# Unable to redeem reward travel for unmanned stations



## Guest (Jun 22, 2011)

It seems I can not redeem points for stations that are unmanned. They say you have to call and pay $15 for the tickets to be fedexed to you. Anyone know if amtrak will change this? How to submit this as a complaint?


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## Cho Cho Charlie (Jun 23, 2011)

Guest said:


> It seems I can not redeem points for stations that are unmanned. They say you have to call and pay $15 for the tickets to be fedexed to you. Anyone know if amtrak will change this? How to submit this as a complaint?


You have to get your tickets somehow. Either you have to pick them up in person, or pay to have them sent.

Tickets are like cash, which is why Amtrak likes to send them with the tracking that Fedex offers.

BTW, you don't have to pick them up at the station you are departing from. You can pick them up ahead of time at any manned station.

You can complain to Amtrak at 877-444-4773, but that's been their policy for tickets for a very long time.


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## Ryan (Jun 23, 2011)

Exactly, how else do you plan on getting your tickets?

Also, your title is wildly inaccurate.


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## PRR 60 (Jun 23, 2011)

When the departure station is not staffed and does not have a Quik Trak kiosk:

- Reservations made more than ten days in advance of travel: Amtrak will mail tickets to passengers at no charge.

- Reservations made four to ten days in advance of travel: the purchaser has to pay $15 for FedEx delivery.

- Reservations made less than four days in advance of travel: Amtrak will arrange for the tickets to be obtained from the conductor on the train.

I believe these rules also apply to AGR reservations. In all cases, the purchaser has the option to request ticket pickup at a staffed station if one is convenient.


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## Devil's Advocate (Jun 23, 2011)

Cho Cho Charlie said:


> Tickets are like cash, which is why Amtrak likes to send them with the tracking that Fedex offers.


That doesn't pass the smell test. For starters you don't need to pay $15 to use FedEx or to get a tracking number from UPS or USPS. Not to mention that Amtrak has sent me numerous vouchers worth hundreds of dollars through standard mail with no tracking or verification whatsoever. In some cases they'll send you tickets through standard mail as well, although I forget what specific criteria they have for that.


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## Ryan (Jun 23, 2011)

It's right there in PRR60's post (I assume it wasn't there when you posted) - they use FedEx to ensure that you get your tickets in a timely manner. If you don't want to pay the %15, order tickets more than 10 days before travel, or call to make arrangements to pick up your tickets at a manned station (or wait until inside of 4 days and then get them on the train).


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## Devil's Advocate (Jun 23, 2011)

Hey, I'm a slow typist. :lol:

Oddly enough when I've been sent vouchers through the standard USPS they arrived _overnight_ from CA. I cannot explain how that's even possible but it's happened more than once. Freaky.


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## Cho Cho Charlie (Jun 23, 2011)

Texas Sunset said:


> Cho Cho Charlie said:
> 
> 
> > Tickets are like cash, which is why Amtrak likes to send them with the tracking that Fedex offers.
> ...





PRR 60 said:


> - Reservations made four to ten days in advance of travel: the purchaser has to pay $15 for FedEx delivery.


Liking the smell or not, Amtrak charges $15 when they send your tickets by FedEx.


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## Guest (Jun 23, 2011)

My reason for posting was the agent said I could not pick them up on the train. That they do only for regular reservations, not AGR. Is this correct?


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## PRR 60 (Jun 23, 2011)

Guest said:


> My reason for posting was the agent said I could not pick them up on the train. That they do only for regular reservations, not AGR. Is this correct?


Sad to say, that appears to be the case. Why? I have no clue.

From the AGR Terms and Conditions:



> Members may redeem for most Amtrak travel rewards online or by calling the Amtrak Guest Rewards service center. To redeem Points for travel on Amtrak, a Member must reserve and obtain the ticket at least 1 hour prior to the train departure time. For travel departing from stations without an Amtrak-serviced ticket window or Quik-Trak self-ticketing machine 7 to 10 business days in advance of the departure date are required for the ticket to be mailed to the Member. The tickets will be mailed First Class U.S. mail to the Member's address on record.


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## Rider (Jun 23, 2011)

I recently had to change a reservation due to a cancelled train, and was departing from an unattended station (at the late hour of train departure). It was a rewards trip. They gave me a bit of a hassle - but I did end up getting my ticket for that train from the conductor, and at the next transfer point got the rest of the new tickets from the agent.


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## jdcnosse (Jun 23, 2011)

So if the station is unmanned, but has a quik-trak kiosk, are you still able to pick up your tickets from points? I only ask because the closest manned station to me is about an hour and a half away, and the closest one to me is unmanned but does have the kiosk.


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## Ryan (Jun 23, 2011)

Yep. I've picked up reward tickets at QuickTrack machines plenty of times...


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## AlanB (Jun 23, 2011)

Ryan said:


> Yep. I've picked up reward tickets at QuickTrack machines plenty of times...


I concur, you can pick them up at an unstaffed station that has a Quik-Trak. However, that is one time where I'd go at least a day or two early to pick up the tickets. You don't want to arrive on your departure date and find that the machine isn't working and you have no recourse.


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## Devil's Advocate (Jun 24, 2011)

You get a QT email just like when you buy tickets. Got my first one today in fact.



AlanB said:


> Ryan said:
> 
> 
> > Yep. I've picked up reward tickets at QuickTrack machines plenty of times...
> ...


Yeah, if it's unstaffed get the tickets a day or two ahead of time. Or if your station is staffed with slow and cranky old kooks like mine is. :lol:


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## bombcar (Jun 25, 2011)

If you have a station nearby with a quik track, make a longer trip ticket, pick it up, and then get on on your normal station.

It's what I do (for regional) as I can just pick up the return ticket when I get my first one.


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## guest (Jun 28, 2011)

From the AGR Terms and Conditions:



> For travel departing from stations without an Amtrak-serviced ticket window or Quik-Trak self-ticketing machine 7 to 10 business days in advance of the departure date are required for the ticket to be mailed to the Member.


Does this include trips starting with an Amtrak bus from an unmanned location?

It would seem a passenger with a regular ticket would be in the same bind if that were so. Will bus drivers allow you to board, and then collect a ticket from you when you arrive at the manned station?


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## Ispolkom (Jun 28, 2011)

guest said:


> It would seem a passenger with a regular ticket would be in the same bind if that were so. Will bus drivers allow you to board, and then collect a ticket from you when you arrive at the manned station?


Perhaps the driver would allow you to board without a ticket, but I wouldn't expect it given the T&C you quoted, or the general expectation that you'd have a ticket to travel.


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## AlanB (Jun 28, 2011)

Ispolkom said:


> guest said:
> 
> 
> > It would seem a passenger with a regular ticket would be in the same bind if that were so. Will bus drivers allow you to board, and then collect a ticket from you when you arrive at the manned station?
> ...


I believe that it depends on just where you are. I know that on certain California routes, the bus driver will hold your driver's license until you go into the station and get your tickets to exchange with him.


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## trainman74 (Jun 29, 2011)

AlanB said:


> I believe that it depends on just where you are. I know that on certain California routes, the bus driver will hold your driver's license until you go into the station and get your tickets to exchange with him.


And when the ticket agent wants to see your ID, it puts you in quite the Catch-22 situation.


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