Onboard Upgrade on the Auto Train

[I always rode the Southern]

Breaking News! Offered an on board upgrade on the autotrain.

Traveled NB on the auto train with a great bedroom rate. Our SB return was in a roomette as the BR was more than double the NB cost. Our SCA was fairly new, enthusiastic and eager to ensure her passengers.enjoyed the trip(will follow up with trip report later).When she stopped by to greet us, I mentioned that I forgot how uncomfortably small the roomette was compared to the bedroom. She stated that there were empty BR's(which I had noticed during the 4 car trek to the lounge for wine and cheese) and that if I wanted she would tell her OB supervisor that I was interested in an upgrade.The OBS supervisor stopped by a short while later and said we could upgrade but needed to see our ticket to see what we paid for the roomette to determine the cost difference. Uhm, no ticket for auto train, they just give you boarding pass envelope and meal tickets. She called the 800 # to find out, no problem, and all I would have to do is give the agent my CC to pay for the change.

Unfortunately, you don't get the upgrade at low bucket, would have to pay the difference between Roomette and full high bucket BR fare. So we passed on the opportunity, but it was offered!

 

[NS]

This is a violation of rules and protocol. First, on-board upgrades are not allowed on the Auto-Train as all ticketing is handled in the station and the crews do not carry the necessary paperwork to do sales or upgrades. Second, only the operating crew (i.e. Conductor) can do upgrades when allowed, not the service crew (SCAs). They may have been looking to steal your credit card number.

 

[Ryan]

Incorrect - On board upgrades are allowed. From the service standards manual:

Upgrade to Sleeping Car Accommodations on Auto Train

a) Auto Train does not take part in the en route Sleeping Car upgrade program.

b) All passengers check-in at the ticket counter, at which time they are offered the opportunity to upgrade to Sleeping Car accommodations, paying whatever fare applies at that time to the inventory class (S, A, B, C or D) of the accommodation that is available.

c) Tickets are also lifted at that time – they are not lifted on the train.

d) Before the train departs, the Operations Supervisor is given the inventory class of the accommodations that remain unsold.

If a passenger changes his or her mind en route and wants to upgrade, he or she pays whatever the inventorry class calls for – not automatically the D-level as on other trains.

• Therefore, the price to upgrade at the ticket counter and the price to upgrade on the train is the same.

• Waiting to upgrade on-board may actually cause the price to increase, since another passenger may have purchased the last room that was selling from a lower inventory class.

 

[I always rode the Southern]

This is a violation of rules and protocol. First, on-board upgrades are not allowed on the Auto-Train as all ticketing is handled in the station and the crews do not carry the necessary paperwork to do sales or upgrades. Second, only the operating crew (i.e. Conductor) can do upgrades when allowed, not the service crew (SCAs). They may have been looking to steal your credit card number.

Really! I don't think so. Your suspicion does a disservice to Amtrak Crew.members, especially this crew, which was one of the best we've seen. First, it was the onborard supervisor, not the SCA., and as Ryan stated below it was according to the manual. I didn't know that because every discussion I had read before re: upgrades on the auto train was that they weren't allowed at all.

 

[AlanB]

I didn't know that because every discussion I had read before re: upgrades on the auto train was that they weren't allowed at all.

Actually, I believe that what we see in the manual and what you encountered represents a change in policy. For many years it was not allowed.

And it is important to note that while it is now allowed, they still do not follow normal policy for onboard upgrades as you found out. That is to say that one does not get the low bucket by waiting to do an onboard upgrade on the Auto Train, unlike other Amtrak trains.

I did find it interesting by the way that they asked you for your ticket stub. I would have figured that the crew would be aware by now that the AT is doing e-Ticketing and that tranditional tickets aren't always issued these days for the AT.

 

[I always rode the Southern]

I didn't know that because every discussion I had read before re: upgrades on the auto train was that they weren't allowed at all.

Actually, I believe that what we see in the manual and what you encountered represents a change in policy. For many years it was not allowed.

And it is important to note that while it is now allowed, they still do not follow normal policy for onboard upgrades as you found out. That is to say that one does not get the low bucket by waiting to do an onboard upgrade on the Auto Train, unlike other Amtrak trains.

I did find it interesting by the way that they asked you for your ticket stub. I would have figured that the crew would be aware by now that the AT is doing e-Ticketing and that tranditional tickets aren't always issued these days for the AT.

I was surprised too, Alan. Especially since it was the supervisor who expected to see a ticket. But then again, if an OB supervisor has been on board our last few trips, he/she has been pretty invisible. This one wasn't, she was always around and interacting with passengers

 

[rrdude]

Old habits die hard, AND there is the chance that you did have a ticket, if you had ordered the tickets eleven months ago, or so.......