# The conductor never scanned my ticket



## MARC Rider (Jun 23, 2014)

It was a bit crowded on NER 188 out of DC this evening, and no conductor came through to scan our tickets, at least up until Baltimore, where I got off. What does this mean now that we have e-ticketing? In the "good old days," if I were going to be dishonest (not me!  ), I could taken the unused ticket to a ticket agent and gotten a refund, or reissue for another train. From what I understand about e-tickets, if you're a 'no-show,' you forfeit the ticket and the fare. By not getting scanned, does Amtrak think I was a no-show, or is their computer programmed to think that I took the ride I paid for. For all practical purposes, it doesn't matter, because I took the trip, but I wonder whether I will be credited for the AGR points on the ride, or will I have to enter them manually into the AGR website?


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## Acela150 (Jun 23, 2014)

Since it wasn't scanned when the conductor hit that "All done" button.. That was it for your ressy.. I have found that when going on short trips try to sit at the back of the train where a conductor will come to scan quicker as they have to clear the platform from the rear of the train.


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## the_traveler (Jun 23, 2014)

If the e-ticket was not scanned, then no you will not get AGR points.  But there is a key on the conductor's scanner where s/he can "scan" every ticket from that station. If it was as crowded as you said, it's possible that s/he did this and you were "scanned" - and you will earn AGR points!


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## Acela150 (Jun 23, 2014)

You'll find out soon.


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## TinCan782 (Jun 23, 2014)

Call AGR and explain the situation...you'll need the reservation number and other info. I did that once and got the points added right away. The assistant conductor came through the business car and wrote down our reservation numbers. Nothing got scanned!


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## Acela150 (Jun 23, 2014)

Not sure why he didn't just scan them.. Easier and quicker then writing down every ressy number. But some people have done things in a silly way.


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## TinCan782 (Jun 23, 2014)

Acela150 said:


> Not sure why he didn't just scan them.. Easier and quicker then writing down every ressy number. But some people have done things in a silly way.


That was in the early days of eTickets...most of us had paper tickets. The point is, call AGR!


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## Acela150 (Jun 23, 2014)

FrensicPic said:


> Acela150 said:
> 
> 
> > Not sure why he didn't just scan them.. Easier and quicker then writing down every ressy number. But some people have done things in a silly way.
> ...


Even in those days it was easier to scan and then punch to cancel them. I rode 642 when eTickets were debuting.. I asked the conductor if he's ready for the change over. He said yes but wasn't looking forward to the folks with current paper tickets it at the time make a little more paperwork. I rode 86 same day. 175 next day. someone who bought a ticket online for the trip was a print at home paper ticket. I was stunned to see a eTicket already.


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## TinCan782 (Jun 23, 2014)

Regardless of what may or may not be correct, that particular time, he wrote everyone's (the whole car) reservation number on a piece of paper to enter at a later time. Don't know why, that's what he did and as a result, my ticket was not lifted.

That said, I've boarded a sleeper and never produced a ticket, the conductor verified our name and we were good to go!


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## Railroad Bill (Jun 24, 2014)

We have had two instances in the past year where our ticket was not scanned when boarding in sleeper. On the LSL to NYP there was no scan and I later learned our trip had been registered as a no-show. I called AGR and explained what happened and that I could prove I was on the train. They gave me the points.

This last trip we were using points but our trip from TOL to ABQ could have been in danger if the TOL-CHI initial part had been recorded as no-show and therefore the CHI-ABQ section on the SWC automatically would have been cancelled as well. I sought out the conductor (who was in the lounge car) on the CL and made sure our ticket had been recorded. He assured me the ticket had been recorded but I had him scan it anyway just to be safe.

It seems like the conductors get a bit lazy about making contact with all on board passengers and with the current E-ticket rules should make an effort to get to all passengers in all cars to see the tickets are actually scanned.


