connecting trains, please help

I would like to use AGR points for trip from Tampa to Albany, NY and spend some time in NYC to see something, let's say Empire State Building. Train 98 comes to NYC at 11:30am, amtrak.com suggests me only trains to Albany at 2:30pm and 3:30pm. It's not enough time to walk around, because train 98 can be late.

Is it possible to book tickets using AGR points for 3:30pm, but go on 5:30pm train to Albany?

Or maybe I can book 5:30pm train as "connecting" if I do the reservation by phone?

An AGR award requires you to ride what Amtrak considers the guaranteed connection to the arriving train. In your case it sounds like the 2:30 and 3:30 PM trains are the only guaranteed connections. Therefore if you wish to do the entire trip on one award, you will have no choice but to accept a reservation on one of those two trains. In the event that train 98 is so late as to miss those two trains, then and only then will Amtrak allow you to rebook on a later train. Calling AGR will not change the results.

If you really want to spend time in NYC, then you'll have no choice but to book the NYP to Albany leg seperately either on another points award or by paying for it.

AlanB said:

An AGR award requires you to ride what Amtrak considers the guaranteed connection to the arriving train. In your case it sounds like the 2:30 and 3:30 PM trains are the only guaranteed connections. Therefore if you wish to do the entire trip on one award, you will have no choice but to accept a reservation on one of those two trains. In the event that train 98 is so late as to miss those two trains, then and only then will Amtrak allow you to rebook on a later train. Calling AGR will not change the results.
If you really want to spend time in NYC, then you'll have no choice but to book the NYP to Albany leg seperately either on another points award or by paying for it.

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I noticed that if I select Syracuse instead of Albany - it gives me a option for Lake Shore train (3:45pm).

Then I have more time. I guess I can get a ticket to Syracuse and ride to Albany only instead?

How much time do I need to visit Empire State Building?

coloboka said:

I noticed that if I select Syracuse instead of Albany - it gives me a option for Lake Shore train (3:45pm).Then I have more time. I guess I can get a ticket to Syracuse and ride to Albany only instead?

How much time do I need to visit Empire State Building?

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Once you're up there, you probably don't need more than a half an hour or so. The problem is getting up there. At that time of the day, you could easily spend two or more hours in the line to buy tickets, and then the line to get up top. They do sell a premium ticket that allows you to bypass some of the lines, but I'm not sure if you can bypass the line upstairs or not with that ticket. If you can, then you might not need more than an hour to walk over & back, as well as getting to the top. If you have to wait in the upstairs line, then you could be pushing closer to an hour and a half, maybe a bit more than that.

And I believe that those premium tickets have to be purchased in advance, which means if the Meteor is late, you'd be stuck holding a ticket that you can't use.

AlanB said:

coloboka said:

I noticed that if I select Syracuse instead of Albany - it gives me a option for Lake Shore train (3:45pm).Then I have more time. I guess I can get a ticket to Syracuse and ride to Albany only instead?

How much time do I need to visit Empire State Building?

Click to expand...

Once you're up there, you probably don't need more than a half an hour or so. The problem is getting up there. At that time of the day, you could easily spend two or more hours in the line to buy tickets, and then the line to get up top. They do sell a premium ticket that allows you to bypass some of the lines, but I'm not sure if you can bypass the line upstairs or not with that ticket. If you can, then you might not need more than an hour to walk over & back, as well as getting to the top. If you have to wait in the upstairs line, then you could be pushing closer to an hour and a half, maybe a bit more than that.

And I believe that those premium tickets have to be purchased in advance, which means if the Meteor is late, you'd be stuck holding a ticket that you can't use.

Click to expand...

If I am late for the next train to Albany - can I exchange my ticket for the next train?

coloboka said:

If I am late for the next train to Albany - can I exchange my ticket for the next train?

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Well that depends on why you're late and what type of ticket you have.

If you have one AGR reservation for the entire trip and the Meteor is late, then yes Amtrak will exchange your ticket for the next train out. If you miss the connecting train because your over at the Empire State Building (ESB), then Amtrak doesn't have to do anything for you. They might, but the don't have to.

If you book two seperate AGR reservations, then again Amtrak doesn't have to do anything for you unless the Meteor is late. And even then, since you made two seperate reservations they technically don't have to help you. But they most likely would if the Meteor is late. If you miss it because you're at the ESB, again you're probably on your own.

If you make two reservations, one AGR to NYP and one paid to Albany, then Amtrak will allow you to exchange the ticket for another train. However, you would loose any discounts like AAA and if the bucket price is higher for the later train, you will have to pay the difference. If the Meteor is late, then most likely they would exchange it for you without penalty, but again they actually don't have to do that.