Undisclosed Bedroom rates

[the_traveler]

Actually Superliner roomettes are not sold in numerical order. I am not sure of the exact order, but 1st is #2, the next is like #11 (something downstairs), then back upstairs, etc...

 

[niemi24s]

Thinking about this a bit more, let's suppose a train has two Superliner Sleepers in addition to a Transdorm and assume sleeper assignments are made by Arrow (no request for a specific sleeper from the traveler).

• It's probably safe to assume no Roomette in the Transdorm is assigned until all other Roomettes in both levels of both sleepers are booked. OK? That was easy. However....

• If the very first Roomette Arrow books is #2, is the second one Arrow books #11 in the same sleeper? Or #2 in the other sleeper?

• If Arrow assigns the first two Roomettes booked (#2 and #11) in the same sleeper, are the next two (the third and fourth) Roomettes assigned in the other sleeper?

• If Arrow assigns the third and fourth Roomettes from the same sleeper as the first two, at what point does Arrow begin assigning Roomettes in the other sleeper (to equalize SCA workload)?

While I know nothing about computer programming, it seems Arrow would assign Roomettes following either some sort of programmed orderly sequence (not necessarily numerical order) or assign them in a random sequence. Or how about a third possibility: maybe Arrow follows some programmed orderly sequence for the first group of bookings and then switches to random assignments for the remainder? Or perhaps the whole assignment method changes periodically to keep those who make a career of riding Amtrak guessing? I've a hunch that without some really serious inside information, the process of Roomette (and perhaps Bedroom) assignment will remain unknown - and unknowable.

YMMV

 

[Ryan]

What is knowable:

Rooms are balanced across different sleeping cars.

There is some intelligence - if someone books a room CHI-DEN, and someone else comes along and wants to book SLC-EMY, Arrow will pick the room assigned to someone else CHI-DEN over a room that is vacant from end to end.

Rooms in the Transdorm seem to go later in the process.

 

[PaulM]

it seems Arrow would assign Roomettes following either some sort of programmed orderly sequence (not necessarily numerical order) or assign them in a random sequence.

Note: I was composing this when the post by Ryan appeared. But I think we are saying the same thing.

It just dawned on me why the first one (orderly sequence) makes much mores sense because it takes into consideration what has been sold before. For example, consider the CZ and assume room X is assigned first, Y second, etc.

Say, someone books CHi-DEN, they get assigned X. Then, if X is not available for a requested station pair, Y is assigned. Then Z, etc. But if someone then books SLC-EMY, X is available; so they get it. Other (non-X) assignments are made; and then someone books DEN-SLC. X is available, so they get it. This scheme keeps the SCA hopping, but is very efficient since 3 reservations block only one room from longer trips, say CHI-EMY.

One the other hand if you assign them randomly or let Peter Willie have his favorite room, 2 passengers with very sort itineraries could block two rooms from longer distance travel.

 

[Ryan]

Yep, that's a good way of putting it.

Tying it to prices, I think that the rooms get allocated to buckets when they're placed in inventory - using your nomenclature, let's say X=$, Y=$$, and Z=$$$.

When you call up and want to book Z for reasons of personal preference, you're going to get quoted a price higher than what you would get automatically if the agent just pulls the room up. You can ask them to manually reprice (and they can), but that behavior gybes with what I've been told and seems to fit the known facts.

 

[niemi24s]

it seems Arrow would assign Roomettes following either some sort of programmed orderly sequence (not necessarily numerical order) or assign them in a random sequence.

Note: I was composing this when the post by Ryan appeared. But I think we are saying the same thing.

It just dawned on me why the first one (orderly sequence) makes much mores sense because it takes into consideration what has been sold before. For example, consider the CZ and assume room X is assigned first, Y second, etc.

Say, someone books CHi-DEN, they get assigned X. Then, if X is not available for a requested station pair, Y is assigned. Then Z, etc. But if someone then books SLC-EMY, X is available; so they get it. Other (non-X) assignments are made; and then someone books DEN-SLC. X is available, so they get it. This scheme keeps the SCA hopping, but is very efficient since 3 reservations block only one room from longer trips, say CHI-EMY.

One the other hand if you assign them randomly or let Peter Willie have his favorite room, 2 passengers with very sort itineraries could block two rooms from longer distance travel.

Your analysis opens up an entirely different assignment scheme as only bookings for the entire route length were considered when doing my mental gymnastics last night.

Perhaps Arrow has been programmed to maximize revenues in the following manner: Someone books the very first Roomette on a travel date that's as early as possible (11 months out) for the first third of an LD route and Arrow assigns X. Later on, someone else wants a Roomette for the last third of that same route. Does Arrow:

• Assign Roomette X to the second traveler (leaving that Roomette potentially vacant for a third of the route) or...

• Assign Roomette Y in the hopes (computers hope?) that a third traveler will come along later and want a Roomette for the last half of that route instead of merely the last third (thereby leaving that Roomette potentially vacant for only a sixth of the route)?

In deciding what to do, Arrow probably looks at past Roomette ridership for pertinent city pairs to assess the likelihood of selling more of that Roomette at a later date. Note the "probably". Maybe it does something else. For all I really know, it might assign Roomettes based on the time of day the booking is made!

And maybe Bedrooms based on the alphabetic content of the travelers name!!

 

[Ryan]

It's pretty clear how it works if you read Paul and my posts. Arrow will assign the first available room for the requested segment in its list. In your example, Roomette X would be booked since it's at the top of the list and available for the requested segment.

 

[niemi24s]

Made a few minor typographical corrections over the past few days to the bucket list, so here's the amended version:



Will check for any increases because of the new fiscal quarter in a week or so.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

Actually Superliner roomettes are not sold in numerical order. I am not sure of the exact order, but 1st is #2, the next is like #11 (something downstairs), then back upstairs, etc...

Is that to attempt to keep the load balanced?

 

[Ryan]

Yes, Arrow does load balance across cars.

 

[PaulM]

In deciding what to do, Arrow probably looks at past Roomette ridership for pertinent city pairs to assess the likelihood of selling more of that Roomette at a later date.

We are often told the reason why Arrow can't do seemingly simple things is that it is so old. You are talking data science, which I doubt was even invented when Arrow was created.

 

[Ryan]

You are right, it doesn't do that.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

When you call up and want to book Z for reasons of personal preference, you're going to get quoted a price higher than what you would get automatically if the agent just pulls the room up. You can ask them to manually reprice (and they can), but that behavior gybes with what I've been told and seems to fit the known facts.

Based on my personal experience requesting a specific roomette or bedroom does not get a higher price. I know some enjoy playing the mathematics and programming game but I simply use Amsnag(now use Amsnag 2 mostly) to get the best (lowest) price, call AGR to reserve and ALWAYS get the price that Amsnag gave me and I still get the senior discount on the coach portion of the fare. I've never been quoted a higher price based on my specific roomette request. Since I live in Nashville(an un-served city) I actually plan my Amtrak travel on several trains in one trip around lowest Amsnag fares a few months in advance.

 

[Ryan]

That’s because you’ve been lucky enough to get agents that know what they are doing off the bat. It also likely helps that you are requesting the room up front, folks that make a reservation and then want to move rooms seem likely to be told that the new room will cost more money.