Guaranteed connections

[Kenneth]

Does the guaranteed connection only apply on a multi segment ticket? I bought my tickets separate, as suggested on here. ( balance of trip canceled if I miss a segment ).

 

[KmH]

If each segment is a separate reservation I don't think a connection from one segment to another is guaranteed.

I have a single reservation that has 3 multi-city segments on it - OTM - DEN, DEN - RNO, RNO - EUG.

The last segment RNO - EUG includes a connection from the CZ to the CS in Sacramento and is a guaranteed connection.

In addition a connection has to have at least 60 minutes (90 minutes in the NEC) scheduled between connections to be guaranteed.

There is 10 hours between the CZ to CS connection for me in Sacramento.

 

[the_traveler]

I don't quite understand what you mean by "... as suggested on here." What we have suggested is instead of buying a round trip ticket for say ELP-LAX-PDX-LAX-ELP is to buy 2 one way ticket instead - one ELP-PDX and the other PDX-ELP - not one ELP-LAX another for LAX-PDX a third for PDX-LAX and a fourth for LAX-ELP.

 

[amamba]

I am also confused by the recommendation to not buy as one reservation. Personally, I buy ONE WAY tickets, not round trips. But, a one way ticket would include a connection from the EB to the Cap in CHI (at risk, so want it to be guaranteed) or the SWC to the CS in LAX.

 

[PaulM]

Does the guaranteed connection only apply on a multi segment ticket? I bought my tickets separate, as suggested on here. ( balance of trip canceled if I miss a segment ).

Correct me if I wrong, but only "One-way" and "Round-trip", not "multi-city", reservation connections are guaranteed.

 

[the_traveler]

Correct, both one way and round trip tickets are guaranteed. Using the above example, in the above example the LAX-PDX segment is not scanned, the PDX-LAX and LAX-ELP segments would be cancelled if a round trip ticket was purchased. If a one way ticket was purchased, that would be the last segment on that specific reservation, so there would be no later reservations to cancel on that reservation.

You may not find out your PDX-LAX reservation was cancelled until you are already on the train 3 weeks later and the Conductor tells you that your reservation was cancelled - and you must buy an onboard ticket. That would be at the highest bucket. And if you had a room on the CS, they could say there are no rooms left and you must ride coach to LAX. That's why we recommend buying 2 one way reservations from the origination to destination points.

 

[oregon pioneer]

I have two separate tickets for a one-way trip back east next fall. The reason for that is that I have a two-zone redemption in sleeper from Bend, Oregon to CIN, and then a one-zone paid-for ticket in coach from CIN to BAL and on to Boston the next day. It's my understanding, and I clarified this with the reservation agent, that:

1. I must make sure my ticket is scanned on the first leg of the train trip so that my guaranteed connections (in SAC to the CZ, and CHI to the Cardinal) will be valid; and
2. If I miss any connection that will cause me to miss boarding the paid-for part of the trip at CIN, it's *my* responsibility to cancel or change that reservation *before* I acutally miss the train, or that paid-for ticket will be forfeited and I will need to make other arrangements for that portion of the trip.

So, I know that the connection from the sleeper to coach in CIN is "associated" (so the system knows I am not getting off in CIN, but rather continuing to my ultimate destination of BAL). But I also know that if the CZ misses the connection in CHI, there will be arrangements to change on *two* reservations. If you have two tickets, you may be in the same situation.

 

[Kenneth]

Sorry, I misunderstood. Thanks for the answer to my question.