Capitol Limited: Fall Travel

[PaTrainFan]

I tried to reserve a roomette for a one way trip from Pittbsurgh to St. Paul in late September and much to my surprise, sleepers are sold out, even mid-week. I was offered the H room and tentatively booked it, though I feel a bit reticent because I don't have special needs and hate to think I might deny the room to someone who geninely needs it, yet there is nothing else available. I have no interest in traveling by coach overnight as I won't sleep a wink. I was surprised that sleeper space is sold out this far in advance given that it is past prime travel season, and asked the agent if they are removing the second sleeper by then and she said she did not have access to that information. I am betting that is the case, and it is most disappointing. I am still debating whether to fly both ways. Obviosuly, I have 24 hours to cancel without penalty.

 

[tricia]

I've been trying to book the Cap Ltd from Chicago to Washington in mid-November (well before Thanksgiving) and found roomettes persistently high-priced even though the train was listed as only 10% sold. I ended up booking the Cardinal for $130 less, although I'd prefer the Cap's earlier arrival time.

Perhaps, as PaTrainFan speculates, Amtrak has decided to remove a sleeper car and hike the prices, anticipating sold-out rooms.

 

[JP1822]

I took the last roomette on the Capitol Limited for like a late October Tuesday travel out of Chicago. This was typically a dead time of the month. I was shocked to have taken the LAST roomette on this train on that departure. I had to take a roomette on the lower level, which I have never booked EVER. I could wait around and take the Lake Shore instead (at least the Lake Shore is being kept up - so far - with its Viewliner Sleeper cars), but Capitol Limited is easier and typically more convenient for my travels.

It seems Amtrak is at least only taking bookings for ONE Superliner Sleeper from Labor Day afterwards. Perhaps they will add on a Superliner Trans-Dorm Sleeper or second sleeper in August or so, but so far, it seems after Labor Day only ONE Superliner Sleeper is open for booking. Only car 3000 appears in ARROW (reservation system) right now.

At the same token - this is absolutely pathetic. The Capitol Limited has traditionally been able to fill two Superliner Sleepers (if not three) and a Trans-Dorm Sleeper (the roomettes) for summer travel and even early fall travel. Since the train was outfitted with Superliner cars in the mid-1990s, it operated with Superliner Trans-Dorm Sleeper and at LEAST two Superliner Sleepers (let alone Superliner Diner, Sightseer, and Coaches). There was even a "happy hour" or "departure party" for sleeping car passengers on the upper level of the Sightseer Lounge car when leaving Chicago or Washington DC. It's all history now. Amtrak hasn't taken out the upstairs bar/service area on the Superliner Sightseer Lounge cars. I hope they don't - in the hopes that one day they might get restored back to some sort of service. The Superliner Diner even had a "special section" for seating sleeper car passengers (the end closest to the sleeper). Nothing really too "special" other than sitting with fellow sleeping car passengers. And meals were more prepared and cooked onboard. Nothing like waking up for a breakfast of fresh eggs, potatoes/hashbrowns, bacon, etc. from the grill while on the train - especially the single level LD trains.

 

[BlackDiamond]

They may be short on sleepers because of the Southwest Chief derailment. I don't know that for sure just speculating.

 

[Bob Dylan]

It's time for Amtrak Management to start Managing this serious situation!

With the shortage of Superliner Cars, it's past time for them to take the Viewliner Cars out of Mothballs, and change over the CAP and the CONO to single level Consists!

Then use the Freed up Superliner equipment on the Western LD Trains!( as well as quit using them as axle count cars!)

Of course this won't happen since there's Noone except Congress to make them do the sensible thing, but they're already too busy doing nothing but campaigning in this election year!

