Ease of changing AGR +/- cash tickets?

Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.

MJL

Service Attendant
Joined
Feb 11, 2010
Messages
135
I bought 1 cash ticket (adult) and redeemed for 3 AGR points tickets (1 adult + 2 kids) on the Missouri River Runner.

Tickets have been issued from Independence - Kirkwood stations (mailed to us because Independence does not have a manned station.) Trip is scheduled out Aug 11, return Aug 13.

Q1: How hard is it to change these tickets to the downtown St Louis Station?

Q2: If we DO change to downtown Union Station instead of Kirkwood, how hard would it be to DISEMBARK EARLY (same trip as ticket) at Kirkwood?

Q3: If we DO change to downtown Union Station instead of Kirkwood, how hard would it be to BOARD LATER (same trip as ticket) at Kirkwood?

I believe the AGR points should be the same (1,000 each way) anywhere along the MRR. I imagine the cash price might be slightly different.

Thanks for your help and expertise.

Edited to Add: Current tickets are ROUNDTRIP Independence to Kirkwood. Want to (possibly) exchange for Independence to STL.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I bought 1 cash ticket (adult) and redeemed for 3 AGR points tickets (1 adult + 2 kids) on the Missouri River Runner.

Tickets have been issued from Independence - Kirkwood stations (mailed to us because Independence does not have a manned station.) Trip is scheduled out Aug 11, return Aug 13.

Q1: How hard is it to change these tickets to the downtown St Louis Station? NOT at all. EZ.

Q2: If we DO change to downtown Union Station instead of Kirkwood, how hard would it be to DISEMBARK EARLY (same trip as ticket) at Kirkwood? You step off the train.

Q3: If we DO change to downtown Union Station instead of Kirkwood, how hard would it be to BOARD LATER (same trip as ticket) at Kirkwood? Prolly not hard, but be safe and call and get rezzy changed.

I believe the AGR points should be the same (1,000 each way) anywhere along the MRR. I imagine the cash price might be slightly different.

Thanks for your help and expertise.
Even thou the AGR's are ticketed, just call AGR, when you know your schedule has changed, you'll keep the same rezzy number, and just exchange tix at the station, don't matter that it's unmanned, as long as your rezzy is correct.
 
Getting off early, or boarding later, is no problem.

Changing your ticket to board earlier would normally be easy enough to do at the station (you'd have to pay the difference in fare, if any). However, since you're on an AGR ticket, at this time, unfortunately, there is no way for the station agent to exchange your ticket. You can try calling AGR to see if they can modify your reservation, but given that it's so close to departure time, what you might have to do (if you have the points) is make a new reservation from St. Louis, and call AGR and cancel the old reservation. They'll probably have you send the tickets back to them, at which time they will credit your account.
 
I can answer question one. Since you have one ticket on cash Call 1-800-usa-rail and ask to have the stations switched to STL. Then call 1-800-307-5000 and do the same with AGR. Not a hard process. But since you have the tickets already you would have to exchange them at a manned station. I don't know the procedure since your not near a manned station.

Steve
 
I just called AGR about the reward tickets.

Person #1 answering the phone (Kevin) said no problem :) let me transfer you to a reservations specialist.

Person #2 (woman with weird name / accent didn't catch her name) was pretty rude, kept interrupting me and was going on and on how impossible it was. Since this account (my son's) had only 900 AGR points left, the only option she offered was for her to add 100 pts to the account, "issue" a ticket to the STL station, have me drive 20 miles to the downtown KC station, and pick up a one way ticket to the STL station. No option for a return ticket from STL to IDP, since time is so tight.

Then she put me on hold, and hung up on me.

Does this sound right, or should I call back & play AGR roulette, hoping for a more helpful agent? This woman's voice sounds familiarly unhelpful from a previous call to AGR in booking this trip when the AGR website froze up on me.

I guess I should just pay cash for replacement tickets, and return the tickets & save the points for another time, since kid's tickets are pretty inexpensive. Sigh. I really hope when AGR is integrated into Amtrak scenarios like this can work better.
 
