30%+ savings on existing reservations

[Sauve850]

I made a reservation a month or so ago for a cross country trip from Los Angeles to West Palm Beach Florida this summer. The SWC bedroom is on AGR points. The rest I'm paying for with my Amtrak credit card. My Chicago to Washington on train 30 is in a bedroom and train 91 from Washington to West Palm Beach is in a roomette.

I recheck fares occasionally and today lowered my fares on the Chi-Was and Was-Wpb from $1044 to $699 for both. It pays to keep an eye on the fares after making reservations! I am staying overnight in Was after the Chicago leg so just got my hotel more than paid for.

 

[KmH]

It pays to be a savvy consumer.

 

[Ronbo]

Did you have to talk to an agent to get the reduced fare, or were you able to do it yourself online?

 

[Lonestar648]

Generally, I find you have to work with a "good" agent to make changes to an existing reservation.

 

[printman2000]

Don't they keep 10% when you make the change?

 

[the_traveler]

Based on this thread, I checked my reservation - and the fare went down!

So now, I've got an e-voucher for $51! I wonder what I'm going to do with it? :giggle:

 

[Sauve850]

I rechecked the fares online. I do it with trains, car rentals and airlines since I make res in advance. I noticed the big difference so just called in last night. Gave the rep my res number and he handled in just minutes. Quick and easy. I also wanted an even number roomette on the DC to WPB portion and was accommodated. No charge to make a change.

Fares go up and down from time to time so it pays to keep an eye on things.

 

[the_traveler]

The 10% is only if you want a refund. If you want an e-voucher, you get the full 100% difference!

 

[Lonestar648]

I think the 10% is now 20%, but has a maximum that can be charged, which I think is $400.

 

[Anderson]

The fee used to be capped at $100...but a switch to $400 wouldn't surprise me, given the number of $1000+ reservations (it's still not too hard to exceed the $2000 that the refund fee still caps out at).

 

[Lonestar648]

When they changed the fee from 10% to 20%, they changed the cap.

 

[ciship]

Isn't that what AMSNAG is for? Doesn't it alert you when rates drop?

 

[Ryan]

It can if you ask it to.

 

[CoachSlumber]

I have room 4 on 49. The fare has gone down, but the agent told me I couldn't get that room at the lower price, and only odds were available. I thought buckets weren't tied to the room number

 

[CCC1007]

I have room 4 on 49. The fare has gone down, but the agent told me I couldn't get that room at the lower price, and only odds were available. I thought buckets weren't tied to the room number

There is more and more evidence that the policy has changed...

 

[CoachSlumber]

I have room 4 on 49. The fare has gone down, but the agent told me I couldn't get that room at the lower price, and only odds were available. I thought buckets weren't tied to the room number

There is more and more evidence that the policy has changed...

Or is it that they can't make the fare change to the existing room, but must go to inventory? I was in the mindset of when I've asked to change from a lower to upper Superliner, which we know shouldn't change the bucket. In this case, I wanted to keep the room.

Epilogue: I reached a nicer agent and she at least was able to bring up an even-numbered room (8) to place me in at the lower fare. I think the first agent, in addition to not being nice, couldn't be bothered to check the other car. Anyway, the result is I got a $238 voucher for the reduction in the one-way fare for two people in one roomette. I just hope I can use it within a year; my next planned trip I bought with points. If I had asked for cash, would the penalty have been 10 percent of the whole fare or the difference?

Sauve, you "sauve'd" me some nice money! Merci beaucoup! I wouldn't have checked the fare again before my trip,, which is Sunday.

 

[Sauve850]

de rien. Enjoy the trip!