what's up with bedroom prices on Empire Builder Sea to Chi next su

[amfan]

I always due reservations way in advance (Seattle to Chicago) to get the lowest bucket price, but am baffled of next summer (June & July). Usually now is when a person can get the cheapest for that far ahead, but the deluxe bedrooms are $1400, $1192, $989 or show sold out!!!!! In May and April the $453 lowest bucket is still available on several days. Is something special taking place causing this or is the website goofy???? happy amtraking to all.

 

[Walt]

Possibly because more vacation travel for families, happens in June and July, than in April and May. In most places, the kids are still in school in April and May.

 

[Ed]

I noticed it too. The low bucket is way up. Won't be any travel for me next summer at those prices. It would be nearly $2,000 more for a round trip. NO WAY. Sorry, AMTRAK.

 

[MrFSS]

There can also be group travel agents buying up the rooms with the hope of selling them later to groups and individuals. Then, near travel time, if they haven't sold them all, they cancel and the room goes back in inventory.

 

[Rail Freak]

I always due reservations way in advance (Seattle to Chicago) to get the lowest bucket price, but am baffled of next summer (June & July). Usually now is when a person can get the cheapest for that far ahead, but the deluxe bedrooms are $1400, $1192, $989 or show sold out!!!!! In May and April the $453 lowest bucket is still available on several days. Is something special taking place causing this or is the website goofy???? happy amtraking to all.

What is a Deluxe Bed Room? :unsure:

 

[MrFSS]

I always due reservations way in advance (Seattle to Chicago) to get the lowest bucket price, but am baffled of next summer (June & July). Usually now is when a person can get the cheapest for that far ahead, but the deluxe bedrooms are $1400, $1192, $989 or show sold out!!!!! In May and April the $453 lowest bucket is still available on several days. Is something special taking place causing this or is the website goofy???? happy amtraking to all.

What is a Deluxe Bed Room? :unsure:

It is the old name they used to use for what is now called, simply, a bedroom. Roomettes used to be bedrooms and deluxe bedrooms were the bigger ones. Confusing, isn't it!

 

[yarrow]

I always due reservations way in advance (Seattle to Chicago) to get the lowest bucket price, but am baffled of next summer (June & July). Usually now is when a person can get the cheapest for that far ahead, but the deluxe bedrooms are $1400, $1192, $989 or show sold out!!!!! In May and April the $453 lowest bucket is still available on several days. Is something special taking place causing this or is the website goofy???? happy amtraking to all.

we had the same experience last year trying to book spk-chi. figured we couldn't go. a couple months later rooms were back at low bucket. don't know if its amtrak being cute, travel agents or what but keep an eye on the prices and i hope they come down for you like they did for us

 

[fizzball]

If this is already happening for next summer, it sure bodes ill for my Olympics trip.

 

[the_traveler]

If this is already happening for next summer, it sure bodes ill for my Olympics trip.

Possibly, the same thing will happen then. Tour groups will buy up the rooms, then after they don't sell, release them back.

The good thing is that when a room is cancelled, it is resold for the ORIGINAL PRICE PAID! So it's possible that today the rooms may be in the highest bucket - but in 6-9 months, you could find rooms in the lowest bucket! B)

 

[RobertF]

If this is already happening for next summer, it sure bodes ill for my Olympics trip.

Possibly, the same thing will happen then. Tour groups will buy up the rooms, then after they don't sell, release them back.

The good thing is that when a room is cancelled, it is resold for the ORIGINAL PRICE PAID! So it's possible that today the rooms may be in the highest bucket - but in 6-9 months, you could find rooms in the lowest bucket! B)

Ya all should just do what I do. Forget cars, forget airlines, ride Amtrak when you have the time and when all else fails roll out your Mooney M20 and fly yourself.

That is the way to travel! No security, no lines, no waiting... just fire her up and go (assuming, of course, you are not IFR). At 160+ MPH and 8 gallons an hour it

can't be beat. Yeah, thats 20 MPG!!! Try doing 160MPH on the highway and see if you get 20 MPG!!

 

[Rail Freak]

If this is already happening for next summer, it sure bodes ill for my Olympics trip.

Possibly, the same thing will happen then. Tour groups will buy up the rooms, then after they don't sell, release them back.

The good thing is that when a room is cancelled, it is resold for the ORIGINAL PRICE PAID! So it's possible that today the rooms may be in the highest bucket - but in 6-9 months, you could find rooms in the lowest bucket! B)

Ya all should just do what I do. Forget cars, forget airlines, ride Amtrak when you have the time and when all else fails roll out your Mooney M20 and fly yourself.

