Bid Up questions and experiences

[trimetbusfan]

I have a bid-up related question for those of you with relevant experience! A Bedroom has become available on the Cal Zephyr for the dates of my upcoming trip (I have a Roomette.) I don't think it's likely I would get the room via bidding, since I don't want to even go near the current selling price and I'm sure someone will be willing to pay that. However, what's stopping me from even placing a low bid just in case is...I don't want to screw myself out of a view by "upgrading" to a bedroom that turns out to be on the lower level. I am wondering if the reason a bedroom is now suddenly available is that it's the accessible room that hasn't been booked by anyone with a documented need for it yet. I await your wise counsel, fellow travelers!

I am currently assigned to Roomette 8, if that informs anyone's opinion of the view/risk situation!

(I think I would be fine with downstairs on the Empire Builder but for my first time on the Zephyr, I want the best possible view from my room.)

BidUp only lets you upgade to one of the full bedrooms (A-E), which are all on the upper level. The Family Room and Accessible room cannot be booked via BidUp.

 

[Shanson]

BidUp only lets you upgade to one of the full bedrooms (A-F), which are all on the upper level. The Family Room and Accessible room cannot be booked via BidUp.

There's no F, except on VIA's The Canadian.

 

[trimetbusfan]

There's no F, except on VIA's The Canadian.

yeah oops.. i fixed that. thanks.

 

[ferroaficionada]

BidUp only lets you upgade to one of the full bedrooms (A-E), which are all on the upper level. The Family Room and Accessible room cannot be booked via BidUp.

Thank you very much for that clarification!

 

[slasher-fun]

I'm booked for a trip on the Vermonter in two weeks.

About a month ago, I made a bid for a business class upgrade: the lowest bid available was $20, and I elected for a $24 bid (which was $1 above the "fair" level iirc)
Looking again today, my $24 bid is still there, but if I want to change it the amount the lowest bid available is now $25, and it's a "poor" bid.

Any crystal ball insight on whether my initial bid still stands a minimal chance?

In the end, decided to max out on the bid, which was $35, and still didn't get the upgrade, even though there were still 2 business class seats available at the time of departure.

 

[drinian]

FIrst time posting. I put a bid in on a roomette from coach. The option is still available to bid on a bedroom. Can i put in a bid on that as well? Or will that mean i get both. Not sure what happens if i do that.

 

[railiner]

There's no F, except on VIA's The Canadian.

What about the Auto Train?
No ‘F’, but does have J-N….
The Deluxe Sleeper has 10 Bedrooms on the upper level. For clarity, they skipped F,G, and H (already an ‘H’ handicap on lower level) so they could have consecutive A thru E, and then J thru N at the other end where the 1 thru 10 Roomettes are on ordinary Superliner sleepers.

 

[bonzoesc]

Amtrak emailed me about bidding up a ride from Seattle to Centralia, and then Centralia to Portland as part of my odyssey; I dragged the sliders all the way as cheap as they'd go and still got a bedroom for the 2h from CTL to PDX. No bueno on the business class on the 90m from SEA to CTL but I’m surviving.

 

[zephyr17]

Amtrak emailed me about bidding up a ride from Seattle to Centralia, and then Centralia to Portland as part of my odyssey; I dragged the sliders all the way as cheap as they'd go and still got a bedroom for the 2h from CTL to PDX. No bueno on the business class on the 90m from SEA to CTL but I’m surviving.

If they are showing a bedroom, you are booked on the Coast Starlight which no longer has Business Class and hasn't for a couple of years.

BidUp will not rebook you onto a different train. It will only upgrade you on the train you are already booked on. What is available on that particular train is what can be presented. The Starlight has no Business Class, so it cannot be offered.

 

[SubwayNut]

Amtrak emailed me about bidding up a ride from Seattle to Centralia, and then Centralia to Portland as part of my odyssey; I dragged the sliders all the way as cheap as they'd go and still got a bedroom for the 2h from CTL to PDX. No bueno on the business class on the 90m from SEA to CTL but I’m surviving.

I'd be curious to know how much the extra cost was. I take Amtrak from Chicago to South Bend on the Lake Shore somewhat regularly and always look at the BidUp email and the lowest BID is always like $70 for the 90 minute ride which I just can't justify.

 

[zephyr17]

I'd be curious to know how much the extra cost was. I take Amtrak from Chicago to South Bend on the Lake Shore somewhat regularly and always look at the BidUp email and the lowest BID is always like $70 for the 90 minute ride which I just can't justify.

Hey, you might get a Flex breakfast! If I recall correctly, South Bend is last call. Isn't that worth $70?

 

[bonzoesc]

If they are showing a bedroom, you are booked on the Coast Starlight which no longer has Business Class and hasn't for a couple of years.

BidUp will not rebook you onto a different train. It will only upgrade you on the train you are already booked on. What is available on that particular train is what can be presented. The Starlight has no Business Class, so it cannot be offered.

I took the Cascades yesterday and will be taking the CS (and EB) today.

I'd be curious to know how much the extra cost was. I take Amtrak from Chicago to South Bend on the Lake Shore somewhat regularly and always look at the BidUp email and the lowest BID is always like $70 for the 90 minute ride which I just can't justify.

$185. Silly, but whatever.

 

[Traveller]

When a bid offer is placed, how much notice is given (before depature) if you are successful, and are you notified at all if you are not?

 

[zephyr17]

When a bid offer is placed, how much notice is given (before depature) if you are successful, and are you notified at all if you are not?

"For upgrades to Business Class or Acela First Class, winning bids will be awarded 1-2 hours before scheduled departure. For upgrades to Roomettes or Bedrooms, winning bids will be awarded approximately 36 hours before scheduled departure."

https://www.amtrak.com/deals-discounts/bidup.html

 

[Traveller]

Thank you.

I have made a couple of bids, one for a roomette and one for business class, I wasn't sure at what point before departure I should look for notification.

Is there any messaging if a bid is not successful?

Just seen the info, under FAQs, thanks

 

[SubwayNut]

Yes you get both an email and a text message.

 

[NEPATrainTraveler]

I got two 10% off coupons for getting the AGR Preferred MasterCard (they were running a promotion where you get upgraded to Select status when you apply and are approved for the card). If I use one of these coupons for a coach seat on the CL, would that make the reservation ineligible for BidUp?