Amtrak changed my accommodation

[user 14106]

I got my refund back and only paid the roomette fee. I'll take a look at the survey. Thanks for the link. Looks like my late 98 should make 49 in NYP..

thanks all for comments and replies.

But i do agree, if they called me and said something to me before they changed that would have be nice but i wouldn't have not have expected it.

My train didn't get hit ny the PTC issue. We will how 49 goes lol.

Just hitting Washington DC.

Greetings from right next door on 79 track 24.

 

[lstone19]

While I completely agree with the sentiment expressed, I would also note that airlines do change assigned/selected seats all the time for various reasons, including accommodating seating parents with children etc. At least on the airlines that I frequent you do get notified when the change happens and you always have an opportunity to go in and select another seat, different from the one assigned provided you have appropriate status/fare class that allows seat selection. Not all fares/status do.

Having an airline change your seat in the same class of service and having an airline change you to a lower class of service (the equivalent of what happened to the OP) are two different things. Historically, your ticket on an airline entitled you to "a" seat in your class of service, not a specific seat. It's become more complicated these days with seats for which there are surcharges even though in the same class of service which needs to be paid in advance or is complimentary due to being at an elite level. But the basic principle is still there.

 

[jis]

Yeah but most of the short haul out of Chicago is still not available today. Long haul is showing delays.

I don't think NS, the host railroad in question for 29/30 and 48/49 has had a problem even yesterday evening. Most western long hauls out of Chicago are BNSF or UP.

Today both CSX and NS seem to be doing fine.

Then again short hauls to Detroit appear to have been canceled.

Having an airline change your seat in the same class of service and having an airline change you to a lower class of service (the equivalent of what happened to the OP) are two different things. Historically, your ticket on an airline entitled you to "a" seat in your class of service, not a specific seat. It's become more complicated these days with seats for which there are surcharges even though in the same class of service which needs to be paid in advance or is complimentary due to being at an elite level. But the basic principle is still there.

Oh I have had downgrades with refund. Again I was notified and given the choice to select alternate flights etc. As a matter of fact I am notified and given a chance to reject and look for alternatives even for a schedule change of a few minutes usually. Usually downgrades happen only in IROPs sometimes involving reroute etc., but are not unknown when a last minute equipment change happens, e.g. 77W to 77E.

 

[moosejunky99]

extra long stop at DC.. Might have hosed on my connection. they are going to call ahead and see what they can do.

 

[Old MM]

If he had a confirmed, paid, reservation for it, as it appears he did, it should have been his with the space showing as booked.

Period.

Sure, in the abstract. As I said I don’t know what happened.
There’s too many “shoulds” in life that don’t pan out, though and sometimes the alternative isn’t necessarily better.

 

[Old MM]

So just to understand, what was the explanation… was the room taken out of service for repairs, maintenance fixed and returned to service, only to be resold to someone else?

 

[jis]

So just to understand, what was the explanation… was the room taken out of service for repairs, maintenance fixed and returned to service, only to be resold to someone else?

No. It was made part of a Suite connecting rooms A and B for use by a family.

This is following the general tradition of Amtrak treating single travelers poorly. They have a long tradition of doing so.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

No. It was made part of a Suite connecting rooms A and B for use by a family.

This is following the general tradition of Amtrak treating single travelers poorly. They have a long tradition of doing so.

Sadly I have to agree.

When I book a suite there was enough bedrooms available but not for a suite. So they did move someone to another car so I could get the suite. Just never heard of downgrade a ticket holder from a bedroom to a roomette.

Just how much money did Amtrak make doing this? Here in the US there a room charge, than a per person charge for each person in the room.

The reward does not seem worth it.

My other issues is the short notice of the change. Did someone make a mistake or was there a real late purchase of a suite?

 

[moosejunky99]

Is the amtrak app wrong because of the PTC issue?? I'm currently otw to PHL.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Is the amtrak app wrong because of the PTC issue?? I'm currently otw to PHL.

