Passenger Trains > Extreme bedroom fares

I recently was checking out bedroom costs between CA and NY using the California Zephyr and Lake Shore Ltd., and was very amazed at how high the fares seem to be. I was using June dates. Two years ago was the most recent time I did this and at that time fares were probably about half what they seem to be now. I also recall that bedrooms often seemed to be selling completely out. What I'm speaking of now are rates over $4,000 for two in a bedrrom.

Now I'm wondering if Amtrak has decided to price according to whatever the market will bear while still allow many trips to sell out, or, if part of the mentality is to extremely increase sleeper fares to make a better impression. with DOGE. Thankfully roomette pricing is not quite as radical.

Traditionally, Amtrak has several "buckets" or fares  for each class of service. Not all fares may be offered at any given time, but the price differences can be huge.  Auto-Train coach fare buckets have ranged from about $75 to $700, depending on season and direction

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/25 14:00 by Lackawanna484.

Amtrak uses multiple buckets, usually 5 or 6 for sleeper. These buckets allow fares to be allocated according to demand. Higher demand times- higher fares. In other words, whatever the market will bare. And, usually they are sold out. 

Anyone remember back to when you could go cross country in a sleeper for 30,000 points? Those were the days.

Yes I do. However my memory doesn't go back quite that far but I do recall 50,000 points!

I have seen sleeper fares to/from Savannah from NYP to go as low as the high $200s to over $700.  My trip tomorrow has a fare of $456.  Often I use points, but it was a decent fare and I can work toward Select Executive again for next year.

Of course I will report on the ride.  Boarding a shuttle at Springfield for New Haven, Regional to NYP, then the Meteor from there.  Return via reverse route (that used to be stenciled on boxcars).

So you are returning by boxcar?  Sounds good!

irhoghead Wrote:
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> Anyone remember back to when you could go cross
> country in a sleeper for 30,000 points? Those were
> the days.

Yes, sure do. Cincinnati was the demarcation point between 2 zones so I could go east or west and cover half the country with a one zone ticket, which I think was only 15,000 points.

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I received an email this morning offering an option to bid on upgrading my roomette on #7 next week to a bedroom for the "low low price" of $753. No thanks.

Jim