Successful price adjustment.

[buddy559]

I was playing around on the website and checked the train I'm reserved on in Jan14, trying to see what the suckers who were booking now were going to have to pay.

Come to find out I'm the biggest sucker because the price was much lower than what I paid. All kinds I of thoughts were going through my head. It was like looking at a 20 dollar bill on a window ledge and trying to grab it without loosing it.

Called amtrak, and flirted with Julie for a moment, she wasn't having it so she transferred me. Not only did the rep change that leg, she looked at the return one and it was available for the same price. Issued refund in an amount that I almost feel guilty about now.

She checked the room numbers and I'm still upstairs, and it even moved me out of 2 on the way back. I was a bit uneasy about being next to the SCA, not sure why.

So that is a nice down payment towards my summer trip.

 

[Ryan]

Nice, glad that worked out for you!

You were able to get a 100% cash refund of the difference?

 

[buddy559]

Nice, glad that worked out for you!

You were able to get a 100% cash refund of the difference?

She said they were issuing a refund to my credit card for xxx amount. The departure is just over 90 days out, so I don't know if that had anything to do with it.

What had got me so curious and got me searching around, is I was looking at the departure for this Saturday, just to see what a last minute fare would be, etc. It was pretty close to the original fare I had paid. Actually the roomette was more, but it was offering me the family bedroom, for 1 adult for dirt cheap. I tried to add a 2nd adult, just for fun, and the price skyrocketed to over 1,500. The amount added for the 2nd person was over 3 times the coach fare. (OTM-SAC) 26OCT13

I travel solo, (for now) so none of that matters, if the windows were different, it would be pretty nice to lounge around in the family bedroom for 2 days, all by yourself. You also remove the possibility of having a noisy family downstairs, and you can be said noisy family at your leisure. That's a lot of bedrolls for fort building!! :giggle:

 

[Nathanael]

The business with adding a second adult and seeing the price skyrocket appears to be an actual bug. Amtrak needs to get that fixed.

 

[buddy559]

The business with adding a second adult and seeing the price skyrocket appears to be an actual bug. Amtrak needs to get that fixed.

Do you think it is a bug as well offering the family bedroom for a few dollars cheaper than a roomette.

 

[AlanB]

The business with adding a second adult and seeing the price skyrocket appears to be an actual bug. Amtrak needs to get that fixed.

Do you think it is a bug as well offering the family bedroom for a few dollars cheaper than a roomette.

No, it's not a bug. I suppose that some might consider it odd or buggy, but because of the bucket system it is not unusual at all to have that happen.

 

[buddy559]

If I had the choice, and it was cheaper, even by 3 dollars, I would take the family bedroom. Smaller window, but both sides view.

 

[SarahZ]

Will it let a single person book the family bedroom? I don't see that going over very well. If they can, then that's pretty cool, but I could see that ruffling some feathers.

 

[amamba]

Will it let a single person book the family bedroom? I don't see that going over very well. If they can, then that's pretty cool, but I could see that ruffling some feathers.

Why wouldn't a single person be allowed to book the family bedroom? I don't see the issue. All the train rooms are first come, first serve, except for the H room.

 

[Bob Dylan]

The H Room can be booked within 2 weeks of Departure by Anyone, but you dont get the Disability Discount, and it Sells as a Bedroom whereas a Disabled Person pays the Roomette Bucket when booking!

The Family Room Sells for List Price (Current Bucket) No Matter how many Occupy it, sometimes it is Higher than a Bedroom!

 

[buddy559]

Will it let a single person book the family bedroom? I don't see that going over very well. If they can, then that's pretty cool, but I could see that ruffling some feathers.

Why wouldn't a single person be allowed to book the family bedroom? I don't see the issue. All the train rooms are first come, first serve, except for the H room.

I would think so as well. I was looking this morning at last minute prices, to take a quick 2 day RT on either the CZ or the SWC. Both of them had some reasonable options, and both included at least 1 leg that would have been in the family bedroom. The price for the roomette was in one case 3 dollars more than the family bedroom, in one the roomette was 200 more than the family bedroom.

 

[tonys96]

The business with adding a second adult and seeing the price skyrocket appears to be an actual bug. Amtrak needs to get that fixed.

I am not sure it is a "bug". I am not convinced that it is not a back-door fare increase. Amtrak has known about this "bug" for some time and it still exists.

 

[Ryan]

If it were a fare increase, you'd get the same price when you call or buy a ticket in person.

 

[tonys96]

If it were a fare increase, you'd get the same price when you call or buy a ticket in person.

If it were not a fare increase, you would be refunded the extra cost if you paid it without knowing to call or go in person.

 

[SarahZ]

Will it let a single person book the family bedroom? I don't see that going over very well. If they can, then that's pretty cool, but I could see that ruffling some feathers.

Why wouldn't a single person be allowed to book the family bedroom? I don't see the issue. All the train rooms are first come, first serve, except for the H room.

I thought they might set it aside for families, like they do with the four-seat groupings on our regional trains, but if a single person can book it, then more power to them. I think that would be really cool. I imagine it's bigger than the bedroom when it's in daytime mode? I've never been inside it.

