Bid Up questions and experiences

[LTJDennis]

Can someone tell me how this works? Can I use it to try to upgrade from a roomette to a bedroom? I leave on Jan. 9.

 

[Tlcooper44]

Can someone tell me how this works? Can I use it to try to upgrade from a roomette to a bedroom? I leave on Jan. 9.

You essentially offer money against other people bidding to upgrade your accommodation. BidUp only works however, if there is availability, which isn’t always the case.
Very rarely, it’s possible to snag a room. I’ve never done it. If your willing to spend some money on the room, I’ve always found it better to just modify your reservation and upgrade... the difference will probably be negligible.

In my opinion, the system is best used on the NEC with Acela.

 

[jis]

Moderator's Note: Just FYI - there is a long thread on this subject with a very good first article describing what it is all about. Take a look at:

https://www.amtraktrains.com/thread...usiness-class-first-class-and-sleepers.78406/
Since that thread has grown to a great length, this thread is being kept open so that people can quickly get answers to questions without wading through many pages. But the reference is there above so that you have access to the previous discussion. Best....

 

[amtrakpass]

Should show as an option in the app or website if it is available for your trip. I used it recently to upgrade to a roomette from coach but on another segment it would not allow a bid from roomette to bedroom. However it may in your case. Keep in mind if you do it correctly you will receive a new email from Amtrak bid up confirming your bid. It took me awhile to figure out how many steps there were to complete the bid since I was unfamiliar with it. You can also modify or cancel your bid later after it has been submitted up to a certain cut off point. Anyway for me the upgrade to roomette from coach was less than it was showing for purchasing outright. However on this particular segment (Minneapolis St paul-Chicago) the sleeper prices for any date no matter how far in the future have been pegged to the highest price every day. They used to vary and change from day to day as they still do in some segments(city pairs) However in this particular case they seem to have it setup to either pay top price or use the bid-up feature.

 

[Sidney]

I am in Coach on the Coast Starlight tomorrow(Saturday the 29th). I was offered the chance to bid up. I'm going from San Jose to LA,so it is a day trip. $75 was the lowest bid for a roomette and my chances were poor. I figure at $75 that would cover lunch and dinner. I think lunch,if you were in BC was $20 or $25 and dinner was $45 so my bid would cost me about $15 for a private room.

Imagine my surprise when I checked my E Mail and my bid was accepted! Has anybody here bid the lowest possible price for a sleeper and had their bid accepted?

 

[Cal]

I am in Coach on the Coast Starlight tomorrow(Saturday the 29th). I was offered the chance to bid up. I'm going from San Jose to LA,so it is a day trip. $75 was the lowest bid for a roomette and my chances were poor. I figure at $75 that would cover lunch and dinner. I think lunch,if you were in BC was $20 or $25 and dinner was $45 so my bid would cost me about $15 for a private room.

Imagine my surprise when I checked my E Mail and my bid was accepted! Has anybody here bid the lowest possible price for a sleeper and had their bid accepted?

That's a pretty good deal, have a good trip!

 

[Zack]

I am in Coach on the Coast Starlight tomorrow(Saturday the 29th). I was offered the chance to bid up. I'm going from San Jose to LA,so it is a day trip. $75 was the lowest bid for a roomette and my chances were poor. I figure at $75 that would cover lunch and dinner. I think lunch,if you were in BC was $20 or $25 and dinner was $45 so my bid would cost me about $15 for a private room.

Imagine my surprise when I checked my E Mail and my bid was accepted! Has anybody here bid the lowest possible price for a sleeper and had their bid accepted?

I’ve only used BidUp once, and it was from a roomette to bedroom on the Empire Builder. Minimum bid price was $270, so I did that and got it.

 

[Sidney]

So much for my great bid on today's 11. It was four hours late getting into Dunsmuir this morning and almost twelve hours later it is still at the San Jose station now five hours late. I opted for a Thruway bus to SLO and the Surfliner to LA. At least I ll get to LA before 10 and still get the ocean view.

Anyone know what's up with 11?

 

[Cal]

So much for my great bid on today's 11. It was four hours late getting into Dunsmuir this morning and almost twelve hours later it is still at the San Jose station now five hours late. I opted for a Thruway bus to SLO and the Surfliner to LA. At least I ll get to LA before 10 and still get the ocean view.

Anyone know what's up with 11?

"UPDATE: Coast Starlight Train 11 which departed Seattle (SEA) on 1/28 is still currently stopped at Klamath Falls (KFS) due to mechanical issues. Updates to follow as more information becomes available."

That's all it says on Amtrak Alerts Twitter

 

[Sidney]

So much for my great bid on today's 11. It was four hours late getting into Dunsmuir this morning and almost twelve hours later it is still at the San Jose station now five hours late. I opted for a Thruway bus to SLO and the Surfliner to LA. At least I ll get to LA before 10 and still get the ocean view.

Anyone know what's up with 11?

11 arrived in LA at 3AM last night. Almost six hours late. If I knew that ahead of time I would have canceled my reservation at the Metro Plaza and slept in my roomette.

 

[ornatewrasse]

I am in Coach on the Coast Starlight tomorrow(Saturday the 29th). I was offered the chance to bid up. I'm going from San Jose to LA,so it is a day trip. $75 was the lowest bid for a roomette and my chances were poor. I figure at $75 that would cover lunch and dinner. I think lunch,if you were in BC was $20 or $25 and dinner was $45 so my bid would cost me about $15 for a private room.

Imagine my surprise when I checked my E Mail and my bid was accepted! Has anybody here bid the lowest possible price for a sleeper and had their bid accepted?

