Amazing value

Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

user 6862

Engineer
Joined
Jun 18, 2009
Messages
2,201
3 years ago this month we booked a roomette for 2 on the California Zephyr from CHI to SFC, travelling the following February. Have been looking to book the same trip at the same time of year as this is our favourite rail journey anywhere in the world and found there is a price increase.

It has risen $28 or 4% in 3 years, just amazing and lucky us. Would like to say well done to Amtrak but hope the prices are not kept low at the expense of the employees.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
February is traditionally the "OFF Season" on the Western Trains Jamie.Thus you can snag Low Bucket Tickets.

Sleepers are MUCH Higher on the Popular Routes during the Popular Travel Seasons including the Zephyr.

And the Amtrak employees Union takes fairly good care of them, although they could do a much better job when it comes to Sick Leave and the hiring process.

Supply and Demand!
 
JIm, the comparison was an identical journey at an almost identical time of year. The two dates are just one week apart so a good direct comparison.
 
It has risen $28 or 4% in 3 years, just amazing and lucky us. Would like to say well done to Amtrak but hope the prices are not kept low at the expense of the employees.
Interestingly enough Amtrak employees are still afforded perks and protections that 90% of Americans are unable to find in the the post-boomer era. Under the current terms of employment Amtrak employees will still be able to retire and relax and enjoy their sunset years just like you are. It’s the other 90% of the country that will have to just keep on working with no pensions, a perpetually eroding safety net, and few actionable protections from employment related discrimination. The primary threat to Amtrak employees isn’t the cost of sleepers or coach fares so much as the congressional budgetary approval process.
 
JIm, the comparison was an identical journey at an almost identical time of year. The two dates are just one week apart so a good direct comparison.
While the time of year has little or no bearing on the matter, your cost difference (US$28) shows the the same Roomette bucket levels were being compared. That's because the cost difference would have been in excess of US$130 had the recent cost been one bucket higher.
 
As we vacation in the busy months, we are often faced with paying mid or high bucket fares. We have basically shifted our vacation months to May or Sept as you can find better prices on the sleepers.

A few years ago, if you booked when ticket sales started 10 or 11 months out, you were always able to snag a low bucket fare. With the system now in place fares open mid or high based on the sales history of the train, then follow a sliding scale based upon the progression of sales . The low bucket fare may be 6 months out. In our case mid bucket pricing usually results and we pay way more than 4% more than what we did 3- 5 years ago. If this is what it takes to maintain the service, so be it. IMO, the place where Amtrak may be missing out, is the sale of unsold sleepers once the train departs the station. It used to be that you could buy unsold rooms at low bucket but now it seems that Amtrak wants high bucket. I just wonder how successful this sales program has been.
 
DA, I don't know how being employed by Amtrak compares with other industries, my logical? thought was how have they managed to keep the fare rise to just 4% over 3 years. One favoured way of doing this in the UK is cut labour costs.

Thanks for explaining what you have, it's not my business to comment further on US politics though.
 
Back
Top