Any recent Coast Starlight info?
#76
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: South Florida
Programs: AA LTG (EXP), Hilton Silver (Dia), Marriott LTP (PP), SPG LTG (P) > MPG LTPP
Posts: 11,329
Next Thursday we will be on the Coast Starlight 6 people (2senior, 3 adult & 1 six yr). We booked 2 roomette and 1 bedroom. The senior is in the bedroom & adult+kid in the roomette. I was told the train configuration only have bedroom upstairs and roomette downstairs. We cannot have all the roomette & bedroom together (either all upstairs or all downstairs). Is this true?
#77
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SJC
Posts: 426
Thanks all. We are in different car (1431 for the roomette & 1432 for the bedroom). It seems like all the upstairs roomette is sold out.
A couple more question:
1. Price drop, so I called to get price adjustment: For the roomettes, they charged me $47.6 for refund fee. The bedroom didn't charge me anything. Is that correct?
2. The reservation agent was very adamant that there is no "two bedroom configuration" only bedroom + roomette to make a bedroom suit. But the Amtrak website said bedroom suite configuration is with 2 bedroom.
A couple more question:
1. Price drop, so I called to get price adjustment: For the roomettes, they charged me $47.6 for refund fee. The bedroom didn't charge me anything. Is that correct?
2. The reservation agent was very adamant that there is no "two bedroom configuration" only bedroom + roomette to make a bedroom suit. But the Amtrak website said bedroom suite configuration is with 2 bedroom.
#78
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 284
Thanks all. We are in different car (1431 for the roomette & 1432 for the bedroom). It seems like all the upstairs roomette is sold out.
A couple more question:
1. Price drop, so I called to get price adjustment: For the roomettes, they charged me $47.6 for refund fee. The bedroom didn't charge me anything. Is that correct?
2. The reservation agent was very adamant that there is no "two bedroom configuration" only bedroom + roomette to make a bedroom suit. But the Amtrak website said bedroom suite configuration is with 2 bedroom.
A couple more question:
1. Price drop, so I called to get price adjustment: For the roomettes, they charged me $47.6 for refund fee. The bedroom didn't charge me anything. Is that correct?
2. The reservation agent was very adamant that there is no "two bedroom configuration" only bedroom + roomette to make a bedroom suit. But the Amtrak website said bedroom suite configuration is with 2 bedroom.
https://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conte...=1241210576129
#79
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 284
Of course, both A&B or C&D in a single car must be open at the time of booking to do a bedroom suite. It is quite possible that the combination wasn't, which is why it was impossible to do. This close to departure, that is very likely the case.
#80
In Memoriam
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: New York, NY, USA
Programs: HH Diamond, Amtrak Exec
Posts: 3,262
The A room is not able to be converted into a suite. Only B & C and D & E can have the sliding door between the rooms opened to convert it into a suite.
#81
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Earth
Programs: UA MM Platinum; HH Diamond; Marriott Gold; Starwood Gold; Hyatt Discoverist; Avis Preferred Plus
Posts: 1,527
You might want to check the Passenger Train board on Trainorders.com. Recent postings there indicate that only one PPC is in service, your post below this one not withstanding. The people who post on Trainorders are consistently reliable, in terms of their information on points like this.
#82
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: USA
Posts: 165
My spouse and I booked a Bedroom on Coast Starlight LAX-SEA for Sept. My eyes almost popped out of my head when I found out the price: $1400 +/-! I can't believe people regularly pay this but then for the last 17 yrs I've become expert at working every deal - using ff/codes/free nights/mistakes or whatever. Looks like I'll used 51k SPG points for the trip. I'm not going to squander a hard pull for the Amtrak card. Still blows my mind that in the real world people pay the big bucks for travel.
#83
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SJC
Posts: 426
Hi acker,
I was totally shock too by the price when I booked my April trip back in Feb. However, if you are diligent (or obsessive in my case), you can check the price everyday with http://biketrain.net/amsnag2.0/amSnag.php and do price adjustment when fare drop.
