Nice discount with a sleeper on the CONO

[MiRider]

If you read my posts, you know that I am a coach person but this was a deal I could not pass up.

I'll be traveling with my high maintenance

husband from CHI to NOL in Jan.

So I thought a roomette at least one way would be a good idea since they're only $163 and with 2 people, that's very reasonable.

When I added the roomette, I received a $60 rail discount - woo hoo!

Well then, I thought, let's add a roomette the other way - $60 discount again!

When I applied his old man discount, another $35 discount - yowza!

So, the final tally is $155 in discounts effectively making the roomettes 85.50 each way!

What a deal!

Is there a sale somewhere that I didn't see?

 

[Tracktwentynine]

No, there's no sale.

When you book a sleeper, you automatically get the LOW BUCKET of your rail fare.

So, let's look at an example:

Example 1:

Let's say the low bucket rail fare (coach fare) between Appleton and Daisyville is $50. Let's say the low bucket roomette costs $65.

In that case, if you were to book just yourself in the roomette, your total fare would be $115 ($50 + $65). If you were to book 2 people in the roomette, your total fare would be $165 ($50 + $50 + $65).

Example 2:

Let's say the train is pretty full, so the rail fare is in a higher bucket. Let's say in the case the rail fare is now $100. But the roomettes are still selling for the same price, $65.

In that case, if you were to book just yourself in a roomette, your total fare would be $115. That's the same price as before! Same case for 2 people, it's $165, just like before!

Why? Because when you book a sleeper, the rail fare automatically reverts to the low bucket. BUT, for reasons that surpass understanding, the Amtrak website can't figure this out. So when you look on the website, you search for a ticket from Appleton to Daisyville, and the website says the coach fare will be $100.

When you click "buy rooms", it tells you the cost to upgrade to a roomette is $65. So you think, well, that's gonna cost me $165. I can do that.

When you click purchase, though, it tells you the cost is only going to be $115, and you got a $50 rail discount.

The "discount" is not a sale. It's just refunding the difference between the current bucket of coach fares and the low bucket of coach fares.

 

[MiRider]

No, there's no sale.

When you book a sleeper, you automatically get the LOW BUCKET of your rail fare.

So, let's look at an example:

Example 1:

Let's say the low bucket rail fare (coach fare) between Appleton and Daisyville is $50. Let's say the low bucket roomette costs $65.

In that case, if you were to book just yourself in the roomette, your total fare would be $115 ($50 + $65). If you were to book 2 people in the roomette, your total fare would be $165 ($50 + $50 + $65).

Example 2:

Let's say the train is pretty full, so the rail fare is in a higher bucket. Let's say in the case the rail fare is now $100. But the roomettes are still selling for the same price, $65.

In that case, if you were to book just yourself in a roomette, your total fare would be $115. That's the same price as before! Same case for 2 people, it's $165, just like before!

Why? Because when you book a sleeper, the rail fare automatically reverts to the low bucket. BUT, for reasons that surpass understanding, the Amtrak website can't figure this out. So when you look on the website, you search for a ticket from Appleton to Daisyville, and the website says the coach fare will be $100.

When you click "buy rooms", it tells you the cost to upgrade to a roomette is $65. So you think, well, that's gonna cost me $165. I can do that.

When you click purchase, though, it tells you the cost is only going to be $115, and you got a $50 rail discount.

The "discount" is not a sale. It's just refunding the difference between the current bucket of coach fares and the low bucket of coach fares.

Thanks for explaining that.

I feel like a dummy but every time I've attempted to add a room I've never seen any kind of discount so the rooms have always been too pricey (value-wise) for me to even consider.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

No, there's no sale.

When you book a sleeper, you automatically get the LOW BUCKET of your rail fare.

Very nice to know. I was confused when I book a Sleeper and then there was a random didcound. I did not know that this was the way in which Amtrak expressed the "low bucket coach" for Sleeper bookings.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

No, there's no sale.

When you book a sleeper, you automatically get the LOW BUCKET of your rail fare.

So, let's look at an example:

Example 1:

Let's say the low bucket rail fare (coach fare) between Appleton and Daisyville is $50. Let's say the low bucket roomette costs $65.

In that case, if you were to book just yourself in the roomette, your total fare would be $115 ($50 + $65). If you were to book 2 people in the roomette, your total fare would be $165 ($50 + $50 + $65).

Example 2:

Let's say the train is pretty full, so the rail fare is in a higher bucket. Let's say in the case the rail fare is now $100. But the roomettes are still selling for the same price, $65.

In that case, if you were to book just yourself in a roomette, your total fare would be $115. That's the same price as before! Same case for 2 people, it's $165, just like before!

Why? Because when you book a sleeper, the rail fare automatically reverts to the low bucket. BUT, for reasons that surpass understanding, the Amtrak website can't figure this out. So when you look on the website, you search for a ticket from Appleton to Daisyville, and the website says the coach fare will be $100.

When you click "buy rooms", it tells you the cost to upgrade to a roomette is $65. So you think, well, that's gonna cost me $165. I can do that.

When you click purchase, though, it tells you the cost is only going to be $115, and you got a $50 rail discount.

 

The "discount" is not a sale. It's just refunding the difference between the current bucket of coach fares and the low bucket of coach fares.

Actually, and maybe you meant this, if you click the radio button (or the # of rooms you want from the drop-down box), it will show the cost with the "discount" at the top (where the coach price was). It will also alert you if there are only a few room(ette)s left. You don't need to "add to cart" to see the actual pre-other discounts cost.

 

[Tracktwentynine]

Actually, and maybe you meant this, if you click the radio button (or the # of rooms you want from the drop-down box), it will show the cost with the "discount" at the top (where the coach price was). It will also alert you if there are only a few room(ette)s left. You don't need to "add to cart" to see the actual pre-other discounts cost.

