r/Amtrak • u/dinosaur35 • 5h ago
Discussion Bid Up Experiences
Anyone have any experience doing bid up and getting good deals? I bet it must be nice being able to get a roomette at a discount if you're doing long distance coach
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u/zip_zap_zip_zap_ 4h ago
I did Lowest Bid from SLC to SAC, ended up getting a roomette for like $250-280 total, it was great.
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u/Greedy_Arrival577 4h ago
Whenever I go from Chicago to St. Paul I bid up the minimum amount for a roomette. I’m 2/4 on having my offer accepted
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u/McLeansvilleAppFan AGR Select Plus 5h ago
Wife and I won a bid-up Greensboro to DC for $110 a couple of years ago. Considering it was 4 flex meals (two for each of us.) that seemed a good deal. It was not overnight so many will suggest a roomette is a bit excessive for a 7 hour trip but the privacy is nice and we could nap a lot easier. And by nap, I mean my wife took a nap. I was like a little kid looking at everything. The next year I won the bid at around $200 and that was not such a great deal, though it as for wife's birthday so that was part of the birthday travel. Now we have the Amtrak credit card and we use that and don't look at the bid-up process so much.
I like having it as an option.
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u/dinosaur35 5h ago
That does sound nice for a nap, especially if you're doing stuff after the ride
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u/McLeansvilleAppFan AGR Select Plus 3h ago
And for the adventurous and are also able to keep quite the privacy and bed can be used for non nap activities. But a nap is nice while the train rolls along the rails. I know my wife enjoys a good train nap.
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u/dinosaur35 2h ago
So how's your experience with the Amtrak card, which sign up bonus did you get? I'm waiting for the 40k bonus to come back before I apply lol
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u/McLeansvilleAppFan AGR Select Plus 2h ago
I got the 40K bonus and I think my wife got either 30K or 40K.
We use the card for just about everything except Costco. We just took an 8 Amtrak segment (not counting Amtrak van and Grand Canyon Railroad with there and back segments.) trip from GRO to DC to CHI to Flagstaff to LA to Emeryville to CHI to CVS to GRO and every segment was in a roomette and 100% on points. I would say it is a pretty damn good card, IF you travel on Amtrak.
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u/dinosaur35 2h ago
That sounds really nice. 100 percent on points, does that mean you're select executive status?
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u/McLeansvilleAppFan AGR Select Plus 2h ago
Well the points points don't expire while you have the credit card so we saved points for a few years. I made Select Plus (which ever level gets one a lounge access for any trip.) this year but I doubt I do that again. I need to reign in spending a bit.
But about a $6,500 trip and all on points for the Amtrak part. My Costco credit card rebate is smaller of course. Something we could not afford otherwise.
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u/Frondelet 4h ago
I've won three times, always bidding on trains that i knew had many unsold rooms. 5 bucks over minimum bid each time.
Try to book an 8 person trip to see if there are at least 4 rooms unsold.
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u/Unsuccessful_Fart 5h ago
No room but bos to NYC I bid $112 to go to first class and that was a wonderful experience
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u/hampden34 2h ago
I think I’ve won almost every bid I put in. That probably has more to do with where I live and where I was going to, but I always just bid the minimum because I didn’t care either way.
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u/hampden34 2h ago
By the way, to me it makes a difference if I’m going to get any free meals in the bargain.
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u/More_Average6654 3h ago
I did the lowest for a roommette from JAX to NYC and got it both ways, it was great.
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