That is the way to travel! No security, no lines, no waiting... just fire her up and go (assuming, of course, you are not IFR). At 160+ MPH and 8 gallons an hour it

can't be beat. Yeah, thats 20 MPG!!! Try doing 160MPH on the highway and see if you get 20 MPG!!

Where did you find a Volkswagon with wings?

 

[transit54]

Ya all should just do what I do. Forget cars, forget airlines, ride Amtrak when you have the time and when all else fails roll out your Mooney M20 and fly yourself.That is the way to travel! No security, no lines, no waiting... just fire her up and go (assuming, of course, you are not IFR). At 160+ MPH and 8 gallons an hour it

can't be beat. Yeah, thats 20 MPG!!! Try doing 160MPH on the highway and see if you get 20 MPG!!

Now that's my plan! Well...at least in a few months, still doing flight lessons at the moment.

 

[D.P. Roberts]

I feel your pain with the high summer prices on the popular trips - not just the EB, but the CZ as well. We're trying to see our country's national parks on our vacations, via Amtrak whenever possible. As of right now, we can take the CZ round trip from CHI-SLC in a bedroom for $2200! That's 18 hours each way, or a total of 36 hours on the train. For the same price we can take a 7-day Alaskan cruise in an oceanview stateroom. It doesn't seem right.

 

[RobertF]

If this is already happening for next summer, it sure bodes ill for my Olympics trip.

Possibly, the same thing will happen then. Tour groups will buy up the rooms, then after they don't sell, release them back.

The good thing is that when a room is cancelled, it is resold for the ORIGINAL PRICE PAID! So it's possible that today the rooms may be in the highest bucket - but in 6-9 months, you could find rooms in the lowest bucket! B)

Ya all should just do what I do. Forget cars, forget airlines, ride Amtrak when you have the time and when all else fails roll out your Mooney M20 and fly yourself.

That is the way to travel! No security, no lines, no waiting... just fire her up and go (assuming, of course, you are not IFR). At 160+ MPH and 8 gallons an hour it

can't be beat. Yeah, thats 20 MPG!!! Try doing 160MPH on the highway and see if you get 20 MPG!!

Where did you find a Volkswagon with wings?

LOL... would a Volkswagon even stay in one piece at 160mph?

 

[RobertF]

Ya all should just do what I do. Forget cars, forget airlines, ride Amtrak when you have the time and when all else fails roll out your Mooney M20 and fly yourself.That is the way to travel! No security, no lines, no waiting... just fire her up and go (assuming, of course, you are not IFR). At 160+ MPH and 8 gallons an hour it

can't be beat. Yeah, thats 20 MPG!!! Try doing 160MPH on the highway and see if you get 20 MPG!!

Now that's my plan! Well...at least in a few months, still doing flight lessons at the moment.

Excellent! Renting is pretty expensive (owning is better I think but has it's headaches) and to be honest, maintenance can be expensive but there is nothing better than the freedom of the skys!

 

[Ispolkom]

I feel your pain with the high summer prices on the popular trips - not just the EB, but the CZ as well. We're trying to see our country's national parks on our vacations, via Amtrak whenever possible. As of right now, we can take the CZ round trip from CHI-SLC in a bedroom for $2200! That's 18 hours each way, or a total of 36 hours on the train. For the same price we can take a 7-day Alaskan cruise in an oceanview stateroom. It doesn't seem right.

I have been consistently impressed by the brutal rates for sleepers on the California Zephyr. If ever there were a reason to get Amtrak Guest Reward points, it would be to book this train.

WRT the original post, I was amazed last fall to find that on my own planned trip from St. Paul to Portland that the family bedroom was $130 less than a roomette (all bedrooms were already sold). All I can figure is that there's a tour group that booked the two classes, leaving the family bedroom open on the one sleeper to Portland, which I snapped up. I'll have to ask the sleeping car attendant tomorrow night about it. Looking at the Amtrak Web site, I find that there is one roomette left on tomorrow's Empire Builder, in a Seattle sleeper car. Remarkably, that's the only seat to travel from Chicago to St. Paul on the Empire Builder.

Looking at the rates now, I'm impressed that it seemed worth it last fall to buy a roomette from West Glacier to Minot (a 12-hr day run), because the cost of the meals was about equal to the cost of the room ($84, IRC). Looking at next July the price is $225. But, who knows? The end of July has to be the highest of high seasons on this route. I notice that the weather forecast for Glacier Nat'l Park gives a chance for snow showers tonight.