ONBOARD UPGRADES

[diesteldorf]

Does anyone know if you are still given the lowest bucket when upgrading onboard?

 

[the_traveler]

AFAIK, yes!

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

Is there still the $50 on-board upgrade fee? :unsure:

 

[zephyr17]

Is there still the $50 on-board upgrade fee? :unsure:

I understand that is the minimum charge, if the difference between the fare paid and the lowest bucket used for upgrade is less than $50. It isn't an additional charge, IIRC.

 

[AlanB]

Is there still the $50 on-board upgrade fee? :unsure:

I understand that is the minimum charge, if the difference between the fare paid and the lowest bucket used for upgrade is less than $50. It isn't an additional charge, IIRC.

You are correct Zephyr, there is no extra $50 charge for upgrading. One pays the difference between what you paid and the price of the room or $50, which ever is larger.

 

[Dovecote]

I plan to be traveling in coach (with my wife) on the SM from ORL to JAX on 12/21. Our paid fare for coach with a AAA discount is $45.90 per person. Roomette fares are currently being quoted at $312 compared to the low bucket fare of $78.

The difference between my paid rail fare and the low bucket accomodation charge is $32.10. Am I correct in determining that if a conductor sells me an onboard upgrade to a roomette it will cost me $50 for both my wife and I?

 

[me_little_me]

I plan to be traveling in coach (with my wife) on the SM from ORL to JAX on 12/21. Our paid fare for coach with a AAA discount is $45.90 per person. Roomette fares are currently being quoted at $312 compared to the low bucket fare of $78.

The difference between my paid rail fare and the low bucket accommodation charge is $32.10. Am I correct in determining that if a conductor sells me an onboard upgrade to a roomette it will cost me $50 for both my wife and I?

No. You would pay $78. The room charge is in addition to the rail charge. If you had bought a roomette for $200 and you wanted to upgrade to a bedroom for $240, then you would pay the minimum $50. If the difference were $70, then you would pay the $70.

 

[zephyr17]

I plan to be traveling in coach (with my wife) on the SM from ORL to JAX on 12/21. Our paid fare for coach with a AAA discount is $45.90 per person. Roomette fares are currently being quoted at $312 compared to the low bucket fare of $78.

The difference between my paid rail fare and the low bucket accomodation charge is $32.10. Am I correct in determining that if a conductor sells me an onboard upgrade to a roomette it will cost me $50 for both my wife and I?

It is the difference in total fare. It isn't entirely clear whether the $78 is the accommodation charge only or the total fare (lowest bucket rail fare plus accommodation). If $78 is the low bucket accommodation charge, you'd pay the difference between the total fare based on that accommodation charge, and what you paid. You might have purchased a coach fare at a fare higher than the lowest bucket, in which case the fare difference would be less than the accommodation charge, since sleepers always drop the base rail fare to the lowest bucket. If the $78 is already the total fare for the sleeper, then you'd pay $50, as that is the greater amount.

 

[Ryan]

$78 is the accom charge + 2 rail fares takes it to $138. Sine he paid $99 and $138-$99 is less than $50, he'll pay $50.

 

[Dovecote]

I plan to be traveling in coach (with my wife) on the SM from ORL to JAX on 12/21. Our paid fare for coach with a AAA discount is $45.90 per person. Roomette fares are currently being quoted at $312 compared to the low bucket fare of $78.

The difference between my paid rail fare and the low bucket accomodation charge is $32.10. Am I correct in determining that if a conductor sells me an onboard upgrade to a roomette it will cost me $50 for both my wife and I?

Thanks for the previous responses to the my question above. I too believe if I was successful in upgrading to a roomette it would cost me $50. This is a moot point however as I was able to get the low bucket accomodation fare of $78 for the roomette this morning online. Obviously there must have been cancellation. What was nice about this was after the rail fare portion of the trip was automatically lowered to the $30 low bucket fare (compared to my original charge of $45.90) my additional cost for the roomette totaled $46.20. Patience is a virtue!

 

[amamba]

I wonder, based on the above post, if the inventory management folks are dropping the prices of sleeper space a day or two before departure if space exists. It seems to make sense that it would be at low bucket, if available, with less than XX hours before departure. Better to sell it at low bucket than to not sell it at all, right?

 

[Dovecote]

I wonder, based on the above post, if the inventory management folks are dropping the prices of sleeper space a day or two before departure if space exists. It seems to make sense that it would be at low bucket, if available, with less than XX hours before departure. Better to sell it at low bucket than to not sell it at all, right?

Hard to figure if that is the case. On my upcoming trip 12/20 to ORL the roomette price has been quoted for several days at $254 and today it declined to a quoted $195. I had been paying close attention to this since currently I have a bedroom reserved at $219 and was watching for a much lower roomette price to come along. However, the $78 roomette for the return trip on 12/21 continues to be offered as of 7:30 PM this evening. Tough to determine what the inventory management folks are doing.

 

[pennyk]

I wonder, based on the above post, if the inventory management folks are dropping the prices of sleeper space a day or two before departure if space exists. It seems to make sense that it would be at low bucket, if available, with less than XX hours before departure. Better to sell it at low bucket than to not sell it at all, right?

Two days before my 11/30 trip on the SM from ORL to NYP I was able to upgrade from a roomette for which I paid mid-bucket to a low bucket bedroom. I had been watching the price of the bedrooms for a few weeks and when the price dropped from over $1,000 to $528, I jumped on it. It was a win-win for me since I got a bedroom for little extra money, and the extra money I spent qualified me for select plus.

 

[thully]

For those of you who have done the onboard upgrades, how is the best way to get this done? I'm wondering specifically when/where I should approach the conductor and if I should wait somewhere particular (i.e. if there is some kind of line for this that forms). I'm traveling on the Southwest Chief on 12/26 from CHI to LAX and would be willing to do a roomette at low bucket (which was around $300) but am unwilling to pay the current high-bucket rates of $750 or so - particularly given that I'm traveling alone. I'm definitely prepared to stay in coach, though, as the rooms may sell out and/or the conductor may not want to do the upgrade.

 

[jb64]

I did an onboard upgrade this past summer on the CZ. We boarded our coach car as normal and when the asst conductor came around to collect tickets, we struck up a conversation about how crowded the train was. She mentioned that everyone would have to double up because the train was actually oversold, at least for a time. I mentioned that I could help them out by upgrading to a bedroom if the price was right and that would open up a few seats for them. She said she would check to see availability and prices and get back to me after the next stop. Sure enough, she came back after the next stop with the next few stations and how much the upgrade would cost from each stop. There was only one bedroom left and I took it from the next stop. We went to the lounge car where she did the paperwork and called it in and then escorted us and our bags to the sleeper once on the platform at the next station.

 

[VentureForth]

For those of you who have done the onboard upgrades, how is the best way to get this done? I'm wondering specifically when/where I should approach the conductor and if I should wait somewhere particular (i.e. if there is some kind of line for this that forms). I'm traveling on the Southwest Chief on 12/26 from CHI to LAX and would be willing to do a roomette at low bucket (which was around $300) but am unwilling to pay the current high-bucket rates of $750 or so - particularly given that I'm traveling alone. I'm definitely prepared to stay in coach, though, as the rooms may sell out and/or the conductor may not want to do the upgrade.

And if your conductor is Melissa Rose, just keep asking until she gives you the room.

Just kidding. But seeing as there hasn't been the natural tie in to the other thread, it would be worth noting that if you are refused by a conductor, it's best left to put up with coach until you see a new conductor board.