# questions about express deals



## Jim (Dec 8, 2014)

How long before a run do express deals get posted? I'm looking to take a trip late January and am wondering when to book.

Also, on a regular ticket you get a free stopover. Do you on an express deal? I'm considering stopping in Jasper, but also want the transcon full ride experience. Would you guys stop in Jasper, or ride it in one shot? If the time and money work, I'd love to ride TWO VAC and turn back to Jasper, then fly out.


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## pennyk (Dec 8, 2014)

I did an express deal in early December 2010 from Toronto to Vancouver. I believe I made the reservations about 2 months in advance. At that time, no stopovers were permitted. I loved the trip and it was very economical.


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## Bob Dylan (Dec 8, 2014)

Jasper is OK if you're a Skier and there is Snow ( last winter there was very little in Feb. When I rode the Canadian?) but as a destination its just a small touristy town like so many ski resort villages, ie pricey for what you get!

Banff and Lake Louise are much prettier but the Canadian doesn't run there anymore since the reroute on the Northern Route through Edmonton!

VIA doesn't allow stopovers on Express and 50% off Fares so your ticket would be straight through on #1 TWO-VAC!

Be sure and check via.ca daily for Express and 50% off fares and book soon as you see the offers, they go fast and the consist is considerably shorter in the Winter!


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## Amfleeter (Dec 8, 2014)

The last Express Deals for Sleeper were in early Nov - there *should* be another running soon. I booked and managed to get a stopover by using Multi-City bookings - luckily a Cabin for One was open on both trains I wanted in early January. There could be something like this left by the next Express Deal - however, you'll need to be quick, because they go fast.


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## caravanman (Dec 9, 2014)

I think the way VIA sells the express deals has changed a little, in that they seem to promote a blanket 50% discount more often.

The express deals were always the best price reduction, but they don't run at the same time that the 50% deals are available.

Best advice is to check the website on a daily basis.

Bon Voyage!

Ed


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## Guest (Dec 9, 2014)

VIA is offering last minute deeply discounted sleeper fares (i.e. the former Express Deals) each week through its Discount Tuesdays program. You have to click on the box "You can also enjoy reduced sleeper class fares on certain routes."


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## OBS (Dec 10, 2014)

Also the OP should be aware that I don't think there is much commercial air service in/around Jasper...


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## Jim (Dec 16, 2014)

Are the Tuesday deals just not very good? The cheapest I'm seeing is $2400 for a bedroom. I don't think that's even a 25% discount. Is there something I don't know, or are the days of 50+% off deals long gone??


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## Anderson (Dec 17, 2014)

I was able to get a good deal on a compartment with a friend for the Canadian ($1100 for two IIRC), but that was part of a large-scale offer a few months back. Also bear in mind that the CAD has been in something of a freefall the last few months...it's gone from $1.06 to $1.16, so VIA is getting to be a better deal (I'm looking forward to next summer if this continues...$1.20 vs. parity a few years ago makes trips up north a _lot_ easier on the wallet).


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## Jim (Dec 18, 2014)

Do they heavily advertise when big deals like that come up? I'm looking to take it before spring. I budgeted about $1500 hoping I can get an $11-$1200 deal for 2 in a bedroom. Tuesday deal is $2400 for a bedroom and regular is $3200 for a bedroom. I really want to take the Canadian, especially with Amtraks onboard service going downhill a bit, but it's not worth an extra 2 grand.


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## Bob Dylan (Dec 19, 2014)

Jim: ( good name! LOL) keep checking via.ca (the special fares go fast when posted.) The most frequent and best deals seem to occur in Jan. And Feb. although in the past they had them up until the start of June!!!!

I don't know if y'all would consider booking two sections ( upper and lower berths) which are very cheap and very comfortable, I had a cabin ( roomette here) for one last Feb. And actually got to spend a night in a Lower Berth to try it out and found it much more comfortable than the cabin, especially the bedding! The Shower is right down the hall and all the wonderful meals and sleeper perks were included!

My cabin for One was $700 Canadian, a Lower on that trip was $350 and an Upper Berth was $275 so the total for two would have been $625 Canadian!!

I have noticed that there tends to be more space available on the East Bound #2 Vancouver-Toronto than the #1 Toronto- Vancouver Canadian!!


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## Jim (Dec 19, 2014)

If I were going by myself, it would be upper birth all the way. I can travel extremely light, but with +1, need room for shoes and clothes and shoes and shoes. I looked into it out of curiosity and even upper birth was about $900/person.......and she wouldn't go for it anyway.

Hoping to find something. I guess I have a solid backup in cashing in points for an Amtrak riding vacation, but really want to go for the Canadian, especially with amenities being cut on Amtrak.


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## Bob Dylan (Dec 19, 2014)

Don't give up, some of our members have gotten cabins for two for under $1000 CDN, as was said when they are posted they go fast! There's a chance two cabins for one might be cheaper than a cabin for two ( book in the same car of course, you'll need to call Via for this)

Keep checking, its a Bucket List trip for train buffs and once they've done it, most other travelers Love it too!


