bedroom waiting list

[ourlouisiana]

On a last minute change of heart, we decided to upgrade our reservation on the Crescent from roomette to bedroom. The website showed one available northbound, but when we called, it had already been sold.

The lady asked if we wanted to be put on the "waiting list". We agreed, since we already have the roomette, we don't lose anything, we still have a place. She said we were first on the waiting list and would be contacted should there be a cancellation. That sounds fine.

1. What will happen should we be called, will we be cahrged a premium price, or will the price revert today's price ???

2. If we get the upgrade, can our tickets be reprinted, or will we have to wait until we arrive at NOUPT ???

This might have been covered under the onboard sleeper upgrade, but we didn't see anything about this.

 

[Rail Freak]

On a last minute change of heart, we decided to upgrade our reservation on the Crescent from roomette to bedroom. The website showed one available northbound, but when we called, it had already been sold.
The lady asked if we wanted to be put on the "waiting list". We agreed, since we already have the roomette, we don't lose anything, we still have a place. She said we were first on the waiting list and would be contacted should there be a cancellation. That sounds fine.

1. What will happen should we be called, will we be cahrged a premium price, or will the price revert today's price ???

2. If we get the upgrade, can our tickets be reprinted, or will we have to wait until we arrive at NOUPT ???

This might have been covered under the onboard sleeper upgrade, but we didn't see anything about this.

You can still try to upgrade, when boarding at the low bucket $! Just don't give up the Roomette quite yet!

 

[transit54]

1. What will happen should we be called, will we be cahrged a premium price, or will the price revert today's price ???

I believe the price will be the same price that the canceled individual paid for the room. So if they booked early, it will be a lower price, and if they booked late, it will be higher.

 

[RRrich]

Sounds like it can't be higher than "today's" price, which you were willing to pay.

 

[saxman]

1. IIRC you will pay the same price the that the person who cancelled payed. Or in your case the difference of that amount. So if that person paid the low bucket, its yours! If not, you'll may have to pay the higher one.

2. Just wait until you get to NOL to reprint your tickets. No need to go there before unless you want to.

 

[rtabern]

Never heard of the waiting list thing before... weird. Usually if it's sold out you just can't book it... never offered the waiting list option. I wonder if they do that with coach seats too? As in, no coach seats available on #22... but we'll put you on the waiting list?? Doubt it.

 

[battalion51]

That's definitely a new one for me. I've heard of such a list for folks that have already boarded hoping for a no show. And I think in that situation only once did I ever see someone go from waiting list to bedroom (I remember because it was a wounded vet and the Conductor was a Vet from Nam).

 

[AlanB]

Amtrak has offered a wait list for sleepers for several years, although it is definately not well publicized at all. AFAIK it can only be done by phone, not sure if an agent in a station can do it.

And there is at least one report burried in this board about someone who did wait list and got a call from Amtrak letting them know that a room had become available. Don't recall which kind of room, but I'm not sure that really matters.

 

[JAChooChoo]

Another possible scenario:

If its more than 14 days out, the H bedroom is not available to the general public. So its posssible that either H room is empty and at 14 days will open up for you.

 

[ourlouisiana]

We made our reservation by telephone a few weeks ago, cheaped out by taking a roomette. Last minute, this morning, we decided to look into bedrooms instead. Checked the internet, nothing southbound, but the website showed bedroom available on the northbound.

We called this morning to change the roomette to the "available" bedroom. The lady we spoke to said the internet showed available, but

it had been sold and the site not updated. The last bedroom was not for the entire route. She then suggested we get put on the "waiting list". Never heard of that one. She punched keys a while then said we would be first on the waiting list if someone cancelled out a bedroom.

Not going to hold our breath, we are keeping the roomette. Brings up another question,

Should we be able to upgrade after the 7 day cancellation, will be be charged any fees for the roomette.

 

[daveyb99]

... We called this morning to change the roomette to the "available" bedroom. The lady we spoke to said the internet showed available, but it had been sold and the site not updated. The last bedroom was not for the entire route.

I hate rooms getting blocked for only a portion of a trip.

As for a "waiting list", never heard of it. But if you were "cleared", I doubt you would suffer any fees for dropping the roomette inside 7 days.

 

[AlanB]

Should we be able to upgrade after the 7 day cancellation, will be be charged any fees for the roomette.

They'll apply what you paid for the roomette towards the cost of the bedroom, regardless of when the upgrade happens. The 7 day rule is only for outright cancellations of your trip, not for upgrades.

 

[sky12065]

Amtrak has offered a wait list for sleepers for several years, although it is definately not well publicized at all. AFAIK it can only be done by phone, not sure if an agent in a station can do it.

The ability to be placed on a waiting list must have occurred after the summer of 2000.

In July of 2000 I was desperate to acquire an H room on the east bound SWC in order to get back home from Fullerton CA before the 4 extra days of medications I had with me ran out. My reservations were for a bedroom and I found out on the prior trip westbound that a bedroom would not work for me. I was fortunate enough that the problem was able to be resolved westbound by the SA when non-handicapped passengers in one of the H room sleepers were more than happy to swap rooms with us. But I was left with having to resolve the return trip myself when I arrived at my hotel in Anaheim.

After reaching my hotel, I contacted Amtrack reservations to see if an H room sleeper was available for the return trip. It was not available for my return date or a few subsequent dates that would at least permit my return home by the time the meds ran out. I asked about a waiting list and I was told that there are no waiting lists and I would have to keep calling back each day to check for any cancellations. I was also told the best time of day to try calling.

After a few days of calling I started to feel panicky so I contacted customer service to beg for help. The agent there told me she had an idea and that she would work on it and call me back.

24 hours later I received a message to call her back and this is what happened. She called the people that had reservations that were not paid for, explained to them the situation and inquired if they were intending to keep and pay for the reservations by the deadline for payment. She fortunately did find one that didn't intend to pay for and keep their reservation. Problem solved!

Now I doubt they would have done this for me if I didn't have a compelling reason, but never-the-less I've been a fan of customer service ever since!

 

[AlanB]

Joe,

I honestly don't recall when they started doing a wait list, but it is also possible that they don't have one for H rooms or that the person you were speaking to just didn't know about it.

 

[sky12065]

Joe,
I honestly don't recall when they started doing a wait list, but it is also possible that they don't have one for H rooms or that the person you were speaking to just didn't know about it.

I tend to doubt that both the agent and CS rep wouldn't have known! I might have even spoken to a 3rd person in CS before the agent that resolved my problem. Also, it's possible that there was a waiting list system but not for H rooms. However, I sincerely tend to doubt it!