# Transfer paid reservation to AGR award?



## Guest (Jan 14, 2011)

I have a question about whether it is possible to change a paid reservation to a reward reservation at a later date. I'm assuming it is not but just checking. For example, I make a reservation now (to hold the accomodations) on a train for 10 months from now, paid for but tickets not printed. Then 3 months from now, I've finally earned enough AGR points for that resevation, any way to transfer it from a paid reservation to an AGR award?

Thank you


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## the_traveler (Jan 14, 2011)

Yes, just call AGR and see if they can redeem the same accommodations as an AGR award! If they say something like "There are no roomettes available on the __!", tell the agent that you have a paid reservation for that space, and would like to make it an AGR award instead. (S)he can then make a conference call with an (regular) Amtrak agent to release the space and then immediately grab it for an award!






I did just this last year. I had a paid reservation from Toledo to Kingston, RI (including the Pennsylvanian in BC), but when I decided to convert this to an AGR award, BC on the Pennsy was sold out!



I told the AGR agent that I have a paid reservation for it. She set up a conference call with a (regular) Amtrak agent. As soon as he cancelled my paid reservation, and the BC space re-entered the inventory, the AGR agent grabbed it. No problems!


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## Edgefan (Jan 14, 2011)

the_traveler said:


> Yes, just call AGR and see if they can redeem the same accommodations as an AGR award! If they say something like "There are no roomettes available on the __!", tell the agent that you have a paid reservation for that space, and would like to make it an AGR award instead. (S)he can then make a conference call with an (regular) Amtrak agent to release the space and then immediately grab it for an award!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wow, I would never have imagined! Once again the Traveler comes through with another little morsel of golden information. :hi:


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## the_traveler (Jan 14, 2011)

Hey - I'm full of surprises!



(Sometimes, I even surprise myself!



)


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## MrFSS (Jan 14, 2011)

Edgefan said:


> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> > Yes, just call AGR and see if they can redeem the same accommodations as an AGR award! If they say something like "There are no roomettes available on the __!", tell the agent that you have a paid reservation for that space, and would like to make it an AGR award instead. (S)he can then make a conference call with an (regular) Amtrak agent to release the space and then immediately grab it for an award!
> ...


Wait until you get his bill for services!!


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## AlanB (Jan 14, 2011)

the_traveler said:


> Yes, just call AGR and see if they can redeem the same accommodations as an AGR award! If they say something like "There are no roomettes available on the __!", tell the agent that you have a paid reservation for that space, and would like to make it an AGR award instead. (S)he can then make a conference call with an (regular) Amtrak agent to release the space and then immediately grab it for an award!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That was last year! This is this year!

Now the AGR agent should be able to do the entire thing without a conference call. Since AGR is now inhouse, unlike last year, the AGR agent can as I understand it actually make a paid reservation in conjunction with an AGR reservation. They're not supposed to just take phone calls and make paid reservations in general, although I do believe that if call volume is down at AGR and up at Amtrak, they may get some regular calls.

But again, if you'e booking Seattle to Toledo using an AGR award and then want to pay from Toledo to NY, the AGR agent is supposed to be able to handle the entire transaction. I haven't tested this yet, but I seem to recall reading about someone doing a similar type of transaction since AGR went inhouse.

So if they can handle revenue transactions, then they should be able to refund the credit card for the paid reservation and transfer things over to an AGR award.


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## the_traveler (Jan 14, 2011)

Can I still send my bill for services, Alan?



I'll even deliver it personally - using Amtrak! (I need to earn some more AGR points!)


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## roomette (Jan 19, 2011)

Do they just credit your credit card for the paid for segment(s) after you cancel?


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## Devil's Advocate (Jan 19, 2011)

roomette said:


> Do they just credit your credit card for the paid for segment(s) after you cancel?


If that's how you paid then yes. If you're just canceling an unticketed reservation you can do it online and don't need to speak with anyone or hand anything in.


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## roomette (Jan 20, 2011)

Oh, I thought you had to pay for a reservation within 48 hours or something like that?


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## Devil's Advocate (Jan 20, 2011)

roomette said:


> Oh, I thought you had to pay for a reservation within 48 hours or something like that?


