posted
I am trying to plan a trip for next month using my guest reward points, for myself and 2 children ages 10 & 12. I have 40,000 points right now and thought I was all set for a deluxe bedroom round trip on the Coast Starlight from LAX to SEA.
We did this last year, no troubles. Alas, the Guest Rewards clerk says Amtrak has "tightened up" their rules and now say that only 2 people are allowed in a deluxe bedroom (unless they are babies). As a mom travelling with 2 kids on her own, I've always thought the deluxe bedroom was 'just right' at this age; we can all be together, not crowded and quite comfy. I've done the 2 roomettes with the kids, but prefer the deluxe bedroom for 3 of us. Family bedrooms are mostly booked up and we really don't need quite that big a space anyway.
The Guest Rewards clerk said they could book a roomette also, along with the deluxe room, but that would be 35,000 points gone; but that, even should I want to burn up all those points one way, seems like overkill.
Geez, just when I thought I could see the light at the end of the oncoming vacation........
Any ideas and input would be most welcome..........I'm losing hair rapidly.........the money is already mostly gone.........
Posts: 72 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Quoted directly from Amtrak's website description of the Superliner Bedroom:
"Our Superliner Bedroom is ideal for two passengers (but can accommodate three)."
(From home click on "Traveling With Amtrak" > "Sleeping Accomodations", then "Bedroom" under Superliner).
About 18 years ago, they let me travel in a CZ ROOMETTE with my 2 kids, age 10. I just had to purchase a coach ticket at kid's fare and pay for 1 of the 3 meals. Niether the reservation agent nor the onboard staff even questioned it.
I can't believe they are being this picky. Complain and quote their website.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
I agree with TwinStar you should try quoting the website's advertised room capacity and see if that works. However, I can see why they might have tightened the rules to limit the number of passengers traveling on rewards points to two passengers per room.
So if the above suggestion fails, remind the agent that that the room's maximum capacity is three, then ask if you can either pay the rail fare (essentially the coach fare) on the "extra" child, or redeem additional points equal to one coach fare.
Posts: 2649 | From: California's Monterey Peninsula | Registered: Dec 2000
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Correct me if I am wrong, but when you redeem guest reward points for a sleeper (single zone) does not that cover only the sleeper and the first passenger? Then additional passengers who occupy the room must pay the basic lowest coach-priced fare, or additional points must be redeemed.
Since up to two children under 15 can travel at 50% off with an adult, I might suggest that redeeming points for an already half priced fare might be an inefficient use of points anyway. As long as they give you the 50% off, paying for a child might not be so bad. It would be my humble opinion that, since their website says the bedroom can accommodate 3, you should get free meals for all.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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I don't have enough points for the reward I want. Can I combine with my spouse's points or add cash to my points?
Points cannot be combined with cash or another member's points to obtain a reward. You must have enough points in your account for the reward of choice.
-------------------- The City of Saint Louis (UP, 1967) is still my standard for passenger operations Posts: 1404 | Registered: Oct 2001
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quote:Originally posted by TwinStarRocket: Correct me if I am wrong, but when you redeem guest reward points for a sleeper (single zone) does not that cover only the sleeper and the first passenger? Then additional passengers who occupy the room must pay the basic lowest coach-priced fare, or additional points must be redeemed.
That hasn't been my experience. Last week I redeemed points for a roomette from Minot ND to Los Angeles, and then LAX to San Clemente business class. Cost: 20,000 points, and no extra fare for my wife. This has been the case every time I've redeemed points for a sleeper, which I've done almost every year for the past 6 years. They have never charged my wife a fare, nor depleted her personal guest rewards account.
Posts: 445 | Registered: May 2002
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posted
Thanks everyone for your insights and ideas. You guys are *tops* when it comes to quick and knowledgeable information. While several places on the website say that the deluxe bedroom is "ideal" for 2 passengers, it does indeed say that it can accommodate 3 (as almost a footnote) if you click on the detailed description.
Armed with that information , I called guest rewards as well as Amtrak reservations. I must have caught everyone in a holiday mood, as everything went smoothly. The reservations clerk said as long as I knew how big the room was that it was o.k.
I reserved the deluxe bedrooms both ways (LAX to SEA and back) for myself and one child, and the guest rewards covers those 2 railfares and meals. The other child is an "add on" and I suspect I'll have to pay meals for the one. But that's o.k.
I just wanted you guys to know that you've made my day soooooo much nicer and far less stressful.
You are, collectively, the best message board folks out there!
