As far as I can tell, the difference in price between Acela First and Acela Business NYP-WAS is $172. However, after booking I get a prompt for this...and it allows bids of up to $189. Am I the only one who wonders "If somebody was willing to spend the extra $172 up front, wouldn't they have just...you know, bought the F ticket outright?"
Bid Up questions and experiences
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vap0rtranz
Train Attendant
Would doing BidUp on Empire in *winter* be risky?
I've had mixed success doing BidUp on the Capitol for myself but this time my partner is coming with and wants a Roomette.
My status has enough points to get us to Montanna on points in a Roomette but not enough for the return trip. My Companion Coupon shaves about $400 off the price (dropping the return to $1,100). So I'm thinking of BidUp for an amount less than $1,000, but I don't know how full the Roomettes get. Right now the Empire 8 is <10% full for my January dates ...
I've had mixed success doing BidUp on the Capitol for myself but this time my partner is coming with and wants a Roomette.
My status has enough points to get us to Montanna on points in a Roomette but not enough for the return trip. My Companion Coupon shaves about $400 off the price (dropping the return to $1,100). So I'm thinking of BidUp for an amount less than $1,000, but I don't know how full the Roomettes get. Right now the Empire 8 is <10% full for my January dates ...
Bear in mind the "percent full" metric on the website only reflects coach capacity and bookings.
January is a low time for the Builder, but also bear in mind the second sleeper that they put back on this summer is likely to come off, reducing capacity. Even with low January ridership, really depending on getting roomette you must have through BidUp is not a reliable plan. It is a long time until January, and if prices are high bucket now, there is a very good chance they'll come down in an August-October timeframe for January. If I were you, I'd check current open capacity by running a dummy reservation for 8 roomettes now to gauge available inventory. If 8 are available, which is likely, hang tight and start checking regularly for bucket drops in a couple months. Chances of getting a low(er) bucket are excellent for January travel. A low(er) bucket will almost certainly be under $1000 with the companion coupon. Depending on BidUp is risky.
vap0rtranz
Train Attendant
Ok, sounds like a good plan. I'll wait a bit longer and check on the price dropping and use my coupon then.
Our friends took the Empire in winter and said their train was empty but they went coach. So I could still risk the BidUp ...
I'm wished Amtrak would allow BidUp on trips booked with points. Their website's FAQ says they plan on allowing points + BidUp "in the future". When they do, I could grab Coach seats for the return trip on points and then upgrade with BidUp. That'd be ideal for a lot of folks, I think. But we can't do that still. I won't hold my breath.
Our friends took the Empire in winter and said their train was empty but they went coach. So I could still risk the BidUp ...
I'm wished Amtrak would allow BidUp on trips booked with points. Their website's FAQ says they plan on allowing points + BidUp "in the future". When they do, I could grab Coach seats for the return trip on points and then upgrade with BidUp. That'd be ideal for a lot of folks, I think. But we can't do that still. I won't hold my breath.
My first successful BidUp:
On a recent trip (June 2023) on the Empire Builder from Vancouver to Chicago, I was invited to bid to upgrade our Roomette to a Bedroom. We (2 seniors) had paid $1133 for the Roomette, or high mid bucket. The offer was a minimum bid of $295 with a recommended bid of $800+. I chose to bid $305 and it was accepted, making the total $1438, which I reckon is near low bucket for a Bedroom, an apparent good deal. However, I thought both fares were too high and, after trying the Bedroom, I personally don't think it's worth the premium over a Roomette, though my wife really liked not having to go down the passageway at night in her nightie to use the restroom.
(From my post #307 in the thread, Fare Buckets - and when do they increase/decrease)
On a recent trip (June 2023) on the Empire Builder from Vancouver to Chicago, I was invited to bid to upgrade our Roomette to a Bedroom. We (2 seniors) had paid $1133 for the Roomette, or high mid bucket. The offer was a minimum bid of $295 with a recommended bid of $800+. I chose to bid $305 and it was accepted, making the total $1438, which I reckon is near low bucket for a Bedroom, an apparent good deal. However, I thought both fares were too high and, after trying the Bedroom, I personally don't think it's worth the premium over a Roomette, though my wife really liked not having to go down the passageway at night in her nightie to use the restroom.
