Price difference: website versus phone

[Tracktwentynine]

So, I've always thought that the same prices were given to customers over the phone as are on the web. But that may not always be the case.

I recently booked a trip from Minneapolis to Washington, DC. (This is the group trip referenced here.) There are a total of 8 of us traveling. We're going to be in coach on the Empire Builder and then all of us will be in roomettes on the Capitol Limited. We each booked one-after-the-other in groups of 2. (We have 3 separate reservations of 2 each from MSP->WAS and 1 reservation of 2 for MSP->ATL)

According to the website, when I looked, the coach fare per person from MSP -> WAS on the date in question was $233. The roomette upcharge for the Capitol Limited leg was $180. That should mean a total fare for 2 people of $646 ($233 + $233 + $180).

But we were actually charged $550 per pair (not that I'm complaining). We booked over the phone because we wanted roomettes near each other. Anyway, assuming the roomette upcharge was still $180, that means the coach fare per person was only $185.

Now, I might have assumed previously that I just got lucky, and someone had just canceled a reservation, but since we actually had 3 pairs booking this itinerary, and we all ended up with the same price, I regard that possibility as unlikely.

And, yes, I did double-check. I was looking at the same dates on the website as those I booked over the phone. The coach fares for #8 and #28 were the same, too, so the "half" of the Builder we're ticketed on shouldn't matter.

Thoughts?

 

[Ryan]

You're forgetting that the coach automatically goes to low bucket when you add a room.

 

[Tracktwentynine]

You're forgetting that the coach automatically goes to low bucket when you add a room.

I believe I accounted for that. According to Amtrak's website, the coach fare for 2 was $466 ($233 each), and it says, "add $180 per room". When clicking the roomette, it then says at the top, $646 estimated.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding the way Amtrak's website displays prices. But if purchasing a roomette automatically drops the bucket, it shouldn't say "add $180 per room", it should say "add 180 per room, and subtract $48 per person". (Or it could just say "add $84 per room - $550 estimated).

At least right now, if you try a test booking for 8/22 (not my date of travel), you can see what I mean. MSP->WAS on 8/22 is $233 per person + $180 for a roomette on the Capitol Limited.

Edit: Added this screenshot. Again, not my actual date of travel. We kicked the buckets by booking 8 people.

 

[Ryan]

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding the way Amtrak's website displays prices. But if purchasing a roomette automatically drops the bucket, it shouldn't say "add $180 per room", it should say "add 180 per room, and subtract $48 per person". (Or it could just say "add $84 per room - $550 estimated).

It should, but it doesn't. I have no idea why the do the "estimated" price that way, but it's misleading (and probably discourages many people from traveling).

Look at what happens when you go to put that in your cart:

Edit: I think that it's hosing up on the fact that it's mixing coach and sleepers on two trains. If you just look at a single train and click the radio button to add a room the estimated price is right (or if you select a room onn BOTH trains it's right as well) - if you go coach in one leg and in a sleeper in another the estimated price is wrong.

 

[Tracktwentynine]

It should, but it doesn't. I have no idea why the do the "estimated" price that way, but it's misleading (and probably discourages many people from traveling).

Ah, well that makes (some) sense. Thanks for explaining it.

I think this rates as a #FAIL

It would definitely discourage people from traveling. In fact it may have already happened to me before. I'll have to be more cognizant in the future.

 

[Ryan]

I didn't realize that it choked like that on the mixed coach/sleeper connections until I did some digging - I'll definitely have to keep that mind in the future as well.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I booked coach (NERegional & CL) and roomette (CZ) recently (for November) and the estimate was the same as the cart price (until I added my AAA discount).

 

[Ryan]

Yeah, the discounts are another case where the estimates are off and confusing.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Yeah, the discounts are another case where the estimates are off and confusing.

Well, I knew the estimate would be "before applying discount codes". Just wondering why Tracktwentynine's (and yours) estimate was different from the cart and mine wasn't. No big deal. At least his cart price was less not more.