Roomette>Bedroom Upgrade With AGR Redemption Ticket

[Dovecote]

This Thursday the wife and I will be traveling from HFY to MSP via the CL and EB courtesy of AGR. I will attempt an onboard upgrade from a roomette to a bedroom. Does anyone have an idea on how the upgrade fare is determined when using an AGR redemption ticket? I have searched this subject on this site but cannot seem to find any information for this particular situation. For what it is worth, sleepers on the CL are sold out on the day. Not sure if this is pertinent info when the upgrade fare is determined.

 

[the_traveler]

Good question! I was wondering the nsame thing!

I really don't know. Could it be the from the fare bucket at the time that you actually booked your award? :huh: I know the ticket shows a $-0- fare, but AGR had to use a $257 or $579 room to issue the ticket. Perhaps that is indicated somewhere on their computer? :huh:

 

[saxman]

I don't know how they would determine the fare you would have to pay, but its easy for the conductor or yourself to tell which bucket you got, even on a reward ticket. Maybe that is used, I'm not really sure. Now the second question is if a bedroom will even be available, especially during this time of year. Maybe on the EB since you are going only to MSP, you might be able to snag one.

 

[Dovecote]

I don't know how they would determine the fare you would have to pay, but its easy for the conductor or yourself to tell which bucket you got, even on a reward ticket. Maybe that is used, I'm not really sure. Now the second question is if a bedroom will even be available, especially during this time of year. Maybe on the EB since you are going only to MSP, you might be able to snag one.

I booked the reservation eight days ago and assigned to the transdorm car. Two days later all sleepers were sold out. Is it safe to assume that my AGR award was booked at the highest bucket?

If this is the case and a bedroom is miraculously available for onboard upgrading this Thursday, would the bucket fare for the bedroom get based off at the lowest bucket when boarding the train?

 

[the_traveler]

I booked the reservation eight days ago and assigned to the transdorm car. Two days later all sleepers were sold out. Is it safe to assume that my AGR award was booked at the highest bucket?
If this is the case and a bedroom is miraculously available for onboard upgrading this Thursday, would the bucket fare for the bedroom get based off at the lowest bucket when boarding the train?

Yes (I think) and no. It is very possible that you room was high bucket, but without you knowing that it was the very last room, you can't say for sure that it was high bucket.

When a room goes back into itnventory, it is placed for sale at the original bucket that was booked. However, once onboard if it is available, it is offered at the lowest bucket!

 

[sechs]

I was always under the impression that reward tickets could not be upgraded. Even so, what intelligent conductor is going to use anything other than the zero value printed on the tickets?

 

[diesteldorf]

You could always have an Amtrak phone agent email you a copy of your AGR reservation. That would have the total dollar value of your itinerary and if that was known, it would be pretty easy to determine your bucket rate.

 

[AlanB]

I can definatively answer this question, as I tried to do just such an upgrade onboard the Empire Builder. A roomette booked via AGR is given no value and one will pay the low bucket price for the bedroom. In my case that would have been $461 for the Empire Builder from Seattle to Chicago.

Personally I think that this is a very unfair practice on the part of Amtrak, as those points do have a value. Especially points earned via the AGR credit card and from AGR partners. I could understand not giving one credit for whatever bucket level the roomette was actually at when booked, but IMHO Amtrak should give credit for the low bucket price or at least assign some value to that room other than zero.

And to Sechs, the conductor doesn't set the price or make any decision regarding the AGR ticket. He calls space control with the reservation number and they give him the price based upon where the upgrade is occuring and the ultimate destination.