Are sleeper prices creeping up?

[buddy559]

I usually play around with my wish routes every couple days, ( or several times a day. ) it seems this last week, right around when they announced the service cuts, that the low buckets got really scarce.

I even tried amsnag and low buckets which were almost daily for March and April, are now only available on a few select days. Similar findings on the SWC.

Any other rate chasers noticing this?

ADD- most of them aren't second lowest bucket, the average available bucket is close to 2x or more of low.

 

[dlagrua]

I would venture to say that sleeper prices are in fact rising. If Amtrak marketing examines the booking history and it indicates that the train sells out regularly during a given period of the year, you will probably never see a low bucket fare again or the low bucket price will be raised significantly. I don't like paying high prices any more than you do, especially so for a ride in a worn 50 year old sleeper but that's the way it is.

 

[June the Coach Rider]

Not sure if it is that they are raising the prices, or that more people are traveling by sleeper. Years ago, you used to be able to upgrade to a sleeper on the train and that was at a very cheap price. Now the price is the same as the current rate, no advantage. So people are booking the sleepers ahead of time and they would make sure they get the lowest bucket price so almost a year out, things can be higher, let alone only 2-3 months out.

 

[afigg]

I usually play around with my wish routes every couple days, ( or several times a day. ) it seems this last week, right around when they announced the service cuts, that the low buckets got really scarce.

I even tried amsnag and low buckets which were almost daily for March and April, are now only available on a few select days. Similar findings on the SWC.

Any other rate chasers noticing this?

ADD- most of them aren't second lowest bucket, the average available bucket is close to 2x or more of low.

It could be a combination of ticket sales and Amtrak trimming the number of rooms available at the lower buckets. March and April are busy months with spring breaks and Easter travel. Once early February rolls around, many people who have not made travel plans already are likely to start making their reservations for spring break and Easter week trips. Knowing the purchase patterns, Amtrak revenue managers could be reviewing the early sales and goosing the prices in advance on the LD trains they expect to be full.

 

[trainfan]

I did notice there are only a few days left in march for the low bucket on the CZ for a sleeper, a month ago when I booked about 3/4 of the rooms were low bucket, also on

the day I booked ,right after the price jumped from $635 TO $1378 ! So I know there is something going on . I think it jumped from the low to the with a

single booking!!!

Trainfan

 

[Nathanael]

Sleeper prices have been creeping up for years, so I'd say "yes, probably they are". This is probably due to more people choosing to buy sleeper tickets. I guess it's a good thing that there's more demand for sleepers on the Western trains. Maybe the anomaly where it was cheaper to get a sleeper from Chicago to LA than from Syracuse, NY to Chicago will go away.

FWIW, the oldest sleepers which Amtrak runs, the Superliner I, are 34 years old. Not 50 years old, that's the Heritage diners.

 

[Old MM]

creeping up, I think more like skyrocketing up. Which must mean the demand is also skyrocketing. I hope this is good for Amtrak.

 

[dlagrua]

creeping up, I think more like skyrocketing up. Which must mean the demand is also skyrocketing. I hope this is good for Amtrak.

I guess that sleeper ticket prices will continue to rise until such point that sales fall off. The bottom line is that Amtrak needs more sleepers on many routes. The troubling aspect to all of this is that as sleeper prices rise, the small amenities are removed. Come on now, a $1 rose in the vase on the dining car tables (25 cents cost spread over 4 or more diners that will use that table) and a cheap 50 cent newspaper! Hell, charge me a buck more a give me back those TINY amenities. Geeze its getting strange out there.

 

[JoeBas]

Dunno, I got low bucket both trains both ways HOS-PHI in July just a couple of weeks ago. Same low bucket it's been the last few years.

 

[Railroad Bill]

Had an interesting conversation with an AGR agent last week when booking our trip to California next fall. When I checked to see which roomette we had, she said it was Room 2 on all the trains (CZ and CL). When I asked if it was possible to move to Room 4-5- or 6, she said she probably could, but that Amtrak did better selling those rooms to paying customers and that Room 2 was the low bucket room reserved for AGRs if the car was empty. The next room usually given to AGR on a empty car was #7. I did opt for 7 on one of our trains just to break up the rides

I said it was no big deal and I guess if it helps make more money for Amtrak, that is o.k. But I had never heard that argument when booking sleepers before.

Since I usually wait until later to book an AGR trip, this situation may not have come into play since many times we have been given Rooms 4-7. I always let them know I prefer sleepers on the top floor on a Superliner.

Just some information to add to this discussion on costs of sleepers.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Had an interesting conversation with an AGR agent last week when booking our trip to California next fall. When I checked to see which roomette we had, she said it was Room 2 on all the trains (CZ and CL). When I asked if it was possible to move to Room 4-5- or 6, she said she probably could, but that Amtrak did better selling those rooms to paying customers and that Room 2 was the low bucket room reserved for AGRs if the car was empty. The next room usually given to AGR on a empty car was #7. I did opt for 7 on one of our trains just to break up the rides

I said it was no big deal and I guess if it helps make more money for Amtrak, that is o.k. But I had never heard that argument when booking sleepers before.

Since I usually wait until later to book an AGR trip, this situation may not have come into play since many times we have been given Rooms 4-7. I always let them know I prefer sleepers on the top floor on a Superliner.

Just some information to add to this discussion on costs of sleepers.

Bill: Unless this is another New "Hidden" AGR Policy, (or the Revenue Management team is Co-ordinating with AGR)this is another Example of an AGR Agent making up their own Rules on the Fly! (no pun intended! ^_^ ) A good agent knows how to Find and Book a Requested Room (if available) and as we know, no matter what the Bucket AGR Members can book a Room,if available, up to Departure Time!

According to AGR Insider (Anthony) on Flyer Talk there is No such Rule, he says that since so few AGR Members ask for Specific Rooms that most dont know how to Book a Request for a Specific Room and let the Computer pick the Room!

Looks like AUers are going to fill up the West Bound Trains Again this Year heading for the West Coast Gathering!(Hopefully in Sacramento!) Let the Good Times Roll!