Winter Roomette Companion Sale

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trimetbusfan

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For those who do not want to burn a companion coupon on a roomette, Amtrak is offering their semi-annual roomette companion fare sale. The biggest restriction is that you must book travel by 12/8 and travel between 1/3 and 3/27/2024.

Note that you still have to pay for the accommodation fee and the first passenger's rail fare, but the second passenger is at little to no cost to add on. This can save you a couple hundred dollars if you are traveling with a companion on a longer segment.

The winter season also typically brings out some of the cheaper fare buckets, so this is a great opportunity to score a good deal on a roomette if you are traveling with a companion!

The promo doesn't appear to be targeted, and more details are at the link below:
https://www.amtrak.com/promotions/roomsale.html
(and pasted below)
  • Valid for travel on all Long Distance Service Line routes (except Auto Train)
  • Valid for one (1) free companion sharing Roomette with adult paid passenger
  • Discount passenger types are permitted
  • Valid for Sale: November 30, 2023 – December 8, 2023
  • Valid for Travel: January 3, 2024 – March 27, 2024
  • Blackout Dates: None
  • Companion and paying passenger must travel together and be booked in same reservation
  • Not combinable with any other discount offer
  • Subject to any restrictions, blackouts, and cancellation rules that apply to fare purchased
  • Once travel has begun, no changes to the itinerary are permitted
  • Space is limited and may not be available on all trains, dates, or departures
  • Fares, routes, and schedules are subject to change without notice
  • Other restrictions may apply
  • Please refer to discount code C103
 
And if you could find a low bucket Roomette on the Builder ($618 for one adult) the savings would be about 35% :)

But I'm puzzled by the variability of this "rail fare" amount on the SL and the Card/LSL which seem to have 2 or 3 different values on the dates I've looked at. This begs further investigation.
 
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niemi24s said:
And if you could find a low bucket Roomette on the Builder ($618 for one adult) the savings would be about 35% :)

But I'm puzzled by the variability of this "rail fare" amount on the SL and the Card/LSL which seem to have 2 or 3 different values on the dates I've looked at. This begs further investigation.
Click to expand...
I've noticed that too.
 
I called in and made a change to my reservation, and the representative automatically applied the deal to my existing reservation. It saved me $600 on my upcoming trip! Hooray for Amtrak!

Instead of PHL-WAS-CHI-LAX, I’m going PHL-NYP-CHI-LAX on the Acela, LSL, and SWC.

This is my first time on the Acela, and the first time on the westbound LSL, so I’m excited about the change. Also excited about all the extra savings.
 
NYP-CHI Card, CHI-SFC CZ
I've booked the above trip in a roomette for Jan 24 for myself and I'm really looking forwards to it. Over a few beers in the pub last night, I mentioned to my son that Amtrak are now offering free companion tickets in roomettes, so my ticket could now become Buy 1, get 1 Free. At which point, my son completely stumped me by saying "I really fancy doing that with you Dad. Can you look into it further"

Costwise it would just cost me an additional flight to/from England and he'd be able to use the hotels that I've already booked in NYC & SFO.

Here is the rub. I'm 6ft3in and 18 st. The boy is 6ft6in and also 18st -- how realistic is it that the roomette could accomodate us ?


p.s. Plan B is going to Rome for a long weekend to watch the Italy vs England 6 Nations game if the joint Amtrak tripdrops into the "nice idea, but you're to big to comfortably do it" category.
 
Last edited:
Sharky said:
NYP-CHI Card, CHI-SFC CZ
I've booked the above trip in a roomette for Jan 24 for myself and I'm really looking forwards to it. Over a few beers in the pub last night, I mentioned to my son that Amtrak are now offering free companion tickets in roomettes, so my ticket could now become Buy 1, get 1 Free. At which point, my son completely stumped me by saying "I really fancy doing that with you Dad. Can you look into it further"

Costwise it would just cost me an additional flight to/from England and he'd be able to use the hotels that I've already booked in NYC & SFO.

Here is the rub. I'm 6ft3in and 18 st. The boy is 6ft6in and also 18st -- how realistic is it that the roomette could accomodate us ?


p.s. Plan B is going to Rome for a long weekend to watch the Italy vs England 6 Nations game if the joint Amtrak tripdrops into the "nice idea, but you're to big to comfortably do it" category.
Click to expand...
First, the sale is a great deal.
Second, whether your trip will be comfortable - it depends. I am pretty small and am uncomfortable on the top bunk of a Superliner. (The California Zephyr is a superliner). However, I have a friend who is 6 feet 4 and 300 pounds and is comfortable in the top bunk of a Superliner.
 
A lot of people complain about the top bunk in Roomettes. It is only 6'2" while the bottom bunk is 6'6".
Are you planning on taking any breaks in your travel? You may want it to 'stretch out' for a nite or two after sleeping in the top bunk.
 
Nope, it would be a straightforward trip from coast, without a stopover. With the top bunk being 6ft 2in long, that effectively kills the idea of doubling up for this trip.
But it does open up the possibility of doing something similar for another time, but booking 2 roomettes instead.
 
The sneaky part in this sale is you get NO savings if you book online using the usual web page at Amtrak Tickets, Schedules and Train Routes

You get the savings online ONLY by using the amended URL at Roomette Free Companion Flash Sale | Amtrak (or by booking through an agent).

So if the prospective and uninformed traveler booking a train trip online just searches Amtrak, the normal website pops up with no indication that I could find that this great sale is going on and would therefore book at the usual price. It's almost as if Amtrak intended this sale for the intelligentsia and not the proletariat. :)
 
niemi24s said:
The sneaky part in this sale is you get NO savings if you book online using the usual web page at Amtrak Tickets, Schedules and Train Routes

You get the savings online ONLY by using the amended URL at Roomette Free Companion Flash Sale | Amtrak (or by booking through an agent).

