Quik Trax Machines

[RRrich]

Alan B said that if you put your AGR membership card in a QT machine, the machine would bring up all reservations made with that number. A Volunteer at KWD told me that if you put in a Credit Card, the machine would bring up all reservations made with that credit card.

I put a Credit Card, not the one I use for Amtrak, in the machine and it required that I put in the reservation number and it asked if I had paid in advance or if it was an AGR-freebie. I told it that it was an AGR-freebie and it printed the tickets.

IMHO those machines are GREAT when they work (the barcode scanner at KWD wasn't working when I was there, but since I didn't have a barcode .........)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all

 

[Neil_M]

A Volunteer at KWD told me that if you put in a Credit Card, the machine would bring up all reservations made with that credit card.

That was certainly true for me. I had tickets from San Jose to Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara to New York via Chicago and Washington and it brought up both reservations with the card used to book.

 

[the_traveler]

Before I got the AGR MasterCard last year, all my reservations came up on the screen when I inserted my credit card. It also asks me if they are pre-paid or AGR awards. But it gives me no problems. (It would dare give me a hard time! h34r: :lol: )

If it is an AGR award, I do have to input the confirmation code! Even if it is the AGR MasterCard!

 

[AlanB]

If it is an AGR award, I do have to input the confirmation code! Even if it is the AGR MasterCard!

Put in your AGR card and it will even bring up AGR award reservations, as well as all paid reservations where your AGR number was listed.

 

[ralfp]

Put in your AGR card and it will even bring up AGR award reservations, as well as all paid reservations where your AGR number was listed.

No (if I can recall correctly from yesterday evening). You still have to enter the confirmation code. This almost bit me in the @ss earlier this year. I got to WAS about 5 minutes before departure and did not have the PNR. There was no way to get the ticket. Luckily I could boot my PC and get the PDF of the confirmation, but it was pretty close.

 

[AlanB]

Put in your AGR card and it will even bring up AGR award reservations, as well as all paid reservations where your AGR number was listed.

No (if I can recall correctly from yesterday evening). You still have to enter the confirmation code. This almost bit me in the @ss earlier this year. I got to WAS about 5 minutes before departure and did not have the PNR. There was no way to get the ticket. Luckily I could boot my PC and get the PDF of the confirmation, but it was pretty close.

Ralf,

I had AGR award reservations in the system for several months, even as I was taking other paid reservation trips, before I finally got to the day of departure for the award res. Each and every time I inserted my AGR membership card (not the AGR credit card), I saw all of my reservations, including the ones booked with AGR points.

So unless there has been some very recent change, or you were using the AGR credit card and not the membership card, you should not have needed your reservation number.

 

[PRR 60]

If you swipe the QuikTrak with a credit card, it will bring up all the reservations made under the name on the card, not just those paid with that particular card. The only time QuikTrak should ask for a reservation number is if the swiped card did not return any results. That would happen if the name on the reservation is even slightly different than the name on the reservation - say Bill instead of William. Otherwise, the name from the card is all it needs.

 

[ralfp]

So unless there has been some very recent change, or you were using the AGR credit card and not the membership card, you should not have needed your reservation number.

Two month old res for travel in two days. Inserted AGR (not credit) card. Was prompted for PNR after selecting to pick up AGR tickets. It's always been this way for me.

In this case it was for tickets for my parents, but the behavior is the same as when I pick up tickets for myself. And yes, my name is spelled the same way in my AGR account as on my Amtrak.com account.

Is there someway to bypass the screen used to enter the PNR #?

 

[PRR 60]

So unless there has been some very recent change, or you were using the AGR credit card and not the membership card, you should not have needed your reservation number.

Two month old res for travel in two days. Inserted AGR (not credit) card. Was prompted for PNR after selecting to pick up AGR tickets. It's always been this way for me.

In this case it was for tickets for my parents, but the behavior is the same as when I pick up tickets for myself. And yes, my name is spelled the same way in my AGR account as on my Amtrak.com account.

Is there someway to bypass the screen used to enter the PNR #?

If the tickets were for your parents and, presumably, had your parents' name on them, then the PNR was in the name of one of your parents. Even though the reservation was paid from points out of your AGR account, the QuikTrak needed something with the name on the PNR, or the PNR itself. If the PNR was in your father's name, his credit card would find it.

The easiest way is to simply enter the PNR, or alternatively, scan the barcode on your confirmation. I usually write the PNR on the back of a business card and put it in my wallet. Then, if the QT does not like my credit card or AGR card, I just enter the PNR and collect my tickets.

[sTORY TIME]By the way, all of the above fails if Amtrak has fiddled with your reservation. Last summer I travelled with a group to Florida on the Silver Star. When we reserved the trip (in my case, seven months in advance), the Star was booking three Viewliners. Then, Amtrak decided to run the Star with two Viewliners. When they made that decision, they took all the previously made reservations and rebooked them as needed into the two cars. When they did that, my on-line reservation simply disappeared from the system.

The "My Reservations" screen on amtrak.com, which I was checking every couple of weeks, now said I had no reservations. The QuikTrak, even when I entered the PNR, said the reservation did not exist. Very nice. I had to interact with the fine folks at the PHL ticket counter (and I mean fine - they were great), who were able to find the reservation and print my tickets. That same thing happened to several of us in the group. Had I done what I usually do and wait until the last nanosecond to print my ticket before boarding the train, I would have been SOL. Even worse, had I been boarding at a station with QuikTrak only, I would have been double SOL. This is all to point out that QuikTrak, good as it is, is far from foolproof. Amtrak stored reservations are not quite as bulletproof as airline e-tickets.[/sTORY TIME]

 

[ralfp]

This is all to point out that QuikTrak, good as it is, is far from foolproof. Amtrak stored reservations are not quite as bulletproof as airline e-tickets.

