Sleeper Prices- WOW!!

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Why are sleeper prices so high right now? I always book a year ahead of time, and I have never seen prices so high for the same route I have always taken. Fullerton, CA to Kansas City. Right now a roomette is running $647 one way. Yikes!
For whatever its worth, there are plenty of days over the next 11 months where the Roometes are going for $520.00. Pick your day. Dont know what you have paid before, a lot less? Curious.
 
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While we're at it, I can understand charging a "nuisance fee" for changing or cancelling a reservation (such as, say, $25), but twenty-five percent of the ticket price?! That's almost like the travel equivalent of credit cards which charge an annual fee plus a 30% APR.
With many airline fares, you could either cancel your reservation for a 100% penalty or change your reservation for a change fee that could be much more than a 25% penalty!
 
While we're at it, I can understand charging a "nuisance fee" for changing or cancelling a reservation (such as, say, $25), but twenty-five percent of the ticket price?! That's almost like the travel equivalent of credit cards which charge an annual fee plus a 30% APR.
With many airline fares, you could either cancel your reservation for a 100% penalty or change your reservation for a change fee that could be much more than a 25% penalty!
When you buy the most expensive fares on an airline it's usually very easy to change or cancel with little or no penalty, but on Amtrak the most expensive fares come with the most restrictions and penalties. Amtrak's travel insurance is so limited in value and purpose that the cost of travel can exceed the value of the contract. It honestly makes no sense to me and if there is even the tiniest doubt in my mind I will generally book elsewhere.
 
On most airlines one is able to purchase at least some fares that are fully refundable, no fees, no questions asked. This appears to be a rare thing on Amtrak except when Acelas are involved. Same is true for award travel. On the whole, unless you are ready to forfeit some of the fare should you have to cancel, you need to stay away from most Amtrak tickets.
 
Many times, rooms may start 11 months out at mid bucket and lower to low bucket at like 8-9 months out. This is especially true now with the EB and CZ in summer, when tour groups grab blocks of rooms early.
I'm 8 months out right now, but that price is way too high. I'll keep checking.
 
Many times, rooms may start 11 months out at mid bucket and lower to low bucket at like 8-9 months out. This is especially true now with the EB and CZ in summer, when tour groups grab blocks of rooms early.
I'm 8 months out right now, but that price is way too high. I'll keep checking.
What price are you referring to?
 
With all the sell outs and high sleeper prices why doesn't Amtrak take the idle sleepers from the Star and Meteor and add one or more to the LSL, Crescent, and Cardinal ? It is going to be days before Star an Meteor can again operate.

That makes too much sense and would increase ridership and revenue for those trains ?
 
With all the sell outs and high sleeper prices why doesn't Amtrak take the idle sleepers from the Star and Meteor and add one or more to the LSL, Crescent, and Cardinal ?
I bet @cpotisch has some insite re this. As-far-as the A/T - there is a maximum number of cars they can pull. I'll bet the size of the train determines if they could even add any cars. I remember my toy train set. Too many cars won't make it around a bend! I.e., the horseshoe curve in Jacksonville.(???) Or, maybe the limits on the engines? @cpotisch : what determines the length of a train.
 
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With all the sell outs and high sleeper prices why doesn't Amtrak take the idle sleepers from the Star and Meteor and add one or more to the LSL, Crescent, and Cardinal ?
I bet @cpotisch has some insite re this. As-far-as the A/T - there is a maximum number of cars they can pull. I'll bet the size of the train determines if they could even add any cars. I remember my toy train set. Too many cars won't make it around a bend! I.e., the horseshoe curve in Jacksonville.(???) Or, maybe the limits on the engines? @cpotisch : what determines the length of a train.
You must have me confused with some other member, because I have virtually no knowledge about this stuff.
 
With all the sell outs and high sleeper prices why doesn't Amtrak take the idle sleepers from the Star and Meteor and add one or more to the LSL, Crescent, and Cardinal ?
I bet @cpotisch has some insite re this. As-far-as the A/T - there is a maximum number of cars they can pull. I'll bet the size of the train determines if they could even add any cars. I remember my toy train set. Too many cars won't make it around a bend! I.e., the horseshoe curve in Jacksonville.(???) Or, maybe the limits on the engines? @cpotisch : what determines the length of a train.
In this case, it is my understanding that the contract Amtrak has with CSX for the auto train includes a 50 car limit on the train length.
 
Why Amtrak cannot offer at their own website a "My dates are flexible" option that would give the rate for any fare/accommodation that is open for sale, just as United and surely many another airline offers, escapes me.

I understand there is a Third Party website offering such, but it's just that - Third Party.
 
