You've hit on a problem that besets almost all passenger rail transportation (the exception being the Auto Train): equipment utilization. In all my years on the railroad, the most common observation is that at the beginning of its trip, and toward the end of the line, a train may appear to be poorly patronized. Unlike an airliner, on which every passenger is headed for the same destination, (and thus every seat can be sold, and purchased at whatever price the market will bear), a train's load peaks in mid-route. In a way, this is unfair to someone who is traveling in coach, or someone who wishes to occupy a sleeper, endpoint to endpoint. If you call to purchase a ticket near your departure date, if, for instance, Train No. 94 is sold out between Philadelphia and New York, and you wish to travel from Newport News to Boston, it's explained to you that the train is "sold out," when in fact, four of the train's eight cars likely be empty and blocked off by the crew, until reaching Richmond or Washington, where a majority of its seats will be needed.If you wish to book a roomett on the Silver Meteor for your trip between New York and Miami, considering that the price is much cheaper if you simply purchase space between Washington (where the train departs near dinner time) and Jacksonville (where the train arrives at breakfast), if you're price conscious, or on a budget, you do so, traveling in coach until it's time to go to bed, or after awakening in the morning. So while the bedroom or roomett may very well be vacant from New York to Washington, or Jacksonville to Miami, it likely goes empty.And even the Auto Train isn't entirely spared the problem of equipment utilization. Its business is seasonal--crowded and sold out northbound at the end of the winter season, and southbound when the snowbirds return to Florida. During the hiatus, with the exception of the flood of families with young children heading to Walt Disney World for a summer vacation, it is less crowed in both directions. During the peak seasons however, the train runs sold out in one direction, while only modestly full, or nearly empty in the opposite direcdtion. Because the equipment will be needed on the return trip, it is essentially deadheaded in service. Here, pricing CAN and does take advantage of excess capacity, and off-peak travlers can get a good deal.
morseman I I always try to book my trips 11 months ahead of time. a considerable saving. If reserving at a late notice and no rooms available, I will phone Julie at 4am when the system is purged of all cancellations. I have always had success in being able to get a room. I don't know if 4AM is still the time when they purge the system, or if this practice is still in effect
I
I always try to book my trips 11 months ahead of time. a considerable saving. If reserving at a late notice and no rooms available, I will phone Julie at 4am when the system is purged of all cancellations. I have always had success in being able to get a room.
I don't know if 4AM is still the time when they purge the system, or if this practice is still in effect
It's a little bit more complicated than that. Obviously I can't go into specifics and say well this happens at this time but I can say that cancellations (for any reason) are purged regularlly through out the day and that the system takes into account "active travel times" (just like any airliner would).
An artist sees the world in colors and patterns. An engineer sees the world in mathematical equations. Both help shape the World and are just as important as the other.
conrailman NKP guy Enzoamps For Xmas, I try to have my ticket booked by October. Waiting until November guarantees I pay higher fares and face lower availablility. My brother has been a passenger on the Lake Shore Limited from New York every December 23rd since the train began operation in 1975. He always books a roomette or bedroom as soon as possible (11 months beforehand is the limit), certainly by February 1st; and even that far ahead a bedroom or some roomettes are already unavailable. I always book my trips like 9 to 10 months ahead of time for cheapest rate sleeping car.
NKP guy Enzoamps For Xmas, I try to have my ticket booked by October. Waiting until November guarantees I pay higher fares and face lower availablility. My brother has been a passenger on the Lake Shore Limited from New York every December 23rd since the train began operation in 1975. He always books a roomette or bedroom as soon as possible (11 months beforehand is the limit), certainly by February 1st; and even that far ahead a bedroom or some roomettes are already unavailable.
Enzoamps For Xmas, I try to have my ticket booked by October. Waiting until November guarantees I pay higher fares and face lower availablility.
My brother has been a passenger on the Lake Shore Limited from New York every December 23rd since the train began operation in 1975. He always books a roomette or bedroom as soon as possible (11 months beforehand is the limit), certainly by February 1st; and even that far ahead a bedroom or some roomettes are already unavailable.
I always book my trips like 9 to 10 months ahead of time for cheapest rate sleeping car.
EnzoampsFor Xmas, I try to have my ticket booked by October. Waiting until November guarantees I pay higher fares and face lower availablility.
I usually ride the Capitol Limited, and near travel date, the rooms are almost always sold out, even roomettes sell out. But as to the room being available but filled later in the trip, I have to select the destination before I can ask for a room, so if someone was boarding in Pittsburgh, the room would not be available to me at Toldeo. Of course longer routes, that could happen.
