Family room $100 cheaper than roomette

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spinnaker

Lead Service Attendant
Joined
Mar 23, 2018
Messages
419
I was just checking departure times out of Spokane, also hopeful I would find a bus alternative to Whitefish for a more palatable departure time.

Anyway doing the search, I saw where a family room was $100 cheaper than a roomette. I understand rooms are based on availability but there were 5 roomettes at that price and family rooms are pretty limited.

So how often does that happen where a family room is cheaper? And do you need to have a family in the room to get a family room? ;)

And If I go on vacation in Spokane next year I will likely not be taking Amtrak home. A 1:30AM departure yuck. Why I was hoping to get to Whitefish on the bus. Much better departure east out of Whitefish. ;)
 
I was just checking departure times out of Spokane, also hopeful I would find a bus alternative to Whitefish for a more palatable departure time.

Anyway doing the search, I saw where a family room was $100 cheaper than a roomette. I understand rooms are based on availability but there were 5 roomettes at that price and family rooms are pretty limited.

So how often does that happen where a family room is cheaper? And do you need to have a family in the room to get a family room? ;)

And If I go on vacation in Spokane next year I will likely not be taking Amtrak home. A 1:30AM departure yuck. Why I was hoping to get to Whitefish on the bus. Much better departure east out of Whitefish. ;)
You do not need to be a family in order to book a family bedroom. As to the pricing, there is only one per sleeping car; therefore the prices are essentially constant as there isn't much variability. Meanwhile, there are multiple roomette price buckets, the highest of which is more expensive than a family bedroom.
 
You do not need to be a family in order to book a family bedroom. As to the pricing, there is only one per sleeping car; therefore the prices are essentially constant as there isn't much variability. Meanwhile, there are multiple roomette price buckets, the highest of which is more expensive than a family bedroom.

Well doesn't make sense to me. You would think all rooms would go up with availability. I see no logical reason why a family room should ever be less expensive than a roomette.
 
Family room prices would seem to drop if it's close to departure date, apparently. I chatted with a man in the family room in April last year on #28 and he said it was cheaper than a roomette when he booked it. He was the 2nd occupant of the room at MSP, and when he got off, a family of 4 got on and rode to CHI. So the attendant flipped the room twice enroute.

Perhaps the Amtrak pricing algorithm sells the 'middle segment' occupancy for dirt cheap to ensure they get something out of it rather than have 12 hours or so of it being empty while enroute.
 
Well doesn't make sense to me. You would think all rooms would go up with availability. I see no logical reason why a family room should ever be less expensive than a roomette.
Prices do go up as availability goes down, but only for the same accommodation. Roomette availability has no impact on family bedroom pricing, just as coach availability has no availability on roomette pricing.
 
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