# 2013 S, S+ & SE Packets



## The Davy Crockett (Feb 16, 2013)

My S+ packet arrived today.

Contrary to some of the hand-wringing expressed here at AU by some posters, the packet looks very, very similar to previous packets. There is the pitch to become SE, but other than that it is pretty much the same.


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## pennyk (Feb 16, 2013)

I received my Select Plus package today also. (no luggage tags - same as last year)


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## The Davy Crockett (Feb 16, 2013)

pennyk said:


> I received my Select Plus package today also. (no luggage tags - same as last year)


That's right - the luggage tags... I'd forgotten about those. I never found them all that useful, as they didn't 'stay on' very well. I liked the concept, but they do no good if they fall off.


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## CHamilton (Feb 16, 2013)

I got my S+ packet today as well. Membership card, coupons, no luggage tags. Pretty similar to last year -- but the interior of the folder does have a blurb that begins "Next stop: our newest, most elite tier, Select Executive". It lists bullet points describing the program, and then points to AmtrakGuestRewards.com/Info for more.


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## KrazyKoala (Feb 16, 2013)

What exactly are all the coupons and quanities? The coupons get better as you move up the tier scale?


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## rht (Feb 17, 2013)

I received my S+ packet today as well. It included 4 upgrade coupons and 2 companion coupons.


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## AlanB (Feb 17, 2013)

KrazyKoala said:


> What exactly are all the coupons and quanities? The coupons get better as you move up the tier scale?


They get better between Select & Select Plus; Select Exec just gets you more of the Select Plus coupons.

For Select, you get IIRC, 3 12 hour free upgrade coupons that you can use to upgrade a coach seat to a BC seat or an Acela BC seat to Acela FC within 12 hours of departure and assuming that there are such seats left on the train for sale. You also get 2 or 3 coupons that can either be used for a 10% discount on coach fares or entry into a Metro or CA lounge for 1 day.

Select Plus get you 4 48 hour free upgrade coupons and 2 companion coupons, where you buy one rail fare and get the other for free. Note: The latter can not be used in conjunction with a sleeper reservation.


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## KrazyKoala (Feb 17, 2013)

AlanB said:


> . Note: The latter can not be used in conjunction with a sleeper reservation.


Wouldn't that just be the best? If we could buy coach and upgrade to roomette. Or roomette to room...


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## amamba (Feb 17, 2013)

My H received his S+ packet yesterday. No S packet for me at the same address, though.


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## Afsheen (Feb 17, 2013)

My SE packet arrived yesterday, as well - no paper coupons, of course, but a reminder that 4 upgrades and 2 companion coupons will be automatically added to my account on March 1st.


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## KrazyKoala (Feb 17, 2013)

so are people getting paper ones and electronic ones? I'm confused.


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## jacorbett70 (Feb 17, 2013)

S+ packet arrived Saturday. Probably the last time such a mailing will arrive on that day of the week.


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## pennyk (Feb 17, 2013)

KrazyKoala said:


> so are people getting paper ones and electronic ones? I'm confused.


I received paper coupons.


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## Acela150 (Feb 17, 2013)

KrazyKoala said:


> so are people getting paper ones and electronic ones? I'm confused.


SE members receive electronic coupons. Select + and Select members receive paper coupons.


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## Anderson (Feb 18, 2013)

SE get electronic coupons, IIRC, because they also get an additional upgrade coupon every 3,000 points.


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## AlanB (Feb 18, 2013)

Anderson said:


> SE get electronic coupons, IIRC, because they also get an additional upgrade coupon every 3,000 points.


While SE do indeed get additional coupons as they earn points throughout the year, that's not the real reason that they're getting eCoupons. The SE group is small enough that they provided a nice test bed for the eCoupons, such that if something went badly wrong the repercussions wouldn't be as bad as it would if AGR had rolled eCoupons out to everyone.

Baring any snags or major problems, all levels should see eCoupons come next year.


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## KrazyKoala (Feb 18, 2013)

Very interesting, now do you see that somewhere on a profile of yours, or do you just get an email of the quantity and just keep mental note or call in when you wanna see how much of each you have?


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## Afsheen (Feb 18, 2013)

KrazyKoala said:


> Very interesting, now do you see that somewhere on a profile of yours, or do you just get an email of the quantity and just keep mental note or call in when you wanna see how much of each you have?


For SE members, it lists your available coupons right next to your points balance on amtrakguestrewards.com, as well as on your account summary page. Each coupon has a unique ID, as well as the SE AGR phone number, and an option to print it out to use at a station. Even though they're electronic coupons, you still need to interact with a ticket agent (either in person or over the phone) to redeem.


