# Can the Free Companion voucher be used w/ A roomette?



## Bill Harrison (Feb 11, 2010)

Basically, someone on here was nice enough to mail me a free companion Voucher (Thanks RRick) and I would like to use this for a trip to washington. Can I use this with a Roomette? IE, I pay the railfare for myself, and the roomette, and the companions railfare is covered by the voucher?

Thanks!


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## the_traveler (Feb 11, 2010)

Yes, and I'm not sure but I think so! 

Either way, with a roomette, a passenger pays his or her rail fare and the roomette charge. Because the charge for the roomette is the same for one in the room or two in the room, the 2nd passenger only has to pay his or her rail fare. (It works the same for all other sleeper types too.)


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## AlanB (Feb 11, 2010)

No, the companion voucher is not valid for sleeper accomodations. You can only book two coach seats using it.

I believe once on board you may be able to upgrade to a sleeper if one is still available, but I won't swear to that.

In the past, one couldn't even upgrade to a BC seat or a FC seat using that coupon. I understand however that the new year's coupons finally allow for an upgrade to BC or FC upon paying the applicable charges for the upgrade for both passengers. But AFAIK, haven't seen the new coupons yet myself, one still cannot upgrade to a sleeper.


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## Guest (Feb 11, 2010)

I have upgraded onboard to a sleeper when I used the companion voucher.

If you can get low bucket buy one get one free coach tickets and upgrade onboard to a sleeper so you get low bucket prices, Amtrak can be downright cheap.


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## AKA (Feb 14, 2010)

I just used a BOGO voucher and got a roomette in the same res. I booked a trip to San Francisco using a companion voucher, I ask the phone agent to also book a roomette at the same time. I had to go to the station to pick up the tickets because you have to turn in the voucher. No problem. I got the low rail bucket and a low roomette bucket price. Low roomette price was a surprise. I guess I got in just in time. Price is way up today. However the roomette is on the CZ from Chicago to Emeryville. My trip does not start in Chicago. At the start of my trip we are in coach, conecting in Chicago to the CZ. The phone agent was well informed about the companion voucher. Not all agents are.

PM if you have questions.

I did this res. about six weeks ago with a voucher exp. date of 28 Feb 2010. Code H110.


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## Rail Freak (Feb 14, 2010)

the_traveler said:


> Yes, and I'm not sure but I think so!


A definite MAYBE!!!! :lol:   :lol:

RF


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## Explore (Feb 14, 2010)

I just got turned down by a phone agent on my request to use the H110 in conjunction with a sleeper res. Her computer system wouldn't let her do it. I'm going to try calling back and make the booking first, then apply the H110.

P.S. it's lame this may be against the rules, since I won't be making the trip at all if I can't use the cert. It's only affording me an approx. 28% discount on the full payment to Amtrak. Can't chance a sleeper being available on board when traveling with an 82-year old.


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## RailFanLNK (Feb 15, 2010)

I have one of these coming so I have a question. I have never used one of these things. Here goes:

A buddy at work is really starting to take to riding Amtrak. Last weekend we went to Galesburg IL. He's single and unattached so he can go on a NY minute. So, I recently signed up for a promotion giving me 1000 bonus points or something like that. I thought it was for all trains but read the fine print and it was for only certain trains and the CZ wasn't it. But the Missour River Runner is. I would like to go from KCY to STL. My question is, if my buddy has joined AGR by now (I referred him last week and he's received the sign up with AGR e-mail) can we somehow use this voucher for the both of us? Meaning he rides for free with me from KCY to STL and then book STL-KCY in his name so he rides within 90 days of joining AGR and I think he receives 1500 bonus points. So will that work? Thanks!

Al


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## AlanB (Feb 15, 2010)

AL,

I'd be careful using that coupon for this trip. While I believe that many people have reported actually getting points, it does say quite clearly on the coupon that anyone using the BOGO coupons does not earn points for that trip. If they do enforce that rule, then your trip would not only fail to earn travel points, it would fail to qualify him for his first trip within 90 days of registering.

Now again, I believe that I read a while back that people using the coupons were still getting points. But it does appear that AGR is at least moving towards trying to stop that.


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## Guest (Feb 15, 2010)

AlanB said:


> AL,
> I'd be careful using that coupon for this trip. While I believe that many people have reported actually getting points, it does say quite clearly on the coupon that anyone using the BOGO coupons does not earn points for that trip. If they do enforce that rule, then your trip would not only fail to earn travel points, it would fail to qualify him for his first trip within 90 days of registering.
> 
> Now again, I believe that I read a while back that people using the coupons were still getting points. But it does appear that AGR is at least moving towards trying to stop that.


I got points when I used it back in November.


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## AG1 (Feb 15, 2010)

Although the voucher can be used for a round trip on one reservation,your plan would require two separate reservations.One using the coupon one way(one free) and your friend paying(no coupon) on the return to activate his AGR points and your referral bonus AGR points.


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## RailFanLNK (Feb 15, 2010)

What is BOGO?


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## Ryan (Feb 15, 2010)

Buy One Get One (free).


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## Shanghai (Feb 19, 2010)

Are the Companion Coupons valid on the Acela?

I saw that AlanB indicated that the coupons were only good for coach,

and there is no coach on the Acela.

Thanks.


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## AlanB (Feb 19, 2010)

Shanghai said:


> Are the Companion Coupons valid on the Acela?I saw that AlanB indicated that the coupons were only good for coach,
> 
> and there is no coach on the Acela.
> 
> Thanks.


