Amazing changing reservation

[Ispolkom]

Mrs. Ispolkom and I are traveling San Luis Obispo - Los Angeles - Chicago - Milwaukee next month on a 2-zone AGR redemption. We're riding Surfliner #774 (business class), then Texas Sunset #442 (bedroom), ending with a Hiawatha ride. We made this reservation long ago, before the increase in bedroom redemption costs, and before the change in the Sunset Limited's schedule. That's why we have an early arrival in Los Angeles (12:15 p.m.).

Today we got a new reservation, complete with e-ticket. Strangely, instead of leaving SLO at 6:55 a.m. on #774 in business class, we're leaving at 3:20 p.m., we're on #11 leaving at 3:20 in coach.

That's right, we're leaving 7.5 hours later and we're downgraded in class of travel, all without any notice other than the ticket itself.

I called AGR and had them change us back to our proper train, and, that being done I explained to the agent how upset I was that my travel plans were changed, and my class of travel downgraded, all without any contact from AGR. The agent insisted that they couldn't see why it had been done, so I guess that it's just a case of me blowing a saving throw against random itinerary changes.

Still, it shows that one should pay attention to these things, because an AGR reservation is clearly a more shifting and amorphous thing than I had naively supposed.

 

[Anthony]

Ispolkom, out of curiosity, are your phone number(s) up-to-date with AGR for the account you redeemed points from, and could they have left you a voicemail on those numbers by any chance? Generally when Amtrak does a schedule change, a list of affected reservations is sent to supervisors, who then attempt to call each person (and if no answer, they leave a voicemail). Also, schedule change calls would be handled by a general call center agent/supervisor, not necessarily someone in the AGR department...

 

[Ispolkom]

Ispolkom, out of curiosity, are your phone number(s) up-to-date with AGR for the account you redeemed points from, and could they have left you a voicemail on those numbers by any chance? Generally when Amtrak does a schedule change, a list of affected reservations is sent to supervisors, who then attempt to call each person (and if no answer, they leave a voicemail). Also, schedule change calls would be handled by a general call center agent/supervisor, not necessarily someone in the AGR department...

What schedule change? Both #774 and #11 are still running on the same schedule as they were when I booked the trip. #442, it is true, now has a different, later schedule, and I was informed about that schedule change months ago, when it happened. At that time I decided that I wouldn't mind an afternoon in LA, and a chance to finally visit the La Brea tar pits, so I didn't change the reservation then.

In any case, a change in schedule for #442 shouldn't result in a change from #774 to #11. Fire up SLO-MKE on a Wednesday (the day I'm traveling) on amtrak.com, and you'll find the 774-422-317 connection is the second result given, while 11-422-317 is not offered at all.

The phone number idea is a good one. I double checked, though, and sure enough, home, work, and mobile numbers are up to date, and no voice mail messages were left anywhere.

I've encountered a lot of odd results with AGR, but a random, anonymous, and arbitrary change to an eight-month-old reservation is something new. AGR is definitely the most entertaining frequent-traveler program around!

 

[Aaron]

The agent insisted that they couldn't see why it had been done, so I guess that it's just a case of me blowing a saving throw against random itinerary changes.

There's an Amulet of Consistency I've been searching for to help me in dealing with Amtrak. Assuming I ever find it, do you know if this amulet would also protect from itinerary changes, or is there some other charm I would need for that?

 

[yarrow]

The agent insisted that they couldn't see why it had been done, so I guess that it's just a case of me blowing a saving throw against random itinerary changes.

There's an Amulet of Consistency I've been searching for to help me in dealing with Amtrak. Assuming I ever find it, do you know if this amulet would also protect from itinerary changes, or is there some other charm I would need for that?

if you found the amulet of amtrak consistency it should also allow time travel, the seattle mariners to win the world series and other chimerical beings