# What happens when you have reservation but no printed ticket?



## Guest (Jun 3, 2010)

Does the conductor make you buy a new ticket, or they can process your reservation number? Sometimes I get to the station late and the line is very long and quick track is out of service.


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## Ryan (Jun 3, 2010)

Guest said:


> Does the conductor make you buy a new ticket,


This.
Get to the station earlier or print your tickets in advance.


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## Cho Cho Charlie (Jun 3, 2010)

If the conductor asks for your ticket, and you have none, then you either have to buy a ticket or leave the train.


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## Guest (Jun 3, 2010)

This does not make any sense. If you already paid for your reservation, why do you have to buy a new ticket? If they can process buying new tickets, can't they process your reservation?


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## Ryan (Jun 3, 2010)

No, because they have no way of verifying the reservation. When you buy a ticket, you give them payment, they give you a ticket - no outside verification needed.


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## Guest (Jun 3, 2010)

Ryan said:


> No, because they have no way of verifying the reservation. When you buy a ticket, you give them payment, they give you a ticket - no outside verification needed.


What verification is needed if you have the print out of your reservation with the barcode and name on it. Then you can show them your drivers license also.


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## Rafi (Jun 3, 2010)

The simple fact of the matter is that today, Amtrak's method of validating that you've paid when you board a train is to see a ticket printed on Amtrak or Travel Agent ticket stock. That ticket is Amtrak's only way to reconcile your travel against your fare; the ticket is a good as cash to Amtrak. Without that ticket, Amtrak can't count your trip as revenue, and a conductor has the obligation to refuse passage to you. Printed documents from your home PC can be (and are) counterfeited. The barcode is meaningless to a conductor today because it's a Quik-Trak barcode that only contains your reservation number and your departure city. It does not contain any information about how much you paid for your trip or where you are going (that information is fetched by the Quik-Trak machine when you scan the barcode at the machine).

If you are boarding at a station without a ticket agent or Quik-Trak machine, Amtrak can either mail the ticket to you, or give you a boarding code (in addition to your reservation number) to give to the conductor aboard the train. The conductor uses that boarding code and reservation number to have the ticket printed at another location (yes, it still gets printed), where it's validated and counted for revenue.

Amtrak is moving toward an e-ticket system where passengers will be able to print boarding passes (with 2D barcodes) at home. Conductors will have handheld devices to scan those passes on board, eliminating the need for traditional ticket stock in most travel scenarios. But until that new system is implemented, tickets are cash, and you can't ride without them.

Rafi


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## saxman (Jun 3, 2010)

I don't know the exact policy for this, but if you make a reservation and pay for it, then you don't print out your ticket by the time the train departs, your reservation is automatically canceled. This may not be the case if you board at an unstaffed station in that the conductor will already have your ticket or write a paper ticket out for you.

Now I've seen people arrive 5 minutes before departure, and they don't have their ticket yet at a staffed station. They'll still get you on, but I don't know exactly what the conductor does after that.

But pretty much, get to the station early enough to get your ticket or get it a different day.


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## Guest (Jun 3, 2010)

saxman said:


> Now I've seen people arrive 5 minutes before departure, and they don't have their ticket yet at a staffed station. They'll still get you on, but I don't know exactly what the conductor does after that.


I think this happened on one train and the conductor had the people meet him at an agent desk at chicago union station ( that was the final destination ).


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## Cho Cho Charlie (Jun 3, 2010)

Guest said:


> This does not make any sense. If you already paid for your reservation, why do you have to buy a new ticket? If they can process buying new tickets, can't they process your reservation?


All you have a receipt. How does the conductor know what happened to your ticket? Did you submit it for a refund? Did you hand it to your friend, who in turn, handed it to the conductor already?

Amtrak's tickets are just like cash. Loose one, and you lost your cash. And like cash, knowing the serial number of the bills will not get you a refund from the US Treasury.


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## Ryan (Jun 3, 2010)

Guest said:


> Ryan said:
> 
> 
> > No, because they have no way of verifying the reservation. When you buy a ticket, you give them payment, they give you a ticket - no outside verification needed.
> ...


It would be trivially easy to create a realistic looking printout and ride for free.


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## coachseats (Jun 3, 2010)

Cho Cho Charlie said:


> If the conductor asks for your ticket, and you have none, then you either have to buy a ticket or leave the train.


Many times I have made a reservation for same or next day travel and then boarded at an unmanned station without a ticket. In such a case I get a reservation code either online or from the phone agent with the instructions- pick up ticket from conductor on the train. The conductor onboard has the tickets already printed out for me when I board and I just have to sign the ticket and a form indicating I have received the ticket. I have done this numerous times with no problems.