Yeah, but at least Amtrak doesn't SSSScrew you over randomly or for buying a last-minute, one-way ticket. At least not yet.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I just made reservations for a day trip this coming Monday on the Heartland Flyer and since I'm within the 4 day mail window and my station does not have a QuikTrak , I was directed to call res. There, the agent did a great job of setting up and pricing, but then said there would be a $15 Express Mail fee. I explained there wasn't time for that, and she paused and replied "You're right-you'll just have to pay on board" and proceeded to give me res and boarding numbers. But since I'm AAA, she wasn't sure if the Conductor would be able to give my discount, but took my number anyways.

In all my past HF trips, I've always booked with enough leadway to get tickets mailed; so this will be a new experience. But I'm confident everything should price out alright-I hope......

 

[PRR 60]

This is all to point out that QuikTrak, good as it is, is far from foolproof. Amtrak stored reservations are not quite as bulletproof as airline e-tickets.

Yeah, but at least Amtrak doesn't SSSScrew you over randomly or for buying a last-minute, one-way ticket. At least not yet.

What exactly does that have to do with e-tickets and Amtrak reservations? My Amtrak reservation was seven months in advance and Amtrak pulled it off the system. That's it.

By the way, the only time I have ever been SSSS'd was for a last-minute, one way reservation, and it took an extra five minutes to clear security. No big deal. And, ironically, it was Amtrak's fault. I was booked on the Coast Starlight from Seattle to Emeryville, and the northbound into Seattle was running mega-hours late. There was no way I was going to hang around King Street Station waiting for the train to get in, and then turned and serviced for the southbound departure. So, I cancelled the train, booked Southwest, stayed an extra night in Seattle, and got my one and only SSSS experience the next morning at Sea-Tac. Quite frankly, if you think going through the SSSS routine is being "screwed over", you have not been truly "screwed over" very much. Consider yourself lucky.

 

[ralfp]

This is all to point out that QuikTrak, good as it is, is far from foolproof. Amtrak stored reservations are not quite as bulletproof as airline e-tickets.

Yeah, but at least Amtrak doesn't SSSScrew you over randomly or for buying a last-minute, one-way ticket. At least not yet.

What exactly does that have to do with e-tickets and Amtrak reservations? My Amtrak reservation was seven months in advance and Amtrak pulled it off the system. That's it.

Nothing. Dear Lord, please make it stay that way. (I should have added a smile icon or something). It's a positive thing for 2V (AKA Amtrak).

By the way, the only time I have ever been SSSS'd was for a last-minute, one way reservation, and it took an extra five minutes to clear security.

The last time I got SSSS'd I canceled the ticket and rebooked. When I got SSSS'd on the second attempt (at least it's somewhat consistent) I called and told the airline rep to remove SSSS or I'd cancel. I canceled. 'Twas for a last-minute one-way. No-cost refund.

I rebooked on another airline. No SSSS.

 

[transit54]

The last time I got SSSS'd I canceled the ticket and rebooked. When I got SSSS'd on the second attempt (at least it's somewhat consistent) I called and told the airline rep to remove SSSS or I'd cancel. I canceled. 'Twas for a last-minute one-way. No-cost refund.
I rebooked on another airline. No SSSS.

Not to get way off topic, but as an ex-airline employee, let me clarify a few things about SSSS (otherwise known as being a selectee). There are a few ways you can get it.

1. You are randomly selected by a computer. It's pretty unlikely, only happens to a small percentage of people.

2. You do not have valid ID. If you don't have an ID, or its expired, you can be "selected" by the agent at the counter. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to have any ID at all to fly domestically (unlike Amtrak, surprisingly).

3. You identify yourself at the counter with a passport from any of the countries on the "State sponsors of terrorism" list

4. You book your ticket in a certain fashion. Basically, there's a list of three things involving itinerary type, payment method, and how far in advance you purchase your ticket that automatically require a selectee designation. I'm not supposed to disclose those specifics, though.

You can also be deselected in some instances. This involves some paperwork and basically can happen if you are military, a small child, a verified employee of an airline and some other circumstances that I don't remember. If an airline deselects you for any other reason, they can be in big trouble with DHS. Deselection must occur at the airport during check-in.

 

[MrFSS]

4. You book your ticket in a certain fashion. Basically, there's a list of three things involving itinerary type, payment method, and how far in advance you purchase your ticket that automatically require a selectee designation. I'm not supposed to disclose those specifics, though.

Why - do you have to shoot us, then?

 

[ralfp]

4. You book your ticket in a certain fashion. Basically, there's a list of three things involving itinerary type, payment method, and how far in advance you purchase your ticket that automatically require a selectee designation. I'm not supposed to disclose those specifics, though.

You can check out FlyerTalk (I've got the same username there), where I posted about this in the DL and Travel Safety/Security forums. I'm fairly familiar with the SSSStupidity.

Before that experience (on DL about 40 days ago), I had been SSSS'd twice: once on a Continental ticket from IAH to "Continental Jet Set Party" (the ticket spelling did not match my FF account) and a last minute BWI-JFK on North American in April (NA stopped scheduled service in May). Otherwise it seems an active frequent flier account provides some protection, as I've purchased many last-minute trips (many one-way, international, cash, or with someone else's credit card) with no SSSStupidity.