Any hints as to how: a) tell via the amtrak website whether a certain route will more than likely have a sleeper available for an onboard upgrade
b)how and when is the best time to ask the conductor about upgrading to sleeper once I am aboard c)at what rate would the upgrade be?... the lowest fare available on that route for a sleeper OR the same rate as if i would have booked the sleeper the day before my trip?

THANKS!

Your best bet at telling which trains will likely have extra rooms available for on-board upgrades is to look for trains that are still selling sleepers at lower prices as the date gets closer.

Of course, if you're booking a train and a sleeper is selling at low bucket, you might as well book it, as the on-board upgrade price is the same as the low-bucket advance booking price, especially as booking the sleeper in advance also automatically makes your rail fare sell for low bucket (even if coach is otherwise selling for a higher bucket).

But what you're looking for is whether that train is selling rooms at high bucket (which means the sleepers are almost sold out). If they're not, there will likely be some rooms available, and if the rooms are being sold at a middle bucket, you can potentially save money by upgrading on-board (as, again, they're then sold at low bucket). Typically, you can find the low-bucket sleeper charge by doing a fake booking for your route 325 days out (unless 325 days out falls in one of Amtrak's peak periods, like the Thanksgiving weekend--they don't always sell rooms at low bucket even with 0 bookings during these periods). However, it's hard to tell exactly what high bucket is, as you can't just pick a random date and know that the train has exactly one room left (whereas 325 days before departure, it's almost guaranteed that there are very few bookings for the train, and hence, tickets and accomodations are being sold at low bucket).

Otherwise, you can try calling and asking how many rooms they have left on a given train.

As far as the best time, I'm not sure--if you see him on the platform while boarding, you might mention it then, otherwise, I would do it maybe when he comes by to collect your ticket. Obviously, the sooner the better, as there might be other people who would beat you to it.

Try to catch him when he's not too busy with other things or in a grumpy mood, as he might just decide to say no because it's too much work for him at that moment. If something like this happens, you might try checking with the other conductor (there is usually a conductor and assistant conductor on each train, and one might be more friendly than the other). You could also ask your car attendant or the LSA to ask the conductor for you--he would know an appropriate time to talk to the conductor.

thanks for your reply! very helpful!!

It may be too late for the OP, but it is also important to note that the conductors on the train change throughout the train's journey. Typically every 8 to 10 hours. So if you get told no by a conductor, but know that rooms are still available by calling Amtrak, you may want to try again when the next set of conductor's board the train.

I'm booking Denver to Toledo with points and then purchasing coach from Toledo to Cleveland on the Lake Shore Limited. The reason, of course, is that it costs 10000 more AGR points to keep the bedroom from Toledo to Cleveland. I'm guessing there is a good chance no one is getting on that sleeper at 2:50 am and purchasing the bedroom from Toledo to New York or Boston, so I think my chances are pretty good of negotiating a reasonable price to stay in the sleeper from Toledo to Cleveland.

Anyone out there have experience with this particular upgrade? I love suggestions about how to present my request and keep the price as low as possible. Two more hours in a bedroom are not worth the $260 or 10,000 point list price.

I would think honest would be the best policy. Ask when you board and explain the situation. The room attendant will know if anyone is due to take over the room, or if an extension would mess up his/her schedule of bed sheet swapping.

Then when the conductor comes around you've already vetted it with the room attendant and should be able to upgrade it at the start of the journey, and not right as you get booted.

Definitely ask the SCA when you board, they will have the manifest and know if someone is supposed to occupy that room after you. If no one is in the room, the conductor might let you stay.

That time of the morning it would be a good spot for giving the attendant a few government issued coupons. I bet no upgrade will be neeeded

I wouldn't bet on that approach at all. It is possible that the attendant could be scheduled for his/her 4 hours of sleep and that the conductor would then be responsible for waking and detraining someone in Cleveland.

In which case the conductor would want to know why someone was in that room who isn't on the manifest.

I hve done this on another train with no problem. The old Slidell to New Orleans 2 zone workaround.
I had a coach ticket Slidell to N.O but stayed in room with blessing of crew and coupons.
What is there to lose except having to move.

Aside from Slidell to NOL being a much shorter run, that run doesn't have to involve the conductor. The attendant is still awake and opening doors at the two stops.

That might not be the case in the scenario currently under discussion. There are 3 sleeping car attendants on the LSL, and each is guaranteed 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep. That means that during the night the 2 conductors have to cover the sleepers during those time periods. Since 1 conductor must open at least one coach, and one must work the baggage car, that doesn't leave any spare conductors to work the sleepers.

So one of the conductors must then run down to the sleeper to open that door. For this reason, crews would coordinate things such that say the Boston attendant sleeps from 11 PM to 3 AM and then the NY attendants sleep 3 to 7 AM. If that happens, then greasing the palm of the attendant doesn't work, since they have to tell the conductor that you're still in that room and wanting off in CLE. The conductor could be nice, but they could also demand that you pay.

It might not happen that way, but it could. Just saying.