(From my post #307 in the thread, Fare Buckets - and when do they increase/decrease)
I want to upgrade my 2 coach seats for one roomette via bid up. However, when I go to make a bid, I saw this at the bottom. If there is more than one passenger on your reservation, you may not be seated together. So what does this mean for me since I'm traveling with someone and there with me on my reservation? Bit confused if this applies to me. Would appreciate any clarification.
You must be getting the Biz Class Bid up info since Roomettes hold 2 People???
I'd phone and have an Agent help you with this process, something doesn't jibe here!
Thanks for responding. I talked with a agent and they told me that it does only apply to the BC bidding, and that it would not apply to me.
So I tried to book business class on the Downeaster, and the app said it was "SOLD OUT." OK, well at least the coach ticket was really cheap ($12 POR_BON). Them, about a week before my trip, I got an email offering a "Bid up" to business class. OK, so maybe someone cancelled their ticket. So I decided to try it. Bidding started at $11, but I cranked it up a bit to $17, which was towards the top of their little dial that the interface uses to help you select what to bid. The computer said the offer was "really strong" of something like that. They said they'd notify you if the bid was accepted in the "hours before departure." In the event, I wasn't told that my bid wasn't accepted until about 10 minutes before departure. Oh well, coach wasn't that bad, and though the train was crowded, I had 2 seats to myself.
trimetbusfan
OBS Chief
Yeah, kinda silly how bidup lets you bid even if accommodations are sold out. Bidding on a sold out seat is an automatic reject!
Bembidion
Train Attendant
I'm scheduled to take the Cardinal, Train 51 Friday on an overnight trip. The roomettes are sold out but a bedroom is available. I put in a decent bid for a roomette in the event that someone cancels. Now I'm wondering, should I change my bid to the bedroom, given that it is still available?
trimetbusfan
OBS Chief
You can bid on both if you want..
Kbyrdleroydogg
Service Attendant
I have a trip on Nov 30 on the Cardinal leaving Chicago to NYC. I'm in a roomette and bid up to a bedroom.
How close to my trip will I hear if my bid was accepted or not?
A few days before? Day of?
How close to my trip will I hear if my bid was accepted or not?
A few days before? Day of?
This older and locked thread may have your answer after reading a few posts:
https://www.amtraktrains.com/thread...usiness-class-first-class-and-sleepers.78406/
NEPATrainTraveler
Service Attendant
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2018
- Messages
- 204
So, for some reason my 11/20 CL reservation is eligible for Bidup, but my 11/15 LSL reservation is not. Both tickets were bought at the value fare level for coach. I am perplexed as to why the LSL reservation is not eligible for Bidup. Even my 11/21 Acela reservation is eligible for Bidup and I purchased a saver fare for that one.
trimetbusfan
OBS Chief
Does the reservation with the LSL contain a connection with another train or bus? It’s the most common way reservations are ineligible.
I also wonder what percentage of rooms are available this far in advance. There may not be any rooms, or just one, available on the LSL
NEPATrainTraveler
Service Attendant
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2018
- Messages
- 204
Nope, no connections on that reservation.
The app shows 30% full for coach, but I can’t see any percentages for the sleepers.
The only practical way to tell how many sleepers (if any) are available is to do dummy bookings for 2, 4, 6 and 8 adults. If, for instance you're looking for a Roomette if they show up as available for 8 adults it means there at least 4 Roomettes available. But if they don't show up for 8 adults but do show up for 6 adults, it means only 3 Roomettes are available.
On our recent AutoTrain trip to Lorton taken during a period of low demand northbound (snowbirds flocking south which required 8 sleepers on the train) our dinner table mates had bid up from coach to a roomette. They got it for $100!
NEPATrainTraveler
Service Attendant
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2018
- Messages
- 204
Thanks. I tried your method last night and discovered there are at least 4 roomettes available. Oh well, perhaps it’s better BidUp isn’t working out because if it did I might have ended up with a room without a view of the Hudson. If I feel like paying the sky high roomette prices, I think I’ll just do coach to ALB and then roomette the rest of the way to CHI, that way at least I save a little bit of money and have a better chance of seeing the Hudson.
