# Reward ticket printing & res summary



## amamba (Mar 15, 2011)

So I am so excited to be going on my reward trip on Sunday!

But I am just looking over the email confirmation I got of my reservation, and noticed that it says "Subject to cancellation unless purchased by March 20, 2011". But it is already purchased with my points...which were credited from my account the day that the reservation was made (january 29th).

Am I probably fine to print out my tickets when I arrive at club Acela in BOS about an hour before my trip? Should I print them out sooner than that? Should I worry at all about what the reservation email says about cancellation?

I realize I am probably being paranoid here. For some reason I am super nervous that something will go wrong.


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## the_traveler (Mar 15, 2011)

amamba said:


> I realize I am probably being paranoid here.


You are paranoid - but I won't get into this now!






Actually it's the wording that is confusing. It should say something like "... if not *PRINTED* by March 20, 2011." You actually did not purchase the tickets yet, you just *PAID* for them with points. You could theoretically cancel your trip and get a full refund, thus you do not purchase the trip until you print your tickets!





Make sense?


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## Devil's Advocate (Mar 15, 2011)

the_traveler said:


> You actually did not purchase the tickets yet, you just *PAID* for them with points. You could theoretically cancel your trip and get a full refund, thus you do not purchase the trip until you print your tickets! Make sense?


That's still pretty confusing to me. I think they should reword the email to remove the references to buying tickets when they're redemption awards. If they are referring to when the tickets are "printed" then they should say that instead. Just my two cents.


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## amamba (Mar 15, 2011)

Thank you for your reassurance  . I would feel much better if the confirmation did say "printed" and not "purchased."

But in any case, do you think its fine to wait to print until that morning in BOS club acela? I originally was going to take the Downeaster from Maine (where I will be this weekend), but I am getting a ride from a family member into BOS now. I am just nervous that I am somehow going to lose the tickets. I normally print out the day of travel and its fine, but something about this trip is making me doubt myself.

Also, I never ended up fixing my reservation so I am in the Boston sleeper until Albany and then the New York sleeper from Albany to Chicago. When the Boston train arrives in Albany, is the New York train generally there already, or does it wait? And there is lunch on the train when leaving BOS, right?


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## the_traveler (Mar 15, 2011)

Yes, I think so and yes! Also by having to switch from the BOS sleeper to the NYP sleeper, you are saving quite a walk, because the Dining Car is towards the rear of the train. The NYP sleepers are also at the rear of the train (with a baggage car behind the sleepers), while the BOS sleeper is at the front of the train (with a baggage car in front of it).

And I always pick up my reward tickets the day of travel. No problem at all!


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## AlanB (Mar 15, 2011)

If the Boston section is on time, then no the NY section will not yet be in the station. The Boston section tends to have more delays, so it is scheduled to arrive earlier than the NY section so as to try to ensure an on time departure from Albany. You're due into Albany at 5:35 PM and the NY section isn't due in until 6:25 PM.

You will most likely have to detrain in Albany and wait for the NY section to arrive, before you can reboard the now combined train in the NY section. There is a slight chance that they let you stay on, but I wouldn't bet on it. Especially if the Boston attendant has someone taking over your room at Albany.


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## NJCoastExp (Mar 15, 2011)

amamba said:


> Thank you for your reassurance  . I would feel much better if the confirmation did say "printed" and not "purchased."
> 
> But in any case, do you think its fine to wait to print until that morning in BOS club acela? I originally was going to take the Downeaster from Maine (where I will be this weekend), but I am getting a ride from a family member into BOS now. I am just nervous that I am somehow going to lose the tickets. I normally print out the day of travel and its fine, but something about this trip is making me doubt myself.
> 
> Also, I never ended up fixing my reservation so I am in the Boston sleeper until Albany and then the New York sleeper from Albany to Chicago. When the Boston train arrives in Albany, is the New York train generally there already, or does it wait? And there is lunch on the train when leaving BOS, right?


Ouch! You will be on a bus BOS-ALB. See alert page on Amtrak.com


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## amamba (Mar 15, 2011)

Oh noes! Maybe I can take the regional down to NYP and get on the LSL there?

So amtrak is showing the 49 as completely sold out on 3/20. Do you think that is likely, or is just that amtrak.com has it blocked out? Should I maybe transfer to the CL instead? I need to connect in CHI to the SWC #3 on 3/21.


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## AlanB (Mar 15, 2011)

amamba said:


> Oh noes! Maybe I can take the regional down to NYP and get on the LSL there?
> 
> So amtrak is showing the 49 as completely sold out on 3/20. Do you think that is likely, or is just that amtrak.com has it blocked out? Should I maybe transfer to the CL instead? I need to connect in CHI to the SWC #3 on 3/21.


It can't be completely sold out, as one cannot buy a ticket from NYP to Albany. Therefore the room that you expect to occupy in Albany must be empty NYP - ALB. The question is can the agent modify things quickly enough without losing your room from Albany to Chicago.

I suppose that another alternative would be to take a Regional down to NYP, then catch an Empire Corridor train from NYP up to Albany. Then wait for the LSL to arrive.


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## amamba (Mar 15, 2011)

I am on hold now....and I noticed that there are plenty of seats and rommettes available from NYP - Schenedectady on 3/20, so that means that the train isn't really sold out. I wonder if they are just blocking space from ALB - CHI for the extra pax coming from BOS? When something like this happens, does the train run shorter? Are those folks who would have been on the Boston sleeper just SOL and have to ride in coach?


