10-20+% accommodation fare increase?

[niemi24s]

I've no idea how Bratkinson came up with his fares, but the current low bucket Roomette fare for one adult is $310 (not $330) and the previous one (for the first 9 or 10 months of 2019) was $275 (not $224). That actual $35 increase is about 13%.

Was some sort of a sale going on when you saw that $224 fare?

 

[bratkinson]

I've no idea how Bratkinson came up with his fares, but the current low bucket Roomette fare for one adult is $310 (not $330) and the previous one (for the first 9 or 10 months of 2019) was $275 (not $224). That actual $35 increase is about 13%.

Was some sort of a sale going on when you saw that $224 fare?

I came up with the $330 number based on the conjunctive fare I got from WNL-WAS then WAS-CHI - $359.80. Booked as a senior, I'm reasonably sure the senior rate gets used for both the NEC and the CAP. Unfortunately, until AGR points get posted, I can only guess what the individual costs are charged based on prior trips. And even then, the ticket fares quoted by AGR when posted are sometimes 'weird'. They've been 'weird' for a good year or so.

As for the $224 fare, that's part of the cunjunctive fare AGR reported when looking at each individual segment. I wouldn't be surprised at all if once the February trip shows up in AGR, it reports something less than $300 for WAS->CHI.

 

[F900ElCapitan]

I came up with the $330 number based on the conjunctive fare I got from WNL-WAS then WAS-CHI - $359.80. Booked as a senior, I'm reasonably sure the senior rate gets used for both the NEC and the CAP. Unfortunately, until AGR points get posted, I can only guess what the individual costs are charged based on prior trips. And even then, the ticket fares quoted by AGR when posted are sometimes 'weird'. They've been 'weird' for a good year or so.

As for the $224 fare, that's part of the cunjunctive fare AGR reported when looking at each individual segment. I wouldn't be surprised at all if once the February trip shows up in AGR, it reports something less than $300 for WAS->CHI.

Cool and thanks!! If you're interested the WAS-CHI fare for one senior comes out to $296.70 at low bucket.

 

[F900ElCapitan]

Well it looks like Amtrak may be finally realizing they jacked up the bedroom price on the Texas Eagle a little too much. As of this morning they have added back B1 (low bucket plus one). Currently it is only available up to the 5 month point, but at least it’s a start.

Now I hope they will drop the 11 month pricing for all the LD trains down to a level worth buying that far out. Mid-bucket or higher is ridiculous.

 

[Old MM]

Just got an email from Amtrak for a BOGO sale (both Coaches AND Sleepers) which is making me sad. It's for travel before June 12th which is great, except it also has to be booked by this coming Sunday, January 12th. We might be able to coordinate a family trip in April or May, but I sure as heck won't know that in a few days. Amtrak sale pricing generally seems to benefit most, those who can plan way ahead of time. Although.. I recognize that "way ahead of time" can mean entirely different things to different people. For us, a spring trip booked in January would be WAY ahead
I just always seem to hit the wrong end of sales. Recent trip booked just before a sale was announced, and the fare couldn't be applied retroactively. (I called). Either that happens, or it's a flash sale like the current one. Oh well, the Chicago trip was a nice one, so there's that.

 

[bratkinson]

Amtraks' BOGO sale tells me what I already figured out...the winter slow season is even slower than usual in 2020. There's far too many lowest fare bucket roomettes available. It also reflects what I've seen too often in grocery stores...normally faster-selling items such as 2 liter Coke going on sale, then, shortly there after an across the board price raise (I suspect that's in the next month or so). Usually, it's raise the prices then have a sale...which is exactly what's happened on nearly all the Amtrak trains I ride.

 

[niemi24s]

Usually, it's raise the prices then have a sale...which is exactly what's happened on nearly all the Amtrak trains I ride.