The grace period before mandatory payment depends on the situation, but even a paid reservation can be canceled online if it was purchased online and the train hasn't left yet. This might work for tickets purchased over the phone but I'm not positive that works yet. Most of my reservations are done online and are paid in advance but are not ticketed until just before I board the train. That way I can make any changes I want up until seven days out, or even fewer if I'm willing to take a credit in lieu of a refund, and there's no risk of the tickets being lost or destroyed ahead of time.


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## roomette (Jan 20, 2011)

Great!

I was told only a couple roomettes were left for a trip I want to book for May with points that I don't have yet. This is the perfect solution to my problem!

Thanks!


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## PaulM (Mar 6, 2012)

Wanting to get a second opinion, I called AGR with exactly the same question. Without hesitation, the agent said "We aren't supposed to do that any more". By "that" she meant converting a paid ticket to a reward. She said it was because it required accessing two different systems.

Since at this point it is only a hypothetical question, I didn't hang up and call back for a third opinion.


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## Devil's Advocate (Mar 6, 2012)

PaulM said:


> Wanting to get a second opinion, I called AGR with exactly the same question. Without hesitation, the agent said "We aren't supposed to do that any more". By "that" she meant converting a paid ticket to a reward. She said it was because it required accessing two different systems.


What an odd reason for denying the customer their request. Seems like there must be another reason she's not aware of (credit transaction fees?) or she just doesn't like doing the work. -_-


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## amamba (Mar 6, 2012)

How bizarre. I converted a paid reservation to an AGR award just a few weeks ago. Maybe two weeks ago. The age t told me she would have to do it in two systems and warned there was a chance I could lose rhe room if someone booked it before she was able to grab it again. It took maybe ten minutes and rhe refund for re paid reservation - about $800 - was back on my credit card in 48 hours.


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## AlanB (Mar 6, 2012)

PaulM said:


> Wanting to get a second opinion, I called AGR with exactly the same question. Without hesitation, the agent said "We aren't supposed to do that any more". By "that" she meant converting a paid ticket to a reward. She said it was because it required accessing two different systems.
> 
> Since at this point it is only a hypothetical question, I didn't hang up and call back for a third opinion.


Nonsense!

In fact, part of the point of bring AGR in house is that they can do the work of a regular agent. And in fact, if call volume is down for AGR, but up for Amtrak, AGR agents will handle regular calls to help out. They have access to both systems and there is no reason that an AGR agent cannot cancel a paid reservation and then attempt to grab the same rooms and book them as an AGR reservation. An AGR agent can also book an AGR reservation for a 1 zone trip NYP to Toledo and then for example, book Toledo to Chicago in the same room as a paid reservation on the same phone call with the customer.

I've done this more than once, and expect to do it again in the very near future.

Yes, there is the slight danger of someone else grabbing those rooms after the agent cancels the first reservation, resets things and attempts to grab the rooms as an AGR reservation. But that is a very slight risk, unless one has an incompetent agent who doesn't know how to grab rooms.


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## PaulM (Mar 7, 2012)

Would it be safer if I have my mouse pointer on the cancel key of my computer when I call AGR? I make my request; and when the agent says rooms are sold out, I click and then ask him or her to try again.


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## the_traveler (Mar 7, 2012)

PaulM said:


> Would it be safer if I have my mouse pointer on the cancel key of my computer when I call AGR? I make my request; and when the agent says rooms are sold out, I click and then ask him or her to try again.


Same thing that Alan said. There is that very slight risk that someone could grab that room before the AGR gets around to grabbing it - and you end up with no room!



If it happened to me, I'd ask for a Supervisor!


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## AlanB (Mar 9, 2012)

AlanB said:


> PaulM said:
> 
> 
> > Wanting to get a second opinion, I called AGR with exactly the same question. Without hesitation, the agent said "We aren't supposed to do that any more". By "that" she meant converting a paid ticket to a reward. She said it was because it required accessing two different systems.
> ...


Just as a follow-up to this, I just today less than 30 minutes ago, converted a regular reservation to an AGR reservation without problem and using only 1 AGR agent. Well technically 2 agents, but that was because my initial agent didn't know how to grab specific rooms out of inventory and had to ask for help. But she had no problem cancelling the reservation holding those specific rooms that I needed because I have other family members in the same car on another reservation and I wanted to keep us all together.


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