CZ price drop for July 3. Saved $114!

[spinnaker]

I was checking prices on the Amtrak site and noticed that there was a price drop of $114. Just got off the phone with Justin from Amtrak. He at first notified me that I can take the full amount as a voucher for $85 back to my card.

I told him about the modify as opposed to change. At first he told me there is no difference. I was polite and told him about the modify option I learned of on this forum. He claimed that there really was no difference but what he would do for me is override the amount and refund me the full $114 difference! Way to go Justin! I don't care what you call it, I am just glad to get the full refund.

Now I can only hope the Starlight roomette drops significantly and I will apply my windfall to a roomette for that leg.

BTW AmSnag never notified me of the change! I see the price change in my itinerary but never got an email.

I get test emails just fine but I don't think I got the price alert.

 

[Lonestar648]

Glad you were able to save the money. It pays to watch the fares, One never knows.

 

[spinnaker]

Hopefully the double bonus will be a train that is not too crowded!

I can't recall if I checked on my EB trip last year or not. If not I wish I had.

 

[cpotisch]

I haven’t heard of any difference between modifying and changing a reservation. I’m pretty sure it’s just change or cancel...

 

[spinnaker]

I haven’t heard of any difference between modifying and changing a reservation. I’m pretty sure it’s just change or cancel...

#4 in this thread.

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/72754-change-means-cancel/

 

[cpotisch]

I haven’t heard of any difference between modifying and changing a reservation. I’m pretty sure it’s just change or cancel...

#4 in this thread.

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/72754-change-means-cancel/

Lonestar648 is saying that there isn’t a change or cancellation fee when modifying. Not that changing a reservation has a change fee whereas modifying does not have a fee.

 

[niemi24s]

If all you want to do with (or to) an existing reservation is take advantage of a drop in price, when the Amtrak agent answers the phone use only the word "modify". Only!

Don't even think of using the words change, cancel, ameliorate, transmogrify, update, or any other synonym. Only MODIFY!

I think it's got something to do with Amtrak-speak.

 

[the_traveler]

I think the difference is if you want to cancel, then the full (say) $600 is subject to the fee. However for the fare went down to $486, then ONLY the $114 difference would be subject to the fee if you modify.

Also, if you chose to apply the $114 to an e-voucher for future travel, there is no fee. But if you chose to receive a refund in cash or to your credit card, there will be a fee - thus the lower amount.

 

[niemi24s]

That's also my understanding.

And now that I think about modifying a reservation, when I did so a few months ago (when the sleeper bucket price dropped) the agent said the sleepers at that lower price were in a different car and had to cancel the existing reservation to get the lower price!. When I said I'd didn't want somebody to get the last sleepers between the time the original reservation was cancelled and then re-booked for the different sleeper car the agent said there was a way to prevent that from happening. I OKayed the move and all went well. I wasn't fussy about the specific room or the specific car.

But, I was totally unaware that the same types of sleepers on the same train and date could be priced at different buckets levels. This was for a Roomette on the CL.

There's also some chance that I either misunderstood what the agent said back then or am now misremembering it.

 

[spinnaker]

If all you want to do with (or to) an existing reservation is take advantage of a drop in price, when the Amtrak agent answers the phone use only the word "modify". Only!

Don't even think of using the words change, cancel, ameliorate, transmogrify, update, or any other synonym. Only MODIFY!

I think it's got something to do with Amtrak-speak.

I did. I in fact repeated it several times. I also explained I do not want to change or cancel only MODIFY. They still wanted to charge me the fee but then Jason said he could waive it, which is fine by me since I got the full reduction.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

That's also my understanding.

And now that I think about modifying a reservation, when I did so a few months ago (when the sleeper bucket price dropped) the agent said the sleepers at that lower price were in a different car and had to cancel the existing reservation to get the lower price!. When I said I'd didn't want somebody to get the last sleepers between the time the original reservation was cancelled and then re-booked for the different sleeper car the agent said there was a way to prevent that from happening. I OKayed the move and all went well. I wasn't fussy about the specific room or the specific car.