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## The Davy Crockett (Feb 18, 2013)

Afsheen said:


> KrazyKoala said:
> 
> 
> > Very interesting, now do you see that somewhere on a profile of yours, or do you just get an email of the quantity and just keep mental note or call in when you wanna see how much of each you have?
> ...


So then they sound to be just like the coupons any AGR member can earn through either the 'Take 3, Get 1 Free' Acela or the "Take 2, Get 1 Free" NER offers that AGR is running right now, correct?


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## R30A (Feb 18, 2013)

They are listed with them, yes. it says Vouchers/Coupons on the little window in the corner of the screen on the Amtrak page. Of course I do not know what the new coupons you get for being select executive are going to look like on the screen yet, but the ones you earn every 3000 points are called "Select Executive Earned Upgrades", and show up on the same page as vouchers earned from the 2 for 1 and 3 for one sales.

I'm excited. I'll have 14 e coupons by months end!


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## Shanghai (Feb 19, 2013)

*I haven't received my S+ package yet. Where were they mailed from?*


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## pennyk (Feb 19, 2013)

Shanghai said:


> *I haven't received my S+ package yet. Where were they mailed from?*


Mine has a return address in Philadelphia.


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## The Davy Crockett (Feb 19, 2013)

Shanghai said:


> *I haven't received my S+ package yet. Where were they mailed from?*


Maybe it got Shanghaied! :giggle:


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## Devil's Advocate (Feb 19, 2013)

The Davy Crockett said:


> Contrary to some of the hand-wringing expressed here at AU by some posters, the packet looks very, very similar to previous packets. There is the pitch to become SE, but other than that it is pretty much the same.


You have to give these things some time to take full effect. Some of of us have been playing the loyalty game for decades. A whole lot has changed since the early days, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. The only constant is that nothing in the loyalty game stays the same forever.


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## The Davy Crockett (Feb 19, 2013)

I've been in loyalty programs for over 20 years, about 10 in AGR, so what? Change happens. Big changes did not happen to AGR this year. There will be big changes to AGR at some point in the future. :excl:  :excl: Could be next year, could be 20. Change happens, most asuredly.


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## Devil's Advocate (Feb 19, 2013)

I don't have a dog in the fight either way. I just think it's a little early to claim the new top tier will have little or no impact on the lower tiers. We're still less than a year into this change and we have already heard that major changes are coming to the AGR website in the future. Let's give it a little more time for the pending changes to be implemented before sounding the all-clear.


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## Dovecote (Feb 19, 2013)

Got my Select package today and it was from Philadelphia.


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## Shanghai (Feb 19, 2013)

*Mine came today!!*


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## Acela150 (Feb 19, 2013)

Figures I live 10 miles outside of Philly and I've yet to receive my Select packet...


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## AmtrakBlue (Feb 19, 2013)

Shanghai & Acela150, it's just like UPS. There's a distribution center about a mile from my house & I don't get my packages till late in the day.


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## KrazyKoala (Feb 19, 2013)

Mine's being sent to Minnesota...and has not got there yet either...


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## AlanB (Feb 19, 2013)

AmtrakBlue said:


> Shanghai & Acela150, it's just like UPS. There's a distribution center about a mile from my house & I don't get my packages till late in the day.


Betty,

I can top that. I grew up in Belleville, NJ just outside of Newark, NJ. I went to college at NJIT in Newark. Most things that the college mailed to me were mailed via third class mail to save money. So it would go to the Newark Post Office since NJIT was in Newark.

Since it was third class mail, all third class mail had to go to this wonderful new sorting facility in the Meadowlands, not far from where Giant's Stadium is and about 10 miles away from Newark. At sorting, they realized that Belleville's post office is really an annex of Newark's post office. So they'd send it back to Newark, who in turn would then route it to the Belleville branch, such that a letter carrier could then deliver it to my front door.

And since it was third class, which gets the lowest priority and therefore moves very slowly through the system, if I was lucky I'd get whatever it was that they mailed 3 to 4 weeks after they'd originally mailed it. I can't tell you how many deadlines and registrations I missed or nearly missed thanks to this "efficient" system of sending all third class mail to that special sorting center in the Meadowlands that was supposed to get things delivered faster.