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With all the sell outs and high sleeper prices why doesn't Amtrak take the idle sleepers from the Star and Meteor and add one or more to the LSL, Crescent, and Cardinal ? It is going to be days before Star an Meteor can again operate.

That makes too much sense and would increase ridership and revenue for those trains ?
Because there is really no lead time. I know that storm was slow and took “forever” in terms of a weather system, but honestly, who is booking sleeper car service that close to the date of travel to justify the expense to shuttle the cars to where they can be of use. And since it is a short term situation, how long would they be allowed to book those sleepers before they were needed on their original trains?
 
Why add sleepers ? Cars already at SSY or PHL. PHL trains will have to D/H to SSY when service finally restarted. OBS persons idle and can follow the sleepers. Anyone know if idle OBS persons are being paid ?
 
Why Amtrak cannot offer at their own website a "My dates are flexible" option that would give the rate for any fare/accommodation that is open for sale, just as United and surely many another airline offers, escapes me.

I understand there is a Third Party website offering such, but it's just that - Third Party.
I wondered the same thing. Amsnag is the only place to see up to 30 dsys. I use Southwests flexible option the timescI have to fly. How hard would it be to add a flexible option to their website? Type in a month and you can see rates for coach and sleepers. Usually the sleeper pricing will determine the days I travel.
 
Why Amtrak cannot offer at their own website a "My dates are flexible" option that would give the rate for any fare/accommodation that is open for sale, just as United and surely many another airline offers, escapes me.

I understand there is a Third Party website offering such, but it's just that - Third Party.
I wondered the same thing. Amsnag is the only place to see up to 30 dsys. I use Southwests flexible option the timescI have to fly. How hard would it be to add a flexible option to their website? Type in a month and you can see rates for coach and sleepers. Usually the sleeper pricing will determine the days I travel.
Why, pray tell, would Amtrak (which is trying to maximize profits and minimize losses) do something that would allow the average traveler to easily select a travel date with the lowest possible fare?
 
Why Amtrak cannot offer at their own website a "My dates are flexible" option that would give the rate for any fare/accommodation that is open for sale, just as United and surely many another airline offers, escapes me.

I understand there is a Third Party website offering such, but it's just that - Third Party.
I wondered the same thing. Amsnag is the only place to see up to 30 dsys. I use Southwests flexible option the timescI have to fly. How hard would it be to add a flexible option to their website? Type in a month and you can see rates for coach and sleepers. Usually the sleeper pricing will determine the days I travel.
Why, pray tell, would Amtrak (which is trying to maximize profits and minimize losses) do something that would allow the average traveler to easily select a travel date with the lowest possible fare?
Because then Amtrak can more easily get the price-sensitive traveler that may not be date-sensitive. If someone goes to Amtrak.com, sees the date they pick as high bucket, instead of checking different dates they may just leave and book a different mode. However, if they have the option to use a calendar view, they can see "oh, I can leave five days later and save $400" and then Amtrak gets that booking instead of the customer going off to another company. Since low-bucket fares are likely on low-demand days, that's revenue that Amtrak may not have been able to get otherwise (maybe that seat or room would have traveled empty.)
 
Why Amtrak cannot offer at their own website a "My dates are flexible" option that would give the rate for any fare/accommodation that is open for sale, just as United and surely many another airline offers, escapes me.

I understand there is a Third Party website offering such, but it's just that - Third Party.
I wondered the same thing. Amsnag is the only place to see up to 30 dsys. I use Southwests flexible option the timescI have to fly. How hard would it be to add a flexible option to their website? Type in a month and you can see rates for coach and sleepers. Usually the sleeper pricing will determine the days I travel.
Why, pray tell, would Amtrak (which is trying to maximize profits and minimize losses) do something that would allow the average traveler to easily select a travel date with the lowest possible fare?
Seriously? You do realize that many airlines AND railroads do this. Why offer cheap fares at all if you don't want anybody to see or utilize them? And if a possible customer is able to easily see that Amtrak offers a good fare on a certain day, there's a better chance that that person chooses to take Amtrak.

Remembering now though, I'm apparently one of 17 members that you've blocked, so there was probably no point in me responding to you anyway.
 
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Why Amtrak cannot offer at their own website a "My dates are flexible" option that would give the rate for any fare / accommodation that is open for sale, just as United and surely many another airline offers, escapes me.I understand there is a Third Party website offering such, but it's just that - Third Party.
I wondered the same thing. Amsnag is the only place to see up to 30 dsys. I use Southwests flexible option the timescI have to fly. How hard would it be to add a flexible option to their website? Type in a month and you can see rates for coach and sleepers. Usually the sleeper pricing will determine the days I travel.
Why, pray tell, would Amtrak (which is trying to maximize profits and minimize losses) do something that would allow the average traveler to easily select a travel date with the lowest possible fare?
Offering low fares without an easy way to find them is a bit like building a doomsday device without bothering to tell anyone about it.

dr-strangelove-or--how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-bomb-170-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000.jpg
 
I've a suspicion the average Amtrak sleeper passenger doesn't even know there is such a thing as different prices for sleepers (or buckets). That suspicion is based on conversations in the dining car. If I brought up Amtrak's bucket pricing system, others were all surprised and most seemed shocked when informed of it.

