AGR res computer mess up

So, I have a long trip planned for next September. I used points for the last two long legs from LAX-CHI and SPI-FTW and wanted to reserve bedrooms. Originally I only had points for a roomette on the last leg (SPI-FTW) but with the BoA card 3 point promotion going on I acquired enough points to upgrade the roomette to a bedroom. Thus earlier today I called the AGR line and asked to modify my reservation for the upgrade. The online point difference from what I paid to today’s bedroom rate was around 6500 points. But I was quoted just over 1500!! I actually asked the agent about this and told her what I was expecting to pay and she said she was expecting ~6500 points too. Then she said she didn’t know why but when this happens she just rolls with it. 

So has anyone else come across this? Or did I just get a winning $200 lottery ticket from Amtrak?

One of my first point trips after the new program and rules took place, was like yours.... I booked a bedroom to Chicago. Should have been around 18,000 points ($550 or so) and it was only around 8,000 points. It never made any sense to me. But it certainly helped to make the transition away from zones. Washington, DC to Chicago was two zones so a bedroom once was 40,000 points. I was pretty happy to snang a bedroom for around 8,000 points. It never happened again.

Perhaps today was the day Amtrak adjusted prices/buckets for the month of September. 

How and when they decide to revise prices upward or downward somewhat behooves explanation.  From my own observation and from that of others in this forum, they generally price 'out in the future' tickets -about- where bucket price 3 would be.  Thinking that I would save money or points, I've booked trips 8-10 months in advance.  Unfortunately, these days, it's been proven, that's no longer the time to get the best prices.  About - and the definition of 'about' can vary by 30 days or more each way - 5 months before departure, if the trains for that month (again, a generality in terms of time) haven't sold 'enough', they'll drop the prices.  It pays to check the prices (as dollars, you can always check as points, too, but dollars are easier to remember, in my opinion) about 5 months prior to departure.  I had just such an experience booking a roomette on #20 NOL-WAS (as a conjunctive fare to WNL) for mid April and the price dropped $244 from what I paid about two weeks earlier.  I thought I -had- the about 5 months in advance price drop prices when I booked - I hadn't been watching for a month or so before booking.  So, seeing the price drop, I called and made a modification to a different roomette and have a $244 voucher for the difference.

So, come about 5 months before your trip, double check the points prices for your trip.  You might just come out ahead on the deal.

I thought about that Bratkinson but this is cheaper than I’ve ever seen. I booked our trip on the first day each leg was available 11 months out. What I found (with a lot of research using AMSNAG) is the initial bucket level offered varied by train. Some fares are low bucket and others are low bucket +1, maybe the +2 but that’s pretty rare (my thought was heavy tour days). I also found these fares can sellout fairly quickly, and the bucket level goes up. Often times the fares go to the +2 or 3 level you were talking about for the 8-10 month out period. For the Texas Eagle from SPI-FTW the initial bedroom price is the low bucket of $575 or 19,838 points which is what was and is currently available online for our day of travel for two adults w/no discounts. So using the normal 2.9pts/$.01 my fare came in around $160 below the $575. So basically, I got a bedroom for close to the low bucket for a roomette. That’s why I’m so pleasantly surprised. 

abcnews said:

One of my first point trips after the new program and rules took place, was like yours.... I booked a bedroom to Chicago. Should have been around 18,000 points ($550 or so) and it was only around 8,000 points. It never made any sense to me. But it certainly helped to make the transition away from zones. Washington, DC to Chicago was two zones so a bedroom once was 40,000 points. I was pretty happy to snang a bedroom for around 8,000 points. It never happened again.

Click to expand...

That’s pretty close to what happened to me for this leg. The new price is well below the low bucket. 

That’s what I think happened.

When you last looked, the fare was $$$$, but when you called AGR the fare dropped to only $$$. Remember that the points needed is based on the cash fare. Thus if the cash fare lowers, so do the points needed.

the_traveler said:

That’s what I think happened.

When you last looked, the fare was $$$$, but when you called AGR the fare dropped to only $$$. Remember that the points needed is based on the cash fare. Thus if the cash fare lowers, so do the points needed.

Click to expand...

Well using a lot of AMSNAG (thank God for this site!) searches and doing searches on Amtrak’s website the cheapest low bucket fare I’ve found is $$$ and the equivalent fare for the points I’m now paying is only $$. Which is barely (just over 1500 points) above the low bucket for a roomette (which is what I had previously booked). Like I say, I’ve done full 11 month searches and have never seen a price this low.