Am I the only idiot here?

[Kay]

I have never traveled Amtrak before, but when the reservation form on the website asks if you are going one-way or round trip, and you check round trip...I just discovered that the price they give you is for one-way! So maybe I am an idiot, but it's still very misleading the way they price it, isn't it? I might have to stay home.

 

[zephyr17]

I have never traveled Amtrak before, but when the reservation form on the website asks if you are going one-way or round trip, and you check round trip...I just discovered that the price they give you is for one-way! So maybe I am an idiot, but it's still very misleading the way they price it, isn't it? I might have to stay home.

The new reservation system gives you outbound choices (priced), then return choices (priced). So only after choosing both do you get the round trip cost. A round trip is just two one-way prices for Amtrak, there isn't any difference for round trip fares, which is a good thing.

When you check the round trip option when you start, it only triggers the system to give you the return choices after the outbound instead of just the outbound. It can be confusing, but there are some airline systems that are similiar (Alaska does it somewhat like that). I agree it can be confusing, more so than before the recent "upgrade".

 

[the_traveler]

Are you sure that you checked the "round trip" circle, entered BOTH the departure date AND the return date AND THEN chose trains for BOTH portions? :huh: If you do that, it should give you a round trip fare. I've never had a problem!

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I have never traveled Amtrak before, but when the reservation form on the website asks if you are going one-way or round trip, and you check round trip...I just discovered that the price they give you is for one-way! So maybe I am an idiot, but it's still very misleading the way they price it, isn't it? I might have to stay home.

Nah, I've met many idiots here.

But seriously, Amtrak doesn't do round trip discounts and has not done so for many years. Generally, though, on long-distance common carriers, it is generally a one-way penalty more than a round-trip discount. Amtrak's pricing structure is relatively easy to understand and I keep a rough set up of it in my head, to be honest with you. I can probably quote you an estimate range give or take 15% for just about any city pair. Try that with an airline sometime.

 

[Donctor]

I can probably quote you an estimate range give or take 15% for just about any city pair. Try that with an airline sometime.

No thanks. By the time I got the hang of it, the airline would have been absorbed into another airline.

 

[jis]

Amtrak's pricing structure is relatively easy to understand and I keep a rough set up of it in my head, to be honest with you. I can probably quote you an estimate range give or take 15% for just about any city pair. Try that with an airline sometime.

try getting a general inter-line ticket or price quote out of Amtrak too. You can't. The railways in the US have slid backwards after 1971.They used to be much better at doing inter-line tickets. Of course now the only real interline would be be between Amtrak and commuter systems, or one commuter system and another.

 

[Trogdor]

Amtrak does plenty of interlining tickets. They're called Thruway buses.

There are a few train services to which you can connect (such as NJ Transit to Atlantic City).

 

[jis]

Amtrak does plenty of interlining tickets. They're called Thruway buses.
There are a few train services to which you can connect (such as NJ Transit to Atlantic City).

They do some. Whether it is plenty or not is in the eyes of the beholder.

I guess I am completely spoiled by experiences in Europe.

In UK for example I can get a ticket from any London suburban station to say Edinburgh where the trip involves multiple TOCs. What I would like to see is that I can get a ticket from the station close to my home, which is an NJT station to anywhere where Amtrak goes or any other transit agency that connects with Amtrak goes. How difficult can that be in this day and age?

 

[Hytec]

How difficult can that be in this day and age?

The tools are readily available. The problem is convincing policy makers and management that cooperation and vision produce greater results and are more profitable than protecting one's turf.

 

[the_traveler]

So maybe I am an idiot

I'm the biggest idiot here - that's why I never travel in a straight line from point A to point B! :lol:

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Amtrak does plenty of interlining tickets. They're called Thruway buses.
There are a few train services to which you can connect (such as NJ Transit to Atlantic City).

They do some. Whether it is plenty or not is in the eyes of the beholder.

I guess I am completely spoiled by experiences in Europe.