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## Acela150 (Jun 24, 2014)

FrensicPic said:


> Regardless of what may or may not be correct, that particular time, he wrote everyone's (the whole car) reservation number on a piece of paper to enter at a later time. Don't know why, that's what he did and as a result, my ticket was not lifted.
> 
> That said, I've boarded a sleeper and never produced a ticket, the conductor verified our name and we were good to go!


I can always agree with your statement. I have only been asked my name twice and that my recent trip to Chicago last September. On 449 the conductor didn't even come by. I stopped him after lunch and he said he manually put it in after the SCA told him what rooms were occupied which Ironcally was every room out of BOS. On the way back we were on our way to dinner and the conductor knocked and he asked last name, I said GURA and ANDERSON. His reply was "Gotcha"!


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## Silver Star rider (Jun 24, 2014)

Let me ask this question. If traveling on a overnight train in a sleeper, you just sign off your meal with your car and room number. Does anyone look to see if the rooms signed off on were indeed occupied? Wouldn't that be more proof that you did make the trip??

I can understand the conductor asking the SCA what rooms are occupied, makes sense. Still like to get the warm fuzzy feeling that my ticket was ok by the conductor. 

Bruce


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## seat38a (Jun 24, 2014)

With the new cancellation policy, it really does not matter anymore if they scan it or not. Just for you AGR do you need it scanned. Other than the non reserved coach such as the Surfliner, where your ticket is good until scanned, all other reservations except First Class are forfeited as I understand. So either way Amtrak gets there money.


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## Anderson (Jun 24, 2014)

Yes, but on longer train runs at peak times (either of the day or of the year), no-shows can open up seats at a crowded end of a line...so it would still behoove Amtrak to try and get those no-shows "registered" so they can also re-sell the space. A no-show BOS-NWK could easily open up a NYP-WAS space, for example.


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## seat38a (Jun 24, 2014)

I noticed that the conductors still have the old ticket punches on their belt. Is there any reason that they still punch tickets these days?


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## the_traveler (Jun 24, 2014)

If a reservation involves a Thruway segment that can't accept e-tickets, the tickets for the whole trip are paper tickets. Also, if the passenger received the tickets from a travel agent, most likely they're paper tickets. Those still must be punched.


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## crescent2 (Jun 24, 2014)

seat38a said:


> With the new cancellation policy, it really does not matter anymore if they scan it or not. Just for you AGR do you need it scanned. Other than the non reserved coach such as the Surfliner, where your ticket is good until scanned, all other reservations except First Class are forfeited as I understand. So either way Amtrak gets there money.


There's another reason besides AGR points that it matters to the passenger, as RRBill mentioned. If you are shown as a no-show, the remaining segments of your reservation are automatically cancelled. By the time you discover that, there might be no more space available for you to rebook the cancelled segments especially if you had sleepers.


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## City of Miami (Jun 24, 2014)

You don't have to call AGR and wait on hold. Instead log in to AGR and on the left is a button to "Request Missing Points." Fill that out and wait a few days. Most of that time that works......if it doesn't, THEN call AGR.


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## VentureForth (Jun 24, 2014)

crescent2 said:


> seat38a said:
> 
> 
> > With the new cancellation policy, it really does not matter anymore if they scan it or not. Just for you AGR do you need it scanned. Other than the non reserved coach such as the Surfliner, where your ticket is good until scanned, all other reservations except First Class are forfeited as I understand. So either way Amtrak gets there money.
> ...


 I think this is the most over-looked issue with regards to not getting tickets scanned. If you're headed out on a long cross country trip, and your first leg happens to be a crowded "commuter" type Amtrak train, a lazy conductor could, indeed, jepoardize one's entire journey.


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## TinCan782 (Jun 24, 2014)

I've tried the "Request Missing Points" online...that's why I make a phone call now!


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## crescent2 (Jun 24, 2014)

VentureForth said:


> crescent2 said:
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> 
> > seat38a said:
> ...