I am a new member and have a trip coming up on the Empire Builder on February 1st, followed by a trip on the Capitol Limited two days later. I booked a roomette on both trains. I received an email from Amtrak asking me if I wanted to bid for an upgrade to a bedroom. The Empire Builder upgrade was $295 for the least expensive bid. The Capitol Limited upgrade was $70 for the least expensive bid. My initial thought was that I didn't really need a bedroom since I am traveling by myself and a roomette would probably be sufficient. But I ended up bidding the lowest amount for the upgrade to a bedroom. I will probably find out tomorrow if they accept my bid. I'll let everyone know if they accept my bids.

 

[Joe from PA]

As far as I'm concerned, the "bedroom" is a joke because you still have bunk beds. Plus, 2 roomettes can cost less than 1 bedroom.

 

[joelkfla]

As far as I'm concerned, the "bedroom" is a joke because you still have bunk beds. Plus, 2 roomettes can cost less than 1 bedroom.

Differences are:

• You can stand up and get dressed without opening the door and sticking your toes out under the curtain
• Upper berth occupant can get down with less disturbance to lower berth occupant
• You have a private toilet and shower
• Beds are slightly larger
• Beds are transverse, as opposed to longitudinal in the Roomette. Preferences vary.

 

[Sidney]

Differences are:

• You can stand up and get dressed without opening the door and sticking your toes out under the curtain
• Upper berth occupant can get down with less disturbance to lower berth occupant
• You have a private toilet and shower
• Beds are slightly larger
• Beds are transverse, as opposed to longitudinal in the Roomette. Preferences vary.

I did the bedroom on the CONO where normally it' s only $60 more than a roomette. Love the space. When it's $200 to $1000 more I'll pass

 

[Cal]

As far as I'm concerned, the "bedroom" is a joke because you still have bunk beds. Plus, 2 roomettes can cost less than 1 bedroom.

Differences are:

• You can stand up and get dressed without opening the door and sticking your toes out under the curtain
• Upper berth occupant can get down with less disturbance to lower berth occupant
• You have a private toilet and shower
• Beds are slightly larger
• Beds are transverse, as opposed to longitudinal in the Roomette. Preferences vary.

This! Last May I tried out a bedroom for round trip LAX-CHI, and after only travelling in roomettes the difference was amazing. It felt so good to actually be able to stand and STRETCH. Having your own sink and restroom is also a big plus. The beds are also noticeably larger.

When you're only used to roomettes, the bedroom feels like a suite.

 

[Joe from PA]

This! Last May I tried out a bedroom for round trip LAX-CHI, and after only travelling in roomettes the difference was amazing. It felt so good to actually be able to stand and STRETCH. Having your own sink and restroom is also a big plus. The beds are also noticeably larger.

When you're only used to roomettes, the bedroom feels like a suite.

I see your point...however, my wife is 78, and I'm 80. Our "climbing" days are over. So far, we have had a sink and toilet on the "Silver" trips, but I realize that will change. I will say that I cannot imagine the two of us in one roomette after getting up in the morning...which is why we get two roomettes.

 

[jis]

I see your point...however, my wife is 78, and I'm 80. Our "climbing" days are over. So far, we have had a sink and toilet on the "Silver" trips, but I realize that will change. I will say that I cannot imagine the two of us in one roomette after getting up in the morning...which is why we get two roomettes.

With a little care and help from folks here on AU, you should be able to get yourself Viewliner II Roomettes on the Silvers which would eliminate the toilet in room issue. But then again, you may not wish to climb into the upper berth either as age advances.

 

[joelkfla]

I see your point...however, my wife is 78, and I'm 80. Our "climbing" days are over. So far, we have had a sink and toilet on the "Silver" trips, but I realize that will change. I will say that I cannot imagine the two of us in one roomette after getting up in the morning...which is why we get two roomettes.

At 69, I can't see even just myself in a Roomette anymore. I no longer have the limberness to maneuver around a Roomette in night mode.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

When did Amtrak start using the bid-up process for upgraded tickets?

Is this handled by a 3rd party or is this just the software being used with approval handled by Amtrak (or an Amtrak formula)

Any idea of how the decision to accept the bid works on the Amtrak side. The customer side was easy enough.

 

[TheVig]

I did a bid up recently to business class on the Carolinian. WAS to CLT. $21ea for the wife and I. It was worth it to us.

Wife kinda gave me hard time for not booking BC to begin with. We are generally roomette and BC travelers. A couple of years ago on the Crescent, she got a taste of what bedroom travel is like. We boarded in CLT, not even ten minutes after leaving the station, the attendant came knocking. I've got some empty bedrooms all the way to NYP. You want one? It's free! Heck yes we will take it! We tipped him well.

 

[daybeers]

I've got some empty bedrooms all the way to NYP. You want one? It's free! Heck yes we will take it! We tipped him well.

What?! Omg amazing!!! THIS is how you keep customers!

When did Amtrak start using the bid-up process for upgraded tickets?

Is this handled by a 3rd party or is this just the software being used with approval handled by Amtrak (or an Amtrak formula)

I can't remember how long it's been, but they do use a third party. Can't remember the name of the company, but from the name it sounded like they specialize in this sort of thing.

 

[Sidney]

I did a bid up from Coach to Roomette on the Coast Starlight from San Jose to LA. I bid the minimum $75 and got it. It's a day trip. If it was overnight it would have been a lot more.

 

[Mailliw]

...In my opinion, the system is best used on the NEC with Acela.

If you successfully bid up to First Class on the Acela do you get the 50% AGR points bonus.?

 

[daybeers]

If you successfully bid up to First Class on the Acela do you get the 50% AGR points bonus.?

I believe so!

 

[Suzmk]

What is bid up and how does it work?