# Used points for coach but can't book roomette



## Becky (Oct 27, 2008)

I'm using points for 2 zone coach seat. I asked, at the same time, about booking a roomette (not enough points to cover that). Customer service said that I couldn't do that until I was on the train - ask for an upgrade. This will be Thanksgiving weekend. So even though it shows all 8 roomettes available now, I'm thinking that will go away soon. I'm taking the Southwest Chief leaving LAX Nov 28th. Does that sound correct? I've read the official upgrade thread, so I know the process.

Thanks


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## AlanB (Oct 27, 2008)

I sure wouldn't bet on any roomettes being left by the time you board, but you never know. It's also possible that you might be able to get an upgrade for one night, but not both. So you may want to explore that option with the conductor when you ask.


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## Joel N. Weber II (Oct 28, 2008)

Also remember that conductors are typically scheduled for roughly 6-8 hour shifts, and typically change at station stops that list separate arrival and departure times. If you get a conductor who just doesn't like doing the paperwork, asking the next conductor after the shift change shouldn't hurt.


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## amtrakwolverine (Oct 28, 2008)

i don't see why they can't book a roomette over the phone and you pay the differnce. why won't they do that.


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## Becky (Oct 28, 2008)

KISS_ALIVE said:


> i don't see why they can't book a roomette over the phone and you pay the differnce. why won't they do that.


Exactly. I don't understand that either. Customer service told me it can't be done ahead of time.


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## Trogdor (Oct 28, 2008)

It used to be possible to buy an accommodation-only ticket for a train. However, they stopped doing that a few years ago because, apparently, many conductors failed to collect both tickets (one for the rail fare and one for the accommodation charge). Unfortunately, since they no longer do that, it doesn't help you in this case.

Nonetheless, regardless of whether or not we like it, them's the rules.


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## jim55 (Oct 28, 2008)

Becky said:


> I'm using points for 2 zone coach seat. I asked, at the same time, about booking a roomette (not enough points to cover that). Customer service said that I couldn't do that until I was on the train - ask for an upgrade. This will be Thanksgiving weekend. So even though it shows all 8 roomettes available now, I'm thinking that will go away soon. I'm taking the Southwest Chief leaving LAX Nov 28th. Does that sound correct? I've read the official upgrade thread, so I know the process.
> Thanks


I don't know your point balance, but you might be able to "buy" the points needed for a reasonable price to secure your room. Jim


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## printman2000 (Oct 29, 2008)

rmadisonwi said:


> It used to be possible to buy an accommodation-only ticket for a train. However, they stopped doing that a few years ago because, apparently, many conductors failed to collect both tickets (one for the rail fare and one for the accommodation charge). Unfortunately, since they no longer do that, it doesn't help you in this case.
> Nonetheless, regardless of whether or not we like it, them's the rules.


This past summer we went from Lamy to Boston. We originally had coach on 448/449 but decided to upgrade later to business class. The telephone agent was able to give us additional tickets that covered the upgrade to business class only.

When the station agent in Lamy printed them, she stapled them together to make sure the conductor took both.


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## AlanB (Oct 29, 2008)

printman2000 said:


> rmadisonwi said:
> 
> 
> > It used to be possible to buy an accommodation-only ticket for a train. However, they stopped doing that a few years ago because, apparently, many conductors failed to collect both tickets (one for the rail fare and one for the accommodation charge). Unfortunately, since they no longer do that, it doesn't help you in this case.
> ...


But are you saying that you used points for coach on 448 and then paid for the BC upgrade?

And for that matter, did you use points on 48 for coach or a sleeper? If the later, then you should have gotten the BC upgrade for free.


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## printman2000 (Oct 29, 2008)

AlanB said:


> printman2000 said:
> 
> 
> > rmadisonwi said:
> ...


We paid for everything, points were not involved. I was just commenting that I somehow did get an "accommodations only" ticket.


