Changing Rooms w/o Changing Price

[National Limited]

I just booked a trip on the Silver Meteor in August from SAV to NYP. I got the $188 accomodation price for both legs of the trip and was assigned room 2 on the north bound trip and room 1 on the south bound trip. I find that I sleep better in odd numbered rooms (head toward the rear of the train) than I do in even numbered rooms (head toward the front of the train). Anyway, I have had a similar situation as discribed above before and have been able to call Amtrak and they have figured a way around changing rooms without haveing to pay the next higher "bucket." One time the agent said "well, it isn't letting me change rooms without increasing your accomodation price but since you've already paid for the trip what difference does it make what room you are in. Let me check with someone." When she came back on she had made the switch and there was no change in the price. This has happened twice with the same result. When I tried to change the room last night the agent wasn't able to make the change without a change in the price. I tried again this morning and got the same response. Both agents were helpful and friendly but didn't "check with someone" as the agents had in the past. So, my question to you all is, do you know of a procedure to change rooms that have been randomly assigned without changing the accomodation price to the next higher bucket?

 

[battalion51]

Just call reservations with your reservation number. You should be able to do it no problem. Jon and I were able to do it on an old reservation, no fare change at all.

 

[Trogdor]

When you change accommodations (even if it is from one room to the next, same room type, same train), it is considered a "change in reservation." Amtrak, of course, charges for changes in reservation if the new reservation is more expensive than the existing one.

If you booked a sleeper room, and the accommodation charge for sleepers subsequently increased (i.e. low bucket fares sold out), then changing rooms counts as changing reservations, thus you would have to pay the difference between the old accommodation (low bucket) and new accommodation (higher bucket).

The way around it would be for a supervisor (or someone else with authority) to manually change the price of the new reservation so that it is the same as the old one. It is probably beyond the authority of the phone agents to do so.

While it may be nice if they help you change rooms at no charge, they are not required to do so.

 

[Guest]

Did you ever think of just having your bed made up so your head is where you want it, no matter what room you're in?

 

[AlanB]

Did you ever think of just having your bed made up so your head is where you want it, no matter what room you're in?

That won't work on the Silver Service trains, since they use Viewliner equipment for the sleeping cars. In a Viewliner car, the beds are tapered at the foot, to make it easier to climb into the upper bunk and to accomodate the toilet. Therefore you cannot reverse the matress, sheets, and blanket. They must remain as you find them in the room.

 

[GG-1]

I find that I sleep better in odd numbered rooms (head toward the rear of the train) than I do in even numbered rooms (head toward the front of the train).

Aloha

Never noticed odd or even, made a difference. But I also find I like to sleep feet first. The two times I had room across the car were more difficult. And when sleeping feet first, I can fall asleep seeing the country pass in the moonlight.

If only more tried this way to travel would there be less fighting, sigh.

Eric

 

[battalion51]

When you change accommodations (even if it is from one room to the next, same room type, same train), it is considered a "change in reservation." Amtrak, of course, charges for changes in reservation if the new reservation is more expensive than the existing one.
If you booked a sleeper room, and the accommodation charge for sleepers subsequently increased (i.e. low bucket fares sold out), then changing rooms counts as changing reservations, thus you would have to pay the difference between the old accommodation (low bucket) and new accommodation (higher bucket).

The way around it would be for a supervisor (or someone else with authority) to manually change the price of the new reservation so that it is the same as the old one. It is probably beyond the authority of the phone agents to do so.

While it may be nice if they help you change rooms at no charge, they are not required to do so.

Robert, I have no clue what you're talking about. Amtrak did away with change fees many months ago. I believe Jon and I have made changes to one reservation at least four times, and haven't gotten charged a dime (we've actually gotten money back by changing trains and going to a room with a lower bucket). Like I said, call, talk to em, shouldn't be a problem. Now, switching rooms may knock you to a higher bucket, but rooms 1-4 are all in the same bucket, so it shouldn't be any fare difference. If they say it will cost more, ask why, or even ask to speak with a supervisor.

 

[Trogdor]

I was refering to the new reservation being more expensive than the existing one (i.e. higher bucket). Sorry if it sounded like I was talking about change fees.

In any event, buckets aren't assigned by room, but by the available inventory. If you make an initial booking, it won't matter if you're in room 1 or room 12, you'll get the same fare. If the lowest bucket only has one room left, then once you book, any additional rooms will be in a higher bucket, regardless of which numbers they are.

 

[PRR 60]

I do not understand Amtrak’s inflexibility with changing rooms on a reservation. You can change airline seat assignments a dozen times if you wish with no hassle. The same should be true for changing an Amtrak room assignment. Particularly with on-line reservations which do not offer the ability to select the car and room, changing to a more desirable room should be a routine request and should be processed as a simple change to the booking. That Amtrak sets it up as a cancellation and rebooking is crazy.