But, I was totally unaware that the same types of sleepers on the same train and date could be priced at different buckets levels. This was for a Roomette on the CL.

There's also some chance that I either misunderstood what the agent said back then or am now misremembering it.

I’m sure it’s been mentioned before, else I wouldn’t know to say this, that the buckets are initially assigned to specific rooms.

 

[spinnaker]

Yes my room was changed. Originally I was in room 13. I am now in room 3. I really wanted a lower level room. I like the added privacy but I guess that is worth a savings of $114.

 

[niemi24s]

I’m sure it’s been mentioned before, else I wouldn’t know to say this, that the buckets are initially assigned to specific rooms.

Thanks for the info. That means I remembered correctly! Happy, happy, joy, joy!!

But that certainly does complicate things. Not only does some bean counter or computer program have to decide what's, say, the lowest Roomette bucket (out of the 5 possible) on the CZ or EB but also how many at that lowest bucket and then how many (if any) at each of the higher buckets.

Maybe that explains why Family Bedrooms on the CL are almost always at high bucket of $612 - if they're all at that level, there's no other decisions to be made. It's the "easy way out".

 

[spinnaker]

Just called them back. I got my lower level room back same price! Well it is actually a different room #11 instead of #13. When I got #13 originally, I had the choice between #11 and #13. Since I was in #13 on the EB last year out of Seattle and it was on the Sound side I figured 13 was my lucky number so I went with 13 again. Hopefully #11 will be just as nice on the CZ.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I’m sure it’s been mentioned before, else I wouldn’t know to say this, that the buckets are initially assigned to specific rooms.

Thanks for the info. That means I remembered correctly! Happy, happy, joy, joy!!

But that certainly does complicate things. Not only does some bean counter or computer program have to decide what's, say, the lowest Roomette bucket (out of the 5 possible) on the EB but also how many at that lowest bucket and then how many (if any) at each of the higher buckets.

Maybe that explains why Family Bedrooms on the CL are almost always at high bucket of $612 - if they're all at that level, there's no other decisions to be made. It's the "easy way out".

Computers can handle it. Apparently even an old program like Arrow handles it.

 

[niemi24s]

FWIW, this thread beginning at Post #24 has interesting info regarding the assignment of different buckets to each accommodation type on the same train: http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/55040-lower-level-cost-more-than-upper-level/page-2?hl=%2Broomette+%2Bprices+%2Bdiffer+%2Bsame+%2Btrain+%2Bsame+%2Bday&do=findComment&comment=439859

But as it's five years old, I don't know if the info is still valid.

 

[Ryan]

It is still valid.

 

[laurenpl]

I recently made a request for the lower fare, but did not check my tickets after doing so, only the receipt. So now, after reading your comments, I did check. We still have roomette #5, but apparently now car 0533 as opposed to 0531. Just curious why, and whats the difference? In other words, why did Amtrak feel it was necessary to change it. The agent never mentioned...simply said she was refunding the difference.

 

[cpotisch]

I recently made a request for the lower fare, but did not check my tickets after doing so, only the receipt. So now, after reading your comments, I did check. We still have roomette #5, but apparently now car 0533 as opposed to 0531. Just curious why, and whats the difference? In other words, why did Amtrak feel it was necessary to change it. The agent never mentioned...simply said she was refunding the difference.

Most likely more people had gotten roomettes since you first booked, and Arrow determined that capacity could be better utilized with you in that car.

 

[laurenpl]

Sorry, Im not sure I understand the response. Ive been booked since last November. And no doubt others have booked since. Would car 0533 be considered less desirable, so Im being punished or downgraded for paying a lesser fare? Or does it truly not make a difference which car?