I wonder which scheme would be the least off-putting to the average Amtrak customer:

• Raise fares first and leave them raised long enough to measure customer reaction then have a sale or
• Have a sale first and then raise fares to the new increased level at the end of the sale.
• [Some other scheme]

 

[BLNT]

Just got an email from Amtrak for a BOGO sale (both Coaches AND Sleepers) which is making me sad. It's for travel before June 12th which is great, except it also has to be booked by this coming Sunday, January 12th. We might be able to coordinate a family trip in April or May, but I sure as heck won't know that in a few days. Amtrak sale pricing generally seems to benefit most, those who can plan way ahead of time. Although.. I recognize that "way ahead of time" can mean entirely different things to different people. For us, a spring trip booked in January would be WAY ahead
I just always seem to hit the wrong end of sales. Recent trip booked just before a sale was announced, and the fare couldn't be applied retroactively. (I called). Either that happens, or it's a flash sale like the current one. Oh well, the Chicago trip was a nice one, so there's that.

I was quite intrigued, and immediately went to the "fine print"... of freaking course, all trains except the Auto Train (the only one I have a "use" or time for presently)!

 

[Old MM]

I wonder which scheme would be the least off-putting to the average Amtrak customer:

• Raise fares first and leave them raised long enough to measure customer reaction then have a sale or
• Have a sale first and then raise fares to the new increased level at the end of the sale.
• [Some other scheme]

You know what I'd love... discounted 21 day advance purchase for sleepers. It won't happen, though, since they can sell them much farther out.
Also at least you can still get the Saver discounted coach tickets up to 3 days ahead (on the Wolverine anyway) if enough seats are available.

Speaking of intriguing offers, another email I have to investigate later is an offer for bonus points with NARP membership. This might be a good time to get that 10% off back since they removed the AAA discount. AGR points is like icing on the cake.

 

[daybeers]

You know what I'd love... discounted 21 day advance purchase for sleepers. It won't happen, though, since they can sell them much farther out.
Also at least you can still get the Saver discounted coach tickets up to 3 days ahead (on the Wolverine anyway) if enough seats are available.

Speaking of intriguing offers, another email I have to investigate later is an offer for bonus points with NARP membership. This might be a good time to get that 10% off back since they removed the AAA discount. AGR points is like icing on the cake.

Or they could just lower the fares

 

[dlagrua]

How about a one way trip price EB (bedroom) of $2067 from CHI-GPK 8-9-20 to 8-23-20 ?? That is outrageous and the price extends all the way through the end of Sept. Was planning to buy but that price is out of the question. Anyone see it coming down to a more realistic level?

 

[pennyk]

How about a one way trip price EB (bedroom) of $2067 from CHI-GPK 8-9-20 to 8-23-20 ?? That is outrageous and the price extends all the way through the end of Sept. Was planning to buy but that price is out of the question. Anyone see it coming down to a more realistic level?

I recently made a reservation from Orlando to San Diego for next October. Last December I traveled from Orlando cross country and back (98, 29, 5, 14, 8, 30, 97). My 2019 cross country roundtrip fare was less than my 2020 one way to San Diego fare. I attribute it to increase in fares and the fact that my December trip was at a fairly slow travel time (even though I made those reservations only a couple of months in advance). Both trips I am/was traveling in bedrooms on western trains.

 

[dlagrua]

I recently made a reservation from Orlando to San Diego for next October. Last December I traveled from Orlando cross country and back (98, 29, 5, 14, 8, 30, 97). My 2019 cross country roundtrip fare was less than my 2020 one way to San Diego fare. I attribute it to increase in fares and the fact that my December trip was at a fairly slow travel time (even though I made those reservations only a couple of months in advance). Both trips I am/was traveling in bedrooms on western trains.

Its strange but that $2067 one way fare CHI-GPK extends all the way on every date from early June right through the end of Sept. If we ad up the entire trip cost PHI-CHI-GPK and back its $5223.00. I am not exactly poor but that's above my affordability level. This must be part of Andersons plan to kill LD routes. At those fares now he can go to congress and say no one rides these trains anymore. We want to keep supporting the service but there is a limit.

