Different fare on same train for coach

[BillVas]

I am taking the Empire builder a short distance from Wisconsin dells to Chicago and back, I have a choice of two fares which is silly since i know all the coaches are the same. If i could be assured of one business class seat i would pay the higher fare. Why does the two fares exist??

 

[gswager]

There are two, sometimes three, routes on that same Empire Builder. One route goes to Minneapolis and drop it off. Other two routes stay together until at Spokane where the train split in half. One goes to Seattle while the other one goes to Portland, Oregon.

Just take the cheapest one. There is no business class, just the sleeper class, besides the coach.

 

[zephyr17]

There are two, sometimes three, routes on that same Empire Builder. One route goes to Minneapolis and drop it off. Other two routes stay together until at Spokane where the train split in half. One goes to Seattle while the other one goes to Portland, Oregon.
Just take the cheapest one. There is no business class, just the sleeper class, besides the coach.

Yep, between Chicago and Minneapolis/St Paul I think it may show as 3 different trains 7, the Seattle section, 27, the Portland section, and maybe 807(?) the Chi-Minneapolis coach. Each has its own inventory and could have a different fare. Just take the cheapest. It is still just a seat.

Although there was an incident reported here that roomettes were available on the same train number at widely varying prices, so that can happen. The only reasonable expectation that a room that was priced in the lower bucket had been canceled and came back into available inventory at that lower bucket price. Maybe the same thing happened with a seat.

 

[saxman]

I go to Wisconsin Dells many times on the train. Pretty much the Empire Builder is 3 trains in 1. Train 8 is Seattle to Chicago. Train 28 is Portland to Chicago. They combine as one physical train in Spokane. And train 808 is from St. Paul to Chicago. They add a coach car in St. Paul. As far as the reservations are concerned, there are 3 different trains still. So that means the lower fare for WDL to CHI are already sold out on some trains. But just choose the lower fare. It'll be nothing different.

 

[the_traveler]

These are not the actual numbers, but of the 3 "trains", one "train" may be cars 3-8, one "train" may be cars 9-12 and the 3rd "train" may be car 13. They all depart and arrive at the same time. Just chose the lowest priced fare between your cities if offered more than 1.

 

[zephyr17]

These are not the actual numbers, but of the 3 "trains", one "train" may be cars 3-8, one "train" may be cars 9-12 and the 3rd "train" may be car 13. They all depart and arrive at the same time. Just chose the lowest priced fare between your cities if offered more than 1.

Empire Builder Seattle, train 7/8: baggage, Trans-Dorm, Sleeper, Sleeper (usually summer/peak only), Diner, Coach, Coach (summer/peark only?)

followed by

Empire Builder Portland, train 27/28: Coach/Bag, Coach (summer/peak ony), Sightseer Lounge, Sleeper

followed by

Minneapolis set out coach, train 807/808, Coach

Can be a pretty hefty train, especially between Chicago and Minneapolis.