AGR Award booking not working?

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Texan Eagle

Conductor
Joined
Aug 25, 2011
Messages
1,705
Has anyone tried redeeming AGR for award travel through amtrak.com lately? I tried doing it twice on two different days from two different computers and both times as soon as I input Origin and Destination, I am getting this big fat error message, although there is no real "error" in any of my inputs-

We were unable to process your request: Please correct the error(s) shown below and resubmit.

We are unable to process your redemption request online. Please call 1-800-307-5000 for assistance (Sunday - Saturday, 5 am - midnight ET).
[Error ID: 1101R]
 
Has anyone tried redeeming AGR for award travel through amtrak.com lately? I tried doing it twice on two different days from two different computers and both times as soon as I input Origin and Destination, I am getting this big fat error message, although there is no real "error" in any of my inputs-

We were unable to process your request: Please correct the error(s) shown below and resubmit.

We are unable to process your redemption request online. Please call 1-800-307-5000 for assistance (Sunday - Saturday, 5 am - midnight ET).

[Error ID: 1101R]
If your desired trip involves either a connection or using sleeper service, it cannot be made online.
 
In any other context the extremely limited and impractical online booking process for AGR would be called a beta test. Beta testing often involves untrapped errors that lack any useful explanation or advice.
 
I successfully made an award booking on amtrak.com about a week ago (i.e., after the site refresh/redesign), so it does work if your trip is in one of the categories for which online booking is allowed.

Agreed that the error message is obtuse and not particularly helpful.
 
I made a booking about 4 weeks ago, but it was a simple one-zone, train-only coach trip. That should be no problem.

I tried a few samples. EMY-ANA got the "unable to process" message. EMY-LAX went through, but only for the Coast Starlight and not a special route (with bus). If it's going to require a bus connection, I think it may need to be booked over the phone, even though that's not directly stated in the redemption rules. As a sanity check I tried DEN-EMY, which came up fine, but DEN-SFC (requiring a bus) had the same warning message.
 
Yes yes I know sleeper and obscure itineraries cannot be booked online. Been there done that. This was for a simple Northeast Zone Boston to Harrisburg Coach ticket that should have been a simple online redemption but in spite of trying on Chrome and Firefox both over two days, I still keep seeing that obscure error message. I guess I will have no option but to call Amtrak for this. Sigh.
 
Yes yes I know sleeper and obscure itineraries cannot be booked online. Been there done that. This was for a simple Northeast Zone Boston to Harrisburg Coach ticket that should have been a simple online redemption but in spite of trying on Chrome and Firefox both over two days, I still keep seeing that obscure error message. I guess I will have no option but to call Amtrak for this. Sigh.
Simple! You have to make a Connection @NYP to a Keystone or the Pennalyvanian so you have to Call AGR, you can only book thru trains on line! !
 
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Yes yes I know sleeper and obscure itineraries cannot be booked online. Been there done that. This was for a simple Northeast Zone Boston to Harrisburg Coach ticket that should have been a simple online redemption but in spite of trying on Chrome and Firefox both over two days, I still keep seeing that obscure error message. I guess I will have no option but to call Amtrak for this. Sigh.
Simple! You have to make a Connection @NYP to a Keystone or the Pennalyvanian so you have to Call AGR, you can only book thru trains on line! !
Aw damn! I haven't booked AGR ticket in a long time and it shows :(

I had forgotten even regularly published connecting itineraries cannot be booked online. This is kinda dumb on Amtrak's part, it is like airlines mandating that only non-stop flights can be booked online on miles, and even simple 1-stop itineraries needs phone support.
 
Just imagine how someone who has never booked with AGR feels. Sometimes a 10% solution is worse than a 0% solution, especially when it's implemented this poorly.
 
I tried a few samples. EMY-ANA got the "unable to process" message. EMY-LAX went through, but only for the Coast Starlight and not a special route (with bus). If it's going to require a bus connection, I think it may need to be booked over the phone, even though that's not directly stated in the redemption rules. As a sanity check I tried DEN-EMY, which came up fine, but DEN-SFC (requiring a bus) had the same warning message.
The EMY-ANA route requires a connection, the EMY-LAX route on the CS does not, the EMY-LAX route on the SJ requires a connection in BFD, DEN-EMY does not require a connection, DEN-SFC does. It doesn't matter if it's to a train or bus or if it's a special route, it only matters if there is any connection involved.
 
Just imagine how someone who has never booked with AGR feels. Sometimes a 10% solution is worse than a 0% solution, especially when it's implemented this poorly.
Exactly. Either just shut down that online award booking option, or at least mention somewhere on that page that only single train itineraries can be booked using this system. For anything involving a train change, please call instead of "Error ID 1101R"
 
Just imagine how someone who has never booked with AGR feels. Sometimes a 10% solution is worse than a 0% solution, especially when it's implemented this poorly.
Exactly. Either just shut down that online award booking option, or at least mention somewhere on that page that only single train itineraries can be booked using this system. For anything involving a train change, please call instead of "Error ID 1101R"
I submitted that suggestion and got "Error ID 1101R" :giggle: :giggle: :giggle:
 
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