Recent Experience:
In late July, I booked a late-October round-trip saver coach for 2 on Empire Builder, almost the entire length of the line (VAN <-> GLN = 2 nights + 6 meals). I finished the booking with bid-up, offering $520 each way on both roomette and bedroom. Having two travelers to split the cost helped a lot -- I could never justify that amount when traveling alone.
We won both bids, catching a bedroom each time
Notification was via email that I saw 18-24 hours before travel. I could have learned sooner, maybe 36 hours before boarding, if I'd been sent a text (or proactively checked the Amtrak app at just the right time).
Each of us had traveled in roomette before, neither of us in a bedroom. We learned to appreciate the extra space for carry-on / unpacking a few items / stretching out etc. The en-suite sink and toilet were also quite convenient. Neither of us was adventurous enough to try the shower (but if I'd been connecting to another train, then I would have).
General lesson learned (along the lines of "If you want something done right, do it yourself"):
If you get into a sleeper, especially that tail-end Portland sleeper on the EB, and your first meal is dinner (which requires a reservation), be proactive about hunting down the diner manager to get that reservation. On our return leg, we naively believed the announcement that we'd be visited in our room shortly after boarding, but the first seating (almost 2 hours after boarding) came and went without such a visit. I started forward to visit the dining car (like I should have shortly after boarding), and I ran into my car attendant who said she was headed to the diner and would come back with a reservation for us.
Big mistake -- It wasn't until an hour later when we heard another announcement inviting coach passengers to open tables of the 2nd seating that we realized we had been foiled again. That's when we scrambled forward five cars to the diner where we saw our car attendant sitting with the manager who claimed he had knocked on our door without an answer, so he had convinced our attendant that we weren't eating dinner after all (Really? After we specifically asked for it and were promised?). We ended up eating late with many of the staff, and our car attendant ended up having to fetch in-room meals for all three of the other upper-level bedrooms in our car because they'd all been missed as well.
In late July, I booked a late-October round-trip saver coach for 2 on Empire Builder, almost the entire length of the line (VAN <-> GLN = 2 nights + 6 meals). I finished the booking with bid-up, offering $520 each way on both roomette and bedroom. Having two travelers to split the cost helped a lot -- I could never justify that amount when traveling alone.
We won both bids, catching a bedroom each time
Notification was via email that I saw 18-24 hours before travel. I could have learned sooner, maybe 36 hours before boarding, if I'd been sent a text (or proactively checked the Amtrak app at just the right time).Each of us had traveled in roomette before, neither of us in a bedroom. We learned to appreciate the extra space for carry-on / unpacking a few items / stretching out etc. The en-suite sink and toilet were also quite convenient. Neither of us was adventurous enough to try the shower (but if I'd been connecting to another train, then I would have).
General lesson learned (along the lines of "If you want something done right, do it yourself"):
If you get into a sleeper, especially that tail-end Portland sleeper on the EB, and your first meal is dinner (which requires a reservation), be proactive about hunting down the diner manager to get that reservation. On our return leg, we naively believed the announcement that we'd be visited in our room shortly after boarding, but the first seating (almost 2 hours after boarding) came and went without such a visit. I started forward to visit the dining car (like I should have shortly after boarding), and I ran into my car attendant who said she was headed to the diner and would come back with a reservation for us.
Big mistake -- It wasn't until an hour later when we heard another announcement inviting coach passengers to open tables of the 2nd seating that we realized we had been foiled again. That's when we scrambled forward five cars to the diner where we saw our car attendant sitting with the manager who claimed he had knocked on our door without an answer, so he had convinced our attendant that we weren't eating dinner after all (Really? After we specifically asked for it and were promised?). We ended up eating late with many of the staff, and our car attendant ended up having to fetch in-room meals for all three of the other upper-level bedrooms in our car because they'd all been missed as well.
Kbyrdleroydogg
Service Attendant
Has anyone scored a bedroom on a poor-fair bid?
I just bid on an Amtrak viewliner bedroom and my bid was in the fair range.
I would bid more but I can't afford an excellent bid.
I figure if they don't sell the bedroom the normal way and no one wants one, some money is better than none.
I just bid on an Amtrak viewliner bedroom and my bid was in the fair range.
I would bid more but I can't afford an excellent bid.
I figure if they don't sell the bedroom the normal way and no one wants one, some money is better than none.
