Connection Question

[benjibear]

Will Amtrak let you book a non guaranteed connection as two separate tickets?

My example is I want to go ELT to NYP. The train that leaves at ELT at 6:47 and arrives at PHL at 8:19. The next guaranteed connection is the 8:35 Acela. At one time you were able to book the 8:28 NER to NYP and that was a guaranteed connection. Last week I did the Acela but it was a lot more expensive. I arrived in PHL early and could have easily made the connection.

I am thinking on my next mental health day trying to go the cheaper way. If I make it great. If not, I will reschedule and take the e-voucher for a future trip. If I don't make it I can just hang out in Philly for the day.

 

[Acela150]

I did something like this last July, just there was an hour in between my trains. You can book it on two separate trips but you miss it, you either goto the ticket office and switch trains or you're SOL.

 

[the_traveler]

Sure, you can book anything as 2 reservations, with 2 reservation numbers. (You could book 1 train arriving at 5:16 and 1 departing at 5:17), but if is not a guaranteed connection and you miss the 2nd train, Amtrak is not responsible. You are, and will have to buy a ticket on the next train at the current selling bucket.

I don't understand why you want (or need) to connect. ELT (Elizabethtown) is served by the Keystones. While it does stop in PHL, it continues right to NYP. The same train!

 

[Acela150]

I don't understand why you want (or need) to connect. ELT (Elizabethtown) is served by the Keystones. While it does stop in PHL, it continues right to NYP. The same train!

The AGR_guru doesn't understand this???

More points Dave!

I'll add that it's a good idea!

 

[benjibear]

Sure, you can book anything as 2 reservations, with 2 reservation numbers. (You could book 1 train arriving at 5:16 and 1 departing at 5:17), but if is not a guaranteed connection and you miss the 2nd train, Amtrak is not responsible. You are, and will have to buy a ticket on the next train at the current selling bucket.
I don't understand why you want (or need) to connect. ELT (Elizabethtown) is served by the Keystones. While it does stop in PHL, it continues right to NYP. The same train!

Not all Keystones go to New York. In the morning the 5:17 and the 7:37 leaving E-town go straight through. The 6:47 shows a connection in Philly with an hour wait and you will get to NYP actually after the 7:37 train. The other option is to do the Acela but that is a lot more.

Doesn't make much sense. Did Amtrak do this because there was a real issue or are they tring to sell more tickets.

What I want to do I have done about once a year for the last 5 years when it was printed in the schedule that way.

 

[Anderson]

Sure, you can book anything as 2 reservations, with 2 reservation numbers. (You could book 1 train arriving at 5:16 and 1 departing at 5:17), but if is not a guaranteed connection and you miss the 2nd train, Amtrak is not responsible. You are, and will have to buy a ticket on the next train at the current selling bucket.
I don't understand why you want (or need) to connect. ELT (Elizabethtown) is served by the Keystones. While it does stop in PHL, it continues right to NYP. The same train!

Not all Keystones go to New York. In the morning the 5:17 and the 7:37 leaving E-town go straight through. The 6:47 shows a connection in Philly with an hour wait and you will get to NYP actually after the 7:37 train. The other option is to do the Acela but that is a lot more.

Doesn't make much sense. Did Amtrak do this because there was a real issue or are they tring to sell more tickets.

What I want to do I have done about once a year for the last 5 years when it was printed in the schedule that way.

I could be wrong, but I believe that this may be a matter of turning the equipment to get it back to Harrisburg. It looks to me like 600 (arr. PHL 0819) turns as 609 (dep. PHL 1000) since the latter is the only non-continuing Keystone in the morning.