why does the rail fare become higher if I choose the upgrade to busine

[sleepybobcat]

When I used to purchase a business class seat on Amtrak's website, it was just the coach fare plus the business class upgrade free.

For example, $100 for coach, and $40 for business class upgrade... so the total fare becomes $140.

It's been a couple of months since I've used Amtrak and I was wondering if something has changed?

Now, if I want to purchase a business class seat, the coach fare is automatically raised.

Here's an example: July 11, New York Penn(NYP) to Rocky Mount, NC(RMT) on the Palmetto(train 89)

The coach fare is $80 and business class upgrade is $40. If I click on the business class option, it shows $120...

But when I add it to cart, the coach fare suddenly jumps up to $113, plus $40 for busineess, so the totla becomes $153.

However, if I just go back and unselect business and choose just coach seat... then add it to the cart, the coach fare remains at $80.

Can anyone tell me why it's doing that? I asked an Amtrak agent who couldn't tell me why...

Thanks!

 

[AAARGH!]

When I used to purchase a business class seat on Amtrak's website, it was just the coach fare plus the business class upgrade free. For example, $100 for coach, and $40 for business class upgrade... so the total fare becomes $140.

It's been a couple of months since I've used Amtrak and I was wondering if something has changed?

Now, if I want to purchase a business class seat, the coach fare is automatically raised.

Here's an example: July 11, New York Penn(NYP) to Rocky Mount, NC(RMT) on the Palmetto(train 89)

The coach fare is $80 and business class upgrade is $40. If I click on the business class option, it shows $120...

But when I add it to cart, the coach fare suddenly jumps up to $113, plus $40 for busineess, so the totla becomes $153.

However, if I just go back and unselect business and choose just coach seat... then add it to the cart, the coach fare remains at $80.

Can anyone tell me why it's doing that? I asked an Amtrak agent who couldn't tell me why...

Thanks!

Sounds like you tripped on a 'special fare' that does not allow upgrade to BC online. It doesn't tell you that when you see the $80 special fare, but when you upgrade to BC, the base fare reverts to normal price ($113). This is a guess, but I have seen this before.

You SHOULD be able to get a BC upgrade on a special fare, but i would call an agent to do it.

 

[Trogdor]

The real answer is because business class seats are sold out of a different inventory of rail fare buckets than coach seats are. This has been a pet peeve of mine for a while, too. There's no way for a passenger to know the actual cost/bucket of the business class upgrade until they price the whole thing out. Rather than making the accommodation charge variable, like they do for sleepers, they keep the accommodation charge constant and vary the rail fare. However, like sleepers, business class can have a different bucket than coach.

My favorite is when you see a $29 CHI-DET fare, where the $12 accommodation charge brings your fare to $83.

 

[Acela150]

I travel from PHL to RTE every few months. The fare is now $62. When I would choose to "Upgrade" to BC the fare would go to $122. The base fare being $80 and the upgrade $42. If you scroll to the bottom of the page it also says "No Business Class Upgrades Allowed". When Acela Express fares were reduced last year to improve ridership their were no "First Class Upgrades Allowed".

Steve