 

[Eric in East County]

I tried to reserve a roomette for a one way trip from Pittbsurgh to St. Paul in late September and much to my surprise, sleepers are sold out, even mid-week. I was offered the H room and tentatively booked it, though I feel a bit reticent because I don't have special needs and hate to think I might deny the room to someone who geninely needs it, yet there is nothing else available. I have no interest in traveling by coach overnight as I won't sleep a wink. I was surprised that sleeper space is sold out this far in advance given that it is past prime travel season, and asked the agent if they are removing the second sleeper by then and she said she did not have access to that information. I am betting that is the case, and it is most disappointing. I am still debating whether to fly both ways. Obviosuly, I have 24 hours to cancel without penalty.

Along these same lines, we have a bedroom reservation on Southwest Chief No. 4 in late September and a bedroom reservation on SWC No. 3 in early October. Both of these are second sleeper reservations, which is not particularly reassuring given that no one seems to know if the second sleeper will be back in the SWC consist by then. (As seniors, we’re no longer up to making a long-distance train trip in coach or a roomette.) We called Amtrak Customer Relations to see about being reassigned to bedrooms in the first sleeper, but everything was sold out. As of right now, we don’t know for certain if Amtrak will be able to honor the bedroom reservations we made and paid for.

 

[tricia]

I've been trying to book the Cap Ltd from Chicago to Washington in mid-November (well before Thanksgiving) and found roomettes persistently high-priced even though the train was listed as only 10% sold. I ended up booking the Cardinal for $130 less, although I'd prefer the Cap's earlier arrival time.

Perhaps, as PaTrainFan speculates, Amtrak has decided to remove a sleeper car and hike the prices, anticipating sold-out rooms.

An update: Yesterday the cost of a roomette CHI to WAS on the Capitol Ltd for my mid-November trip suddenly dropped well below what I paid for the Cardinal reservation in June. I'd been checking daily and finding it consistently $630 (with a senior discount). When I found it well below $500, I booked it and cancelled the Cardinal. The Cardinal's a pretty ride, but the much earlier arrival time into DC is much better for me for this trip.

So either they've added another sleeper to the Cap, or decided the rooms aren't selling fast enough at the higher price.

 

[PaTrainFan]

An update: Yesterday the cost of a roomette CHI to WAS on the Capitol Ltd for my mid-November trip suddenly dropped well below what I paid for the Cardinal reservation in June. I'd been checking daily and finding it consistently $630 (with a senior discount). When I found it well below $500, I booked it and cancelled the Cardinal. The Cardinal's a pretty ride, but the much earlier arrival time into DC is much better for me for this trip.

So either they've added another sleeper to the Cap, or decided the rooms aren't selling fast enough at the higher price.

Pretty certain they added a sleeper, much to anyone's surprise.

 

[joelkfla]

An update: Yesterday the cost of a roomette CHI to WAS on the Capitol Ltd for my mid-November trip suddenly dropped well below what I paid for the Cardinal reservation in June. I'd been checking daily and finding it consistently $630 (with a senior discount). When I found it well below $500, I booked it and cancelled the Cardinal. The Cardinal's a pretty ride, but the much earlier arrival time into DC is much better for me for this trip.

So either they've added another sleeper to the Cap, or decided the rooms aren't selling fast enough at the higher price.

Covered in another thread. They did add a sleeper to the Cap Ltd. Another H-room became available, and since there's only 1 H-room per car, and I have the 1st one, it had to be another sleeper.

I got a $130 refund on a ticket I have booked for October. The AGR agent had to go thru some contortions to keep me in the base sleeper, because I don't want to risk being in the 2nd sleeper if they change their mind about it a la CZ & SWC.

 

[Eric in East County]

Along these same lines, we have a bedroom reservation on Southwest Chief No. 4 in late September and a bedroom reservation on SWC No. 3 in early October. Both of these are second sleeper reservations, which is not particularly reassuring given that no one seems to know if the second sleeper will be back in the SWC consist by then. (As seniors, we’re no longer up to making a long-distance train trip in coach or a roomette.) We called Amtrak Customer Relations to see about being reassigned to bedrooms in the first sleeper, but everything was sold out. As of right now, we don’t know for certain if Amtrak will be able to honor the bedroom reservations we made and paid for.

We have since been informed that we were downgraded to coach both ways. (We plan to reschedule our trip to 2023.)