# The tale of the vanishing AGR reservation



## jmbgeg (May 17, 2010)

I have a ticketed one zone one way deluxe bedroom award departing this Friday on the EB westbound with a CS and San Joaquins connection. When I made the award reservation there was only a family bedroom available on 27 to PDX. Today I found a deluxe bedroom available. I called to change the EB 27 leg to the bedroom (since I had drawn a 20,000 point award already). The agent made the change in the record. I asked her to e-mail me a new confirmation, and she asked me to hold. I waited on hold for 20 minutes and then hung up. I called back and spoke to a new AGR agent. He said there was no record of my initial reservation. I told him that I had paper tickets in hand. He could not explain how that could be. I read him the ticket numbers. Finally, he found a new reservation number. By this time I had approaching an hour in the two calls. I told him that I was concerned that I had tickets for a reservation that now does not exist in the computer. Finally, he said I could exchange the tickets for new tickets at the station. I asked him to e-mail me the new confirmation. He said he has. That was hours ago; no e-mail. I guess that I need to call back again. Any advice?

As of 12:52 PM PDT, they got it fixed in the record and sent me a confirmation. Now hopefully I won't have a problem exchanging the tickets.


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## AlanB (May 17, 2010)

JM,

I've never heard of AGR allowing a ticket exchange at the station. Except in the cases of service disruptions, you always have to mail the tickets back to AGR to have new ones issued. If it's at all possible, I strongly suggest that you get to a station today to make that exchange or you could find out on Friday that you have a big problem.

My rule is never adjust an AGR reservation if you already hold the tickets unless you are more than a month away from your trip. If the tickets are still in the computer, that's different.


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## jmbgeg (May 17, 2010)

AlanB said:


> JM,
> I've never heard of AGR allowing a ticket exchange at the station. Except in the cases of service disruptions, you always have to mail the tickets back to AGR to have new ones issued. If it's at all possible, I strongly suggest that you get to a station today to make that exchange or you could find out on Friday that you have a big problem.
> 
> My rule is never adjust an AGR reservation if you already hold the tickets unless you are more than a month away from your trip. If the tickets are still in the computer, that's different.


Good advice. I thought I was safe changing only the type of accomodation on one segment on the same travel date and train (27). I will heed your advice and go to the station tonight. I do not want to discover a further problem at 2:45 a.m. Friday when 27 departs.


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## jmbgeg (May 19, 2010)

AlanB said:


> JM,
> I've never heard of AGR allowing a ticket exchange at the station. Except in the cases of service disruptions, you always have to mail the tickets back to AGR to have new ones issued. If it's at all possible, I strongly suggest that you get to a station today to make that exchange or you could find out on Friday that you have a big problem.
> 
> My rule is never adjust an AGR reservation if you already hold the tickets unless you are more than a month away from your trip. If the tickets are still in the computer, that's different.


Post Script

Problem solved. I did not make it in to the station last night but did tonight. Using the new reservation number the agent printed the new tickets. He checked the old reservation number and tickets and they are not active, so there is no risk of a duplicate reservation that could be cancelled. Thanks again for the guidance Alan.


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## AlanB (May 19, 2010)

Glad to hear that things all worked out! 

I won't deny being very worried for you, as again this is one of the first times I've ever heard of someone being able to make such an exchange at the station.  Maybe this represents a new change from AGR.


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## jmbgeg (May 19, 2010)

AlanB said:


> Glad to hear that things all worked out!
> I won't deny being very worried for you, as again this is one of the first times I've ever heard of someone being able to make such an exchange at the station. Maybe this represents a new change from AGR.


Let me clarify. The agent pulled the tickets based upon the confirmation number. He did not exchange the old tickets and in fact said he was not allowed to exchange them, as you said. I still have the old tickets.


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## the_traveler (May 19, 2010)

jmbgeg said:


> The agent pulled the tickets based upon the confirmation number. He did not exchange the old tickets and in fact said he was not allowed to exchange them, as you said. *I still have the old tickets.*


Not that you would, but what's to stop you (or anyone) from using the old tickets? :huh: I don't think they check until they're processed - well after the trip! 



> I threw them out in the garbage - like I was told!


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## jmbgeg (May 19, 2010)

the_traveler said:


> jmbgeg said:
> 
> 
> > The agent pulled the tickets based upon the confirmation number. He did not exchange the old tickets and in fact said he was not allowed to exchange them, as you said. *I still have the old tickets.*
> ...


Well, first, the station agent would not take the tickets from me. I can either mail them back to AGR or shred them if appropriate.

What is to keep me from trying to use them. I have over 130k AGR miles (climbing to maybe 160k this month) and would hate to see my AGR account cancelled because I tried to beat the system.

Next, the agent checked in the coupon and the tickets have no value to mail in and exchange.

Finally, I can't use them to board the train. They are in the same sleeper as I am traveling on, with the same dates.


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## Trogdor (May 19, 2010)

Just save 'em and keep them as souvenirs for when Amtrak stops issuing tickets on cardstock.


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