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## AlanB (Oct 29, 2008)

printman2000 said:


> We paid for everything, points were not involved. I was just commenting that I somehow did get an "accommodations only" ticket.


Ok, just wanted to be clear on things. 

And yes, that can be done. Paying for an upgrade on an AGR issued ticket however, sadly cannot.


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## Trogdor (Oct 29, 2008)

Interesting. I was told that they no longer issued accommodation-only tickets. In fact, I believe I even asked for such a ticket a couple of times in the relatively recent (i.e. past two years or so) past, though I can't remember the occasion, and was told it couldn't be done, and that the agent had to rebook my entire reservation.


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## printman2000 (Oct 30, 2008)

rmadisonwi said:


> Interesting. I was told that they no longer issued accommodation-only tickets. In fact, I believe I even asked for such a ticket a couple of times in the relatively recent (i.e. past two years or so) past, though I can't remember the occasion, and was told it couldn't be done, and that the agent had to rebook my entire reservation.


Well, perhaps they can do the business class only upgrade and not sleeper upgrade. OR, the agent I spoke with was just one of the great ones. She did start with saying she had to rebook everything and I told her I did not want to lose my pricing or room assignments on the other trains. She then said she thought she could to the upgrade only ticket and she did.


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## diesteldorf (Nov 8, 2008)

rmadisonwi said:


> Interesting. I was told that they no longer issued accommodation-only tickets. In fact, I believe I even asked for such a ticket a couple of times in the relatively recent (i.e. past two years or so) past, though I can't remember the occasion, and was told it couldn't be done, and that the agent had to rebook my entire reservation.


They can still do it if they have no other choice and there is a good reason.

Case in point: Last year I was traveling from La Crosse, WI to New York City. My tickets looked like this:

LSE to CHI (1 of 1) Empire Builder (Coach)

CHI to PGH (Pittsburgh) (1 of 2) (Coach)

PGH to NYP Pennsylvanian (2 of 2) (Business Class)

I had used a voucher as payment and had to have the tickets printed in advance.

Then, the sleeper price from CHI to PGH fell unexpectedly to the lowest bucket so I called over the phone to grab it.

Naturally, I explained the situation that I already had printed tickets for coach and needed an accomodation only ticket.

The agent said he was unable to and told me to exchange my coach tickets at the station toward the value of the new reservation. However, since I was still a couple months away from taking the trip, I wanted to secure the reservation with a credit card payment and told him I didn't waant to have to pay the rail fair again since I already had a printed ticket for the rail fair.

Meanwhile, the price on the Pennsylvanian had gone up and Business Class was now sold out. I told him that if I exchanged my CHI to PGH ticket, I would also need to exchange PGH to NYP and be forced to pay a higher fair and lose my Business Class seating.

He put me on hold and was able to make a reservation for the Roomette only from CHI to PGH.

I actually did it another time too. If you explain to them that you already have a printed ticket, offer to give them the reservation #. Once they verify the validity, they can cross reference your accomodation only ticket with your old coach reservation and it's all good.

As a side effect, it also allows you to earn more AGR points:

I am fabricating the dollar amounts but here is how it worked with my above situation for CHI to NYC.

Coach from CHI to PGH was $42 and my sleeper accomodation was $80. If it was printed as a single ticket, I would have $122 * 2 =244 AGR point

Because they were seperate, I earned the 100 point minimum for my coach ticket and 160 points for the accomodation. Total= 260


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## Tony (Nov 8, 2008)

The accommodation is always added to the lowest (coach) rail ticket price. I wonder what happens if one has a higher bucket coach ticket? Do they "credit" the extra against the accommodation price? Do you forfeit the extra?


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## AlanB (Nov 8, 2008)

Tony said:


> The accommodation is always added to the lowest (coach) rail ticket price. I wonder what happens if one has a higher bucket coach ticket? Do they "credit" the extra against the accommodation price? Do you forfeit the extra?


The price that you're given for the room should reflect the coach price difference.


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