Lake Shore/Empire Builder booking

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Joined
May 27, 2019
Messages
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Hello, I've been lurking and learning a lot - we're in the UK and planning a trip on the Empire Builder in October. I have a question about booking sleeping accommodation on the Lake Shore and then the EB. There are two of us traveling and we want a roomette for two on each train. When we search the website though, it comes up as 2 viewliner roomettes on the LS and 1 superliner roomette on the EB. Is this just because bookings are organised differently on each train and the 2 means 2 beds, rather than 2 rooms? I can't seem to change the 2 to 1. Hope that makes sense! Thanks.
 
If you wish to book two separate Roomettes on each of the two trains, you ought to be able to do so. I have no explanation why the web site is not allowing you to do so. Many others on this Forum have more experience than me with Amtrak's web site. They will respond, I am sure.
 
Sorry, I maybe wasn't clear. We only want one room on each train, but the test booking shows a 2 - don't know if that's a room for 2 or two rooms. And the EB is opposite, showing a 1, hopefully 1 room not for 1 person. It's hard to describe!
 
Sorry, I maybe wasn't clear. We only want one room on each train, but the test booking shows a 2 - don't know if that's a room for 2 or two rooms. And the EB is opposite, showing a 1, hopefully 1 room not for 1 person. It's hard to describe!
Both Superliner and Viewliner roomettes sleep 2, so the booking engine should not be forcing 2 roomettes. I would start over.

Make sure and specify 2 adults on the "traveler" field on the first page when you start the reservation. The choice of accommodation is on the next page. It normally would offer 1 Viewliner roomette in the Premium column, but if it offers 2, press the minus sign to bring it back down to 1.
 
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I just tried a test booking NYP to CHI and the minus and plus buttons worked fine for the Cardinal and Capitol Limited Premium options, but it defaulted to 2 roomettes for the Lakeshore and neither minus nor plus worked. However, the price didn't reflect what would be reasonable for two roomettes, it was way too cheap. I clicked through and on the next page, I clicked details and the details showed 2 travelers, 1 viewliner roomette. It appears to be a bug in Amtrak's buggy website.

Just continue past that point and verify it is one roomette on the "details" drop down on the next page.
 
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This is a good example why I choose to make reservations by PHONE. At least if I get an agent without a clue, I can hang up and call back to find one who indeed has a clue. On the website, no such possibility.

BTW, it may just be luck but I've had better experiences when calling in the mid-evening.
 
This is a good example why I choose to make reservations by PHONE. At least if I get an agent without a clue, I can hang up and call back to find one who indeed has a clue. On the website, no such possibility.

BTW, it may just be luck but I've had better experiences when calling in the mid-evening.
I also make reservations by phone, for sleepers anyway, because I am a bit picky about room location (upstairs, not in transdorm). But I research through Amsnag and do a final check with a dummy reservation on the website before calling. So I still have an interest in website functionality, even though I only actually book through it for simple coach trips.
 
We're now booked and it's all sorted. It does indeed seem to be a system glitch when booking online, but it resolves itself on the following pages. Didn't book by phone as in the UK. The plan is New York - Chicago - Essex, Montana - 2 nights in Isaak Walton Inn - then back on train to Seattle. Not sure if we'll hire a car in Essex or just potter near the hotel. Going late October, so may be weather dependent.
 
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