One was even a travel agent!!!

Although there's no way of really knowing, methinks many, many Amtrak sleeper passengers are not price-sensitive but are date-sensitive. F'rinstance "I've got four days off next week - lets take the kids on the train to visit Aunt Bea in Mayberry! You start packing - I'll get the tickets."

Furthermore, if a prospective traveler happened to be price-sensitive he or she probably wouldn't be looking for a sleeper on Amtrak to begin with.

YMMV
 
This is a very interesting thread. I'm more of a date-sensitive traveler, as hubby must ask for the days off work and his job somewhat limits time off. I'm self-employed, so my schedule is open. At any rate, if dates are important, how far in advance do you generally book your trip, particularly if it has multiple stops? Hubby and I are planning a trip in March on the Texas Eagle:

Los Angeles to San Antonio, two nights in SA

San Antonio to Dallas, two nights in Dallas

Dallas to Austin, one night there

Austin back to Los Angeles

Roomettes for every leg. How far in advance would you book this trip? I would of course like the best price, but also worry about roomettes being sold out on one or more of the legs.
 
Although there's no way of really knowing, methinks many, many Amtrak sleeper passengers are not price-sensitive but are date-sensitive. F'rinstance "I've got four days off next week - lets take the kids on the train to visit Aunt Bea in Mayberry! You start packing - I'll get the tickets."
When Amtrak's website caters mainly to the needs of date-sensitive customers, while having no official way to easily compare prices for price-sensitive customers, it's not at all surprising that Amtrak gets mainly customers that are more date-sensitive than price-sensitive. I wonder how much more business they'd get if they also catered to customers who may have flexibility in travel but can't necessarily afford the higher buckets that may appear on the dates they're looking at.

Furthermore, if a prospective traveler happened to be price-sensitive he or she probably wouldn't be looking for a sleeper on Amtrak to begin with.
So Amtrak can charge whatever they want and people will still buy the sleeper cars? If so, why doesn't Amtrak always charge high-bucket, or bring high-bucket even higher?

There's plenty of customers that may find the low-bucket fare for a roomette or bedroom reasonable, but find the high-bucket fare unreasonable. That's why Amtrak doesn't, and can't, sell every room at high-bucket.
 
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This is a very interesting thread. I'm more of a date-sensitive traveler, as hubby must ask for the days off work and his job somewhat limits time off. I'm self-employed, so my schedule is open. At any rate, if dates are important, how far in advance do you generally book your trip, particularly if it has multiple stops? Hubby and I are planning a trip in March on the Texas Eagle:

Los Angeles to San Antonio, two nights in SA

San Antonio to Dallas, two nights in Dallas

Dallas to Austin, one night there

Austin back to Los Angeles

Roomettes for every leg. How far in advance would you book this trip? I would of course like the best price, but also worry about roomettes being sold out on one or more of the legs.
If date is of the absolute importance, book 11 months out. You may pay more, but you'll likely get the dates you want.

If there's some flexibility of dates, I'd look about 5 months out on AmSnag, find what dates are cheapest that meet your criteria, and then book those as long as they work for getting time off. Of course, that depends on your husband's workplace and how easy it is to get time off approved 5 months out.
 
This is a very interesting thread. I'm more of a date-sensitive traveler, as hubby must ask for the days off work and his job somewhat limits time off. I'm self-employed, so my schedule is open. At any rate, if dates are important, how far in advance do you generally book your trip, particularly if it has multiple stops? Hubby and I are planning a trip in March on the Texas Eagle:

Los Angeles to San Antonio, two nights in SA

San Antonio to Dallas, two nights in Dallas

Dallas to Austin, one night there

Austin back to Los Angeles

Roomettes for every leg. How far in advance would you book this trip? I would of course like the best price, but also worry about roomettes being sold out on one or more of the legs.
I buy my tickets as far in advance as possible, then watch for the fares to possibly drop and get an adjustment (hopefully without a penalty). Booking early assures space in case the train sells out, and gives the greatest choice of rooms (if you are particular about that).
 
Supply and demand, though Amtrak doesn’t start at the lowest price bucket for most runs any more.
Probably because they know they early birds are seeking bargains they think would be forthcoming. Once they get an initial take on the demand for the given train, they may switch to lower buckets after that time to make up the gaps.
 
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