No, I didn't mean that. You are correct, but it's not that simple.

For example, I just did a test booking for a trip on the Capitol Limited from Washington to Chicago on July 31st.

On the page that comes up when you search for trip options on that date, I see that a coach ticket would cost $141. When I click "buy rooms", I see options for sleeper accommodations. The Roomette says to add $368.

Now, if I pull out a calculator, I'll see that $141 + $368 = $509.

However, when I click the radio button, at the top of the box, it now says "$458 - estimated". Now, if you don't do the math, you won't notice the "discount". I'll also note that this is a change from about a year ago. Because I discovered this phenomenon when it didn't do the estimated business on the first page, and we all got a better deal than we thought we were going to. Before this change, it would have displayed $509 on the first page.

When you click "add to cart", it gives you a little table which says:

1 Adult: $141

DISCOUNT: - $51

1 Superliner Roomette: $368

Subtotal: $458

RAIL DISCOUNT: $51

TOTAL: $458.

Now, what the OP was describing was the "RAIL DISCOUNT", which she thought meant that the route was having a sale or something.

 

[MiRider]

No, there's no sale.

When you book a sleeper, you automatically get the LOW BUCKET of your rail fare.

Very nice to know. I was confused when I book a Sleeper and then there was a random didcound. I did not know that this was the way in which Amtrak expressed the "low bucket coach" for Sleeper bookings.

I'm with ya'!

That was an awesome explanation.

I've never seen a discount and I've looked on most every train, of course not every date.

I've even tried the TE many months out and there is never a discount.

And forget about the CL and LSL - too $ for my taste, I don't think there'd be a big enough discount.

That said, I'm happy I won this prize

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Actually, and maybe you meant this, if you click the radio button (or the # of rooms you want from the drop-down box), it will show the cost with the "discount" at the top (where the coach price was). It will also alert you if there are only a few room(ette)s left. You don't need to "add to cart" to see the actual pre-other discounts cost.

No, I didn't mean that. You are correct, but it's not that simple.

For example, I just did a test booking for a trip on the Capitol Limited from Washington to Chicago on July 31st.

On the page that comes up when you search for trip options on that date, I see that a coach ticket would cost $141. When I click "buy rooms", I see options for sleeper accommodations. The Roomette says to add $368.

Now, if I pull out a calculator, I'll see that $141 + $368 = $509.

However, when I click the radio button, at the top of the box, it now says "$458 - estimated". Now, if you don't do the math, you won't notice the "discount". I'll also note that this is a change from about a year ago. Because I discovered this phenomenon when it didn't do the estimated business on the first page, and we all got a better deal than we thought we were going to. Before this change, it would have displayed $509 on the first page.

When you click "add to cart", it gives you a little table which says:

1 Adult: $141

DISCOUNT: - $51

1 Superliner Roomette: $368

Subtotal: $458

RAIL DISCOUNT: $51

TOTAL: $458.

Now, what the OP was describing was the "RAIL DISCOUNT", which she thought meant that the route was having a sale or something.

This discribes what I saw too doing a test booking. I was just pointing out that it now gives the estimated cost (at the "discounted rail fare") on the first page. I can't remember how it was last year when I booked my November trip, but it probably was as you discribe.

 

[MiRider]

Actually, and maybe you meant this, if you click the radio button (or the # of rooms you want from the drop-down box), it will show the cost with the "discount" at the top (where the coach price was). It will also alert you if there are only a few room(ette)s left. You don't need to "add to cart" to see the actual pre-other discounts cost.

No, I didn't mean that. You are correct, but it's not that simple.

For example, I just did a test booking for a trip on the Capitol Limited from Washington to Chicago on July 31st.

On the page that comes up when you search for trip options on that date, I see that a coach ticket would cost $141. When I click "buy rooms", I see options for sleeper accommodations. The Roomette says to add $368.

Now, if I pull out a calculator, I'll see that $141 + $368 = $509.

However, when I click the radio button, at the top of the box, it now says "$458 - estimated". Now, if you don't do the math, you won't notice the "discount". I'll also note that this is a change from about a year ago. Because I discovered this phenomenon when it didn't do the estimated business on the first page, and we all got a better deal than we thought we were going to. Before this change, it would have displayed $509 on the first page.

When you click "add to cart", it gives you a little table which says:

1 Adult: $141

DISCOUNT: - $51

1 Superliner Roomette: $368

Subtotal: $458

RAIL DISCOUNT: $51

TOTAL: $458.

Now, what the OP was describing was the "RAIL DISCOUNT", which she thought meant that the route was having a sale or something.

Yep, that was it exactly.

Thanks again for your very helpful explanation - I learned something new.

 

[SubwayNut]

I took full advantage of that and finally upgraded to roomette for the first time when I procrastinated in booking my coach seat on the Texas Eagle SAS-STL, coach was going to be $182 but a sleeper was lowish-bucket at $174 and pushed my rail fare down to $105.30. Ended up eating food that would have cost me $75 over the course of my 4 meals, so it felt like a relatively good value, along with the two showers I took. It was very satisfying to wake up that morning in the youth hostel in San Antonio and just quickly walk to the Amtrak station without worrying about a shower, knowing I could on the train. I wish there was a way to shower as a coach passenger I would even pay a fee (like $10 or less, maybe more if I had something important to do the next day) for it.

Now if I'm planning a trip on a train with sleepers I'll specifically click through on Amtrak.com adding a sleeper to my itinerary (with no intention usually of buying it) just to see what the low-bucket rail fare is on a given itinerary.