Fortunately I have no personal experience with this, but according to many posts I've read there's another negative if you are traveling on an AGR award. To add insult to injury, apparently you don't even get any of your points refunded for the difference in a coach and sleeper award if you lost your sleeper on the remaining segments in the award. (And there is a big difference between points value of coach and sleeper awards.) You get a voucher for future $$ travel. That works out OK for some, but not for those who only want to do another AGR trip. I don't understand why it would be difficult to give a partial points refund instead of a cash voucher.

Morale: Be sure your ticket is scanned if there are other segments on your reservation!


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## the_traveler (Jun 24, 2014)

VentureForth said:


> crescent2 said:
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> > seat38a said:
> ...


Also many people book both ways on one reservation. As an example, if they travel like me and go JAX-RVR-NYP-CHI-AUS-LAX-EMY-PDX-CHI-WAS-JAX, but their RVR-NYP ticket is not scanned, their WAS-JAX bedroom in 3 weeks will disappear! And by the time they get to WAS, all 4 bedrooms may have already been sold.


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## William W. (Jun 26, 2014)

I've had to seek out a conductor on the NE regional before. I've never had a conductor forget to check my ticket on a LD train.


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## OlympianHiawatha (Jun 26, 2014)

Last Summer on an early segment of a large multi-segment run the Conductor had not stopped by the Roomette after a couple hours and I finally hunted him down, worried if I wasn't quickly checked in the downline segments could cancel. He smiled and said he stopped by the Roomette when I was in the Diner, saw my stuff and simply clicked me in.

It might be nice in a situation like that where they have a little tag or sticker they can leave that says you have been checked in.


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## BCL (Jun 27, 2014)

seat38a said:


> I noticed that the conductors still have the old ticket punches on their belt. Is there any reason that they still punch tickets these days?


Maybe for live 10-ride tickets, although it's all eTicketing now on the Capitol Corridor. Those are printed with spots to punch, although technically the number of remaining rides is electronically recorded and the punch is just for clarity. I remember when the last ride would be used, the conductor would punch it randomly, put a couple of punches on the stub, and I would get the stub as a receipt. The stub would often be ready to fall off at the perforation.
On the CC they use punches to mark the expiration date of transit transfers.


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## MARC Rider (Jun 29, 2014)

Just to let y'all know, I just logged into my AGR account, and it seems that I got the points for the ride where my ticket wasn't scanned.

This actually makes sense. After all, even if I'm a no-show, I forfeit my money, which means that Amtrak gets it anyway, whether I actually took the ride or not. So why shouldn't they give me the AGR points?


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 29, 2014)

MARC Rider said:


> Just to let y'all know, I just logged into my AGR account, and it seems that I got the points for the ride where my ticket wasn't scanned.
> 
> This actually makes sense. After all, even if I'm a no-show, I forfeit my money, which means that Amtrak gets it anyway, whether I actually took the ride or not. So why shouldn't they give me the AGR points?


Sounds like the Conductor just clicked you aboard without scanning your ticket, otherwise it would be an automatic cancelation and Amtrak would have gotten the money but you wouldn't have gotten the AGR points!


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## MiniMax (Jun 29, 2014)

I just rode from Los Angeles to New Orleans without the conductor looking at my ticket.


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## VentureForth (Jun 30, 2014)

MiniMax said:


> I just rode from Los Angeles to New Orleans without the conductor looking at my ticket.


So long as you don't get kicked off the train, I suppose it doesn't matter. Now, if it were me and I had a connection in NOL to the CONO for Chicago in a nice bedroom, I would be very concerned so that I a) get my AGR points, b) no one tried to move into my room enroute, and c) I still had a reservation on the CONO.

But my guess is that someone verified you were onboard, or at least decided that EVERYONE who had reservations showed up (another problem all together).


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## PRR 60 (Jun 30, 2014)

MiniMax said:


> I just rode from Los Angeles to New Orleans without the conductor looking at my ticket.


In some cases the conductor simply checks with the sleeping car attendant to see which rooms are occupied. He or she can then manually mark those passengers as on board without having to check and scan the e-ticket or even see the passenger.