In UK for example I can get a ticket from any London suburban station to say Edinburgh where the trip involves multiple TOCs. What I would like to see is that I can get a ticket from the station close to my home, which is an NJT station to anywhere where Amtrak goes or any other transit agency that connects with Amtrak goes. How difficult can that be in this day and age?

The key problems are:

1) Amtrak doesn't want to be responsible for NJ Transit tickets.

2) The M&E misconnects with everything under the sun and then some.

 

[AlanB]

Amtrak does plenty of interlining tickets. They're called Thruway buses.
There are a few train services to which you can connect (such as NJ Transit to Atlantic City).

They do some. Whether it is plenty or not is in the eyes of the beholder.

I guess I am completely spoiled by experiences in Europe.

In UK for example I can get a ticket from any London suburban station to say Edinburgh where the trip involves multiple TOCs. What I would like to see is that I can get a ticket from the station close to my home, which is an NJT station to anywhere where Amtrak goes or any other transit agency that connects with Amtrak goes. How difficult can that be in this day and age?

The key problems are:

1) Amtrak doesn't want to be responsible for NJ Transit tickets.

2) The M&E misconnects with everything under the sun and then some.

Amtrak already is responsible for NJT tickets. In addition to the Philly - AC service, Amtrak also sells tickets for NJT's ACES service and is the only source for those tickets. You can't buy an actual NJT ticket for the ACES service.

 

[Kay]

It only gives me the complete price when I check the "add to cart" button, then the return prices are listed. But i also just checked Delta (although I hate to fly) and they are no cheaper and some flights were more expensive than Amtrak, so I might just bite the bullet and pay Amtrak. At least I won't feel like I'm in a flying coffin.

Kay

Are you sure that you checked the "round trip" circle, entered BOTH the departure date AND the return date AND THEN chose trains for BOTH portions? :huh: If you do that, it should give you a round trip fare. I've never had a problem!

 

[zephyr17]

It only gives me the complete price when I check the "add to cart" button, then the return prices are listed. But i also just checked Delta (although I hate to fly) and they are no cheaper and some flights were more expensive than Amtrak, so I might just bite the bullet and pay Amtrak. At least I won't feel like I'm in a flying coffin. Kay

Are you sure that you checked the "round trip" circle, entered BOTH the departure date AND the return date AND THEN chose trains for BOTH portions? :huh: If you do that, it should give you a round trip fare. I've never had a problem!

Yep, that is what I was getting at in my post, although I didn't say it clearly. You have to do the outbound, then it prompts for the return, and only then do you get the round trip total. Prices can vary by day, so you might want to change it up if you have the flexibility. Also, if you AAA, you can get a 10% discount on rail fare (not accomodation charges, though).

 

[had8ley]

Just an old head story~ We were at the Lake Charles, LA SP pax depot before it was unmanned and the homeless burned it down. I had my pass and tried to get my tickets from the agent. Turns out it was an SP clerk with about two months seniority that they had sent to cover the agent vacancy. He had no idea how to fill out a paper ticket (yes, I know, that was the cave days.) I filled out my own ticket but I'll never tell how much I didn't pay for the bedroom in the observation lounge sleeper...

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Amtrak already is responsible for NJT tickets. In addition to the Philly - AC service, Amtrak also sells tickets for NJT's ACES service and is the only source for those tickets. You can't buy an actual NJT ticket for the ACES service.

Brain fart. Meant to say connections.

 

[jis]

Amtrak already is responsible for NJT tickets. In addition to the Philly - AC service, Amtrak also sells tickets for NJT's ACES service and is the only source for those tickets. You can't buy an actual NJT ticket for the ACES service.

Brain fart. Meant to say connections.

Connections are important only when you are dealing with reserved trains. When you are selling an open ticket you can have a recommended train but with relatively frequent commuter service there is always another train within an hour or so. No one expects any outfit to put someone up in a hotel for a misconnect with a suburban train.

I bet Amtrak has not even thought about the issue yet. I also believe that because there is no uniform interline ticket clearing organization in place everyone of the companies involved are leery of entering into any agreement except for limited case by case point to point agreements.