Book online or call customer service?

I'm planning a multi-leg trip next year: taking the Coast Starlight, but getting off for a few nights in several cities along the way: San Luis Obispo, Portland, San Francisco, Monterey.

I figure it would be fastest to book through the online system, but is it better to call in and speak with an agent? Would that be easier or have benefits I'm not aware of?

Thanks!

Michelle said:

I'm planning a multi-leg trip next year: taking the Coast Starlight, but getting off for a few nights in several cities along the way: San Luis Obispo, Portland, San Francisco, Monterey.

I figure it would be fastest to book through the online system, but is it better to call in and speak with an agent? Would that be easier or have benefits I'm not aware of?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Be aware that if you book with an agent, you won't be able to view or modify your reservation either with the Amtrak website or the mobile app. The agent will still provide you with an email and E Ticket which you can print out or save as a PDF on your phone, so if not having the online isn't important to you, I'd probably go with the agent doing the booking for your more complex trip. I did with the same type of circumstances as you.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

I always book complex trips with an agent. If you are interested in choosing your sleeper room, you may be able to do so with an agent and not on-line.

Given the fact that the WWW interface is experiencing issues with the redesign, I would advise calling and speaking with an agent until the bugs are worked out.

Aside from that, as pennyk notes, completing a complex booking is best done with agent assistance. If you deal with an experienced agent, they will often catch details or issues which you may not have seen or thought about. They will repeat the details and confirm them with you, which can be helpful in making sure that you are traveling on the dates you wish to. Rail travel is a bit unique in that because it often spans calendar days, it's easy to become confused about the arrival dates of trains when it involves multiple cities or legs. Having someone to work through it with helps to ensure that you are making the stops you wish to make on the days you wish to make them.

Whether online or by phone, I'd suggest making a separate reservation for each leg (except for stopovers shorter than a day). There's no price advantage to multi-city tickets (unless a stopover is shorter than a day), and if your ticket isn't lifted in any leg, all subsequent legs on the same reservation will be canceled.

As for online vs. phoned, I always prefer booking my tickets online when possible - it's easier to look up my reservation online (and make changes if necessary), and I can verify that I have the details correct before booking. But there's a lot only a human agent can do, such as reserving a specific room and applying a coupon.

I prefer to speak to an agent, mostly so I can choose my room(s).

When I purchase day trips in coach I book online to save time. When I ride in a sleeper overnight I book over the phone for greater flexibility. This is mainly due to the fact that sleeper selections can only be done over the phone and calling to make changes after you've purchased your tickets online is likely to result in the agent trying to charge you extra. Coach options are basically nonexistent on Amtrak, so there's no penalty to booking online. I don't consider four stops on the same route to be a complicated trip so if i was riding coach I'd book this online to speed up the process.

I also prefer to book directly with an agent. I use the online resources for sleeper accommodation availability and fare information. But, I have been more satisfied working with an Amtrak agent than making the booking solely online.

Even though you cant see your phone made reservations online, the agent sends you an email with the e-ticket. What I do is made a new folder in my email called Amtrak eTickets and transfer it there! Then all my e-tickets are all in 1 place.

ChuckL said:

Michelle said:

I'm planning a multi-leg trip next year: taking the Coast Starlight, but getting off for a few nights in several cities along the way: San Luis Obispo, Portland, San Francisco, Monterey.

I figure it would be fastest to book through the online system, but is it better to call in and speak with an agent? Would that be easier or have benefits I'm not aware of?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Be aware that if you book with an agent, you won't be able to view or modify your reservation either with the Amtrak website or the mobile app. The agent will still provide you with an email and E Ticket which you can print out or save as a PDF on your phone, so if not having the online isn't important to you, I'd probably go with the agent doing the booking for your more complex trip. I did with the same type of circumstances as you.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

Click to expand...

I was able to lookup my agent booking info online.

bmjhagen9426 said:

ChuckL said:

Michelle said:

I'm planning a multi-leg trip next year: taking the Coast Starlight, but getting off for a few nights in several cities along the way: San Luis Obispo, Portland, San Francisco, Monterey.

I figure it would be fastest to book through the online system, but is it better to call in and speak with an agent? Would that be easier or have benefits I'm not aware of?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Be aware that if you book with an agent, you won't be able to view or modify your reservation either with the Amtrak website or the mobile app. The agent will still provide you with an email and E Ticket which you can print out or save as a PDF on your phone, so if not having the online isn't important to you, I'd probably go with the agent doing the booking for your more complex trip. I did with the same type of circumstances as you.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

Click to expand...

I was able to lookup my agent booking info online.

Click to expand...

How? It hadn't been working from either the website or phone apps under Find Trips and putting in your reservation number

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

ChuckL said:

bmjhagen9426 said:

ChuckL said:

Michelle said:

I'm planning a multi-leg trip next year: taking the Coast Starlight, but getting off for a few nights in several cities along the way: San Luis Obispo, Portland, San Francisco, Monterey.

I figure it would be fastest to book through the online system, but is it better to call in and speak with an agent? Would that be easier or have benefits I'm not aware of?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Be aware that if you book with an agent, you won't be able to view or modify your reservation either with the Amtrak website or the mobile app. The agent will still provide you with an email and E Ticket which you can print out or save as a PDF on your phone, so if not having the online isn't important to you, I'd probably go with the agent doing the booking for your more complex trip. I did with the same type of circumstances as you.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

Click to expand...

I was able to lookup my agent booking info online.

Click to expand...

How? It hadn't been working from either the website or phone apps under Find Trips and putting in your reservation number

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

Click to expand...

I did it prior to the website upgrade (about two or three months ago).

If you call, do so in the LATE evening when agents are less busy and they have time to help you better.

When the agent did my multi-city trip this past summer it came up on my iPhone APP with the bar codes for the Conductor to scan.