E-Tickets

[transit54]

What happens to the Quik-Trak machines now?

I doubt they're going anywhere anytime soon. After all, airlines still have numerous kiosks despite the ability of one to check in online. I do question as to whether Amtrak will ever do another mass deployment of them. I can see QTs in the future being much smaller in number, simpler in design, and less expensive to buy and operate. Essentially they will become an internet kiosk with a thermal printer.

Once everything is moved over to e-ticketing (which will still take some time), I'd imagine Amtrak will change the design of the ticket stock to align with the new e-ticketing design.

 

[jis]

What happens to the Quik-Trak machines now?

They remain in place so that people can print out their e-Tickets. Afterall everyone may not have a computer and a printer at home, or a smartphone for that matter.

 

[Trogdor]

Once everything is moved over to e-ticketing (which will still take some time), I'd imagine Amtrak will change the design of the ticket stock to align with the new e-ticketing design.

Actually, the change to eticketing is one of the reasons the ticket stock was changed two years ago.

 

[fairviewroad]

What happens to the Quik-Trak machines now?

They remain in place so that people can print out their e-Tickets. Afterall everyone may not have a computer and a printer at home, or a smartphone for that matter.

Exactly. At some level you still need something to give or show to the conductor. You cannot simply show your ID and have the conductor look it up.

Or maybe you can. But Amtrak still publicly at least says you need to either print something out at home or at the station, or show the conductor your

smartphone confirmation page.

 

[AlanB]

What happens to the Quik-Trak machines now?

They remain in place so that people can print out their e-Tickets. Afterall everyone may not have a computer and a printer at home, or a smartphone for that matter.

Exactly. At some level you still need something to give or show to the conductor. You cannot simply show your ID and have the conductor look it up.

Or maybe you can. But Amtrak still publicly at least says you need to either print something out at home or at the station, or show the conductor your

smartphone confirmation page.

While it requires considerably more work for the conductor, and I don't recommend doing so for no good reason, the conductor is indeed able to look up your reservation and check you in with nothing more than your ID.

 

[transit54]

Once everything is moved over to e-ticketing (which will still take some time), I'd imagine Amtrak will change the design of the ticket stock to align with the new e-ticketing design.

Actually, the change to eticketing is one of the reasons the ticket stock was changed two years ago.

That's what I had heard at the time, though the e-ticketing print out does not line up with any of the lines on the ticket stock. Once paper tickets are fully on their way out, I'd imagine they would redesign the face of the ticket to align with the e-ticket language, right?

 

[X]

I'm hoping they do not cancel reservations after one stop, especially after last night when the assistant conductor said she would have to come back with her iPhone. Then she tore off the end segment (formerly the passenger receipt and with one of the two barcodes) saying it was OK and not to worry. This left me with the larger part of the ticket, formerly the part the crew took.

Afterall it is Amtrak. You should not expect anyone to necessarily follow procedures and certainly not be able to make any sense of what they do instead Why didn't she have her iPhone if she was checking tickets? This is the equivalent of "Oh gee I need to go and get my ticket punch. Meanwhile give me half your ticket just in case.

Of course since you can print yourself as many copies of the thing as you want it really does not matter if she takes this or that part, provided of course you have the time to print yourself another copy before the next segment.

Ticket punches don't need to be charged every few hours.

 

[Ryan]

Neither should scanners. iPhone batteries last pretty much for a day (depending on use) and the scanner sled that they sit in have an extra capacity battery in them.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

When not in use the scanners should be plugged in charging like I saw on the wolverine.

 

[X]

Neither should scanners. iPhone batteries last pretty much for a day (depending on use) and the scanner sled that they sit in have an extra capacity battery in them.

That's all well and good when it's being used in an Apple store on Wi-Fi, but when it's constantly moving in and out of coverage while trying to keep the reservation database up to date on 3G, the battery doesn't last very long at all.

 

[jis]

Neither should scanners. iPhone batteries last pretty much for a day (depending on use) and the scanner sled that they sit in have an extra capacity battery in them.

What is the capacity of the add-on battery in the sleeve? If it is anything like the Mophie sleeve I have the battery should last more than a day even with continuous down and upload on a flaky 3G network. Even assuming that it is half the capacity, it should last for more than just a few hours.

 

[jebr]

Neither should scanners. iPhone batteries last pretty much for a day (depending on use) and the scanner sled that they sit in have an extra capacity battery in them.

That's all well and good when it's being used in an Apple store on Wi-Fi, but when it's constantly moving in and out of coverage while trying to keep the reservation database up to date on 3G, the battery doesn't last very long at all.