So if the prospective and uninformed traveler booking a train trip online just searches Amtrak, the normal website pops up with no indication that I could find that this great sale is going on and would therefore book at the usual price. It's almost as if Amtrak intended this sale for the intelligentsia and not the proletariat. :)
Click to expand...

Well do you really want the proletariat in the sleeper cars? 😁

I agree it is sneaky.
 
niemi24s said:
The sneaky part in this sale is you get NO savings if you book online using the usual web page at Amtrak Tickets, Schedules and Train Routes

You get the savings online ONLY by using the amended URL at Roomette Free Companion Flash Sale | Amtrak (or by booking through an agent).

So if the prospective and uninformed traveler booking a train trip online just searches Amtrak, the normal website pops up with no indication that I could find that this great sale is going on and would therefore book at the usual price. It's almost as if Amtrak intended this sale for the intelligentsia and not the proletariat. :)
Click to expand...
I've also been having an issue where the app does not show the correct price for two, even when the "discount" code is entered.

(not that I would book sleeper travel with the app, but I do like to use it to check the prices)
 
niemi24s said:
The sneaky part in this sale is you get NO savings if you book online using the usual web page at Amtrak Tickets, Schedules and Train Routes

You get the savings online ONLY by using the amended URL at Roomette Free Companion Flash Sale | Amtrak (or by booking through an agent).

So if the prospective and uninformed traveler booking a train trip online just searches Amtrak, the normal website pops up with no indication that I could find that this great sale is going on and would therefore book at the usual price. It's almost as if Amtrak intended this sale for the intelligentsia and not the proletariat. :)
Click to expand...
Even with going through the Flash Sale page, I wasn't getting the discount. I had to call Amtrak to get the free companion fare.
 
I always book via a live agent on the AGR line, and so I wasn't surprised when the final tally on our Empire Builder trip this spring ended up much less than what I found online. Since we'd never done the Builder from Portland, I took advantage of the savings to go from Seattle to Portland on the Coast Starlight in coach, then in a roomette to Chicago from Portland. Traveling the third week in March, the Columbia Gorge is likely to be visible for most if not all the way--assuming that the Builder leaves Portland on time. And we get to the 'bonus' ride Seattle to Portland, too, as well as being able to hang out at the Metropolitan Lounge in Portland awaiting our 28 trip.
Total cost (including cashing in a $400 voucher for no toilets in our car on our last trip)--just under $300 for the whole shebang for 2 seniors. (Would have been cheaper is we left from Seattle, of course, but I've been wanting to do the Portland route anyway, and this was my chance to do it for cheap.)

Now we get to have a week with our granddaughter during her Spring Break, a relaxing trip on the Builder, and an excuse to spend a day in Chicago--which never gets old!
 
flitcraft said:
I always book via a live agent on the AGR line, and so I wasn't surprised when the final tally on our Empire Builder trip this spring ended up much less than what I found online. Since we'd never done the Builder from Portland, I took advantage of the savings to go from Seattle to Portland on the Coast Starlight in coach, then in a roomette to Chicago from Portland. Traveling the third week in March, the Columbia Gorge is likely to be visible for most if not all the way--assuming that the Builder leaves Portland on time. And we get to the 'bonus' ride Seattle to Portland, too, as well as being able to hang out at the Metropolitan Lounge in Portland awaiting our 28 trip.
Total cost (including cashing in a $400 voucher for no toilets in our car on our last trip)--just under $300 for the whole shebang for 2 seniors. (Would have been cheaper is we left from Seattle, of course, but I've been wanting to do the Portland route anyway, and this was my chance to do it for cheap.)

Now we get to have a week with our granddaughter during her Spring Break, a relaxing trip on the Builder, and an excuse to spend a day in Chicago--which never gets old!
Click to expand...
😎Like the Good Old Days @ Amtrak!
 
When I reached the point of paying the lower fare (wife & me in roomette, FL to DC on 3/7/24) it said my email & something (credit card or reward number or?) did not match. In the end I phoned 800-USA-RAIL and got the best person I've had with any company or other entity. She ended up with the same issue & thought it may relate to the special fare not allowing points for both of our member reward numbers. I said that's understandable and wouldn't matter but then she tried something and got points to count for both of us. I said I wanted to commend her for everything & she said to answer the 3 questions after she hung up. But that possibility didn't occur so I later called & another good agent told me the comment option didn't always appear and transferred me to customer relations. I told them I didn't have the name of the agent I wanted to compliment. They were gracious, took my reservation number & so on and put me on hold. After a good while (of silence) they first thanked me for waiting and said the agent would be complimented. UNRELATED: In Kirkwood, MO recently I saw the "River Runner" go by and on a new-style car were the words "Business Class" (I only glimpsed one end of the car) but another car was the old-style BC/Cafe. I thought the new Business Class cars were not ready yet, and why would the older style then remain?
 
jpakala said:
UNRELATED: In Kirkwood, MO recently I saw the "River Runner" go by and on a new-style car were the words "Business Class" (I only glimpsed one end of the car) but another car was the old-style BC/Cafe. I thought the new Business Class cars were not ready yet, and why would the older style then remain?
Click to expand...
Several Venture BC Cars have been in service for a while now.

The old style Cafe/BC car is providing Cafe service since the Venture Cafes are not out and about yet, is my guess.
 
When it came time to take my trip, my companion couldn't come along. When I checked in, I mentioned that I was traveling alone. To my surprise, the lounge attendant refunded me the Adult Rail Fair portion of the ticket for my friend.
 

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