What Are My Chances

[KmH]

I have a Roomette booked from Denver (DEN) to Truckee (TRU) - October 18/19.

I won't be getting off the train until we reach Davis (DAV).

I think there's a very strong possibility the Roomette won't be sold from TRU to DAV.

Is there a chance the TASC will let me stay in the Roomette all the way to Davis?

I know lunch in the dining car would not be included were that to happen.

The TASC would still have at least an hour (DAV to EMY) to make the Roomette ready for the the next day return eastbound.

The online reservation system wouldn't let me book the Roomette fro DEN to Colfax so I could stay in the Roomette to Colfax and get lunch on my reservation.

 

[Lonestar648]

Depends on the Conductor and SCA, but I would consider it very unlikely they would let you stay in the room.

 

[JoeBas]

Why didn't you just, you know... BOOK the room to Davis?...

 

[KmH]

Why?

Because I'm old school, and by long habit a spendthrift.

Between Truckee and Davis I'll be spending most of my time in the SSL car.

I figure, why pay for a sleeper berth if you aren't going use it much, if at all, for the last part of the trip?

But it would be nice to have access to the Roomette at no additional charge after Truckee as another place to watch the scenery go by.

 

[JoeBas]

So, you just want to have something you don't want to pay for? Good luck with that...

 

[tommylicious]

You're misusing "spendthrift". I think the word you're looking for is "miserly". See below

spend·thrift
ˈspen(d)ˌTHrift/
noun

1. a person who spends money in an extravagant, irresponsible way.
   synonyms: profligate, prodigal, squanderer, waster;
   
   miser
   [mahy-zer]
   Spell Syllables
   • 
     Synonyms
   • Word Origin
   See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
   noun
   1. a person who lives in wretched circumstances in order to save and hoard money.
   2. a stingy, avaricious person.
   3.
   Obsolete. a wretched or unhappy person.
   
   

Why?

Because I'm old school, and by long habit a spendthrift.

Between Truckee and Davis I'll be spending most of my time in the SSL car.

I figure, why pay for a sleeper berth if you aren't going use it much, if at all, for the last part of the trip?

But it would be nice to have access to the Roomette at no additional charge after Truckee as another place to watch the scenery go by.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I figure, why pay for a sleeper berth if you aren't going use it much, if at all, for the last part of the trip? But it would be nice to have access to the Roomette at no additional charge after Truckee as another place to watch the scenery go by.

Sounds like you're too busy debating yourself to reach a compromise. :blink:

 

[happy2meetu]

Trying to get something for nothing is not "old school".

 

[John Bobinyec]

Are first-class accommodations based on distance traveled? I always thought that the room charge was more or less a flat fee - meaning that the charge for using it between two local stations would be the same as using it between the end points of the train. Is that not so?

jb

 

[CCC1007]

Are first-class accommodations based on distance traveled? I always thought that the room charge was more or less a flat fee - meaning that the charge for using it between two local stations would be the same as using it between the end points of the train. Is that not so?

jb

Almost all Amtrak fares are distance based, so that a trip inside Montana doesn't cost as much as a trip from Seattle to Chicago.

 

[zephyr17]

No it isn't. You are confusing it with some of the Business Class pricing. The cost is basically between stations, although some stations are the same when they are close (for instance, the price for a roomette between Chicago and Seattle, Edmonds or Everett are the same). It isn't purely distance based, though. It is weighted to discourage daytime only use in most cases, or, from another viewpoint, to get the same or nearly the same yield as overnight occupancy since there is a good chance that the room may be vacant overnight.

 

[KmH]

Well I'm not a miser because I'm not:

a person who lives in wretched circumstances in order to save and hoard money.
2.
a stingy, avaricious person.
3.
Obsolete. a wretched or unhappy person.

People have been trying to get something for nothing since the invention of money.

So call me frugal:

adjective
1.economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful

 

[zepherdude]

I always thought you get what you pay for. One pays for Truckee, one gets off at Truckee. I would not have the guts to ask if can go further for free. Your train ticket is going to say Truckee. Your going to be put off at Truckee!

I have no sympathy for your plan, sounds more like a scam. Maybe you will be walking to Davis! You will save lots of $$$!

 

[greatcats]

I think some of you respondents are downright mean. From what I have read if the crew let the passenger have the higher class accommodation it would be up to their good nature and discretion.

 

[DoB]

Why?

Because I'm old school, and by long habit a spendthrift.

Between Truckee and Davis I'll be spending most of my time in the SSL car.

I figure, why pay for a sleeper berth if you aren't going use it much, if at all, for the last part of the trip?

But it would be nice to have access to the Roomette at no additional charge after Truckee as another place to watch the scenery go by.

Make up your mind. If you want a roomette all the way to Davis, pay for a roomette all the way to Davis. If you don't, don't.

How much are you saving by splitting your trip at Truckee, with one roomette ticket and one coach ticket? According to Amsnag the roomette upcharge is the same to Truckee as to Davis, so I don't see what you're saving.

I always thought you get what you pay for. One pays for Truckee, one gets off at Truckee. I would not have the guts to ask if can go further for free. Your train ticket is going to say Truckee. Your going to be put off at Truckee!

