I understand a reservation made on Amtrak.com can be modified online. My question is does the 'no change fee' policy require the origin/destination of the reservation to remain the same? When I attempt to modify my current reservation, it gives the choice of changing the date/time or cancelling the trip. It's not clear if cancelling the trip would allow me to apply the full ticket value to a different itinerary, i.e. changing the origin/destination.
Modifying/canceling a reservation
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No, it does not need to be the same origin/destination, you can completely change your trip and/or travel class, but you need to cancel your trip for that. Cancelling the trip will result in a voucher for the full ticket value in the name of the "main" passenger that you can then apply to any ticket you want to book, you can even use the ticket value for other passengers travelling with you (as long as you are the "main"/first passenger on the original and new booking)
Call. At least in the recent past, standard penalties were applied for changing online, but agents could avoid them/dismiss them per the COVID policy.
When I wanted to cancel my Vancouver-Seattle bus ticket and apply the credit toward a Victoria-Seattle ferry (both bookable through Amtrak) recently, it would not let me cancel for a voucher online - only a credit to original payment method with the cancellation fee deducted. I called, and they were able to do it without fees (and pay for the fare difference using a voucher I had as well). Though I did have to convince the agent that yes, they can book this ferry through their reservation system…
Probably would have run into less resistance just using the proper station codes (VBC-SVF) and not using the word "ferry".
Amtrak phone agents are legendarily ignorant of field conditions. Recently, when the Maple Leaf started running through, I modified my November Niagara Falls -New York reservation to Toronto-New York. The agent said I'd be on a bus Toronto-Niagara Falls. I told him to wait a minute and checked the times and "train" number he had given me against the website. It was indeed the VIA Maple Leaf codeshare, 7097. I told him to go ahead and that it was a train, not a bus. He had assumed it was a bus because of the 7xxx number. And this was an AGR agent.
If you had not mentioned "ferry" the agent doubtless would have pulled up the the service between VBC and SVF, found it, and booked you on that "bus" with little resistance.
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Ultimately I did just tell them to look up the station codes, and they basically responded “wow, guess I can book a ferry!”
I changed my travel date for no charge within the 24-hour window. Do I now get a new 24-hour period for free cancellation? Sure, I could change again without penalty for many days under Amtrak's current policy, but my question is about cancellation and refund of points. It appears that Amtrak assesses a points penalty for sleeping car cancellations even a month or more out.
Thanks!
Thanks!
printman2000
Engineer
I booked a trip and realized I chose the wrong room type. I am able to go an modify the trip and it shows me the point difference which is more, but when doing the final submit I get an error that just says something went wrong try again. Tried on computer and in app, both fail.
Anyone ever successfully changed a room choice with this tool?
Anyone ever successfully changed a room choice with this tool?
Just call. Both the website and app pretty much suck and are not good at all with anything except the most simple and straightforward transactions.
Beyond me why they don't use the same system being used to pick seats on the Acela, which doesn't require repricing the fare.
Hi there, I have a question about a weird situation that has happened to me twice in the last couple of years. Most Amtrak tickets can be changed without penalty so long as it's before the scheduled departure. Twice now, I have been looking at all the options and then decided to make a change -- both times resulting in a fare difference to Amtrak's benefit -- and yet both times the Amtrak confirmation email for my change has a time stamp of one minute after the scheduled departure., so I was charged for a whole new ticket. I would also point out that at the times I made the change, it showed only the rate difference, which this most recent time was only $17, then my card was charged for $300+!
In both cases, my train had been delayed as well, so this wasn't the actual departure time. Both times I in fact made the change "before the time of the scheduled departure," but whatever time it took for Amtrak to process the change and send a confirmation email, it was time-stamped one minute late and I was charged for a whole new ticket. I realize I could plan and decide earlier and save myself this trouble, but especially for those of us new to train travel, it's really discouraging. Does anyone know whether Amtrak is every flexible about this alleged 1 minute late ticket change?
Thanks in advance for your advice!
In both cases, my train had been delayed as well, so this wasn't the actual departure time. Both times I in fact made the change "before the time of the scheduled departure," but whatever time it took for Amtrak to process the change and send a confirmation email, it was time-stamped one minute late and I was charged for a whole new ticket. I realize I could plan and decide earlier and save myself this trouble, but especially for those of us new to train travel, it's really discouraging. Does anyone know whether Amtrak is every flexible about this alleged 1 minute late ticket change?
Thanks in advance for your advice!
Well, I've never encountered it, but then again I don't change tickets within minutes of scheduled departure either.
Tickets I buy online have always been processed within seconds. I do changes, if necessary, with an agent because they are usual more flexible and there are also situations where only an agent can deliver a promised benefit, like waiving change fees/penalties in some cases.
I suggest you talk to an agent about correcting these transactions after the fact. If an agent is unable, ask to speak with Customer Relations.
Amtrak's underlying systems are old and brittle. There may be an issue where transactions may get held and queued up just prior to departure as the updates related to departure are made. That is just speculation. But bear in mind ticket issuance and changes must be handled and completed in the underlying, old, reservations system before confirmations are issued.