 

[cpotisch]

Sorry, Im not sure I understand the response. Ive been booked since last November. And no doubt others have booked since. Would car 0533 be considered less desirable, so Im being punished or downgraded for paying a lesser fare? Or does it truly not make a difference which car?

If memory serves, 0533 is the last sleeper in the consist, whereas 0531 is the first sleeper, meaning you will be three cars from the diner instead of adjacent to it. The agent seems to have rebooked you instead of just refunding the fare difference, which I guess moved you to the car they're currently booking sleeper passengers to. They room assignments tend to start with the first sleeper and work its way back as more people buy. So you got assigned to the new car as if you're only just booking now, instead of just getting the fare difference returned. Hope that makes sense...

 

[Ryan]

Let’s break this down in a little more detail. From the link posted above, and other conversations I’ve had, here is how it breaks down.

Amplifying information from others that have experience in the operation of the reservations system is welcome.

On the pricing side of things, for a given accommodation type, the number of accommodations are parceled out into buckets in alignment with expected demand. During busy seasons there may be no rooms available initially at the lowest bucket(s). At other times, they may load many rooms into the cheapest bucket.

In any event, you may end up with something like this for a Superliner train with two sleeping cars (these names may be outdated):

DS (full fare): 4

DA: 3

DB: 3

When an agent goes in to buy a room, by default Arrow will assign the “best” room available (each room has a “goodness factor” assigned). Arrow also works to spread the passenger laid between the sleeping cars.

When you book on the website, or call in but don’t care what room you get, you simply get assigned the next room in sequence, at the lowest fare available.

When you call in to make a reservation, but have a room request, the agent can do it two ways.

1) The agent can look at what rooms are available, and then manually select the customer requested one. The room will price at the lowest available fare, and all is well.

This being an uncommon thing, apparently not everyone knows how to do it. The workaround way is:

2) Book a room. Is it the one that the customer asked for? No? Book another one. Repeat until the room gives you the room you want. Since you’ve chewed through inventory, the computer may give a higher price for that room. Using the example from above, and assuming that you’re the first person booking a room on that train, let’s say the agent has to chew through 5 rooms before the computer spits out the room you’re seeking? Those three DB fares are “gone”, so your getting charged a DA fare. Congrats! An agent of medium acumen may even go so far as manually repricing that room back down to the DB fare. You go away happy, but the computer system has had unnatural acts done to it to get there.

I’m not touching the “change” vs “modify” debate.

 

[Rail Freak]

Sorry, Im not sure I understand the response. Ive been booked since last November. And no doubt others have booked since. Would car 0533 be considered less desirable, so Im being punished or downgraded for paying a lesser fare? Or does it truly not make a difference which car?

I believe you are now two cars farther from the dinning car.

 

[niemi24s]

Sorry, Im not sure I understand the response. Ive been booked since last November. And no doubt others have booked since. Would car 0533 be considered less desirable, so Im being punished or downgraded for paying a lesser fare? Or does it truly not make a difference which car?

The advantage of being booked in the sleeper next to the dining car is a shorter walk to eat.

The advantage of being booked in the sleeper farthest from the dining car is there's less foot traffic going by to eat. But if the sleepers are between the locomotives and the dining car it also means you will be closer to the locomotives, their noise, vibration and horn. Here's a link to a thread about the arrangement of the cars on the CZ... http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/72196-summer-crescent-consist/ ...and it seems you'll be getting an opportunity to get familiar with railroad horn signals.

If that's not acceptable perhaps you could call Amtrak and get a room closer to the diner - probably at a higher fare.

 

[Bob Dylan]

As others said, once you released your original room #7, someone else booked and was assigned that room whether by the computer or by request.

Since there are 3 Sleepers on your train, #533 is farthest away from the Diner and next to the Transdorm, so you will have to walk through the other 2 Sleepers on your way to/from the Diner and Sightseer Lounge. Not that big a deal, the exercise is good on a LD trip!