Just purchased my ticket to Oakland, Ca. Odd thing I learned, that if you buy a ticket with GR points, you can't purchase accomodations in advance. Now that seems like an INCREDIBLY bad policy. I was totally ready to fork over the $500 for a roomette. Now I have to wait until I get on the train. They might be sold out, which will be fine for Amtrak but crappy for me. On the other hand, if they aren't sold out, I get a discount and Amtrak loses part of my money. Why not just sell me the damn upgrade?

Oh well. Wish me luck.