🚂 Amtrak One-Way Coach @ $683 ❓

[Devil's Advocate]

I realize this is a long trip departing on Christmas day but I honestly did not know Amtrak coach was even programmed to reach these prices. It's not like most people would want the trip to be this long and who besides people with no other choice would ever entertain fares like this? In any case I hope Amtrak finds a way to operate standard length trains as soon as possible.

 

[CCC1007]

Looks like it isn't a direct train, so there may be an answer in determining which routing the website is trying to put you on.

 

[Palmland]

This is a good argument for daily Sunset service. The next day when the Sunset does operate the fare is $157. Otherwise you have this convoluted and expensive route via St, Louis and KC.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I realize this is a long trip departing on Christmas day but I honestly did not know Amtrak coach was even programmed to reach these prices. It's not like most people would want the trip to be this long and who besides people with no other choice would ever entertain fares like this? In any case I hope Amtrak finds a way to operate standard length trains as soon as possible.

View attachment 26365

You don't want to the this route, it's convoluted and WAY to Expensive.

The Sunset Ltd ( 3 days. Week) would be much more reasonable most days it runs!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Looks like it isn't a direct train, so there may be an answer in determining which routing the website is trying to put you on.

As mentioned above thanks to the Sunset Limited's clumsy 3-per-week schedule this is the only routing available on that day. It seems like there should be a hardship discount applied to absurdly long coach trips like this. Or make the Sunset daily for a reasonable payment to the UP bridge troll and everybody wins.

You don't want to the this route, it's convoluted and WAY to Expensive. The Sunset Ltd ( 3 days. Week) would be much more reasonable most days it runs!

I've done it in a sleeper for less than today's coach fare. I'm just surprised they're not embarrassed to charge this much for Amtrak coach.

 

[JoshP]

It got lowered now but rooms are sold out and business class lowered too.

That one starts SAS to CHI then to LAX, that is why you saw $653. Select Sunset Limited #1 direct and it came to $171

 

[Devil's Advocate]

View attachment 26366

It got lowered now but rooms are sold out and business class lowered too. That one starts SAS to CHI then to LAX, that is why you saw $653. Select Sunset Limited #1 direct and it came to $171

Your route and fare is for a different day. The fare and routing for the original trip remains the same.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

View attachment 26366

It got lowered now but rooms are sold out and business class lowered too.

That one starts SAS to CHI then to LAX, that is why you saw $653. Select Sunset Limited #1 direct and it came to $171

You're not looking at the same date of travel he posted about. He's looking at leaving on Dec 25th.

 

[JoshP]

His first post was Dec 28th, now it shows Dec 28th?

I checked, the price lowered so...

 

[AmtrakBlue]

His first post was Dec 28th, now it shows Dec 28th?

I checked, the price lowered so...

The date is Dec 25 and he even said Christmas day in his post.

 

[jiml]

Business Class looks like a no-brainer on the OP's original itinerary!

 

[jebr]

Business Class looks like a no-brainer on the OP's original itinerary!

Business class is just on the short STL > KCY portion.

That said, something is weird with this - I checked the three segments and the three segments separately are cheaper than all three together. The SWC looks to be the expensive bit, so I'm wondering if Amtrak's ticketing system is just hiccuping and throwing more segments into a higher bucket alongside it. It might also be that Amtrak simply doesn't want to sell that longer ticket (and would rather get multiple smaller segments) but I'm not sure the ticketing system is that smart.

 

[JoshP]

The date is Dec 25 and he even said Christmas day in his post.

look his first post, it says dec 28th

 

[AmtrakBlue]

look his first post, it says dec 28th

ARRIVES Dec 28. He wants to DEPART Dec 25

 

[CCC1007]

look his first post, it says dec 28th

For arrival at Los Angeles, yes, but not for departure.

 

[west point]

Longer route and arrive later in LAX instead of going the straight route.

 

[Willbridge]

This illustrates one of the problems with Amtrak's on-line reservation system. It needs to offer the customer the adjacent days on less-than-daily routes. A new customer might be turned off by a shock fare and zany routing.

Greyhound and Flixbus do this.