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## Ryan (Jun 3, 2010)

If you make arrangements for this in advance, you can do it. The OP is talking about just not printing tickets and trying to get onboard.


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## Chatter163 (Jun 3, 2010)

Guest said:


> This does not make any sense. If you already paid for your reservation, why do you have to buy a new ticket? If they can process buying new tickets, can't they process your reservation?


It makes sense, but you simply do not understand it. Big difference.


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## fredevad (Jun 3, 2010)

Guest said:


> This does not make any sense. If you already paid for your reservation, why do you have to buy a new ticket? If they can process buying new tickets, can't they process your reservation?


Let's try this from a different angle:

When you pick up your tickets from a ticket agent, you give them the reservation number and your ID. The agent then types the reservation number into the computer, sees the name, validates it with your ID, validates the tickets have not already been issued, and prints your tickets.

The conductor doesn't have a computer to check the reservation number, so therefore cannot validate that the tickets haven't already been issued and/or used, so cannot issue you tickets.


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## Cho Cho Charlie (Jun 3, 2010)

coachseats said:


> Many times I have made a reservation for same or next day travel and then boarded at an unmanned station without a ticket.


I thought we were specifically talking about manned station, with even a ticket machine being available.


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## zephyr17 (Jun 3, 2010)

coachseats said:


> Cho Cho Charlie said:
> 
> 
> > If the conductor asks for your ticket, and you have none, then you either have to buy a ticket or leave the train.
> ...


They won't arrange to do that if you are traveling from a staffed station.

Note that the conductor HAS tickets. He didn't print them. An agent at a staffed station printed them, with all the checks described, and gave them to the conductor. So there is a valid ticket, not just a receipt.

A reservation receipt is not a e-ticket. Get them mailed, pick them up before hand, get to the station early enough to get them printed. Or pay the conductor.


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## Eric S (Jun 3, 2010)

Guest said:


> Ryan said:
> 
> 
> > No, because they have no way of verifying the reservation. When you buy a ticket, you give them payment, they give you a ticket - no outside verification needed.
> ...



Another thing to consider is that even if you had picked up your tickets at the station (either from the ticket agent or the Quik-Trak machine) you would still have that reservation confirmation printout with the barcode and name on it. If that printout was accepted as a ticket, then you would be able to turn in your actual tickets for a refund or a travel voucher (or, given that IDs are seldom checked on Amtrak, at least in my experience, pass your actual tickets on to someone else thereby allowing 2 people to travel on one ticket).


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## Guest (Jun 3, 2010)

So when is this electronic ticketing coming? I find it hard to believe no one has complained about this after learning their printed reservation is not valid on the train.


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## zephyr17 (Jun 3, 2010)

Guest said:


> So when is this electronic ticketing coming? I find it hard to believe no one has complained about this after learning their printed reservation is not valid on the train.


It shouldn't take too terribly long to learn, because "THIS IS NOT A TICKET" is printed on it in big all capital letters. Certainly you can learn it before you leave for the station.

Remember, the airlines have gate agents and computer terminals and scanners a fixed airports everywhere they need to process e-tickets at fixed locations. On Amtrak, ticket handling is done by the conductors mostly without access to station facilities, so a reliable wireless method is needed that is able to work in remote areas, and work quickly. They are working on it, but it is significantly different problem set than the airlines had.


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## Crescent ATN & TCL (Jun 3, 2010)

saxman said:


> I don't know the exact policy for this, but if you make a reservation and pay for it, then you don't print out your ticket by the time the train departs, your reservation is automatically canceled. This may not be the case if you board at an unstaffed station in that the conductor will already have your ticket or write a paper ticket out for you.
> Now I've seen people arrive 5 minutes before departure, and they don't have their ticket yet at a staffed station. They'll still get you on, but I don't know exactly what the conductor does after that.
> 
> But pretty much, get to the station early enough to get your ticket or get it a different day.


If you don't pick up your ticket but have a confirmation, the conductor lets you board then calls to the next staffed station to have the ticket printed for you


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## amamba (Jun 4, 2010)

Crescent ATN & TCL said:


> saxman said:
> 
> 
> > I don't know the exact policy for this, but if you make a reservation and pay for it, then you don't print out your ticket by the time the train departs, your reservation is automatically canceled. This may not be the case if you board at an unstaffed station in that the conductor will already have your ticket or write a paper ticket out for you.
> ...


Or, in reality on the NEC, yells at you and makes you buy a new ticket.


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## AlanB (Jun 4, 2010)

amamba said:


> Crescent ATN & TCL said:
> 
> 
> > saxman said:
> ...