Yes.


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## AG1 (Feb 19, 2010)

Shanghai said:


> Are the Companion Coupons valid on the Acela?I saw that AlanB indicated that the coupons were only good for coach,
> 
> and there is no coach on the Acela.
> 
> Thanks.


The *Companion Coupon* cannot be used on Acela because there is no coach option.However,

the *One Class Upgrade Coupon *can be used on Acela to upgrade from Business Class to First Class.


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## bob (Aug 10, 2010)

i recent;y bid on one of these coupons on ebay won the bid and called in to try to make tyhe reservation it went thru at first then the phone attendant gave me a reservation number then read furthr and said she could not do it. Could I make just a couch reservaton and then add the roomette after the fact?


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## AlanB (Aug 10, 2010)

It cannot be done prior to boarding the train, without regard to how you approach the reservation. Once on board the train, if there are still rooms unsold then you can ask the conductor for an onboard upgrade.


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## bob (Aug 10, 2010)

AlanB said:


> It cannot be done prior to boarding the train, without regard to how you approach the reservation. Once on board the train, if there are still rooms unsold then you can ask the conductor for an onboard upgrade.


whay is amtrak so obviousily stupid about this. I suppose good enough for goverment work. So i just wasted $125 to get something that the dumbasses and a psuedo goverment opperation cant seem to work with me on oh well they just loast a customer ill fly and still come out ahead even with losing $125


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## AlanB (Aug 11, 2010)

bob said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> > It cannot be done prior to boarding the train, without regard to how you approach the reservation. Once on board the train, if there are still rooms unsold then you can ask the conductor for an onboard upgrade.
> ...


I can't believe that you would pay $125 for that voucher. 

Especially since the person selling it got it for free.

If they didn't post the small print in that auction, then you should be taking it up with Ebay.

As for why Amtrak doesn't allow it, that would probably be because they constantly get critcized for using taxpayer subsidies to run land cruises. So giving away revenue that they can collect for a sleeper isn't prudent under those conditions.


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## bob (Aug 11, 2010)

this is partially my fault i read that it did not apply to sleepers after the auction was thru. I just didnt see it before there are a lot of these for sale on ebay. I figured after i found out that my only hope was that a sleeper is " first class" on that train and maybe it would go thru. I was desperate so i called in the coach part and called back and added the sleepers They told me it would be $481 dolllars mor then I called back to get the grasnd total and they qouted $889 instead of $685 so I will fly rather than being out any more money. I wrote the guy on ebay back and told him to enjoy my $125 this is a case of really looking at the fine print. As far as them giving things away at amtrak they are not giving a damn thing away on the sleeper i was willing to pay for that in full they were just out a measly $204 for the rail fare . I will never try and travel with them again I have spent probably $10,000 with them in the the last 10 years and this is the appreciation I get for thjose bastards I hate to fly but I also hate to be ripped of becuase of and assinibe policy and fine print .


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## rrdude (Aug 11, 2010)

bob said:


> this is partially my fault i read that it did not apply to sleepers after the auction was thru. I just didnt see it before there are a lot of these for sale on ebay. I figured after i found out that my only hope was that a sleeper is " first class" on that train and maybe it would go thru. I was desperate so i called in the coach part and called back and added the sleepers They told me it would be $481 dolllars mor then I called back to get the grasnd total and they qouted $889 instead of $685 so I will fly rather than being out any more money. I wrote the guy on ebay back and told him to enjoy my $125 this is a case of really looking at the fine print. As far as them giving things away at amtrak they are not giving a damn thing away on the sleeper i was willing to pay for that in full they were just out a measly $204 for the rail fare . I will never try and travel with them again I have spent probably $10,000 with them in the the last 10 years and this is the appreciation I get for thjose bastards I hate to fly but I also hate to be ripped of becuase of and assinibe policy and fine print .


Dude, we all hate to lose money, but "fine print is fine print". Once in a blue moon you get an agent that can or will bend the rules, but it's a little harsh to condemn the company because they are enforcing written/stated rules.

I got hosed on ebay too, and like you, had to just laff at my own stupidness. I didn't read the fine print, and bough a PARKING PASS, when I thought I was buying two TICKETS to a Navy football game.


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## Ryan (Aug 11, 2010)

bob said:


> I will never try and travel with them again I have spent probably $10,000 with them in the the last 10 years and this is the appreciation I get for thjose bastards I hate to fly but I also hate to be ripped of becuase of and assinibe policy and fine print .


So it's Amtrak's fault that you're unable to read the fine print? And the fact that you spend a measly $1,000 a year on them means they should ignore the rules in your favor?


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## amamba (Aug 11, 2010)

Sounds like you need to take it up with the ebay seller. I am also astonished that you would pay $125 for one of those! Ouch.


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2010)

Let the buyer beware! is an old and true saying! I know on-line is "the" thing in shopping now a days but why should you be bitter about something that's your fault, not Amtraks!

If youve spent $10,000 with Amtrak you probably built up lots of AGR points for "free trips", did you enjoy them! What,at first, seems like a rip off is, but by the seller,not Amtrak! Your bad dude!


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## bob (Aug 11, 2010)

apperrently i am not the only one thats willing to pay for these coupons on ebay ther ae at least 2 others on salee right now they ussually end up sselling from $75 to 130 or so


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## cherts chum (Aug 11, 2010)

i guess ill just post it on ebay once i get it and see if somebody else will buy it that can use it for what they need maybe i can get some of my money back on this nightmare


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