C
Chapman
Guest
This saturday the 25th the California Zephyr is sold out!! i can't believe it!! they never sell out!! 
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I liked it better before it sold out, now it isn't really punk anymore
jccollins
Conductor
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Huh?Guest said:
Just curious, what two cities did you check to find that it is sold out? I have found out that while the SF Bay Area (Emeryville-SAC) to Reno, Nevada is frequently shown as sold, out I can almost always get a seat by booking the SF Bay Area to Winnemucca, Nevada (the next station on the line past the Reno/Sparks metro area).
Amtrak sometimes shoots themselves in the foot by blocking available seat inventory for potential passengers who might show up at a later date to buy a ticket on the train from, say, the SF Bay Area to Salt Lake or Denver. I can understand that those are higher-yield tickets than the short Bay Area-Reno corridor and Amtrak wants to earn revenue for those, but Amtrak should not be turning away customers.
PS: Amtrak's reservation and ticket collecting process is so unorganized and chaotic that you can really board pretty much any train that is sold out (except maybe the NE corridor ones) and present a ticket for a different date on that train and the conductor will take it without even noticing. I'm not saying you should do it, but I have never been questioned on the few occasions I have done it.
Aloha
If sold out, do they not let people stand in Coach? Seem to remember from the Broadway Limited in 1983 they did.
If sold out, do they not let people stand in Coach? Seem to remember from the Broadway Limited in 1983 they did.
jccollins
Conductor
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They can always seat people in the 60 or so seat sightseer lounge car before they make them stand.
Amtrak's computer reservation system will not let the train book beyond capacity, though, so the reality is there will be at least a few empty seats from no shows.
The odd thing is that the Empire Builder (Portland and Seattle sections), Coast Starlight, California Zephyr, and Southwest Chief are *ALL* showing up as completely sold out in both directions from endpoint to endpoint, in both directions for Friday, March 24th. Something tells me it is an odd computer glitch... just like how the system is saying all sleepers are completely sold out on the Portland section of the Empire Builder for many dates in October.
Amtrak's computer reservation system will not let the train book beyond capacity, though, so the reality is there will be at least a few empty seats from no shows.
The odd thing is that the Empire Builder (Portland and Seattle sections), Coast Starlight, California Zephyr, and Southwest Chief are *ALL* showing up as completely sold out in both directions from endpoint to endpoint, in both directions for Friday, March 24th. Something tells me it is an odd computer glitch... just like how the system is saying all sleepers are completely sold out on the Portland section of the Empire Builder for many dates in October.
It's entirely possible that they are sold out. This is Spring Break week for many schools, and that's going to boost ridership.jccollins said:
As for the Empire Builder in October, last year I booked a trip in March for Thanksgiving week, and on my outbound leg, all sleepers were sold out for several consecutive days (except for the family room, which I took for lack of any alternative). Often, tour groups will reserve an entire block of rooms and then cancel them later on if they don't book them all out.
amtrak_flyer
Train Attendant
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- Mar 17, 2003
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- 70
I brought this point up on another thread last weekend when I was in Chicago and wanted to do a day trip, almost every train (and EVERY LD Train) was showing sold out. I ended up just doing a CHI-MKE trip.
I said this last week, and I'll say it again. Theres people out there that want the LD trains to fail. It wouldnt surprise me one bit if someone was manipulating the reservation system to keep ridership numbers down. I know its not likely but this adminstration has proven they will do whatever it takes for thier agenda.
I said this last week, and I'll say it again. Theres people out there that want the LD trains to fail. It wouldnt surprise me one bit if someone was manipulating the reservation system to keep ridership numbers down. I know its not likely but this adminstration has proven they will do whatever it takes for thier agenda.
You know, someone should be keeping track of this.amtrak_flyer said:
Given the diverse nature of people who post here, we should be easily able to determine if indeed, someone is messing with the Arrow system to show trains sold out when they're not.
Anyone know conductors on the runs in question?
AmtrakFan
Conductor
I will be out for 3/5 today so it should be easy for me to check it out.
Midland Valley
Lead Service Attendant
They kept announcing on #3 that there were no empty seats, to keep belongings off empty seats as they will be used. The train was full, (Spring Break). So were the Sleepers. On 30 & 29 almost every stop needed to make two stops; one for sleeper and one for coach.
I asked someone that works for Amtrak and has access to the reservations system, and he said that, in fact, everything was sold out.amtrak_flyer said:
It *would* surprise me if someone was manipulating the reservations system to keep ridership down. Quite simply, this is a busy travel week, and Amtrak has limited capacity. Things sell out under those conditions.
(And if it was a matter of attacking the LD trains, then the corridor trains shouldn't have been completely full as well.)
AmtrakFan
Conductor
At Naperville today
5 Was packed to the gills
3 Was fairly full but not 100% but more were boarding down the line.
5 Was packed to the gills
3 Was fairly full but not 100% but more were boarding down the line.
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