Posts: 72 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
I forgot to add that I went ahead and paid out of pocket(rather than drain my points account) for the 2nd child; basically a coach fare, I think, and it was quite reasonable. Now, if I can get her to eat cereal in her room, I'm all set budget-wise............just kidding.
Posts: 72 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
TwinStar - I can confirm that a single zone sleeper and the fares for two people are included in the 15,000 points. I just set up same on the CS Seattle to LAX. This was my first point redemption and I didn't realize it would include the fares for either much less both of us. What a great deal!
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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Chile2, you are lucky you were able to get that booked. The first res. agent you talked to was correct. I was just this week reading a memo regarding new capacity rules for sleeping cars. Basically stating 1 person per bed. No exceptions for children, no extra meals beyond capacity per room, etc.etc.
I was trying to read between the lines to figure out what was the motivation for the memo and am torn between revenue generation, and complaints from unprepared/uninformed passengers regarding room size (especially economy).
How quickly and uniformly this will be enforced obviously remains to be seen...
Posts: 332 | From: Long Island, NY USA | Registered: Jan 2004
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quote:Originally posted by MDRR: I was trying to read between the lines to figure out what was the motivation for the memo and am torn between revenue generation, and complaints from unprepared/uninformed passengers regarding room size (especially economy).
While I don't know THE reason, I suspect that ONE reason is people abusing the system. On my trip to Michigan in 2004, there was a party of six onboard which had booked ONE economy bedroom and all six of them were trying to claim free meals in the diner. While I didn't follow the play-by-play and so can't tell you exactly how things worked out, I got the impression talking to onboard staff that this was not an infrequent occurence.
-------------------- --------Eric H. Bowen
Stop by my website: Streamliner Schedules - Historic timetables of the great trains of the past! Posts: 413 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
Well, hopefully they won't throw Momma from the train this time :-) ......... I'm suspecting that the memo writer is not a mother traveling with her children and trying to keep an eye on them! The history of memo writing is probably littered with writers who did not have on the ground experience about their chosen topics.
However revenue generating friendly the memo may be, there will hopefully evolve, within in the business model, some common sense. A mother(or father) with 2 young children, or even parents with one young child, can fit just fine in a deluxe room. If income generation states that only 2 meals are covered, I don't see that would be a problem; just have one person buy meals in the diner, with the room cost covering only 2 meals.
There is only one large family room per sleeping car, and many more families traveling in sleepers than there are family rooms available. Many times I've traveled with 2 children in 2 roomettes, which means I've paid for 4 meals, not 3. But since families like to be together, Amtrak should do as much as it can to foster that togetherness, however corny it may sound. It's just good business practice to make customers happy. And Amtrak HAS been good about making things family friendly in the past. If we all wanted to take family vacations where you don't talk to the person next to you, we'd fly.
I will admit I've seen, not often, some groups pile into a deluxe room for a party; I dunno if they were all sleeping in there or what, but the groups that I've seen that cause these types of troubles are rarely families.
I hope that for everyone's sake, common sense will prevail.
Posts: 72 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Chile2 makes some excellent points. Amtrak thinks breaking up families of 3 will remedy the problem of 6 people trying to get free meals out of one economy bedroom? This truly tops the list of bonehead ideas.
They already record car and bedroom numbers on the meal ticket. Are they now so understaffed with diner lite strategy that they can't take a few minutes a day to check on excessive free meals? Couldn't they just put up signs saying "If you make us work too hard, the cute kid in Bedroom C gets it!"
The deluxe bedroom will easily accommodate three, if two don't mind sharing a bed slightly larger than a twin. They could justifiably limit each room to 2 free meals, or add a meal surcharge for the 3rd occupant. Or if they really want to drive away business, they could force the 3rd occupant to eat the Chicken Fried Steak.
I think this decision merits generating some protests to Amtrak Customer Service. And if their website says the Superliner bedroom "can accommodate three", then they should be held to it.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
I am assuming that the website has not been updated yet to reflect this policy change as this change in rules was just issued this last week.
Unfortunately it reflects,as does many of their policies, decisions made by people sitting in offices and out of touch with reality. JMHO.
Posts: 332 | From: Long Island, NY USA | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
I was returning home by coach on #97 (Silver Meteor)last week when one of the dining car staff came around to take dinner reservations. A fellow traveler had the temerity to ask what the "special" was. I almost fell out of my seat laughing when the attendant blurted out, almost before he heard the question, "Chicken Fried Steak!"
-------------------- Ocala Mike Posts: 1530 | From: Ocala, FL | Registered: Dec 2006
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