 

[AlanB]

I thought they might set it aside for families, like they do with the four-seat groupings on our regional trains, but if a single person can book it, then more power to them. I think that would be really cool. I imagine it's bigger than the bedroom when it's in daytime mode? I've never been inside it.

Set aside; no. But kind of frowned upon to book it when going solo, unless the date of departure is really close; since there are a very limited number of these rooms.

As for space, it's probably a bit bigger than the Bedroom in terms of floor space. But if one adds in the bathroom in the Bedroom, it probably comes out pretty close to equal. What the room does have is much greater seating capacity; two tables,instead of one; a lot more beds; and windows on either side of the train.

 

[diesteldorf]

Figured I'd chime in with a couple of observations.

More often then not, and I have seen exceptions:

The H room is usually priced at the current Roomette bucket, minus 15%. Normally, with every other room, the 15% discount applies just to the rail fare.

In regards to the Family Bedroom, the seating capacity is much larger for day trips and you can easily fit 4-5 comfortably.

I know this topic came up previously and I have to thank JEBR publicly, since he was able to successfully request the most recent IIRC, Amtrak Service manual.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ygv14zua8f3b357/ServiceStandardsRev7.pdf

Pages 483-484 refer to Non-Birth Service

According to the manual, they will actually allow 5 Adults to be booked in a Family Bedroom for a day trip.

My parents had actually booked coach for themselves and 2 friends using the 31% companion fare promo. However, I was able to get the agent to create a reservation for all 4 of them in the family bedroom for both legs of a round trip. Low bucket was available for each portion, so it was pretty easy to convince them to pay the upgrade fee and ride sleeper instead of coach for a 5 hour trip in November.

The agent had never heard of non-birth service or the policy, but he was more than willing to check with a customer support agent and happily booked the reservation when he found out it was possible.

From a passenger perspective, the family bedroom can really offer advantages to larger groups that want it for the meals and the privacy, but I am still surprised Amtrak has this policy.

Regarding price adjustments, this is what sets Amtrak apart from the airlines. I've always had great luck with adjustments, though I take more evouchers to avoid the 10% penalty.

During the Gathering, I called to get a $5 price adjustment on a trip we were taking that evening. Later that afternoon, i realized I booked the wrong day for a Chicago to Joliet round trip. The conductor told me to call and get it fixed over the phone which I did. The fare for the correct day was $5 higher...guess where that evoucher went

The bucket system can be hard to read, but it pays to self-police and always check fares for upcoming trips.

I am taking a trip in February with my dad to New Orleans and had the H room from LSE to Chicago and back. Last week, I noticed the sleeper fares seemed to be cheaper than when I booked a few months ago, so I thought I would gamble a little...

I spoke to an agent late in the evening and told her my dad and I decided to go coach instead. She sent me an evoucher for the cost of the rooms. I called back a minute later and asked a different agent check on the fare for the same H room. It had dropped for both legs. I readded it to the reservation and used my new evoucher to pay the difference, plus I still had $70 left over for a future trip.

 

[diesteldorf]

The business with adding a second adult and seeing the price skyrocket appears to be an actual bug. Amtrak needs to get that fixed.

I am not sure it is a "bug". I am not convinced that it is not a back-door fare increase. Amtrak has known about this "bug" for some time and it still exists.

Since you can always add a second passenger to a room for the lowest coach fare, I would think it would have to be a bug if Amtrak charged more, unless I totally misread what the original poster was trying to do.

 

[caravanman]

If I were a regular passenger and had a real choice of train or plane... and looking to compare prices months ahead... maybe I would be persuaded to purchase plane tickets as their fares start off low, where as Amtraks high fares months ahead are simply an inducement not to buy?

I have purchased the family room just for my solo use once, close to the departure date... I was astonished to get such a large space at less than a roomette price. Also used it for a trip with my son and stepdaughter from L.A. to Orlando... those were the days!

Ed

 

[amamba]

I thought they might set it aside for families, like they do with the four-seat groupings on our regional trains, but if a single person can book it, then more power to them. I think that would be really cool. I imagine it's bigger than the bedroom when it's in daytime mode? I've never been inside it.

Set aside; no. But kind of frowned upon to book it when going solo, unless the date of departure is really close; since there are a very limited number of these rooms.

As for space, it's probably a bit bigger than the Bedroom in terms of floor space. But if one adds in the bathroom in the Bedroom, it probably comes out pretty close to equal. What the room does have is much greater seating capacity; two tables,instead of one; a lot more beds; and windows on either side of the train.

Sure, Alan, I am not suggesting that a single traveler purchases the family room months ahead of time. I would agree that while it is allowed it is somewhat inconsiderate as there is only one of these rooms per car.

But when the family room is being sold a few days before the trip at a cheaper price than a roomette, I do not fault any single traveler for reserving it.

 

[buddy559]

I checked again for tonight on the CZ and It offered me the family bedroom as a single for 50 dollars less than a roomette. When I select roomette it is showing "3 more at this price" I can't see paying 50 dollars more for a roomette unless you really wanted to be upstairs, and those may be all gone.

 

[Beebo Brinker]

Last night, I successfully adjusted my CZ/CS trip for next July. The roomette I booked was over a $100 cheaper , the CS coach ticket was a bit more expansive, but I saved $84 which will partly fund my 2015 ticket to NOL