# New Ugrade Coupons and existing reservation



## AAARGH! (Feb 25, 2009)

I just got my AGR Select package yesterday with the 3 one class upgrade and 3 10% off coupons.

I have a multi-city reservation for March on the Acela from WAS to NYP and then from NYP to BWI (Baltimore Airport) on the regional. When I made the reservation, the Acela was $133 (I think) and the Regional was $57 or $62. Either way, the total was $177.30 after the 10% AAA discount.

My question is whether I can add this one-class upgrade to the Acela or both legs OR do I need to make a new reservation and cancel the original (unticketed)? Also, do I need one or two coupons for the two legs (yes I know I am doubling back, so I'm guessing two coupons).

At today's prices, the Acela is $99 and the regional is $110 before coupons, so it is only slightly more _if_ I can get the 10% AAA discount.

Which brings up the question, can you use the AAA discount AND the upgrade coupon?

Lastly (and somewhat unrelated), can you use the 10% coupon ON TOP OF the AAA 10% or is it instead of?

Thanks.


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## RRrich (Feb 25, 2009)

Related question

Is the 10% off coupon applicable to the TOTAL or just the RAILFARE? - would make quite a difference if it would work on a sleeper, especially if one coupon would apply to an entire several-leg trip.


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## AAARGH! (Feb 25, 2009)

RRrich said:


> Related question
> Is the 10% off coupon applicable to the TOTAL or just the RAILFARE? - would make quite a difference if it would work on a sleeper, especially if one coupon would apply to an entire several-leg trip.


That I do know. Railfare only.

On the coupon:

"Not valid for travel in sleepers".


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## AlanB (Feb 25, 2009)

AAARGH said:


> I just got my AGR Select package yesterday with the 3 one class upgrade and 3 10% off coupons.
> I have a multi-city reservation for March on the Acela from WAS to NYP and then from NYP to BWI (Baltimore Airport) on the regional. When I made the reservation, the Acela was $133 (I think) and the Regional was $57 or $62. Either way, the total was $177.30 after the 10% AAA discount.
> 
> My question is whether I can add this one-class upgrade to the Acela or both legs OR do I need to make a new reservation and cancel the original (unticketed)? Also, do I need one or two coupons for the two legs (yes I know I am doubling back, so I'm guessing two coupons).
> ...


First, one coupon per leg, not per reservation. Especially when the reservation is essentially a round trip. Perhaps, never tried it, but perhaps for example booking a regional NYP to POR might get you BC the whole way. But I don't believe so.

Second, you won't be able to use the coupons at all with your existing reservation, since you used the AAA discount. It says right in the small print on the back, "not combinable with other discounts." So if you try to use it, the agent will rebook that leg of the trip at the current bucket price and then apply the coupon.

Had you not used the AAA discount, I believe that the agent could have upgraded the Acela leg without needing a seperate reservation for that leg. Never tried it, so YMMV, but I'm pretty sure that it wouldn't have mattered.

And no, you cannot combine the 10% coupon with the AAA discount. It one or the other.


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## AlanB (Feb 25, 2009)

AAARGH said:


> RRrich said:
> 
> 
> > Related question
> ...


Correct, railfare only.


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## RRrich (Feb 25, 2009)

Being an old [email protected], I have difficulty reading the low-contrast tiny print on the back of the coupon. Is the fine print posted anywhere on the web?

The large print gives and the fine print takes back.

Alan B was certainly right when he said "Well you need to remember that AGR really was designed to go along with Acela and the frequent business traveler. As happens sometimes with Amtrak, the rest of the country was really an afterthought."


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## AAARGH! (Feb 25, 2009)

AlanB said:


> AAARGH said:
> 
> 
> > I just got my AGR Select package yesterday with the 3 one class upgrade and 3 10% off coupons.
> ...


So just for the heck of it, I called and they told me, just present it when you pick up your tickets at the station on the day of travel, and they will upgrade me.

That's weird because the coupon says I can't make the reservation via Amtrak.com (which I did), Quik-track, or Julie. I bet if I call back, I'll get a different answer.

Anybody have experience with walk-up upgrades on existing reservations?


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## AlanB (Feb 25, 2009)

AAARGH said:


> So just for the heck of it, I called and they told me, just present it when you pick up your tickets at the station on the day of travel, and they will upgrade me.
> That's weird because the coupon says I can't make the reservation via Amtrak.com (which I did), Quik-track, or Julie. I bet if I call back, I'll get a different answer.
> 
> Anybody have experience with walk-up upgrades on existing reservations?


I've done it many, many times. Over the years I've enjoyed many a free upgrade to first class on Acela/Metroliner. One can't make the upgraded reservation via Amtrak.com, Julie, or a Quik-Trak machine. But one can book the base reservation via any of those methods.

