How Does 11 Months Out Work

[ThayerATM]

My wife and I are planning a two week Amtrak Trip which involves six separate tickets for each of us. I know that I can NOT book any of the tickets more than 11 months out. Some of the tickets are no sweat, as some of the trains are usually not booked full, and a couple of days will probably not make any difference.

What I would like to know is: EXACTLY when does Amtrak consider the first day to be able to order a ticket "11 months out."

For instance --- if I want to book a bedroom on the Empire Builder (train 7) that runs from CHI on 27 Feb 2011 to SEA, and is scheduled to arrive in SEA on 1 March 2011, can I book the tickets on April 1, 2010?

This might sound picky-picky, but the last time I booked a bedroom on that train I was told that there were no standard bedrooms available, and I had to book the family bedroom. Fortunately, I got on a waiting list and finally did get a standard bedroom upstairs a month before our departure date.

This time I want to be on the phone with Amtrak at 12:01 AM (CDT) to be first in line (ahead of the travel agents) in order to get first dibs.

Does Amtrak go by the calander date, or does it follow the 330 day (11 months x 30 days = 330 days) rule?

And if your answer starts with "It Depends," just shoot me.

 

[diesteldorf]

My wife and I are planning a two week Amtrak Trip which involves six separate tickets for each of us. I know that I can NOT book any of the tickets more than 11 months out. Some of the tickets are no sweat, as some of the trains are usually not booked full, and a couple of days will probably not make any difference.
What I would like to know is: EXACTLY when does Amtrak consider the first day to be able to order a ticket "11 months out."

For instance --- if I want to book a bedroom on the Empire Builder (train 7) that runs from CHI on 27 Feb 2011 to SEA, and is scheduled to arrive in SEA on 1 March 2011, can I book the tickets on April 1, 2010?

This might sound picky-picky, but the last time I booked a bedroom on that train I was told that there were no standard bedrooms available, and I had to book the family bedroom. Fortunately, I got on a waiting list and finally did get a standard bedroom upstairs a month before our departure date.

This time I want to be on the phone with Amtrak at 12:01 AM (CDT) to be first in line (ahead of the travel agents) in order to get first dibs.

Does Amtrak go by the calander date, or does it follow the 330 day (11 months x 30 days = 330 days) rule?

And if your answer starts with "It Depends," just shoot me.

Well, I tried to book a dummy res on several trains and it was 12/19/09. The furthest I could book out was 11/18/2009 so I am assuming it really goes by 11 calendar months---334 or 335 days.

 

[ThayerATM]

My wife and I are planning a two week Amtrak Trip which involves six separate tickets for each of us. I know that I can NOT book any of the tickets more than 11 months out. Some of the tickets are no sweat, as some of the trains are usually not booked full, and a couple of days will probably not make any difference.
What I would like to know is: EXACTLY when does Amtrak consider the first day to be able to order a ticket "11 months out."

For instance --- if I want to book a bedroom on the Empire Builder (train 7) that runs from CHI on 27 Feb 2011 to SEA, and is scheduled to arrive in SEA on 1 March 2011, can I book the tickets on April 1, 2010?

This might sound picky-picky, but the last time I booked a bedroom on that train I was told that there were no standard bedrooms available, and I had to book the family bedroom. Fortunately, I got on a waiting list and finally did get a standard bedroom upstairs a month before our departure date.

This time I want to be on the phone with Amtrak at 12:01 AM (CDT) to be first in line (ahead of the travel agents) in order to get first dibs.

Does Amtrak go by the calander date, or does it follow the 330 day (11 months x 30 days = 330 days) rule?

And if your answer starts with "It Depends," just shoot me.

Well, I tried to book a dummy res on several trains and it was 12/19/09. The furthest I could book out was 11/18/2009 so I am assuming it really goes by 11 calendar months---334 or 335 days.

I finally called Amtrak and asked Jule to let me talk with an agent. Marsha picked up the call.

For "11 months out" Amtrak does follow the caldenar date. If I want to book a trip ending March 1, then April 1 of the preceeding year is the date to call. Now I have something to work with.

 

[Trogdor]

And I think (though, those in the know might correct me if I'm wrong) the actual 12:01 am is Pacific time, not Central time, as that's when the "Amtrak day" starts/ends.

 

[pennyk]

I had mixed results when trying to make reservations exactly 11 months prior to my cross country trip. My first attempt was 12:01 eastern time 11 months out. I was told that the reservations were not yet "loaded into the computer" and to try again at 3:00am, which I did. I was not successful until about 5:30am, but was able to make reservations for the first 2 segments of my trip (even though the second segment was not exactly within the 11 month time frame).

I was successful at 12:01am (eastern time) the next time I phoned and was able to book the next 2 segments. I later ran into a wrinkle and had to wait an extra day because I was making reservations during September and October for a trip during August and September, and September has only 30 days whereas August has 31 days and that fact added an extra day to what I thought was 11 months.

Even though I was quite anxious and worried, I was able to get all the reservations that I wanted in the bedrooms/roomettes that selected.

I hope your luck is as good as mine was.

 

[printman2000]

I have bought tickets four time on the exact day the tickets became available. From my experience, the dates sometime open up earlier that exactly 11 months out. When it gets to about 11 months and 1 week, check EVERY day.