WASHINGTON — Amtrak has launched a “free companion” sale for roomettes on its long-distance routes, allowing two people to travel in one of the two-bed sleeping-car accommodations for the price of one.
The sale began Thursday, Nov. 30, and runs through Friday, Dec. 8, and is good for travel between Wednesday, Jan. 3, and Wednesday, March 24, 2024, with no blackout dates. Tickets can be booked at this page on the Amtrak website, which also includes terms and conditions, along with other information. Tickets can also be booked on the Amtrak app using code C103.
“For customers seeking extra space, privacy, and comfort on their next trip, a roomette offers a First Class experience with exclusive benefits and incredible views across the country,” Eliot Hamlisch, Amtrak executive vice president and chief commercial officer, said in a press release. “The free companion sale makes the roomette experience even more enjoyable by extending the gift of train travel to a special plus one.”
Sleeping-car accommodations include lounge access at major stations and priority boarding; on-board meals are included in the price of a ticket.
OK. Amtrak has plenty of problems. However, Amtrak comes out with a 2-for-1 offer and every Debbie Downer unloads on the company. Isn’t anyone happy about the sale?
“For customers seeking extra space” says Amtrak exec Eliot Hamlisch. He’s either joking or he’s never set foot, much less spend a night riding in one of those roomettes which at least used to be designated “Economy Bedrooms” (double occupancy). Once the lower bed is down there is practically no legroom. The upper bed is windowless and puts the occupant very close to the ceiling. I’m only 5’ tall, weigh 107lbs and I cannot sleep up there. Too claustrophobic. I felt like I was in a coffin. Now I understand the current management is not responsible for the design of the Superliner sleepers (and the ones that did probably NEVER rode overnight in one of those rooms) but the current management could have at least modified those rooms for be single occupancy and then there would be some “extra space” at least overhead. I have to wonder how “normal” height couples reacted when they saw for the first time upon boarding what they had. Probably made for a lot of “never agains”.
I try to put myself in the place of a train traveler in, say, 1957 or 1962, when trains were discontinued every week. Without the Internet or computerized reservations, there was no way to for them to know if the train they counted on even existed.
Now in 2023 there’s a smart phone in every pocket but we still don’t know if Amtrak will get us where we are going. Where there used to be a station with an agent/ baggage handler, there’s now a bus shelter.
I’ve long since switched from Amtrak LDs to airlines. More recently, I got my airplane-adverse wife to switch. For way less than the price of an Amtrak sleeper I can get her onto First Class on United Airlnes and cut out an enormous amount of time, trouble and uncertainty.
As I have posted, in the summer of last year, I sat in Denver International for five hours because UAL first took a plane out of service in Houston, then repaired the second pane at the gate at Denver So I got to SeaTac Washington State five hours late. Big deal. That’s the worst that’s happened to me in 57 years of traveling by air.
Amtrak is a mess. I booked and paid for a train, NYP to Lancaster, PA, on July 4. I show up at Penn Station and don’t see my train listed on the departures board. I go to the ticket counter to inquire and the agent looks it up. The train doesn’t run on Sundays nor holidays. I asked the agent why the “System” let me book a train on a day it doesn’t run. Of course he wouldn’t know any more than I would.
So he says not a problem I’ll just rebook you on the next train. The “System” wanted to charge me almost triple what I originally paid. My hat’s off to the agent who went above and beyond questioning everything the “System” was doing. After several phone calls and closed door meetings with a supervisor he got it straightened out.
You touched upon another thing lacking at Amtrak: experienced and knowledgeable customer service agents. Getting one is like rolling dice.
I don’t want to be negative either but Amtrak frustrates me every time I think I want to take a train trip. I see a sale or think wouldn’t it be fun to go up the coast to Seattle or cross country to Chicago I can’t do it. There is a train “platform” in Palm Springs and it”s on their list of destinations but it doesn’t stop here? Then why list it? Then I think what the heck let’s drive to LA and take the train to Seattle. Put in the dates (current sale looked good) and then it shows first leg of trip is Bakersfield? By bus! Well then why not start off in Bakersfield. So I try to enter Bakersfield instead of LA and there is no Bakersfield. What? Then I call American Airlines and book a flight. And yes I’ve called and yes I’ve talked to someone on help desk. Someone please let me run this company for them.
Although Amtrak strongly discourages this, buy your trip with separate tickets for the different legs. This way you force to computer to go the way you want! In your case, Palm Springs to LAUS, then LAUS to Seattle. The risk is if the Sunset is running more six hours late you would miss connection and not receive your money back. If so, Plan B: buy another ticket from LAUS to Sacramento. It will consist of a bus to Bakersfield, a San Joaquin train to Stockton, and finally another bus to Sacramento, unless you were lucky enough to catch the one Bakersfield to Sacramento train of the day.
Not to be to negative, but You make reservations and then have no idea if the train will actually run. Amtrak needs to fix that part of their service.
Today’s vernight Amtrak sleepers have come a long ways from back in the 1930s. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=3+stooges+pain+in+the+pullman&t=newext&atb=v282-1&iax=videos&ia=videos&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D_V4RtsQMaRM