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## Shanghai (Feb 19, 2013)

Alan,

I have another Post Office story. When we were living in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, my daughter was

in college in Pennsylvania. The college would address her tuition & residence hall bills to me and address

them as Amsterdam, NL and they would be delivered to Amsterdam, NY. I would have to call the college

and they would give me the amount of the bill. Usually, about one month later I would get the letter with

a handwritten word - Holland!!


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## Bob Dylan (Feb 19, 2013)

Same thing when I went to College in San Marcos! (between Austin and San Antonio), Local Mail for San Marcos was Collected and sent via Rail or Truck to Austin where it was Sorted, then Returned the next Day or so to San Marcos to be Dellivered the Third of Fourth Day! (Of course there is No more Mail sent via Train down here, its all Trucked to Austin and either Flown out or Trucked to its Destination! Soon there will be No Saturday Service either! 

Still haven't Received my Lowly Select Packet yet! <_<


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## Shanghai (Feb 20, 2013)

KrazyKoala said:


> Mine's being sent to Minnesota...and has not got there yet either...


*It's probably late due to all that snow in Minnesota!!*


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## KrazyKoala (Feb 20, 2013)

Shanghai said:


> KrazyKoala said:
> 
> 
> > Mine's being sent to Minnesota...and has not got there yet either...
> ...


I wasn't aware that they were getting snow...


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## SubwayNut (Feb 21, 2013)

In NYC I finally got my S+ card yesterday. Didn't realize those bring a friend coupons are valid on round-trips. Anyone had any luck using them on a multi-city itinerary (thinking about a coach round-trip to the West Coast with a friend) and stopping in Chicago one-way.

How have people used the cupons in the past?


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## Acela150 (Feb 21, 2013)

Finally got my Select Packet today. The card I received is much lighter in color then last years.


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## amamba (Feb 21, 2013)

Nothing yet for me


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## The Davy Crockett (Feb 22, 2013)

SubwayNut said:


> In NYC I finally got my S+ card yesterday. Didn't realize those bring a friend coupons are valid on round-trips. Anyone had any luck using them on a multi-city itinerary (thinking about a coach round-trip to the West Coast with a friend) and stopping in Chicago one-way.How have people used the cupons in the past?


I've used mine for R/Ts on the Acela and the NERs. The thing with the companion coupons, as I see it, is that to 'save' more money, one has to spend more. I've tried to use mine for practical trips. or ones that can qualify me for other specials, like the Take3 Acela or the Take2 NER offers currently going. And despite my annual promise to myself that I'll use my coupons earlier THIS year, the year slips by quickly and then in November I think: "Uh oh, times running short, time to book my coupon trips." From talking to a couple of folks who man the desk at ClubAcela, I'm hardly the only one who finds time runs short for using them. I have no idea if you can use them for multi-leg trips, but I'd like to know the answer to that too.


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## KrazyKoala (Feb 22, 2013)

The woman would not take my S+ temp card in the CHI metro lounge. Says they don't take photo copies of cards. I explained to her that it was printed off the amtrak site from my email and she said, "non amtrak don't do that. And this card was 2012, its expired." I then had to point out the expiration date is print on the card, good until 04//13. She accused me of scamming and called a supervisor in! What nerve of these people. I told them my card was sent to minneapolis and I haven't been back in 4 months. Not to mention the cards are just now being shipped out. Went over to their computer and pulled up the email and temp card. Really? What idiots.


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## Acela150 (Feb 22, 2013)

CHI has always been a problem with Select Plus Cards. Their out of the loop on that stuff and something does need to be done about it.


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## AlanB (Feb 22, 2013)

The Davy Crockett said:


> I have no idea if you can use them for multi-leg trips, but I'd like to know the answer to that too.


They work with multi-leg trips.

But keep in mind that you cannot however use it with a sleeper.


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## AlanB (Feb 22, 2013)

KrazyKoala said:


> The woman would not take my S+ temp card in the CHI metro lounge. Says they don't take photo copies of cards. I explained to her that it was printed off the amtrak site from my email and she said, "non amtrak don't do that. And this card was 2012, its expired." I then had to point out the expiration date is print on the card, good until 04//13. She accused me of scamming and called a supervisor in! What nerve of these people. I told them my card was sent to minneapolis and I haven't been back in 4 months. Not to mention the cards are just now being shipped out. Went over to their computer and pulled up the email and temp card. Really? What idiots.


If she had any doubts about your card being legitthen the correct procedure was for her to look up your info in her computer. She can see your status in the computer and admit you based upon that.