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## NS VIA Fan (Dec 23, 2014)

Jim said:


> If I were going by myself, it would be upper birth all the way. I can travel extremely light, but with +1, need room for shoes and clothes and shoes and shoes. I looked into it out of curiosity and even upper birth was about $900/person.......and she wouldn't go for it anyway.
> 
> Hoping to find something. I guess I have a solid backup in cashing in points for an Amtrak riding vacation, but really want to go for the Canadian, especially with amenities being cut on Amtrak.


Just checked (Dec 23) and there is a Cabin for 2 available between Toronto and Vancouver for $1070.00 but remember on VIA this is the per person cost (double occupancy) not the cost of the room.



http://www.viarail.ca/en/fares-and-packages/special-offers/discount-tuesdays

Deals are now posted on "Discount Tuesdays" only until 11:59pm (eastern) so you have to check back often.


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## Jim (Jan 6, 2015)

It's getting frustrating. Been checking for about 6 weeks and they still don't go beyond Jan 31st. I was just about resigned to paying $2400 when today the discounted fare sold out and now it's $3800 the 31st.

Does anybody know is something special going to happen at some point this winter? I can't imagine good deals wouldn't extend into February at all, but the January deals aren't even good. I don't need an upper birth for $300, but a bedroom at say $750-850/person would be pretty ideal.

So I guess I'm asking, are express deals done forever and fully replaced by 10% discount Tuesdays??


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## VentureForth (Jan 6, 2015)

Hey - the $2400 is still cheaper than booking even two upper or two lower or one upper and one lower berth. In fact, it's the cheapest accomodation available. Are meals included in sleeper class on VIA? Keep in mind, too, that CA$2400 is about US$2050 at the moment.


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## OBS (Jan 7, 2015)

Part of the challenge is Via is running with a winter (off season) consist, so there aren't 12- 15 sleepers to fill each trip, hence less deals...


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## NS VIA Fan (Jan 7, 2015)

[SIZE=10.5pt]It’s been reported on another forum that the “Canadian” has been running at near capacity with additional sleepers being added this winter……. so really no need to be offering “Deals” other than the advanced booking discounts. The Australian tourist market is apparently very strong this year and also with Americans who are already receiving a 10% to 15% discount with the value of the US vs CDN dollar.[/SIZE]


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## Bob Dylan (Jan 8, 2015)

When I rode the Canadian in Feb. Last year there were several large groups booked including railroaders from the US and Canada. ( the person in the cabin next to mine was Fred Fraley of Trains)

As a result they ran a much longer than usual Winter consist that had three engines, bag car three Coaches, a Coach Dome/Club Car, 10 Sleepers, another Dome Car, 2 Diners and the Park Car!

I still had an Express Fare ( $700 CDN for a Cabin for one) even though the Train was mostly full! ( the Coach Fare Vancouver to Toronto was $199CDN which would be comparable to riding Amtrak from SEA-MIA in time and distance!)


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## Anderson (Jan 8, 2015)

If I had to guess, you're likely to see some berth offers at some point...after all, not _that_ many folks book berths anymore (though I'll be checking that particular box off my to-do list this year)...and even fewer book an upper berth.

And the discount USD-CAD is approaching 20% right now versus what it was a few years back. If this keeps up, there's a good chance I'll be piling a _lot_ of travel on VIA in over the next year or two (CAD=X is hovering around $1.18-1.19 right now...which means that if I could get a 12-month Bizpak on VIA right now I'd dive at it).

Edit: I'm beginning to seriously wonder how far back towards the old schedules VIA might be able to climb in the next year or two. They already re-added a batch of Oceans at Christmas, and as has been noted the Canadian is getting surprisingly jammed over the winter. By the same token, even a limited additional winter service Vancouver-Winnipeg in winter might gain traction (the business would be west of Edmonton, but the crew base is in Winnipeg).

Edit 2: Something worthy of note is that according to their fare tables, VIA has hiked the lowest "regular" fare on the Canadian in the off-season...but not in the peak season. Granted, the higher buckets probably went up, but it certainly seems like VIA is working to regularize fares across the season...and given the apparent success of some of the winter groups out there, it might be worth VIA's time to market winter travel on the Canadian.

Another oddball point: The fare tables don't yet list the Prestige sleeper's rates.


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## Nanook (Jan 8, 2015)

NS VIA Fan said:


> [The Australian tourist market is apparently very strong this year... [/color][/font][/size]


Patrially due to the marketing VIA did towards Aussies in the last while.

For example, I rode with the 'weather team' from Austialia's national morning TV show 'Sunrise' between Vancouver and Jasper last February. I watched some of their pieces when I got home and they did a great job extolling the Canadian, as well as the Jasper area as a destination. VIA personel riding with the film crew said that VIA has been working towards getting more Aussies aboard.


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## Anderson (Jan 8, 2015)

One surprise to me: The Prestige sleeper isn't set to be available Jasper-Vancouver even on a space-available basis. Even if you had to sell the space at standard Cabin for 2 rates, since the crew has to ride through you would expect VIA to want the space filled for _something_ rather than effectively engineering a space lockout.


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