I'm traveling round-trip on the Capitol Limited all the way (Chicago-Washington DC) in early September, and I have coach tickets. I understand that Amtrak is willing to sell unsold or "no-show" sleeping compartments on the train for reduced price. It even says so on the folder one's tickets come in, so its clearly a formal policy. My questions are, in people's experience:
1) How common is this? How many sleeper compartments are unsold/no-show on the typical Capitol Limited run, if any? In other words, can I count on a sleeper being available, or should I resign myself to sleeping in a coach seat and be pleasantly surprised if a sleeper happens to be for sale?
2) What do they usually charge? I have a fair idea from the Amtrak website what I would have paid for a Capitol Limited sleeper if I had bought one ahead of time, but how much of a markdown is there buying on the train? Can you haggle with the conductor or is it a take-it-or-leave-it price?
Thank you in advance for your answers.
Posted by reggierail (Member # 26) on :
It is not a set in stone policy. You may be able to get a better price by booking in advance. The load factor, season & conductor all factor into on-board sales. Find out what it would cost by checking at the station before you leave so you'll have an idea when you get on board. There are several tiers of fares so your guess is as good as mine. Reggie
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Posted by Ed Von Nordeck (Member # 130) on :
I would say the Capital 50% of the time would have Standard bedrooms available. Not sure if this rule still applies, but at one time, it was 25% off on the lowest Yield sleeper fare which is "B".
Problem is that many conductors do not want to be brothered with taking the time to sell the space. Having cash, may help over a credit card for some conductors.
Posted by Ed Von Nordeck (Member # 130) on :
I would say the Capital 50% of the time would have Standard bedrooms available. Not sure if this rule still applies, but at one time, it was 25% off on the lowest Yield sleeper fare which is "B".
Problem is that many conductors do not want to be brothered with taking the time to sell the space. Having cash, may help over a credit card for some conductors.