Question on delayed train

[stevester]

This is just hypothetical question. Lets say you are booked in sleeper with a connection and you miss a connecting train. Now if the only option following day is coach or bus, can you request to wait for more days till you get your sleeper?

I guess in that case Amtrak wouldnt cover hotel expenses for additional days. Am I right?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I'm sure Amtrak will not pay for extra nights plus, you'd probably would have pay the current price for the sleeper. They're not obligated to do any more than get you from point A to point B, and if that means coach or bus, then that's how they'll get you there.

 

[me_little_me]

That's a question to ask Amtrak. Any other answer here is speculation (or experience?). I'd speculate that additional nights are on your own. As to whether they would let you even delay until a sleeper is available without paying more, I would not venture a guess. They should, IMHO.

 

[VentureForth]

Generally, the way it works is that if you're in sleeper, you'll be kept overnight in a hotel room at Amtrak's expense and they will put you on the next train out. IF the next train doesn't have any sleeper space because it's sold out, you'll be put in coach and perhaps offered a partial refund for not being in a sleeper.

If you don't accept their offer, you'll be responsible for payment of whatever goes beyond their offer.

Now, I'm curious about what happens if you miss a connection onto something like the Cardinal or Sunset with 3/wk ops (and presuming you are going somewhere midpoint, ie: not CHI - NYP or WAS). Will they put you up for two/three nights?

 

[Bob Dylan]

VF, my friend, to use a Lawyers words: " it depends!" ( I'm not a lawyer but I know several!)

As we know, the usual procedure is the paid hotel, taxi,meal voucher/rebook on the next days or alternate train or alternate transportation ie bus, van,taxi or even airline.

In the case of the three times a week trains, Cardinal and Sunset, they'll try to reroute you on another train, say the Chief,CZ or the Cap or Lake Shore Ltd/Regional.

One time when I missed the Empire Builder to Card Connection in CHI, we wre rerouted on the LSL to NYP, then a Regional to PHL. Another time, a missed connection in LAX from the CS to the Sunset resulted in an overnite on Amtrak's dime, then the SWC to GBB, Thruway Van to SPI, Texas Eagle to AUS in Bedrooms even though I had booked Rommettes! Call me lucky on this one!

I've never heard of anyone getting two nights on Amtrak's dime on missed connections, in extreme cases, if they can't make alternate travel arrangements, they refund your money and its up to you to make alternate arrangements!

 

[amamba]

There was a poster here who claimed she got two nights in CHI but she had a cardinal connection that was missed. So that might be why.

 

[VentureForth]

There are those obscure stops in West Virginia that can't be rerouted by bus or air. I think it's a rare case, and they'll do anything to get you on the Cardinal. But with a 5:45 PM departure time, it's one of the latest EB departures out of CHI.

 

[Ryan]

I think you meant earliest, not latest.

Card: 17:45

Cap: 18:40

LSL: 21:30

 

[andersone]

To be honest a bus is quicker than the Card all the way to Charleston

 

[PaulM]

They're not obligated to do any more than get you from point A to point B, and if that means coach or bus, then that's how they'll get you there.

Where does this A to B nonsense come from? Now I understand not paying for a hotel room, but why would Amtrak not honor the sleeping car ticket on the first train with a room available? Any thing else would be a sharp business practice. In other words they would do it because they can, not because it's right. Amtrak sure doesn't need to make any more enemies than it already has. .

 

[VentureForth]

From Amtrak's Term of Transportation, Disclaimer of Liability:

Amtrak further specifically disclaims liability for any inconvenience, expense, or damages, incidental, consequential, punitive, lost profits, loss business or otherwise, resulting from errors in its timetable, shortages of equipment, or due to delayed trains, except when such delay causes a passenger to miss an Amtrak train guaranteed connection. When a guaranteed Amtrak train connection is missed, Amtrak will provide passenger with alternate transportation on Amtrak, another carrier, or provide overnight hotel accommodations, at Amtrak's sole discretion, but only when such circumstances resulted from the actions of Amtrak and this shall constitute Amtrak's sole liability and passenger's sole and exclusive remedy. Some states may not allow the exclusion of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you.

If you're trying to get from Chicago to New York, and they are sold out during Thanksgiving and you miss a connection and there won't be another sleeper available for a week, they are not obligated to put you into a hotel for that week. They are only obligated to get you on the next form of transportation that will get you to your destination. If a sleeper isn't available, it's refund time.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

A couple years ago when I had a Chicago connection blow up, folks making connection to the Cardinal were told to report to the Greyhound Bus Hole at something like 0300 for a bus east. Obviously, none were happy about that.

 

[Peter KG6LSE]

They're not obligated to do any more than get you from point A to point B, and if that means coach or bus, then that's how they'll get you there.

Where does this A to B nonsense come from? Now I understand not paying for a hotel room, but why would Amtrak not honor the sleeping car ticket on the first train with a room available? Any thing else would be a sharp business practice. In other words they would do it because they can, not because it's right. Amtrak sure doesn't need to make any more enemies than it already has. .

In Ideal world with more funding . I would DEMAND they change there tude on many things.

I have a great solution that is gonna make people unhappy but thats too bad. read on ..,

First off what if some one was medically unable to fly . you cant shove some one on a flight if it can kill them

You took the train in good faith you would stay on the ground. so subbing a A/C is a bad idea unless the pax ASK to BE on time.

Amtrak needs to at ANY cost to them match the mode of transport. NOT the service class!.

THEY need to eat the bill.

iF they cant, then I support all congress means of gutting amtrak to a memory.

IMO Its up to them to match the MODE of transport

Its UN-ethical to shove a person on a greyhound or delta over amtrak's * issues*

If amtrak cant make the connection then they need to GIVE the option to evey pax these things

Fight and train and bus back to point A and Pro NO REFUND .

AND yes that includes a hotel . so I if I choose the train to get to get back home as I am gonna give up on the rest of my trip and the next train that has the ability to take ME and my bags ( a BIG one with bags) is 2 days out then amtrak needs to pay for the 2 days and the trip......

OR

amtrak needs to offer flight and bus and train to your point B......... Again NO refunds .

same hotel rules apply as above .If the card is 2 days away . then If you wanna hang tight in Chicago then its up to you .

OR

you can cancel the trip and get Pro rata refund . AKA Forget the train ,, I have jet I can catch in 2 H .

Il eat the cost diff my self.

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NOW for the fine print .

first /biz ect class pax dont keep there sleeper. ... your band-aid train tix is for coach. it gets you to point B on" a train".

You dont get free food on-board or any of that stuff.

you DO get to use the fancy lounges you would have had the rights too had the train NOT been late.

along with that you get to board at the same time as sleeper pax. these things cost Amtrak little money but are a good faith effort to make amends .

If you are coach with a late train then tough luck. you get a to do what you were doing and carry on

I see it this way . Yes they lose TONS on hotel rooms but there are far fewer refunds.And!

Think of this ,you paid 2600 for a sleeper..

your train that you choose to take in place of a flight or bus is day away.

you are put up in the CUS area. this costs amtrak lets say 200 a 24H period * with food and room and taxi to and from the hotel to the CUS station

now that you are coach class pax ,your costs to get you to point B are lower then a full on sleeper ..( food is a big one here !)

amtrak lost nothing the 2600 half used lets say from a half way Xfer . is 1300 USD left.. -400 for the stent 2 nights in CUS for the cardnal. then it cost amtrak 300 to get you to point B from CUS . then there is a net profit of 600 bucks that WILL subsidize the displaced other pax on the late train who where in coach .

Its not gonna make them money but its somewhat fair and it gives YOU the choice...