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## AlanB (Mar 15, 2011)

Amamba,

The Lake Shore doesn't carry passengers who only want to travel between NYP & Albany. It's always blacked out if you try to travel between any city pairs between those 2 points. Hence the sell out that you see if you put in ALB, but not if you go to Schenectedy.

So you should be able to rebook your trip via NYP without issue. And they should be able to keep you in your sleeper out of NYP now.

Remember to get BC on the Regional too!


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## amamba (Mar 15, 2011)

Ok so I just called - and the dude I spoke with say that the notation on the website is an error and that the bustitution is only through March 17th. So I didn't make any changes....hopefully that is a wise choice? He of course said that the decision is up to the freight company, blah blah blah.

Like I said, I am just glad that I am in the NY sleeper from Albany onwards. At the end of the day, I'll get where I need to go


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## Eric S (Mar 15, 2011)

amamba said:


> Ok so I just called - and the dude I spoke with say that the notation on the website is an error and that the bustitution is only through March 17th. So I didn't make any changes....hopefully that is a wise choice? He of course said that the decision is up to the freight company, blah blah blah.


Isn't the stretch of track in question (the Post Road? east of Albany) owned by Amtrak?


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## AlanB (Mar 15, 2011)

Eric S said:


> amamba said:
> 
> 
> > Ok so I just called - and the dude I spoke with say that the notation on the website is an error and that the bustitution is only through March 17th. So I didn't make any changes....hopefully that is a wise choice? He of course said that the decision is up to the freight company, blah blah blah.
> ...


No, that's CSX to Boston. Maybe Amtrak owns a few feet of track out of the station, if that I'm not sure, but the bulk of the line is CSX.


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## AlanB (Mar 15, 2011)

amamba said:


> Ok so I just called - and the dude I spoke with say that the notation on the website is an error and that the bustitution is only through March 17th. So I didn't make any changes....hopefully that is a wise choice? He of course said that the decision is up to the freight company, blah blah blah.
> 
> Like I said, I am just glad that I am in the NY sleeper from Albany onwards. At the end of the day, I'll get where I need to go


Well I'm glad that your trip doesn't require making changes, but bummed a bit. My mom & I will be arriving back into NYP at 2:55 PM that day so I could have run into the Club Acela to say hi!  Oh well; next time!


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## the_traveler (Mar 15, 2011)

AlanB said:


> Eric S said:
> 
> 
> > amamba said:
> ...


I know that CSX owns the main line, but I thought the newly laid track from the station (ALB) to IIRC Chatham was Amtrak. AFAIK, no freights run (or ever did run) on that track.

But it could be the 2nd time I'm wrong!


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## PRR 60 (Mar 15, 2011)

the_traveler said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> > Eric S said:
> ...


It could have been the second time you were wrong, but it wasn't. The Post Road connector between the B&A and Albany (about 9 miles) is owned by Amtrak. Amtrak contracts with CSX for maintenance.


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## the_traveler (Mar 16, 2011)

PRR 60 said:


> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> > But it could be the 2nd time I'm wrong!
> ...


Good!



I think the 1st time I was wrong was about 90 years ago - many years before I was born!


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## Tumbleweed (Mar 16, 2011)

the_traveler said:


> PRR 60 said:
> 
> 
> > the_traveler said:
> ...


And some people say.....I made a mistake once......I thought I was wrong, but I was right.... :giggle:


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## amamba (Mar 16, 2011)

AlanB said:


> amamba said:
> 
> 
> > Ok so I just called - and the dude I spoke with say that the notation on the website is an error and that the bustitution is only through March 17th. So I didn't make any changes....hopefully that is a wise choice? He of course said that the decision is up to the freight company, blah blah blah.
> ...


Well I will keep monitoring the situation and let you know if I end up in NYP on Sunday. The service alert is still showing up on amtrak.com as the 449 being a bus until 3/25/2011, so I am not necessarily having a lot of confidence in what the AGR rep told me.

One other question - do they generally call pax if there is a bustitution and they know in advance? I guess I will just try to call back on Friday and see what they say.


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## amamba (Mar 17, 2011)

OK now AGR is telling me that 49 isn't running from NYP to Albany, but I think the guy is super confused....this is awful.

The problem is the train is showing sold out NYP - CHI so my guy is super confused. I keep trying to tell him my room will already be vacant from NYP - ALB and he doesn't believe me.


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## amamba (Mar 17, 2011)

Ok luckily I was able to find an agent who understands what I want to do. But apparently they can't make it work right now so they are going to work on it and call me back. Wish me luck!

Ideally I will be taking 161 to NYP on Sunday and then getting on 49 there.


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## amamba (Mar 17, 2011)

YAY it is fixed. I am in bedroom B on train 49 from NYP - CHI on Sunday, and taking 161 from BOS - NYP that morning. Thank you everyone for your help. I really, really appreciate it. I have my scanner, duct tape, and flashlight ready to go :lol:


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## AlanB (Mar 17, 2011)

Glad to hear it all worked out! 

Clearly the first agent didn't realize that Amtrak automatically blocks out sales on 49 for travel only between NY and points north to Albany. They don't want to carry local passengers on that train, so it always shows sold out. And since no one can book just NYP to ALB your room had to be empty from NY to ALB.


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