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## jis (Feb 22, 2013)

AlanB said:


> KrazyKoala said:
> 
> 
> > The woman would not take my S+ temp card in the CHI metro lounge. Says they don't take photo copies of cards. I explained to her that it was printed off the amtrak site from my email and she said, "non amtrak don't do that. And this card was 2012, its expired." I then had to point out the expiration date is print on the card, good until 04//13. She accused me of scamming and called a supervisor in! What nerve of these people. I told them my card was sent to minneapolis and I haven't been back in 4 months. Not to mention the cards are just now being shipped out. Went over to their computer and pulled up the email and temp card. Really? What idiots.
> ...


Hah! But this is afterall Chicago Met lounge! :help:


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## KrazyKoala (Feb 22, 2013)

I told her to look it up and she said there was no way. This is a rather new employee and she should be working by herself.


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## KrazyKoala (Feb 22, 2013)

Also: why would those passes not work on sleepers? The price of the sleeper is the same whether it one or two people in them...


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## Acela150 (Feb 22, 2013)

If Companion Coupons were used for Sleepers Amtrak would lose the Upgrade fee. There are several thousand of Select Plus and Select Executive members. Just imagine losing money for Sleepers on Companion Coupons. That's a lot of money..


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## KrazyKoala (Feb 22, 2013)

Acela150 said:


> If Companion Coupons were used for Sleepers Amtrak would lose the Upgrade fee. There are several thousand of Select Plus and Select Executive members. Just imagine losing money for Sleepers on Companion Coupons. That's a lot of money..


they are losing money by issuing the companion coupons in general. The price of the upgrade stays the same whether there's on person in the room or two. Everytime you get a room you are paying the upgrade for two people, even when traveling alone.


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## SubwayNut (Feb 22, 2013)

I went inside the New York ClubAcela many times with my temporary print out S+ card. A couple times to wait for NJT Trains, doing a SubwayNut.com project over there, plus picking up and dropping people off on trains and even just for the clean bathroom in midtown. I still haven't gotten on an Amtrak train in Penn Station yet this year. The reason I'm S+ is from traveling the country on Amtrak last year, my only Amtrak trip so far has been DEN to SLC that yielded me no special S+ privileges, if only NYC had cheeper points runs (like the amazing runs from Philly on the Keystone).

The agents never batted and eye with my temporary print out card (that I even cut out to fit in my wallet and simply wrote my name and S+ in their logbook). The last time I went in I couldn't find the little piece of paper I cut out and put in my wallet so I showed the agent my 2012 Select card and she spent thirty seconds looking me up and double-checking on her computer and let me in.


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## AlanB (Feb 22, 2013)

KrazyKoala said:


> Also: why would those passes not work on sleepers? The price of the sleeper is the same whether it one or two people in them...


I can only guess that the powers that be decided that they wanted that extra sleeper revenue, so they dis-allowed using the coupons for that.

Remember that Amtrak loses a lot more in some sense with the sleeper vs. the coach seat. Yes, in theory the cost of the meals are included in the price of the room, but still would be getting a free seat in the room and free meals if they allowed it. One doesn't get a free meal in coach or BC.

And while the coupon does work on Acela, if you want FC on Acela, then both people must pay the FC upcharge. You only get the free BC seat or free railfare.


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## AlanB (Feb 22, 2013)

SubwayNut said:


> I went inside the New York ClubAcela many times with my temporary print out S+ card. A couple times to wait for NJT Trains, doing a SubwayNut.com project over there, plus picking up and dropping people off on trains and even just for the clean bathroom in midtown. I still haven't gotten on an Amtrak train in Penn Station yet this year. The reason I'm S+ is from traveling the country on Amtrak last year, my only Amtrak trip so far has been DEN to SLC that yielded me no special S+ privileges, if only NYC had cheeper points runs (like the amazing runs from Philly on the Keystone).
> The agents never batted and eye with my temporary print out card (that I even cut out to fit in my wallet and simply wrote my name and S+ in their logbook). The last time I went in I couldn't find the little piece of paper I cut out and put in my wallet so I showed the agent my 2012 Select card and she spent thirty seconds looking me up and double-checking on her computer and let me in.


Well despite some of the posts that I've seen from people complaining about the NYP CA, those agents actually do know their stuff. Some can appear a bit gruff at times, but almost all actually do know how to work RailRes and the rules on things. Chicago seems to have far bigger problems than just surly agents in the Metro Lounge; they seem to forget that they have a computer and what the rules actually are.