Conductors on the NEC are not allowed to sell tickets, period. If you board without a valid ticket, they are supposed to put you off at the very next stop.


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## priya.kunal (Dec 18, 2010)

Ryan said:


> Guest said:
> 
> 
> > Does the conductor make you buy a new ticket,
> ...


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## GG-1 (Dec 18, 2010)

priya.kunal said:


> Ryan said:
> 
> 
> > Guest said:
> ...


Aloha

I am considering taking the SWC east to CHI from Vegas (bus to Kingman, AZ). Normal fo me is to pick up my tickets at the station as I depart. An Amtrak Agent has informed me that I can not do this using the Van from the Airport location. The Agent informed me that I must book a minimum of 11 days in advance as all tickets to Vegas residents must be mailed. (her statement). I suspect that this does not apply to a potential trip starting in the LA area, in July.


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## Conductor_OKJ (Dec 18, 2010)

So as most of you know by now I am a conductor, based in Oakland. If you board a train at an UNSTAFFED, key word UNSTAFFED station with a reservation, your reservation is honored on the train. If you board the train at a station with a manned ticket office with out a ticket, you will be paying the highest available fare PLUS a 9 dollar surcharge and be getting a lecture from me. If you choose not to buy a ticket at my price you get off the train at the next stop and can talk to the PD about fare evasion. If you already paid, to bad, you will pay again, and it is between you and Amtrak to get your other ticket refunded. A physical ticket is required for travel, plain and simple. I know I sound harsh but Amtrak will fire a conductor that doesn’t sell the tickets correctly, and the policy states that ALL reservations are canceled once the train departs if they have not been printed into actual tickets. Therefore if you board at a manned station with no ticket, you do not have a reservation. This can be found in the back of the National Timetable where all the legal jargon is. Hope that clears up your question.


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## -Jamie- (Dec 18, 2010)

Conductor_OKJ said:


> So as most of you know by now I am a conductor, based in Oakland. If you board a train at an UNSTAFFED, key word UNSTAFFED station with a reservation, your reservation is honored on the train. If you board the train at a station with a manned ticket office with out a ticket, you will be paying the highest available fare PLUS a 9 dollar surcharge and be getting a lecture from me. If you choose not to buy a ticket at my price you get off the train at the next stop and can talk to the PD about fare evasion. If you already paid, to bad, you will pay again, and it is between you and Amtrak to get your other ticket refunded. A physical ticket is required for travel, plain and simple. I know I sound harsh but Amtrak will fire a conductor that doesn’t sell the tickets correctly, and the policy states that ALL reservations are canceled once the train departs if they have not been printed into actual tickets. Therefore if you board at a manned station with no ticket, you do not have a reservation. This can be found in the back of the National Timetable where all the legal jargon is. Hope that clears up your question.


That's good to know, since we usually board at unstaffed stations and the machines can never find our reservations. Does that go for coach and accommodation fares on LD routes as well as regular fares on regional lines?


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## alanh (Dec 18, 2010)

GG-1 said:


> I am considering taking the SWC east to CHI from Vegas (bus to Kingman, AZ). Normal fo me is to pick up my tickets at the station as I depart. An Amtrak Agent has informed me that I can not do this using the Van from the Airport location. The Agent informed me that I must book a minimum of 11 days in advance as all tickets to Vegas residents must be mailed. (her statement). I suspect that this does not apply to a potential trip starting in the LA area, in July.


The issue in this case is the van -- the van driver can't issue the tickets, and there's no Amtrak ticketing facility in Vegas. You can't pick up the ticket on arrival in Kingman because it's unstaffed.

If you are going to be at a staffed Amtrak location or QuikTrak before your trip, you can also pick up the tickets there.


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## guest (Dec 18, 2010)

I live in Richmond, VA and I often depart from Main Street Station, which is unstaffed but has a QuikTrak. I normally print out my tickets from the QT, but on occasion I have made a reservations and paid cash to the conductor on the train. Last time I did it was on train 94, with a reservation connecting in WAS to train 29. I paid the full fare on train 94, and took the receipt to the ticket counter in WAS to get the ticket issued for train 29.

Another time I paid cash on train 94 going from Richmond to Washington. The fare was $23, which was the lowest bucket a few years ago. The conductor (or assistant conductor) didn't believe me, as he thought that fare was kind of low. But, he was able to look it up/call it in and confirm it while the train was en route.

And, several years ago, I boarded the Cardinal in South Portsmouth, KY, which is an unstaffed/non-QuikTrak stop (Amshack? Amshed?) on the side the tracks. I had my reservation number and paid cash. (This was when the Cardinal was still Superliner.)


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