Auto train 'sold out'

[dromio515]

I have been waiting for the Thanksgiving day auto train to drop in points. Looking this am the auto section says sold out but there are still rooms available. Has anyone seen this before? I think you can't ride without a car. I am very worried since we are supposed to go that day... We go Thanksgiving every other year and I have never seen it sold out. HELP!

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Do you have tickets for your train?

If you were watch for a drop in price, but have tickets, no worries. If you have not booked you might have a issue.

Best bet is to wait a day or two. Amtrak could be working on the reservation system for this train. You might be that lucky. Or not.


Keep us posted please.

 

[pennyk]

It is very possible that there are rooms left but no slots for cars. The available rooms could be sold to friends or family members who already have a reservation with a vehicle and the new reservations could be linked to the prior vehicle reservation.
The last time I traveled on the Auto Train, I traveled with a friend (in separate rooms). My reservation was linked to his reservation and vehicle.

 

[F900ElCapitan]

What day and direction are you looking at? I looked both ways on Thanksgiving and a number of days southbound the week leading up to Thanksgiving and didn’t see anything showing sold out. If you're still seeing the sellout give them a call.

 

[Ryan]

Thanksgiving day southbound is sold out for vehicles.

 

[F900ElCapitan]

Thanksgiving day southbound is sold out for vehicles.

Interesting, I'll admit, I’ve never booked an AutoTrain but when I pull up 11/28/19 southbound it shows I can include a car. Now I didn’t go to the actual booking page but elsewhere I’ve seen sold outs on the availability page.

 

[Ryan]

I’m showing availability now as well, it was showing sold out earlier.

@dromio515, go get your tickets booked!

 

[PRR 60]

It might be a simple matter of adjusting the car carrier count in the reservation system to open auto spots. I'm sure they do not want car carriers to set the reservation inventory limits.

 

[Dakota 400]

Would it be better to book Auto Train via a live Amtrak agent rather than doing it online?

 

[Bob Dylan]

Would it be better to book Auto Train via a live Amtrak agent rather than doing it online?

Yes.

 

[Ryan]

Why?

I don’t can’t articulate any compelling reason to sit on the phone and do something that I can do online myself.

 

[jis]

It might be a simple matter of adjusting the car carrier count in the reservation system to open auto spots. I'm sure they do not want car carriers to set the reservation inventory limits.

Unless of course they have hit a hard limit on the train length set by the host carrier CSX.

 

[PVD]

The carrying of small trailers as well as the possibility of multiple vehicles on a single reservation eliminates the possibility of directly coupling vehicle space count to room and seat count.