2019)

As mentioned earlier...there is no sure way of knowing which way the car will be running, or even where it will be located in the train, for that matter. Seasonal changes, or last minute equipment substitution's can always come into play...


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## Judy Tee (Oct 24, 2019)

railiner said:


> As mentioned earlier...there is no sure way of knowing which way the car will be running, or even where it will be located in the train, for that matter. Seasonal changes, or last minute equipment substitution's can always come into play...



Just called the 800# and learned that I am booked in Roomette 2 in car 73. 
If diagram is still accurate that looks like it's near the stairs and toilet. Is that likely to be more noisy? Wonder if it can be changed without incurring add'l cost.


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## railiner (Oct 24, 2019)

I personally would like that 'middle of the car' location...usually not really noisier, but it does offer a smoother ride, with less pitch motion than being near the end of the car...


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## Judy Tee (Oct 24, 2019)

railiner said:


> I personally would like that 'middle of the car' location...usually not really noisier, but it does offer a smoother ride, with less pitch motion than being near the end of the car...




UPDATE: Well, that was easy. Just called 800# and since there were still roomettes available on my train, I was able to change to a middle car (#5) with no change in price. So now not right next to stairs and toilet. That's GOTTA be quieter! Thanks for the help/advice!


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## SarahZ (Oct 24, 2019)

Room #5 is one of my favorites. 

I hate room #2 because, as you stated, it’s much noisier by the stairs, restroom, and coffee pot. Plus, people stop by the SCA’s room all day.


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## Judy Tee (Oct 24, 2019)

I can't thank you enough! LOL I've learned so much on this forum. Do you work for Amtrak?


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## shanghaiamtrak (Oct 24, 2019)

railiner said:


> As mentioned earlier...there is no sure way of knowing which way the car will be running, or even where it will be located in the train, for that matter. Seasonal changes, or last minute equipment substitution's can always come into play...


true but there are some examples where its 99 percent certain a certain car will be placed in a specific location on the train...ie the Portland sleeper on the EB is always on the end...short of a private car or a freight car of some sort or car Amtrak is moving to a different point in their system....


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## SarahZ (Oct 24, 2019)

Judy Tee said:


> I can't thank you enough! LOL I've learned so much on this forum. Do you work for Amtrak?


Some of us do; some of us don't.


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## Qapla (Oct 24, 2019)

Just for the record ... I do not work for Amtrak and never have -

... but, for the life of me, I'm not sure why I never thought of applying with them when I needed to change jobs - by now I could be collecting retirement from them.


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## RSG (Oct 25, 2019)

shanghaiamtrak said:


> So i picked room 11. Hopefully that would be quieter but then you have people coming down the stairs to use restroom or shower, go outside at station stops, or access their luggage on the luggage racks.


I agree that 13 & 14 can be...problematic, depending on who is occupying the Family Bedroom. OTOH, they can be some of the quietest cars on the train if the FB is unoccupied or if there's someone like me in it.

I prefer 11 or 12 and have never noticed an issue with luggage rack or restroom noise, even if someone slams the restroom door shut (the exception being when someone leaves the restrooms and doesn't close the door so that it bangs until shut). Occasionally someone will stumble up the stairs and that can be heard. Let's face it, there is no perfect room on the train that will please everyone at all times. And loud, obnoxious passengers will always be an annoyance. You just need to find that "happy medium" pertinent to the train you're on (and time of year).



SarahZ said:


> Room #5 is one of my favorites.
> 
> I hate room #2 because, as you stated, it’s much noisier by the stairs, restroom, and coffee pot. Plus, people stop by the SCA’s room all day.


This has to be the worst room on the Superliners, followed by #3 and #4. Not only the noise, but for traffic jams (including those pax who hang at the coffee station while putting three sugars and two creamers in their coffee while pausing to taking a gander out the window).


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