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## amamba (Feb 23, 2013)

I find the NYP Club Acela ladies to be very knowledgeable. Sometimes they are a little short because they are a) New Yorkers and b) things get busy in there. But I had a lovely chat with Janice (I think?! maybe around 50 years old, african american) the last time I was there and the club was empty. She was really quite nice. I think they just get so busy that they don't have time for pleasantries. They are just very transactional there.


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## KrazyKoala (Feb 23, 2013)

I like the agents at ClubAcela Washington. I'm only there less than half the time I am in Chicago. Yet, they all know my name, greet me by my name everytime, and even sign me into the lounge with needing to show ticket or card. It's very nice to be in a personable place like that.


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## The Davy Crockett (Feb 23, 2013)

KrazyKoala said:


> I like the agents at ClubAcela Washington. I'm only there less than half the time I am in Chicago. Yet, they all know my name, greet me by my name everytime, and even sign me into the lounge with needing to show ticket or card. It's very nice to be in a personable place like that.


This is why so many AU members can't believe that the Metropolitan Lounge has been opened to BC. The agents there couldn't handle their jobs BEFORE this happened... that, and the physical facility is already overflowing at times.


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## R30A (Feb 23, 2013)

Sounds like you were talking to Joyce to me, amamba. In general, I find that the ClubAcela employees have all been very professional, if not always warm. In NY, they are some of the best resources for getting tickets. They know the ins and outs of the system, and can even give me tips I find helpful, despite knowing great deal about what I am doing. (I learned this week that the H880 ClubAcela/10% off coupons are not valid in Y or A buckets.)


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## KrazyKoala (Feb 23, 2013)

The Davy Crockett said:


> KrazyKoala said:
> 
> 
> > > This is why so many AU members can't believe that the Metropolitan Lounge has been opened to BC. The agents there couldn't handle their jobs BEFORE this happened... that, and the physical facility is already overflowing at times.


Now I see what everyone's driving at here. Well, on top of them opening it to BC, they only have one person there working at a time. Also, can you purchase tickets in there? I've always been so irritated by the people I just step out and go to the ticket counter. Either irritated or the line is just so long to talk to them, longer than the lines at the ticket office. How stupid.


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## AlanB (Feb 23, 2013)

KrazyKoala said:


> The Davy Crockett said:
> 
> 
> > KrazyKoala said:
> ...


They have the ability to issue tickets; getting them to actually do it may be another matter. But an agent in the Met Lounge in CHI can do anything that an agent in the CA in NYP can do. The big thing is that none of the lounge agents have a cash draw, so it is credit card only.

Mind you most people these days aren't paying cash anyhow for their tickets, even though Amtrak still does see some cash business.


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## AlanB (Feb 23, 2013)

R30A said:


> Sounds like you were talking to Joyce to me, amamba. In general, I find that the ClubAcela employees have all been very professional, if not always warm. In NY, they are some of the best resources for getting tickets. They know the ins and outs of the system, and can even give me tips I find helpful, despite knowing great deal about what I am doing. (I learned this week that the H880 ClubAcela/10% off coupons are not valid in Y or A buckets.)


Yup, I agree that sounds like Joyce. She knows me and my mom so well that when I'm traveling without mom in tow, Joyce will ask me how my mom is doing.

Another excellent agent is Bernard. Bernard works the morning shift, but he's very efficient and knows his stuff. And he's generally still polite, even when harried.

Someone missed in the CA is William, for reasons unknown he now seems to be working gates and other things. But it was always nice to see him behind the desk. He even made it a point addressing you by name as he handed back your ticket or Select Plus card.


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## pennyk (Feb 23, 2013)

It seems like every time I am in the CA in NYP, the agents are harried, but they are always pleasant to me and efficient.

Most of my connections are through WAS and there was one time I was the only person in the lounge (waiting for 66). I have had extremely good luck with the agents there (except the time that Dave and Jim wanted to visit with me 2 years ago and the agent would only let one in - but then again, would YOU let both Dave and Jim into a lounge - LOL).


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## amamba (Feb 23, 2013)

You guys are right - I was grasping at straws for a J name but it was definitely Joyce.


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## amamba (Feb 25, 2013)

Finally got my S packet today! Interesting that mine came over a week later than my H's.


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## Acela150 (Feb 25, 2013)

I'm guessing that the AGR folks were prioritizing the SE, S+, and Select packets. Just a guess.


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## amamba (Feb 25, 2013)

Acela150 said:


> I'm guessing that the AGR folks were prioritizing the SE, S+, and Select packets. Just a guess.


Oh I would assume that as well. Just pointing it out.


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## KrazyKoala (Mar 2, 2013)

still no word of mine,


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