Roomette & Bedroom pricing on the Crescent

[DKpartyguy]

Greetings all,

I am planning a trip for this summer for myself and a friend of mine. One of the places we are considering is New Orleans.

I have taken the Crescent many times by myself, but this will be the first time for my friend.

I just did a search on Amtrak for the trip departing NY Penn station on August 3rd.

We will be getting either a roomette or a bedroom.

Much to my surprise, the bedrooms available on this trip are cheaper than the roomette!

The roomettes were $450.00 and the bedrooms were $370.00!!!!

How could this be? Is it because all of the cheaper roomettes at the lowest "bucket" were sold out?

If there is any logic to this it defies me.

Any comments????

David

 

[Blackwolf]

If that's the pricing, I'd snag the bedroom! And quick!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Don't ask why, just grab it!

 

[zepherdude]

$370.00 is GREAT money for a bedroom. Take it and don't ask questions.

 

[Tracktwentynine]

The Crescent has always had hinky fares.

See here: http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/35761-a-look-at-fares-on-the-crescent/

Note: These fares have changed, but apparently, the Crescent is still priced strangely.

 

[Ryan]

Supply and Demand...

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Supply and Demand...

Where have I heard that before?

 

[amamba]

Book the bedroom a d call it a day.

 

[crescent2]

I've seen the same type of fares for the Crescent several times since I learned about amsnag. I thought it was strange, too! (Good, but strange.) Grab it!

 

[user 1215]

Supply and Demand...

That's simplistically silly. If many of the roomettes are taken, there comes a point that the bedroom would be just slightly more pricey that it becomes much more desireable, therefore booked and therefore the price should climb in parallel to the roomette. If every roomette is taken, then the starting point of the bedroom should be at a minimum the same as the highest price paid for a roomette unless departure date is coming nigh and the prices get lowered to fill the rooms (which should still only happen if the roomettes are sold out, then no one can compare the lower cost of the bedroom to a sold out roomette).

As has been mentioned, this seems to be fairly common on the Crescent. Interestingly, on April 15th, the Silver Star is experiencing this phenomenom where the bedroom from Savannah to Raleigh is about $40 cheaper than the roomette.

Another explanation could be the desirability to fill the room over a long distance. They may not want to sell a roomette between SAV and RGH if they think they can get more money from someone booking that room from MIA to WAS or NYP. However, if someone has booked a bedroom from MIA to SAV and then from RGH to NYP and it's just open between SAV and RGH, then they may lower the price to incentive maxing the revenue.

The algorythms for long disance train travel is complex, and I believe there is still a LOT of room for maximizing revenue and still keeping the rates for mid point travellers reasonable.

 

[xyzzy]

Supply and Demand...

That's simplistically silly. If many of the roomettes are taken, there comes a point that the bedroom would be just slightly more pricey that it becomes much more desireable, therefore booked and therefore the price should climb in parallel to the roomette. If every roomette is taken, then the starting point of the bedroom should be at a minimum the same as the highest price paid for a roomette unless departure date is coming nigh and the prices get lowered to fill the rooms (which should still only happen if the roomettes are sold out, then no one can compare the lower cost of the bedroom to a sold out roomette).

As has been mentioned, this seems to be fairly common on the Crescent. Interestingly, on April 15th, the Silver Star is experiencing this phenomenom where the bedroom from Savannah to Raleigh is about $40 cheaper than the roomette.

Another explanation could be the desirability to fill the room over a long distance. They may not want to sell a roomette between SAV and RGH if they think they can get more money from someone booking that room from MIA to WAS or NYP. However, if someone has booked a bedroom from MIA to SAV and then from RGH to NYP and it's just open between SAV and RGH, then they may lower the price to incentive maxing the revenue.

The algorythms for long disance train travel is complex, and I believe there is still a LOT of room for maximizing revenue and still keeping the rates for mid point travellers reasonable.

Agreed, but for the example you quoted, Silver sleepers are usually sold out so far in advance that the likelihood of getting a sleeper between intermediate points at a discounted price is highly unlikely. And speaking of marginal prices: in 1978 I was booked in coach on the Southern Crescent from New Orleans to Birmingham. I hadn't had much sleep the night before, so I asked the ticket agent at NOUPT how much would it cost to upgrade to a roomette. The answer was $12. I accepted and snoozed most of the way. Even at a 4:1 rate between dollars then and dollars now, it was a good deal.

 

[user 1215]

My first ride on the Texas Eagle from Chicago to Dallas in 1999, IIRC, I got an upgrade to a roomette from St. Louis to Dallas for $35.