Bucket Prices (CZ)?

[Keith1951]

I hear so much about bucket pricing, can someone explain them so I will understand? Or tell me where I can go to read about them?

 

[pennyk]

https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/long-distance-train-coach-sleeper-fares-buckets.77062/

 

[Keith1951]

I hear so much about bucket pricing, can someone explain them so I will understand? Or tell me where I can go to read about them? I have a trip planned end of April 2022 from Cleveland to Chicago in coach on the LSL and then from Chicago to Emeryville in a bedroom on the CZ total price $1290 is that a good bucket price?

 

[Sidney]

Bedrooms on the CZ at the end of April are going for $2200 from Chi to Emy. If you paid just over $1200 for a bedroom,you got a good price. Roomettes for one are over $1000.

 

[zephyr17]

I hear so much about bucket pricing, can someone explain them so I will understand? Or tell me where I can go to read about them? I have a trip planned end of April 2022 from Cleveland to Chicago in coach on the LSL and then from Chicago to Emeryville in a bedroom on the CZ total price $1290 is that a good bucket price?

They are set price points used by Amtrak's Yield Management. There are five of them. Amtrak yield managers allocate inventory across some or all of the buckets. There is nothing that forces them allocate any inventory at all to a given bucket, such as the lowest. When the inventory sells out in the lowest bucket with inventory, inventory allocated to the next higher bucket starts being sold, and so and so on.

The yield managers can reallocate inventory if demand does not match their projections. That is why the prices can drop, actual demand doesn't appear, so the yield managers shift inventory to lower buckets so they will sell.

For example, say there are 10 bedrooms on a given CZ departure. Let us call the five buckets L(ow), M(edium)L(ow), M(medium), M(edium)H(igh) and H(igh). Say the Amtrak yield managers allocate the 10 bedrooms as follows:
L - 0
ML - 1
M - 4
MH -3
H - 2

While there is a low bucket, no inventory was assigned to it. After the first bedroom sells at Medium Low, bedroom prices move to Medium, after 5 sell, they move to Medium High, if 8 have sold, the 2 remaining are offered at high.

Say the first bedroom sells, but it is only 4 months before departure and no other bedrooms have sold. Yield managers might reallocate the remaining inventory as follows:

L -1
ML 3 (+1 sold)
M - 2
MH - 2
H - 1

Now the price has dropped. If an enterprising and diligent member of this board had bought that Medium Low bedroom but continued to check prices, they now see that a lower price is being offered for their bedroom. So they call, get a good agent, and get their bedroom shifted to the Low bucket that now has open inventory.

Of course, the opposite can happen. 4 months before departure, 6 bedrooms have been scooped up. leaving 2 in Medium High, and 2 in High. Amtrak yield managers decide the train is selling well and move the remaining 2 bedrooms in Medium High to High.

 

[Keith1951]

They are set price points used by Amtrak's Yield Management. There are five of them. Amtrak yield managers allocate inventory across some or all of the buckets. There is nothing that forces them allocate any inventory at all to a given bucket, such as the lowest. When the inventory sells out in the lowest bucket with inventory, inventory allocated to the next higher bucket starts being sold, and so and so on.

The yield managers can reallocate inventory if demand does not match their projections. That is why the prices can drop, actual demand doesn't appear, so the yield managers shift inventory to lower buckets so they will sell.

For example, say there are 10 bedrooms on a given CZ departure. Let us call the five buckets L(ow), M(edium)L(ow), M(medium), M(edium)H(igh) and H(igh). Say the Amtrak yield managers allocate the 10 bedrooms as follows:
L - 0
ML - 1
M - 4
MH -3
H - 2

While there is a low bucket, no inventory was assigned to it. After the first bedroom sells at Medium Low, bedroom prices move to Medium, after 5 sell, they move to Medium High, if 8 have sold, the 2 remaining are offered at high.

Say the first bedroom sells, but it is only 4 months before departure and no other bedrooms have sold. Yield managers might reallocate the remaining inventory as follows:

L -1
ML 3 (+1 sold)
M - 2
MH - 2
H - 1

Now the price has dropped. If an enterprising and diligent member of this board had bought that Medium Low bedroom but continued to check prices, they now see that a lower price is being offered for their bedroom. So they call, get a good agent, and get their bedroom shifted to the Low bucket that now has open inventory.

Of course, the opposite can happen. 4 months before departure, 6 bedrooms have been scooped up. leaving 2 in Medium High, and 2 in High. Amtrak yield managers decide the train is selling well and move the remaining 2 bedrooms in Medium High to High.

Now this I can understand. Its so simple. Thank you so much.

 

[niemi24s]

Please note that the latest bucket chart in the thread linked in Post #2 does not show the latest Family Bedroom and Bedroom fare increases. F'rinstance, it shows $2108 for high bucket bedroom on the CZ but it's now actually $2261.

In addition, Roomette fares on the AT have also risen a little with the high bucket rising from the $638 shown to $652. I think Roomette fares on all the other trains are as shown.