Julie, Quik-Trak's, and Amtrak.com can't collect the coupon, hence why the upgraded reservation can not be booked via those methods.

And again, watch out if you try to upgrade your existing reservation. Since you used the AAA discount, the agent must actually cancel that part of the reservation and rebook without the discount. When they do that, your base seat will reprice to the current bucket level. So if seats are cheaper right now, I'd redo your entire reservation and avoid using the AAA discount on the Acela section.


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## AAARGH! (Feb 25, 2009)

AlanB said:


> AAARGH said:
> 
> 
> > So just for the heck of it, I called and they told me, just present it when you pick up your tickets at the station on the day of travel, and they will upgrade me.
> ...


Like an Idiot, I made the reservation as multi-city instead of two separate ones. While the Acela leg is cheaper, the Regional is $50 more. So I would have to lose both legs and rebook at the higher fare fpr the second leg.


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## AAARGH! (Feb 25, 2009)

AlanB said:


> I've done it many, many times. Over the years I've enjoyed many a free upgrade to first class on Acela/Metroliner. One can't make the upgraded reservation via Amtrak.com, Julie, or a Quik-Trak machine. But one can book the base reservation via any of those methods.
> Julie, Quik-Trak's, and Amtrak.com can't collect the coupon, hence why the upgraded reservation can not be booked via those methods.
> 
> And again, watch out if you try to upgrade your existing reservation. Since you used the AAA discount, the agent must actually cancel that part of the reservation and rebook without the discount. When they do that, your base seat will reprice to the current bucket level. So if seats are cheaper right now, I'd redo your entire reservation and avoid using the AAA discount on the Acela section.


I re-read the coupon. It is _only_ good 1 hour before the departure. The reservationist said you can't book the upgrade, only the regular reservation and then show up with the coupon in hand one hour before departure.

So it is really confusing when they talk about not being able to book via the non-human methods. That must be referring only to the one hour (or less) upgrade attempt.

Confusing..... :blink: :blink: :blink:


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## Ispolkom (Feb 25, 2009)

AAARGH said:


> Like an Idiot, I made the reservation as multi-city instead of two separate ones. While the Acela leg is cheaper, the Regional is $50 more. So I would have to lose both legs and rebook at the higher fare fpr the second leg.


Can't you call Amtrak and just cancel the Acela leg? I had a round-trip CHI-WAS ticket on #29-30 that I canceled the return ticket on with no problems. That would give you the regional leg with the lower price and the AAA discount, and then you could rebook your Acela travel at the new price and hopefully use the upgrade coupon.


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## AAARGH! (Feb 25, 2009)

Ispolkom said:


> AAARGH said:
> 
> 
> > Like an Idiot, I made the reservation as multi-city instead of two separate ones. While the Acela leg is cheaper, the Regional is $50 more. So I would have to lose both legs and rebook at the higher fare fpr the second leg.
> ...


The reservationist said that I had to cancel the whole thing in order to get a refund.


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## Trogdor (Feb 25, 2009)

Actually, if you book a reservation using some sort of discount (NARP, AAA, etc.), and then want to use the upgrade coupon, the agent should rebook your reservation, minus the discount, in the bucket you originally booked your ticket.

For example, if you buy a ticket for $80 minus 10% ($72), and when you go to upgrade using the coupon, the coach ticket happens to be going for $100, the agent is supposed to only charge you the $8 difference, not $28. Not all agents know this, though. I've had better luck of late with getting them to price it properly (in the few chances I've had to actually use an upgrade coupon).

That's why there's a line that says "agent must not charge additional fare from original ticket price" or something like that.


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## wayman (Feb 26, 2009)

rmadisonwi said:


> Actually, if you book a reservation using some sort of discount (NARP, AAA, etc.), and then want to use the upgrade coupon, the agent should rebook your reservation, minus the discount, in the bucket you originally booked your ticket.
> For example, if you buy a ticket for $80 minus 10% ($72), and when you go to upgrade using the coupon, the coach ticket happens to be going for $100, the agent is supposed to only charge you the $8 difference, not $28. Not all agents know this, though. I've had better luck of late with getting them to price it properly (in the few chances I've had to actually use an upgrade coupon).
> 
> That's why there's a line that says "agent must not charge additional fare from original ticket price" or something like that.


I didn't know this--thanks very much for the tip! With an Acela, PHL-BOS is $137 low bucket. If I'm hoping to upgrade and can book with AAA saving $14, then if I fail to upgrade I've still got those $14 in my pocket to spend on food in the cafe  As it was, the times I'd hoped to upgrade I'd gone ahead and paid full fare assuming I'd have to, so when I couldn't use my upgrades I was stuck having already paid those extra $14 (and then paid maybe that much again in the cafe for a couple meals). I know it sounds silly to be both "traveling on a budget" and "taking Acela", but that's my philosophy B)


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