 

[Barb Stout]

I recently made a reservation from Orlando to San Diego for next October. Last December I traveled from Orlando cross country and back (98, 29, 5, 14, 8, 30, 97). My 2019 cross country roundtrip fare was less than my 2020 one way to San Diego fare. I attribute it to increase in fares and the fact that my December trip was at a fairly slow travel time (even though I made those reservations only a couple of months in advance). Both trips I am/was traveling in bedrooms on western trains.

What days in December did you travel?

 

[Barb Stout]

Its strange but that $2067 one way fare CHI-GPK extends all the way on every date from early June right through the end of Sept. If we ad up the entire trip cost PHI-CHI-GPK and back its $5223.00. I am not exactly poor but that's above my affordability level. This must be part of Andersons plan to kill LD routes. At those fares now he can go to congress and say no one rides these trains anymore. We want to keep supporting the service but there is a limit.

Did you look for fares with the Amsnag tool?

 

[dlagrua]

Use Amsnag all the time but the EB seems fixed at high bucket for many months. Don't mind spending a few bucks but $5223 for a trip is just not affordable. Glacier Park pretty much closes up mid Sept so a Dec trip just won't do it. If this is the way Anderson chooses to steer the trip, I guess that we will do more driving or wait it out for now.

 

[Old MM]

Oh I am grateful for the LD train trips we had on the SW Chief and Empire Builder, not sure I'll ever be able to afford the Zephyr the way these prices are going! Other than using points. The Meteor and Star are not looking within reach this summer either, based on an informal sampling of dates. And the app indicates there are few rooms left, so they are likely going to sell out long before I can ever commit to travel dates. Unless something shows up on Amsnag that would work.
Maybe, just maybe, this is actually a sign of health for the LD trains. If they are charging $2000 plus (one way) and selling all the inventory.... that means people are willing to pay that much. Like a cruise ship.

 

[pennyk]

What days in December did you travel?

I left Orlando on 12/4 and returned on 12/15

 

[niemi24s]

Nothing particularly unusual about a round trip costing more than a one way trip considering that the ratio of high bucket to low bucket bedroom fares on the Western trains is about 2.1:1. The ratio is slightly less for the Eastern trains. Add in the fare increase of a few months ago and it looks like Penny's one-way trip this year at high bucket could be about $400 more than last years round trip at low bucket.

Such is the nature of the bucket system.

 

[Sauve850]

How about a one way trip price EB (bedroom) of $2067 from CHI-GPK 8-9-20 to 8-23-20 ?? That is outrageous and the price extends all the way through the end of Sept. Was planning to buy but that price is out of the question. Anyone see it coming down to a more realistic level?

Last year I rode the EB bedroom from Sea to Chi on points around end of August. Dont remember points but was very reasonable and outright fare was like $900 or close. I booked in Jan 2019 as I remember.

This year I cant take the EB but did look at fares about two months or so ago. A bedroom at the end of August 2020 was less than $800.

 

[niemi24s]

This year I cant take the EB but did look at fares about two months or so ago. A bedroom at the end of August 2020 was less than $800.

For most of 2019, a low bucket Bedroom on the EB was $764 ($184 Coach +$580 Sleeper). When the Nov/Dec 2019 fare increases kicked in that rose 9% to $836 ($245 Coach + $591 Sleeper).

The vast majority of the increase was the switch from low bucket Coach to the next higher bucket when booking any sleeper - a 33% increase in itself! The accommodation upcharge rose only 2%.

 

[bratkinson]

Sleeper prices are getting ridiculous these days and have priced me out of a number of trips this year. However, I did manage to snag a low-bucket roomette fare for June 9 on the Cardinal last Friday! Thank you Amsnag! It looks there's been an across the board fare hike to $673 from mid June forward. However, I just checked, June 11 still has a low bucket roomette at $340.

 

[Barb Stout]

Use Amsnag all the time but the EB seems fixed at high bucket for many months. Don't mind spending a few bucks but $5223 for a trip is just not affordable. Glacier Park pretty much closes up mid Sept so a Dec trip just won't do it. If this is the way Anderson chooses to steer the trip, I guess that we will do more driving or wait it out for now.

Well, if you ski, maybe going to the resort in Essex next to Glacier might be something. But yeah, super wow on those prices.