This was my strategy traveling with 6people, since the in-law MUST have a bathroom (grandpa needs to go in the middle of the night). I booked them a bedroom (982$bedroom). My sister, husband, daughter & I were booked in 2 roomette (318$/roomette).
Two weeks ago, the roomette price drop to $199, I called Amtrak got a refund $95/roomette (less the processing fee). Yesterday, bedroom price drop $579(but only 1 bedroom at that price), so in-law bedroom refund at $403, no processing fee . Today, one more bedroom open up at $579, I upgraded my roomette to bedroom. I was able to move everyone into the same car and on the same floor Total SCORED!!!
Now, if we can just find the B&C or D&E together to open the door between them, we will be all set, if not, we will still have fun trip. BTW, how is roomette 9? It is next to the door, will it be super noise? Thanks all!
I was totally shock too by the price when I booked my April trip back in Feb. However, if you are diligent (or obsessive in my case), you can check the price everyday with http://biketrain.net/amsnag2.0/amSnag.php and do price adjustment when fare drop.
This was my strategy traveling with 6people, since the in-law MUST have a bathroom (grandpa needs to go in the middle of the night). I booked them a bedroom (982$bedroom). My sister, husband, daughter & I were booked in 2 roomette (318$/roomette).
Two weeks ago, the roomette price drop to $199, I called Amtrak got a refund $95/roomette (less the processing fee). Yesterday, bedroom price drop $579(but only 1 bedroom at that price), so in-law bedroom refund at $403, no processing fee . Today, one more bedroom open up at $579, I upgraded my roomette to bedroom. I was able to move everyone into the same car and on the same floor Total SCORED!!!
Now, if we can just find the B&C or D&E together to open the door between them, we will be all set, if not, we will still have fun trip. BTW, how is roomette 9? It is next to the door, will it be super noise? Thanks all!
#84
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 284
#86
... you can check the price everyday with http://biketrain.net/amsnag2.0/amSnag.php and do price adjustment when fare drop.
Two weeks ago, the roomette price drop to $199, I called Amtrak got a refund $95/roomette (less the processing fee).
#87
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: USA
Posts: 165
You can also set up a fare watch at amsnag and get notified when the price drops. This does require registering at the site and (obviously) providing an email address. You get a notification whenever any fare (coach, business, roomette, bedroom, family room) drops from anything to anything lower, so there can be a lot of uninteresting notifications.
It used to be, and I believe still is, that you can get 100% refund in the form of a voucher. The voucher needs to be used within a year. That means booking a trip, not necessarily making a trip, and the reservation does not need to be in the original passenger's name. In other words, even though the voucher is in your name, you could book a trip for a relative or friend.
It used to be, and I believe still is, that you can get 100% refund in the form of a voucher. The voucher needs to be used within a year. That means booking a trip, not necessarily making a trip, and the reservation does not need to be in the original passenger's name. In other words, even though the voucher is in your name, you could book a trip for a relative or friend.
#88
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SJC
Posts: 426
Meal time?
We will be boarding in SJC at 8:11pm. Will we get dinner? Also, what is the operating hour for the café? If we can buy some midnight snacks.
Oh, we have 6people in different room, I wonder if we can all seat together to have meals or they just do from room to room.
Thanks!
Oh, we have 6people in different room, I wonder if we can all seat together to have meals or they just do from room to room.
Thanks!
#89
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 203
The cafe should be open until sometime around 11:00 to midnight, reopening at 6am.
#90
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: MRY/SFO/SJC
Programs: AS MVP, Hilton Diamond, IHG Gold
Posts: 7,784
At this point, I don't remember what I read about previous experiences here, but I must say it was not worth it. Part of the problem was I hardly slept two hours before the 6:35 am departure and was very very tired. But the car attendant was a surly one. She was confrontational, defensive, and hardly ever checked in. The highlight was catching sight of the guy across from me snorting coke off the web of his hand a few minutes before he got out at SJC. I guess that bit of entertainment was what I got for the +$25 minus $6 food voucher.