Coast to Coast Cell Service

[cpotisch]

Also, with regard to the OP’s comment about getting a roomette on the south side of the train, there is no way to guarantee that, since the superliner sleepers can and are positioned in either orientation (viz., bedrooms at front end or rear end) on each train. Only a roomette in the crew-dorm-sleeper at the front of the train will be reliably positioned with the crew quarters forward.

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Does the Zephyr use the Trans-Dorm for any revenue passengers? In which case the OP could call and be guaranteed a south roomette.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Also, with regard to the OPs comment about getting a roomette on the south side of the train, there is no way to guarantee that, since the superliner sleepers can and are positioned in either orientation (viz., bedrooms at front end or rear end) on each train. Only a roomette in the crew-dorm-sleeper at the front of the train will be reliably positioned with the crew quarters forward.

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Does the Zephyr use the Trans-Dorm for any revenue passengers? In which case the OP could call and be guaranteed a south roomette.

Yes,but rooms in the Transdorm are only sold when the other Sleeper(s) are Sold out.

 

[KmH]

Yes. Amtrak puts revenue passengers in the Trans dorm. Roomettes 17-24.

I recently watched a video made a few years ago of the CZ going eastbound by the Winter Park ski area and the trans dorm was the last car in the consist.

The best, most iconic, scenery on the CZ route is seen on both sides of the train.

Out the right (north) side of the train:

• Looking back and down towards Denver between tunnels 1 & 2 on the climb up the Front Range

• Gross Reservoir Dam & Gross Reservoir

• Most of the better mountain scenes before the Moffat Tunnel

• The snow capped Continental Divide west of the Moffat Tunnel

• The Fraser river/Colorado river join that is the first we can see the Colorado River.

• Pretty much all of beautiful Glenwood Canyon

• The Book Cliffs

• First meet up with the Truckee River

• Truckee station and downtown

• Donner Lake

 

[cpotisch]

Also, with regard to the OPs comment about getting a roomette on the south side of the train, there is no way to guarantee that, since the superliner sleepers can and are positioned in either orientation (viz., bedrooms at front end or rear end) on each train. Only a roomette in the crew-dorm-sleeper at the front of the train will be reliably positioned with the crew quarters forward.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

Does the Zephyr use the Trans-Dorm for any revenue passengers? In which case the OP could call and be guaranteed a south roomette.

Yes,but rooms in the Transdorm are only sold when the other Sleeper(s) are Sold out.

So if it got close in and the train was full, could he/she call and be moved to a south room in the Trans-Dorm?

 

[Bob Dylan]

Yep, but you'd probably be paying a Higher Fare since the Revenue Sleepers are Sold Out. Supply and Demand!

 

[cpotisch]

Yep, but you'd probably be paying a Higher Fare since the Revenue Sleepers are Sold Out. Supply and Demand!

Nope. If you call they can manually change the room number without changing the fare. Sometimes you need to talk to a manager of the regular agent doesn’t know how, but if the room is open, they can move you.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Yep, but you'd probably be paying a Higher Fare since the Revenue Sleepers are Sold Out. Supply and Demand!

Nope. If you call they can manually change the room number without changing the fare. Sometimes you need to talk to a manager of the regular agent doesnt know how, but if the room is open, they can move you.

You might want to double check this, you are changing Cars on short notice and also new rules now apply when it comes to situations like this so close to departure.
Might be lucky but only the Computer knows!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Yep, but you'd probably be paying a Higher Fare since the Revenue Sleepers are Sold Out. Supply and Demand!

Nope. If you call they can manually change the room number without changing the fare. Sometimes you need to talk to a manager of the regular agent doesnt know how, but if the room is open, they can move you.

You might want to double check this, you are changing Cars on short notice and also new rules now apply when it comes to situations like this so close to departure. Might be lucky but only the Computer knows!

Based on countless threads about this is the past it would appear that there is no way to change the room without having the reservation system reprice the ticket. If the current bucket is higher than the original bucket this will generate a new balance due. The reservations agent will then have to manually adjust the price back to the original fare. Naturally they do not want to do this (and in all likelihood are trained not to do this) unless and until a manager tells them to. However, with the ever more restrictive ticket change rules this may no longer be possible if managers follow everything exactly.

 

[cpotisch]

Yep, but you'd probably be paying a Higher Fare since the Revenue Sleepers are Sold Out. Supply and Demand!

Nope. If you call they can manually change the room number without changing the fare. Sometimes you need to talk to a manager of the regular agent doesnt know how, but if the room is open, they can move you.

You might want to double check this, you are changing Cars on short notice and also new rules now apply when it comes to situations like this so close to departure. Might be lucky but only the Computer knows!

Based on countless threads about this is the past it would appear that there is no way to change the room without having the reservation system reprice the ticket. If the current bucket is higher than the original bucket this will generate a new balance due. The reservations agent will then have to manually adjust the price back to the original fare. Naturally they do not want to do this (and in all likelihood are trained not to do this) unless and until a manager tells them to. However, with the ever more restrictive ticket change rules this may no longer be possible if managers follow everything exactly.

Wow, that's surprising. I've called to change room numbers a couple times recently, and they never charged me anything.

 

[Lonestar648]

I have also called to "Modify" my reservation by changing room numbers. Yes, some agents try to reprice the reservation, but I ask for a Supervisor or an experienced agent who never have a problem completing the modification and not charging me. The only change I found is that the mobile APP only displays the reservation, any changes or cancellations have to be done by an agent.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I have also called to "Modify" my reservation by changing room numbers. Yes, some agents try to reprice the reservation, but I ask for a Supervisor or an experienced agent who never have a problem completing the modification and not charging me. The only change I found is that the mobile APP only displays the reservation, any changes or cancellations have to be done by an agent.

Having changed several rooms of my own, and having read hundreds of change threads here on the forum, I don't think the agent is going out of their way to cause a reprice. I think the reservations system is simply repricing the ticket by default anytime a room is changed. At which point the agent is naturally reluctant to modify the price the computer says is correct. Can you really blame them? I'd be reluctant as well. The only problem I have with it is that they are sometimes extremely resistant to involve a manager, even when asked directly by the passenger, and when that happens I can no longer defend their actions (or lack thereof).

 

[cpotisch]

I have also called to "Modify" my reservation by changing room numbers. Yes, some agents try to reprice the reservation, but I ask for a Supervisor or an experienced agent who never have a problem completing the modification and not charging me. The only change I found is that the mobile APP only displays the reservation, any changes or cancellations have to be done by an agent.

Having changed several rooms of my own, and having read hundreds of change threads here on the forum, I don't think the agent is going out of their way to cause a reprice. I think the reservations system is simply repricing the ticket by default anytime a room is changed. At which point the agent is naturally reluctant to modify the price the computer says is correct. Can you really blame them? I'd be reluctant as well. The only problem I have with it is that they are sometimes extremely resistant to involve a manager, even when asked directly by the passenger, and when that happens I can no longer defend their actions (or lack thereof).

I do find that surprising. Changing a room number really just results in a slightly different e-ticket and a different manifest for the SCA. I have changed rooms a couple times recently, and even though the fare had changed, the agent never even mentioned any charge. It was just "Are there any roomettes left in car 9710?" "Yes. Room 5 is available." And that was that. It seems that, as usual, Amtrak isn't exactly consistent at everything.