Amtrak IT isn’t the best IT shop on the planet and they appear to have many problems. That isn't going to change. Probably the best thing to do is try and work with an agent to rectify what had already happened, and not push so close to the edge in the future, especially since you seem to have discovered a pattern. It is what it is.
Tickets I buy online have always been processed within seconds. I do changes, if necessary, with an agent because they are usual more flexible and there are also situations where only an agent can deliver a promised benefit, like waiving change fees/penalties in some cases.
I suggest you talk to an agent about correcting these transactions after the fact. If an agent is unable, ask to speak with Customer Relations.
Amtrak's underlying systems are old and brittle. There may be an issue where transactions may get held and queued up just prior to departure as the updates related to departure are made. That is just speculation. But bear in mind ticket issuance and changes must be handled and completed in the underlying, old, reservations system before confirmations are issued.
Amtrak IT isn’t the best IT shop on the planet and they appear to have many problems. That isn't going to change. Probably the best thing to do is try and work with an agent to rectify what had already happened, and not push so close to the edge in the future, especially since you seem to have discovered a pattern. It is what it is.
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Hello. I took a train from Los Angeles to NYC. Enjoying my stay but a crisis is brewing at home. I may need to return earlier than planned. The ticket has me leaving Penn Station on 9/11 via Lake Shore Limited in coach and getting the Southwest Chief (roomette) on the 22th, arriving in LA on tje 14th. Some of the Southwest Chief trains are completely sold out in the days between them and now. Is there a limit as far as how many days ahead I'd need to give to reschedule to a date, such as leaving NYC on Wednesday the 6th? This isn't a return to home ASAP via plane crisis but it may be a return much sooner than planned one. Boiled down to can I reschedule a points trip to just a couple of days before the trip?
Thanks,
Dan
Thanks,
Dan
You can rebook more or less whenever you want before your original trip, but there has to be availability on the trains you’re changing to. If the trains are sold out, it won’t matter if it’s two days or two months before your trip. I’d be more concerned about that.
If the SWC is sold out, the Texas Eagle is another option, but it takes an additional night. Or the CZ combined with the Sunset Ltd. or a regional train & bus combination.
You will be charged the points difference between the original fare and whatever the current fare might be. If the current fare is less, 20% of the difference will be deducted from your refunded points, since you're already with 14 days of the ticketed departure date.
Thanks. Agreed. I took a sleeper on the LSL and coach on SWC. I'd prefer 2 days of good meals and a bed to one day of lousy meals and a bed but the SWC had no rooms. The internet said they did have a roomette but I called twice and AGR said there wasn't one for the entire trip. Home is happy I'm coming home early. I have mixed feelings but making the family happy is the better choice
Thanks. Was able to get a room on LSL and had to take coach on SWC.
Check stops beyond Chicago on the SWC for a roomette. You may be able to spend 8 to 10 hours in coach and then switch to a roomette.
west point
Engineer
OTOH also check from your departure station to intermediate stations. Actually did both and had 2 different rooms with just a 2 or 3 station no roomet in middle of day. Conductors and LSAs did a great job.
When I check from Chicago to Riverside it says there's a roomette but AGR said not.
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bratkinson
Conductor
When changing a reservation, to get it right, you must, repeat... must, talk to a real, live agent.
Forget about trying to do it online.and getting it right, especially if multiple segments are/will be/may be booked.
My luck has been horrible when multiple segments or AGR points are involved as well. Use real $ or credit card to make the modification as anything else is overload for the agent, in my opinion.
Forget about trying to do it online.and getting it right, especially if multiple segments are/will be/may be booked.
My luck has been horrible when multiple segments or AGR points are involved as well. Use real $ or credit card to make the modification as anything else is overload for the agent, in my opinion.
I did try to do it online but it didn't work.
Called and got LSL sleeper and SWC coach.
I will suffer with coach instead of paying $1160 for the roomette. I have plenty of points but you are right it is difficult to redo.
Thanks.
bratkinson
Conductor
When modifying a reservation, you get whatever the current rate is for your accommodation.
You may have snagged your roomette when it was $200. That was then. But today, a roomette is going for $1100. The price does not move with you, you always get the current price when modifying a reservation.
Why, you might ask? Because Amtrak roomettes on the train for your new travel date are selling for that price. As far as their computer is concerned, it's a new custimer booking a new trip. Why would/should they accept less money from you who paid less? Basic business economics, in my opinion.
You may have snagged your roomette when it was $200. That was then. But today, a roomette is going for $1100. The price does not move with you, you always get the current price when modifying a reservation.
Why, you might ask? Because Amtrak roomettes on the train for your new travel date are selling for that price. As far as their computer is concerned, it's a new custimer booking a new trip. Why would/should they accept less money from you who paid less? Basic business economics, in my opinion.
Clarification for others.
This is not true if you are modifying a reservation just to change rooms on the train you’re booked on. Some agents do not know how to do that w/o quoting a higher price. If they don’t know how, ask for a supervisor.
