I am thinking of visiting my son in North Carolina this summer. In checking various routes, etc. I find that in May 2009 a bedroom from New Orleans to Charlotte is cheaper than a roomette. A roomette shows a price of $229.00 and a bedroom shows a price of $195.00. Is this for real or is it a mistake?
Posted by bill haithcoat (Member # 6773) on :
I do not know the explanation but I have had the same thing happen to me, and it worked.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
I just checked Amtrak's website. By George, Mesaman, you're right. The bedroom actually is cheaper than the roomette. Was I you I'd grab it now -- the bucket might shift in the next few days.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
I doubt if such is the intent of Amtrak's inventory control area, and certainly is a programming error.
Best advice, Mr. Mesaman, if you have firm dates of travel at this time, grab it and get it ticketed. The "hold" option would be no good as fares can change during the hold period Amtrak grants. At this time, Amtrak is making a unilateral offer of transportation at that rate on at least the two May dates I reviewed for an NOL to CLT itinerary. By means of a credit card and clicks you accept, then a transportation contract is in place and Amtrak is obliged to honor such.
While I'm not a lawyer in this life (retired CPA) and principles of commercial law do allow the voiding of a contract when a mistake has been made, such mistake had best be a "mite bit' more blatant than this. But once they discover the likely mistake (remember they DO review this and other rail forums - know so first hand), they can withdraw the offer without any notice by simply changing the fare.
Posted by Bob from MA (Member # 4686) on :
I have seen this happen before. My take on it is as follows: people have been booking the roomettes such that perhaps only one or two are left. They become more expensive as that happens. But perhaps no one has booked a bedroom.