H-room bucket separate?

[the_traveler]

I made a reservation for a trip, and qualify for the disability discount (15%). I checked dates and availability online, first using the senior discount (as I know it is also 15%) and then the disability discount.

Both showed the fare as $487. I qualify for the H-room, and I know from past experiences that the computer does not assign you the H-room, so I called an agent. She said the fare was $440! After booking, I pulled up the fare, and it showed it as $487!

Does the H-room have a separate bucket, is it always at low bucket or does the disability discount also take 15% off the room also besides the rail fare? :huh: (The senior discount is off the rail fare but not the room.)

This is the 2nd time in a row this happened. In the past, I used AGR 1.0 (so I never noticed) but now I occasionally pay cash,so now I see it.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

It was mentioned in another thread that the H-room has it's own bucket. Does it calculate as 15% off both room and rail fare? Maybe that's the "special" bucket.

 

[the_traveler]

That's the only thing I can figure. If you book it online with the disability discount, and not get the H-room (via the computer), the fare is $487. If you book thru an agent, and get the H-room, the fare is $440.

 

[Ryan]

You can book the H-room online, and yes, it's 15% off of both rail fare and accommodation charge.

Yes. Roomette price, plus %15 discount as confirmed by a test booking on the website:

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[the_traveler]

But try that same thing using a senior fare and a disability fare. (Both are 15%.) See if they are the same.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Senior won't get you a discount on room. You can't combine discounts.

What selections are you making in the PWD section?

 

[the_traveler]

Traveling with a cane and no assistance needed.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Traveling with a cane and no assistance needed.

And the H-Room comes up for you? I couldn't get it to show unless I said I was in a wheelchair

 

[the_traveler]

Maybe that's why I never saw it!

 

[anuenue]

I was told by customer service that the H rooms are in their own bucket, and that there's a 15% discount. Discount off of what? Off of some seemingly random fare that is then always* "discounted". In other words, the fare is whatever they tell you it is.

In my specific case, the discounted H fare falls between the rates for roomettes and bedrooms on the same train/day/city pair. Customer service made it very clear to me that the H bucket is not related in any way to any other bucket.

* not discounted if purchased by a non-qualifying person within 14 days of departure.

 

[Ryan]

All of the data suggests otherwise.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I was told by customer service that the H rooms are in their own bucket, and that there's a 15% discount. Discount off of what? Off of some seemingly random fare that is then always* "discounted". In other words, the fare is whatever they tell you it is.

In my specific case, the discounted H fare falls between the rates for roomettes and bedrooms on the same train/day/city pair. Customer service made it very clear to me that the H bucket is not related in any way to any other bucket.

* not discounted if purchased by a non-qualifying person within 14 days of departure.

It seems the only difference is if you qualify for the h-room you get 15% off the room fee (roomette fee) in addition to the 15% off the rail fare.

I qualify for the 15% disability discount, but since I don't qualify for the h-room I do not get 15% off the room fee, only off the rail fare.

 

[anuenue]

I wish Amtrak Customer Service agreed with what the rest of you are saying. The rep I first spoke with told me I was wrong, and offered to have it investigated. I sent a copy of the thread I started here, where many people said it should be a discount off the roomette fare.

After investigating, Amtrak called me and said that H has its own unrelated bucket, period.

If anyone can find anything at all on Amtrak's own website, or anything from Amtrak's own regulations, I would be very grateful to see it. I cannot figure out any other way to convince them.

 

[Ryan]

I'm not sure why you need to convince them of anything. The prices are what they are, and have the discount priced in.

 

[Ryan]

Traveling with a cane and no assistance needed.

And the H-Room comes up for you? I couldn't get it to show unless I said I was in a wheelchair

That's because that's what you need to book the H-room:

Who May Reserve Accessible Room Accommodations

Up until 14 days prior to the departure of each train from its origin city, reservations for accessible bedrooms may be made only for passengers with a disability who travel with a wheeled mobility device.

Source: https://www.amtrak.com/making-reservations-for-passengers-with-a-disability

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Traveling with a cane and no assistance needed.

And the H-Room comes up for you? I couldn't get it to show unless I said I was in a wheelchair

That's because that's what you need to book the H-room:

Who May Reserve Accessible Room Accommodations

Up until 14 days prior to the departure of each train from its origin city, reservations for accessible bedrooms may be made only for passengers with a disability who travel with a wheeled mobility device.

Source: https://www.amtrak.com/making-reservations-for-passengers-with-a-disability

I figured that but wanted to test a few other options to verify.

 

[anuenue]

I'm not sure why you need to convince them of anything. The prices are what they are, and have the discount priced in.

Because the difference between A) what I was quoted (and charged), and B.) 15% off the roomette is more than $100 for the specific date/train/city pair I'll be on. I would really love to have Amtrak agree with all of you who say the H fare is 15% off the roomette fare, so they will refund $100+ to me.

 

[Ryan]

What date and city pair?

 

[Dovecote]

I'm not sure why you need to convince them of anything. The prices are what they are, and have the discount priced in.

Because the difference between A) what I was quoted (and charged), and B.) 15% off the roomette is more than $100 for the specific date/train/city pair I'll be on. I would really love to have Amtrak agree with all of you who say the H fare is 15% off the roomette fare, so they will refund $100+ to me.

FWIW---I just booked travel in a H Room and received the 15% discount off the $91 roomette low bucket fare. The accommodation charge turned out being $77.35.

 

[Ryan]

While not an exhaustive search, every example I've seen matches that.

I would be willing to wager an Official Internet Beer that it's true in anuenue's case as well, and the price she got matches up with 15% off of one of the roomette buckets - just not the current one, which is why she thinks that she got something different.

 

[anuenue]

While not an exhaustive search, every example I've seen matches that.

I would be willing to wager an Official Internet Beer that it's true in anuenue's case as well, and the price she got matches up with 15% off of one of the roomette buckets - just not the current one, which is why she thinks that she got something different.

I understand why you think that. But that's not what I was told by the folks at Amtrak who investigated my specific case. They told me there is a separate H bucket. They quoted me the roomette bucket range and a separate H bucket range, which were different. And in my specific case that seems to be true. THAT is why I believe it's true.

I believe you when you say that every one you found in your exhaustive search is 15% off the roomette.

In any case, until someone can show me something official from Amtrak stating that the H fare is 15% off the then-current roomette fare, I'm going to just have to let it go.

 

[Ryan]

You wouldn't be the first time that someone has been given incorrect information by a CSR.

It would be easy to solve if you told us what you paid and the city pair is.