OK, I had another thought. I guess I could buy KWD-STL roundtrips tickets to "add to" the 3 IDP-KWD AGR tickets, if I'm looking right, for $26 ($13 for adult, $13 for 2 children). Plus each of these 3 passengers would get 200 AGR points for the roundtrip :D Right?

But, how would I get the tickets, if I am leaving from IDP which is unmanned? IIRC KWD is a QuikTick station.

If I call Julie, will they print them out & have them when we board on IDP, to add to our already printed out IDP-KWD tickets? Or would I have dash out the door, print out the tickets from the machine, then dash back on?
 
Or, can I buy KWD-STL tickets to supplement the three AGR tickets, on board? Is the MRR ever that busy, that they would sell out?

I priced replacing all 3 AGR tickets from IDP-KWD to IDP to STL, on Aug 11 - 13, and the return trip is definitely not low bucket :(
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Not that it changes anything, but what prompted you to get tickets to Kirkwood if you really wanted to go to St. Louis?
 
I'm really not sure if the Conductor would have the tickets pre-printed for you on board (I know on some trains they do that), but if you decide to buy tickets from KWD to STL, be sure to use promo code V328. it will give you 20% off!
cool.gif
Also make 2 separate reservations, so you can pick the return ones up in STL! These tickets with the promo code are only $6 each way. (I don't know where you got your amounts.)

You could also check if the one bought with cash from IDP would be less using V328!
wink.gif


Remember there is a 3 day advance purchase requirement using this promo code!
 
Not that it changes anything, but what prompted you to get tickets to Kirkwood if you really wanted to go to St. Louis?
I'm sightseeing with 2 kiddos, mostly downtown STL sights.

The first hotel I found was cheaper in the Kirkwood area, but I would need a rental car & have to schlep 2 booster seats. I have more recently found a reasonable downtown hotel, where I wouldn't have to get a rental car to see the sights, so wouldn't have to use the car / booster seats.

So, that brings up the issue, is the St Louis museum of transportation worth getting off at the Kirkwood stop for? Or should we concentrate on the downtown area (Arch, City museum)? We are only going to be there 1 1/2 days.
 
I've only been to the Museum once (20-30 years ago), and it must have changed since then. At that time, it was good, but I would concentrate more on the downtown sites if you only have 1 1/2 days.
 
So, would it be possible to buy a KWD-STL ticket on board for the 3 AGR ticketed passengers?
 
So, would it be possible to buy a KWD-STL ticket on board for the 3 AGR ticketed passengers?
I don't know. It may be possible, but there is usually a penalty for buying tickets in board - and you would not qualify for the 20% discount (as it would not be 3 days in advance). Perhaps if you had a prior reservation made, this could be done!
wink.gif
 
I can't guarantee this will work, but you should speak with the conductor about just letting you ride to St. Louis. The fare IDP-KWD is the same as IDP-STL, so there would be no "upcharge" to change your ticket. It doesn't really make sense to spend $7.50 per person on KWD-STL tickets when the fare difference would otherwise be nothing.
 
I can't guarantee this will work, but you should speak with the conductor about just letting you ride to St. Louis. The fare IDP-KWD is the same as IDP-STL, so there would be no "upcharge" to change your ticket. It doesn't really make sense to spend $7.50 per person on KWD-STL tickets when the fare difference would otherwise be nothing.
Yeah, I know it doesn't make sense, but such is the AGR bureaucracy :(

I went ahead & bought 4 supplemental tickets by calling Amtrak. Travelling with kids is enough of a hassle I don't want to risk not being able to make our trip.

Maybe I can sweet talk the conductor into not making us "use" the KWD-STL for the 3 AGR tickets -- that way I could turn those 3 tickets in for a refund, right?
 
Maybe I can sweet talk the conductor into not making us "use" the KWD-STL for the 3 AGR tickets -- that way I could turn those 3 tickets in for a refund, right?
Yes, if don't use the tickets, they will still have value for 1 year from the date of issue. If you go to the station and request a refund, you'll pay a 10% penalty. However, if you either ask for a voucher good for future travel or if you exchange them in payment towards another trip, you'll get 100% of your money back.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top