Despite having to sync, it's probably not much heavier in terms of bandwidth usage than having a work email set up to automatically go to your phone. After all, it's basically just verifying that the reservation number from the QR code matches with the reservation number on the database (and that that reservation number is supposed to be on that train.) My guess is that it would still work fine even on an EDGE/1X (2G) network.

 

[fairviewroad]

What happens to the Quik-Trak machines now?

They remain in place so that people can print out their e-Tickets. Afterall everyone may not have a computer and a printer at home, or a smartphone for that matter.

Exactly. At some level you still need something to give or show to the conductor. You cannot simply show your ID and have the conductor look it up.

Or maybe you can. But Amtrak still publicly at least says you need to either print something out at home or at the station, or show the conductor your

smartphone confirmation page.

While it requires considerably more work for the conductor, and I don't recommend doing so for no good reason, the conductor is indeed able to look up your reservation and check you in with nothing more than your ID.

Good to know, not that I'm going to try that specifically, but it's a bit of "insurance" in case a phone battery dies, or I lose the slip of paper I printed out at home, etc.

 

[acelafan]

I just really don't want to have to drive my ass up to RTE to actually board there, but I guess I have been technically cheating for a while. Some folks on flyer talk are saying that if you get a free upgrade coupon you get paper tickets, so in that case, maybe the ticketed from RTE but board in PVD thing will still work. I just don't know.

I just did an Acela first class upgrade coupon at PHL. Still have an eTicket. Guess the paper tix are just about gone forever.

I also changed my reservation last night & there were still no change fees. Still nice to verify that.

 

[AlanB]

Here's an interesting twist though on the eTicketing thing & AGR. First, let me remind everyone that according to the employee handbook, the only tickets that ever need to be signed are the ones that were purchased by credit card. And in fact, printed in small fine print on the ticket stock, is the blurb about needing to sign here to acknowledge the charge to your credit card.

So with that in mind, we now move to the Auto Train which has been doing a quasi-eTicket for some time now. If one shows up with a paid reservation, even one paid for by a credit card, then things work more or less as one would expect with an eTicket. One just drives up to the booth, provides the primary name on the reservation and you receive your little ticket holder book. This book in use for a number of years, provides a route guide, a place to write the car number assigned at the booth, and other helpful information; as well as a place to stick your physical tickets in. Used to be that's what they did in the booth for you when you showed your tickets. Now, they already have one book ready for each party with your name on the book.

After dropping off your car, you walk in and hand over the book and show your photo ID. You also pick your dinner time, and in coach you get a seat assignment. Now if you paid for your reservation with a credit card, then this is all you need to do. You are done, checked in, and ready to go when the train is ready.

However, if you used AGR points to pay for your reservation, well apparently they can't do eTickets for that. So the ticket machine spits out regular Amtrak tickets, just like it always has for both AGR & paid reservations. And then the agent behind the counter commits the ultimate violation of Amtrak procedures, they ask you to sign the tickets. You know, that spot where it says "I agree to this charge on my credit card." Only, you never used a credit card to buy the tickets and therefore should NOT be forced to agree to a charge on your credit card! Not to mention the fact that eTickets means NO traditional, physical tickets.

Go figure!

 

[Bob Dylan]

However, if you used AGR points to pay for your reservation, well apparently they can't do eTickets for that. So the ticket machine spits out regular Amtrak tickets, just like it always has for both AGR & paid reservations. And then the agent behind the counter commits the ultimate violation of Amtrak procedures, they ask you to sign the tickets. You know, that spot where it says "I agree to this charge on my credit card." Only, you never used a credit card to buy the tickets and therefore should NOT be forced to agree to a charge on your credit card! Not to mention the fact that eTickets means NO traditional, physical tickets.

Go figure!

The Age Old saying "Weve always done it this way!" applies Alan! People get comfortable with Routines and even though there are Manuals and Updates all the time from Management re changes in Policy, most People dont bother to Read or Check, it's Business as Usual! I anticipate lots of problems out in the sticks @ the Small Stations, and the AGR vs Paid Ticets surely will have it's Rough Spots with both Employees AND Passengers until everything is Clarified, becomes "the Norm" and lots of the old Luddites (including some of us! ) are pulled kicking and screaming into the 21st Century! :lol:

 

[amamba]

I have always been made to sign my AGR award tickets. My H was just forced to sign a ticket that was paid for with a voucher, too, last week. But that was the mean, old guy at the ticket window that I really dislike. I think they are just so used to saying "sign here".