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## alang (Jun 30, 2014)

Didn't scan our to tickets on the CZ5 the other night...Creston to Martinez could be a lot of AGR points!

Remember, the train is the vacation.


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## fillyjonk (Jun 30, 2014)

I've been told that if I have a round-trip ticket, and it's not scanned on the first leg of the trip, I forfeit that second leg. That could be an issue at a crowded time if a person had a sleeper.

I wonder, is there any way to check (seeing there's a "scan all at this station" function for some conductors), short of ASKING someone? I'm enough of a worrier that it would bother me but I'm also shy enough that I'd feel uncomfortable going and looking for the conductor to see if s/he scanned my ticket.

(FWIW: I don't have a smartphone so I used printouts of the QR code on the e-ticket.)


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## AmtrakBlue (Jun 30, 2014)

fillyjonk said:


> I've been told that if I have a round-trip ticket, and it's not scanned on the first leg of the trip, I forfeit that second leg. That could be an issue at a crowded time if a person had a sleeper.
> 
> I wonder, is there any way to check (seeing there's a "scan all at this station" function for some conductors), short of ASKING someone? I'm enough of a worrier that it would bother me but I'm also shy enough that I'd feel uncomfortable going and looking for the conductor to see if s/he scanned my ticket.
> 
> (FWIW: I don't have a smartphone so I used printouts of the QR code on the e-ticket.)


I'm hoping to be asleep in my roomette when I switch from an AGR rez to a paid rez. If I can't get the paid rez scanned before my bedtime, I'm thinking about taping my p/o to the door so the conductor will know I'm there.  Hopefully s/he'll scan it through the glass or manual input it.


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## OlympianHiawatha (Jun 30, 2014)

AmtrakBlue said:


> fillyjonk said:
> 
> 
> > I've been told that if I have a round-trip ticket, and it's not scanned on the first leg of the trip, I forfeit that second leg. That could be an issue at a crowded time if a person had a sleeper.
> ...


I wouldn't do that as anyone passing by will see your information. In this case when the Conductor sees the room is occupied and door locked, he or he should realize you are there and not to disturb you; they can click you in manually.


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## AmtrakBlue (Jun 30, 2014)

OlympianHiawatha said:


> AmtrakBlue said:
> 
> 
> > fillyjonk said:
> ...


Oh, I plan to be careful with what info I "show" IF I do this. It's just something that I'm thinking about, but probably won't need to do.


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 30, 2014)

Betty: Before you go to sleep just let your SCA and Conductor( changes in TOL IINM) know about the Change from AGR to Paid, they'll handle it and you can snooze away with no worry!


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## eric (Sep 23, 2014)

Just went HUD -NYP and the conductor did not scan me. Only about 25 people on board. In the station, the app no longer would show my ticket, it must've no-showed me quick! Station agent could not fix. Directed me tob a phone, all recordings. I had 10 minutes left, so I bought my next leg cash. Hope 1800amtrak can straighten this out as prices are a lot higher now than when I reserved, so I'm paying more than double because of conductor error.


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## jis (Sep 23, 2014)

I usually chase down a Conductor and make sure ticket is scanned when it is critical.


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## richm49 (Sep 23, 2014)

I will be taking a cross-country trip in late October and had to get paper tickets issued due to one segment of the trip connecting via Thruway bus connection(Phoenix-Flagstaff). All segments traveling westbound and return segments eastbound will be in sleeper accommodations. I guess this would be a case where the conductor would have to use the old-fashioned ticket punchers.Would there be a reason to worry if on one of those segments the paper ticket was not punched? If that happened, would my remaining segments be cancelled?The station agent who gave me the paper tickets stated that they were classified as revenue tickets with the same value as cash and would not/could not be replaced if lost/stolen. I will be heading out to FLG and certainly would not want to get stranded out there with my return segments cancelled because some conductor never punched my ticket!


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## Bob Dylan (Sep 23, 2014)

Be sure they tear off the long ticket part of the paper ticcket so the rest of your Rez isn't canceled and you get credit for the trip!