I have no sympathy for your plan, sounds more like a scam. Maybe you will be walking to Davis! You will save lots of $$$!

Wait, you're suggesting that he doesn't have a ticket at all past Truckee? Yeah, I don't think that will go over well at all. I believe the technical term is fare evasion.

 

[KmH]

Some of you folks seem to be as dense as uranium - and downright mean - as greatcats suggests.

But I've got thick skin - and a good memory.

I have an October multi-city reservation.

Monday: Coach - Ottumwa to Denver.

Tuesday: Sleeper - Denver to Truckee.

Wednesday: Coach - Truckee to Davis.

$329.65 @ Senior fare

Same dates. Monday: coach OTM to DEN

Tuesday: Sleeper Den to DAV - $342.65

Wednesday night, after hanging in Davis, I'll take the Coast Starlight from Davis to Sacramento ($8.07).

Sacramento has a sleeper passenger waiting area. It's not a lounge but it does have a couch, a couple of love seats, and 3 nice good size padded chairs.

My return reservation was made using points.

Thursday morning I have a sleeper from SAC all the way back to Ottumwa (15,732 pts).

 

[KmH]

According to Amsnag the roomette upcharge is the same to Truckee as to Davis. . .

Thank you for pointing that out.It was $13 more to book the sleeper all the way to DAV

I now have a sleeper from DEN to DAV and lunch on the train is also now included as a bonus.

Reno to Truckee (35 miles) was $14 more for a roomette.

Truckee to Davis is 130 miles.

I got 165 more miles in the Roomette for $27 and I got another dining car meal - lunch - included.

Sounds frugal to me.

 

[Asher]

"I'll take the Coast Starlight from Davis to Sacramento ($8.07).Sacramento has a sleeper passenger waiting area. It's not a lounge but it does have a couch, a couple of love seats, and 3 nice good size padded chairs. My return reservation was made using points.Thursday morning I have a sleeper from SAC all the way back to Ottumwa (15,732 pts).

Glad you saw the light and paid the tariff for the roomette. Sometimes a person can be penny wise and dollar foolish, that being said I would rather ride coach all the way to Ottumwa than sit, lay or get close to those foul looking PCS of furniture (hate to call it that ) in what you call a lounge at the Sacramento station.

 

[tp49]

The issue then becomes that the Sacramento station closes after 14 arrives so someone's going to be waiting until outside until 4 AM when the waiting room reopens unless they make other arrangements.

 

[JoeBas]

I think some of you respondents are downright mean. From what I have read if the crew let the passenger have the higher class accommodation it would be up to their good nature and discretion.

Hi, I've booked a reservation in coach NOL-ATL, switching to sleeper ATL-CVS, and then back to coach CVS-NYP. Since the southern half of my journey is usually fairly empty, I plan to talk my way into being allowed into my room when we leave NOL. And since it's mostly discharge only north of CVS, and nobody else is likely to book the room, surely I should be able to stay in my room to NYP. Right?

 

[JoeBas]

Some of you folks seem to be as dense as uranium

I CAN be pretty dense, but I've always thought of myself as more of a Thorium kinda guy...

 

[willem]

From the original post,

The online reservation system wouldn't let me book the Roomette fro DEN to Colfax so I could stay in the Roomette to Colfax and get lunch on my reservation.

Do you have any idea why you could not book your roomette to Colfax? That seems odd.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I think some of you respondents are downright mean. From what I have read if the crew let the passenger have the higher class accommodation it would be up to their good nature and discretion.

Nearly all of us are pro-rail in general and most forum members are pro-Amtrak in particular. Most of us know that Amtrak has been suffering routine financial instability almost since the day it was created. Now imagine coming into an environment like this and asking what people think of a ploy to procure unpaid amenities from an organization about which they care deeply.

 

[JoeBas]

I think some of you respondents are downright mean. From what I have read if the crew let the passenger have the higher class accommodation it would be up to their good nature and discretion.

Hi, I've booked a reservation in coach NOL-ATL, switching to sleeper ATL-CVS, and then back to coach CVS-NYP. Since the southern half of my journey is usually fairly empty, I plan to talk my way into being allowed into my room when we leave NOL. And since it's mostly discharge only north of CVS, and nobody else is likely to book the room, surely I should be able to stay in my room to NYP. Right?

BTW, in my example above, NOL-NYP is $610 on most days in late July, while ATL-CVS is $408. Frugal indeed!

 

[KmH]

From the original post,

The online reservation system wouldn't let me book the Roomette fro DEN to Colfax so I could stay in the Roomette to Colfax and get lunch on my reservation.

Do you have any idea why you could not book your roomette to Colfax? That seems odd.

No idea whatsoever. So I didn't even consider checking the Roomette to Davis.

I've seen several stories of passengers being allowed to move into unoccupied sleeper accommodations early.

I have direct person experience of being allowed to have a meal on my sleeper reservation in the dining room before I could occupy my Roomette - because the train was running late.

Sometimes a train is so late sleeper passengers get extra meals, if the train still has food left.

The bottom line is it never hurts to ask, and asking is substantially different than attempting to perpetrate a scam.

It's really sad some forum members are incapable of detecting the difference.