 

[jis]

I just got AGR paid eTickets on Silver service to JAX and back in Sept. I wonder when they will have an opportunity to give me a real ticket to sign between me printing my eTicket and taking it along to the train to have it scanned by the conductor, and when it is actually scanned.

 

[acelafan]

The conductor on 2164 is scanning tickets. Every so often I hear him ask a passenger to produce ID as the computer "requires a random check".

New practice? I have never been asked to provide ID on a regional or AE. Long distance, yes but not NEC.

He also said the small box on the PDF email printout scans much easier rather than the bar code on the QT ticket stub. He mentioned this as it was taking a long time to scan passengers who had the QT printout.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

A couple of things:

The Old:

In regards to paper tickets and signing them if a credit card was used to purchase them: I've noticed that whenever I travel in coach the conductors are sticklers about the tickets being signed, but I never get asked to sign my tix if traveling in a sleeper. I first noticed this a while ago when I accidentally left a sleeper ticket unsigned. Since then I've never signed them and never get asked to.

The New:

A question about groups traveling by eticket: If only one ticket is needed for several people traveling together, what happens if members of a group want to board at different times at a station like WAS where tickets are looked at before going to the platform? Can each member of the party have a copy of the eticket to show?

 

[AlanB]

However, if you used AGR points to pay for your reservation, well apparently they can't do eTickets for that. So the ticket machine spits out regular Amtrak tickets, just like it always has for both AGR & paid reservations. And then the agent behind the counter commits the ultimate violation of Amtrak procedures, they ask you to sign the tickets. You know, that spot where it says "I agree to this charge on my credit card." Only, you never used a credit card to buy the tickets and therefore should NOT be forced to agree to a charge on your credit card! Not to mention the fact that eTickets means NO traditional, physical tickets.

Go figure!

The Age Old saying "Weve always done it this way!" applies Alan! People get comfortable with Routines and even though there are Manuals and Updates all the time from Management re changes in Policy, most People dont bother to Read or Check, it's Business as Usual! I anticipate lots of problems out in the sticks @ the Small Stations, and the AGR vs Paid Ticets surely will have it's Rough Spots with both Employees AND Passengers until everything is Clarified, becomes "the Norm" and lots of the old Luddites (including some of us! ) are pulled kicking and screaming into the 21st Century! :lol:

Jim,

I might buy that, if they had always done it that way. But they haven't always done it that way. In the past you showed up with your tickets 90% of the time. They didn't print them out for you at the time of check in, unless you had not obtained the tix prior to arriving at the AT. And arriving without tix, made checkin at the booth very interesting.

Additionally in the past when I arrived with AGR tickets, I was never asked to sign them, which is the correct procedure.

So in this case, not only are they doing something that they never did before, that is forcing one to sign an AGR ticket; but they are also printing out tickets for something that is supposed to be an eTicket.

 

[AlanB]

I have always been made to sign my AGR award tickets. My H was just forced to sign a ticket that was paid for with a voucher, too, last week. But that was the mean, old guy at the ticket window that I really dislike. I think they are just so used to saying "sign here".

You should never be forced to sign AGR tix. That said, many FC attendants try to make you do that because they never listen to the entire announcement made by the conductors about signing the tix if you paid with a credit card. They only hear "sign". I've argued with more than one. And one even marched out of the car and got the conductor. To her great dismay, the conductor sided with me, saying that I did not need to sign the tix.

 

[AlanB]

The conductor on 2164 is scanning tickets. Every so often I hear him ask a passenger to produce ID as the computer "requires a random check".

New practice? I have never been asked to provide ID on a regional or AE. Long distance, yes but not NEC.

No, that has been required for a couple of years. However, the old way most conductors just ignored and didn't bother checking.

 

[Ryan]

Neither should scanners. iPhone batteries last pretty much for a day (depending on use) and the scanner sled that they sit in have an extra capacity battery in them.

That's all well and good when it's being used in an Apple store on Wi-Fi, but when it's constantly moving in and out of coverage while trying to keep the reservation database up to date on 3G, the battery doesn't last very long at all.

In other words, they're used exactly how I use my phone and get far more than several hours out of it.

 

[Acela150]

The conductor on 2164 is scanning tickets. Every so often I hear him ask a passenger to produce ID as the computer "requires a random check".

New practice? I have never been asked to provide ID on a regional or AE. Long distance, yes but not NEC.

He also said the small box on the PDF email printout scans much easier rather than the bar code on the QT ticket stub. He mentioned this as it was taking a long time to scan passengers who had the QT printout.

As I had mentioned earlier in the topic. When I was on 175 Tuesday the scanner will prompt the conductor to ask for an ID at random.