Punching your stub, which you get to keep, is just for show now since e- ticketing started!

And paper tickets are the same as Cash, take care of them!!


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## Orangesaint (Sep 23, 2014)

** adds this to list of things to worry about **

I've never had this problem before, but I will definitely make sure my ticket is scanned in December!


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## jis (Sep 23, 2014)

It is a real headache on the NEC say if you are traveling from Metropark to Philly. About a third of the time on such journeys I have had to chase down a Conductor to get my ticket scanned. Usually always on very crowded trains.


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## AmtrakBlue (Sep 23, 2014)

jis said:


> It is a real headache on the NEC say if you are traveling from Metropark to Philly. About a third of the time on such journeys I have had to chase down a Conductor to get my ticket scanned. Usually always on very crowded trains.


Between WIL & PHL I will sometimes sit in the cafe car. Don't have to chase them down, just flag them down as they go from BC to the other coaches. I've even sat across from their table.


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## Acela150 (Sep 23, 2014)

I try to sit in the last coach if it's a short run on the NEC. A conductor has to "Clear" the platform from the rear of the train so it makes the most sense.


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## OlympianHiawatha (Sep 23, 2014)

If you are in Sleeper, some Conductors simply check with the SCA and click you in without stopping by your room. This happened to me a few times this Summer and all segments showed up on my AGR tally (though as 0 Points since it was an AGR Redemption).


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## Acela150 (Sep 23, 2014)

While I don't mind a Conductor doing it that way. I would hate to have to track down the SCA or Conductor to find out if I was checked in. The first time this happened to me was this time last year on the LSL from BOS. All the rooms boarded at BOS or BBY. So it was easy to be checked in. On the return the conductor came by the room though.


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## VentureForth (Sep 24, 2014)

eric said:


> Just went HUD -NYP and the conductor did not scan me. Only about 25 people on board. In the station, the app no longer would show my ticket, it must've no-showed me quick! Station agent could not fix. Directed me tob a phone, all recordings. I had 10 minutes left, so I bought my next leg cash. Hope 1800amtrak can straighten this out as prices are a lot higher now than when I reserved, so I'm paying more than double because of conductor error.


Amtrak HAS to fix this problem. Aren't you glad you didn't connect to something like a bedroom accomodation that got cancelled and picked up by a new reservation? The gate agents in NYP should very well be trained and empowered to fix this issue immediately. No telling the anger this will rile up if this sort of thing happens during Thanksgiving!


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## A guest for now (Sep 24, 2014)

A user asked earlier in this thread that I don't think I saw a reply too, and I wonder the same thing:

Is there a way you can find out, while on board the train, if the conductor used "scan all" for your sleeper car; or just in general, if you were properly scanned? Without having to go up to the conductor?

And how big of a concern should this be for the common passenger in a sleeper, from your past experiences since this e-ticketing craze began>


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## iggy (Sep 25, 2014)

Right after this "wonderful" policy went into effect - I got to deal with unexpected drama. Conductor on Illinois Lincoln Service never came around to scan ticket. In past I have gotten attitude when asking if tickets would get pulled - or I get story that all has been handled - name checked off on master list - which sometimes is true.

When I boarded same route to head home female conductor comes into Business Class to do her job - unlike her co-workers. I have my E-ticket out and ready to be scanned. She tells me my ticket had been cancelled - then said something about how I had traveled on a day I hadn't.

Once I explained my ticket hadn't been pulled - she figured out what had happened and fixed everything. Unfortunately I have never seen this conductor on that route again. If it had been one of the regulars - I would have been in for a really bad day.

I have a feeling this policy change causes more drama than it fixes.

St Louis station Amtrak employees are not checking or pulling tickets for bus trips forced upon us do to track work. Springfield Illinois staff are hit and miss with pulling / checking tickets for forced bus. Last trip a few days ago - ID checks were done to check passenger list.

On every recent forced bus trip we have had to call to get rewards points credit for travel. Online method has yet to work for us - always call.


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