For Xmas, I try to have my ticket booked by October. Waiting until November guarantees I pay higher fares and face lower availablility. You can always ask the conductor if any rooms remain empty when you board, and upgrade youself on the spot.
pajrr You have to remember too that those rooms may be empty during your portion of the trip but they may fill up later. I have transferred from room to coach and vice versa in the middle of a trip.
You have to remember too that those rooms may be empty during your portion of the trip but they may fill up later. I have transferred from room to coach and vice versa in the middle of a trip.
It's also possible as well that the car(s) were taken off the train for various reasons and then put back, and when he happened to of cought it, it had just been brought back "online". There's a lot of ifs and possibilities.
Railspike's point is very valid. Nearly anything they can collect for the space is preferable to leaving it empty. Encouraging the onboard staff to upgrade passengers going by coach should also be encouraged through commissions on the increase.
However, I think he encountered an unusual situation. I just checked the next Sunset departure from LAX to HOU, and there were no rooms available.
RailSpike I was recently contemplating a last-minute trip from Los Angeles to Houston on the Sunset Limited. With less than 24 hrs before departure, I went online and saw that there were 4 of 5 Superliner bedrooms still available, all at $1300+. From a business perspective, wouldn't it make sense to try to fill some of those bedrooms at a lower price? And yes, I understand that they might be filled somewhere along the route. However, all, or some, may remain vacant the entire trip. Isn't something better than nothing? Couldn't the computers start lowering the price as it got closer to departure until somebody took it? Would this make too much sense? Probably so.
I was recently contemplating a last-minute trip from Los Angeles to Houston on the Sunset Limited. With less than 24 hrs before departure, I went online and saw that there were 4 of 5 Superliner bedrooms still available, all at $1300+.
From a business perspective, wouldn't it make sense to try to fill some of those bedrooms at a lower price? And yes, I understand that they might be filled somewhere along the route. However, all, or some, may remain vacant the entire trip. Isn't something better than nothing? Couldn't the computers start lowering the price as it got closer to departure until somebody took it?
Would this make too much sense? Probably so.
Hi! So perhaps I could attempt to shed some light on this. The simple answer is the operating costs of the Superliner cars. The more complicated answer is profits. So, here's the thing. When you book a ticket, on any train service, or airliner, or even a bus service, you are alloting services aboard that means of transportation for yourself. Ie. the staff onboard the Superliner cars. When you book late, we may have to bring in additional staff, or arrange for the staff to be flown to your origin station (or be picked up enroute), whichever the case may be. Which, honestly, $1300 isn't that bad for what you're getting. Three (very good) meals for the entire trip, essentially hotel accomendations (I mean, the Superliner cars are pretty much rolling hotels), fresh sheets, linens, staff, etc.
That being said, your ticket is covering the operating costs of the Superliner car, plus a bit of profits for running the car. If we run without anyone on the Superliner, do we make the extra profits off it? Well no, of course not.
Moral of the story: book early if you can. You're more likely to get a discounted rate early. (~21 days)
Five yeears ago, Amtrak did have a waiting list. When I made my reservations for a certain trip, there was no bedroom available for my Washington-Atlanta leg, but I was able to reserve a roomette--and asked to be put on the waiting list. A few days before I left, I had a call telling me that a bedroom was available--and I took it (at the higher cost, of course).
For my upcoming trip (Larry, I hope to see you Sunday, 9/24), no bedroom was available for my return from Chicago, and I have a roomette. About two weeks ago, I called and asked about a waiting list--and was told that such no longer exists. All I can do is check the site to see if one becomes available, and, if one is available, hope that it is not snapped up before I can ask for it.
Johnny
IMO if bedrooms only are vacant at some predetermined time before departure lower the costs incremently until they sell probably to a roomette holder. Then someone else who is a coach passenger can get the roomette. Then if coach sold out another coach passenger.
These problems just mirror the problem of Amtrak not having a standby list for various accommodations.
Yes, the cost was for one-way. I was not questioning the price. I was questioning the fact that the train was departing within 24 hrs and there were 4 of 5 bedrooms still available at $1300+. Could they sell one (or more) if it was offered at a lower price rather than leave LAX with 4 vacancies?
MidlandMike An ATK bedroom holds 2 people. Is $1300 the price for 2 people? One way?
An ATK bedroom holds 2 people. Is $1300 the price for 2 people? One way?
To me, the tariffs are a little more complicated than the pre-Amtrak tariffs were. Have you looked up, on Amtrak's site, the costs of traveling from A to B?
Plus, it Start of Summer Time travel Season Now. with out school and college kids out. Amtrak want make little more money. It good price to me with 2 nights and meals too.
I think pretty cheap price for 2 nights on the train and meals too?? I would pay that price if that was me.
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