Amtrak doesn't inform passengers well in advance? How about this?

[Texan Eagle]

So you thought Amtrak doesn't inform passengers about changes in service sufficiently in advance? How about three years, that should be plenty time, no? :unsure:

Spotted at Stockton station yesterday-

 

[Bob Dylan]

:lol: California is Always Ahead of the Rest of the Country!

 

[TinCan782]

Marking my calendar now!

 

[SarahZ]

Well there's an unfortunate typo...

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I assume

This is march 1st, 2014. What does this mean if I am reserved PHL-NYP in business and decide for various reasons to instead get on in TRE?

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

GML yes you lose your funds and space.

 

[PRR 60]

GML yes you lose your funds and space.

Maybe not. There is a buffer period before the reservation is cancelled. It used to be two hours, but may be shorter now. If your ticket is scanned before it is force-lifted and marked as a no-show, you'll be OK.

 

[Swimmingcat]

I was worried about this, a tad, last Christmas. I had a ticket for (unreserved) Capitol from (Oakland) Coliseum to Emeryville, to connect w/Zephyr (all-reserved) to Denver. But I was able to get directly to EMY (dad took me) to board the Zephyr -- and the Cap Corridor is unreserved -- this policy doesn't apply here I figured, & was correct. Also, I thought this policy took effect sometime last year.

So I presume if you were taking the San Joaquin (now I believe it's a reserved train) to connect with perhaps the Zephyr or CS, that would 'bite' to say the least if you found out your reservation on the latter was canx because you were a no-show on the SJ. I could see why Amtrak is doing that -- no-shows take 'virtual space' that could have been used by another pax. And as another poster said, it might not take effect for a couple of hours anyway -- so may not be an issue if your first (reserved) 'ride' is short?, or if you boarded your original reserved train a few stops 'down-line'?.

 

[amamba]

I assume

This is march 1st, 2014. What does this mean if I am reserved PHL-NYP in business and decide for various reasons to instead get on in TRE?

My understanding is that they are lifting all tix on the NEC on the devices after scanning. So wouldn't that then count as GML already being on the train? On flyertalk I think someone said they actually weren't on the train but their ticket was lifted.

 

[Walt]

So you thought Amtrak doesn't inform passengers about changes in service sufficiently in advance? How about three years, that should be plenty time, no? :unsure:

Nice that Amtrak is finally planning that far ahead.

 

[jis]

GML yes you lose your funds and space.

Maybe not. There is a buffer period before the reservation is cancelled. It used to be two hours, but may be shorter now. If your ticket is scanned before it is force-lifted and marked as a no-show, you'll be OK.

For all practical purposes boarding at TRE instead of PHL on a PHL - NYP itinerary you will always be fine. I am yet to have my ticket lifted before TRE on my many PHL - MET rides. And at least on 2 occasions I had to chase down a Conductor on the platform at MET to get the ticket scanned so I'd get the points.

And no, they are not bulk lifting on all trains. Last weekend nothing was bulk lifted on any of the four legs I traveled.

 

[Anderson]

Bulk lifts may occasionally happen on the NEC, especially during peak travel periods, but they're not standard. The issue of a swamped conductor fumbling a lift is still a potential issue with this...for example, someone traveling STM-NYP-CHI who has their lift botched (they get missed by a conductor on a packed train) losing their NYP-CHI ticket because of that is not implausible. The same applies to something like a WBG-RVR-ORL ticket as well.

 

[SubwayNut]

Twice I've booked a throwaway segment from SAC-Lodi so I could take a thruway bus down to Sacramento and had no time to take and get scanned on the connecting train. This option is cheeper than a SAC-DAV throw-away segment. On both instances the SAC-Lodi segment posted (earning me the extra 150 points)!

I'm debating booking a ridiculous multi-city trip (for $9) on the San Joaquin that could early me 500 points to see if this is SOP or not.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

We are talking about several different issues.

1) One can Amtrak cancell your ticket for no show, and all other segments on that ticket.

2) Is there a grace period.

3) Bulk ticket lifts (sweeping).

Short answer is: Yes Amtrak is doing things different. So if you miss your train and don't call them, they may cancel your ticket and forfeit your funds. Will it happen ever time, or just when you really need a connection to work? Do you want to roll those dice.

 

[jis]

We are talking about several different issues.

1) One can Amtrak cancell your ticket for no show, and all other segments on that ticket.

2) Is there a grace period.

3) Bulk ticket lifts (sweeping).

Short answer is: Yes Amtrak is doing things different. So if you miss your train and don't call them, they may cancel your ticket and forfeit your funds. Will it happen ever time, or just when you really need a connection to work? Do you want to roll those dice.

Now then dropping down from generalities to the specific question posed by GML....which BTW did not include any issue of connecting reservations either.....

On the NEC the grace period is at least one hour and probably more. So to return to the specific question posed by GML the answer is he is always safe boarding at TRE for a PHL originating reservation provided the train is not held up for a long time between PHL and TRE. This is also verifiable since often Philadelphia originating tickets are not scanned until well past Trenton.

Similarly, will disaster strike if you board at RTE on a BOS originating ticket? No it won't. OTOH what about PVD? I don't know. Maybe amamba has some insight on that one.

 

[amamba]

I have been pretty nervous about booking RTE instead of PVD because of the ticket cancellation issue.

If I have the time, I often take a regional PVD - BOS to board in BOS when I'm heading south on acela FC because I a) get an extra 100 points and b) get to wait in Club acela and c) get best choices of seats on the train.

If I know I'm not going to have time to go to BOS or RTE I have been booking PVD as my starting point. I always book to RTE on the way home from NYP, WAS or PHL because detraining early is no problem and its worth the $9 for the extra points.

Now, one of my main reasons for do the select city pairs is the 750 points when riding in FC (even when using upgrade coupons). Since that changed for 2014, I don't really see the point in booking RTE when I'm nervous about possible ticket cancellations and know that I cannot board until PVD.

I am booked on the acela on 2/28 and I just did PVD - PHL. The fare was something like $223 from PVD, so from RTE it would have been like $230ish and at that point I am practically at 500 points anyway. Without the lure of the 750 points I just don't think the gnawing pit in my stomach that something could go wrong is worth it.

I am nervous about the PVD/RTE issue, and that was the first concern I mentioned on this board when they came out with the e-tickets and were auto cancelling people.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

I have been pretty nervous about booking RTE instead of PVD because of the ticket cancellation issue.

I am nervous about the PVD/RTE issue, and that was the first concern I mentioned on this board when they came out with the e-tickets and were auto cancelling people.

A heavy Amtrak user nervous about booking tickets. Sure sign the policy needs to reviewed.

 

[NJCoastExp]

I stopped counting number of times I had to chase conductor on my usual Amtrak MET-NYP or NYP-MET commutes.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I do have connecting reservations on that segment, all the way to EMY in fact. And they are AGR reservations FWIW