The tracker shows you in Wilmington as of 4 mins ago ... so I'm assuming you may be passing through Claymont about now.

 

[moosejunky99]

they said they are going to hold 49 unless we get more delays.. here is to hoping lol

 

[AmtrakBlue]

they said they are going to hold 49 unless we get more delays.. here is to hoping lol

You shouldn't have any more delays...the rain should prevent any brush fires. . (a freight train on the NEC caused a brush fire that shut down the NEC between Trenton and Newark, NJ for about 4 hours on Wednesday.)

 

[moosejunky99]

i just got this but i also got a message about train 3 and I'm not part of that train.. AMTRAK: Hello Customers, due to ongoing server issues nationwide throughout the Amtrak system. Your train is canceled; for further assistance, please call/text 1-800-USA-RAIL. We apologize in advance. -Your ACCT.

but it looks like it is still going out of NYP.

 

[Eric in East County]

From reading the various posts to this thread, it is my understanding that moosejunky99 had a confirmed bedroom reservation on a train that was supposed to have had two sleeping cars. For some reason, one of these sleepers was cut from the consist on short notice. In the sleeping car that was cut, a party of six had reserved two adjoining bedrooms. To accommodate them, Amtrak arbitrarily moved moosejunky99 to a roomette and gave moosejunky99's bedroom (and the adjoining one) to the party of six. In making this switch, Amtrak did not consult moosejunky99 first.

I have several questions about the manner in which Amtrak handled this situation.

If moosejunky99 had been traveling with a companion, would Amtrak have moved both of them to a roomette in order to accommodate the party of six?

If no roomette had been available, would moosejunky99 have been downgraded to coach?

If the train had been sold out with no roomettes or coach seats available, would moosejunky99 have been allowed to keep the bedroom?

If moosejunky99 was a senior and/or had special needs that required a bedroom, would the switch still have been made?

If moosejunky99 had been contacted in advance and had refused to give up the bedroom, would Amtrak still have taken it away?

As has already been mentioned, the only way to be sure of having a bedroom on a long-distance train is to have a reservation in the first or “base” sleeper; the one that isn’t removed from the train in the event of an equipment shortage. It would now seem that even having a “base” sleeper reservation isn’t an absolute guarantee that your bedroom reservation will be honored. This could present a big problem to seniors or to those who can no longer make a long-distance train trip in coach or a roomette. Given the limited number of available roadworthy sleeping cars, if you lose a bedroom during the peak travel season, it is unlikely that you’ll be able to reserve another one until months later. (I know this for a fact as it happened to us!)

 

[moosejunky99]

Supposedly, the app is right lol and I'll get there with 40 mins to spare

 

[Brian Battuello]

I find it a sad reflection on Amtrak that we need to dedicate four pages of discussion of what should be a routine and enjoyable train trip.

And there are probably hundreds of other people with similar misadventures that don't report here, and will likely never ride Amtrak again.

 

[jis]

I find it a sad reflection on Amtrak that we need to dedicate four pages of discussion of what should be a routine and enjoyable train trip.

And there are probably hundreds of other people with similar misadventures that don't report here, and will likely never ride Amtrak again.

Oh, as a single rider, if this sort of hanky panky was reason to stop riding Amtrak I would have stopped 30 years back. I just mostly go with the flow, and hence ride both Amtrak and airlines.

 

[Brian Battuello]

True enough. When people ask about rooms on trains, I say that Amtrak is a strange mix of cruise ship and camping, and you never know which one you'll get.

 

[jis]

Supposedly, the app is right lol and I'll get there with 40 mins to spare

Looks like you made it by 32 mins! Congratulations.

Apparently the #92 that we are boarding in Orlando today had a bit of difficulty getting out of the gate at Miami, but is now chugging along approaching Okeechobee about an hour and 15 minutes late. Fortunately we have nothing to connect to in Alexandria tomorrow.

 

[moosejunky99]

made my connection lol.. that was crazy.. now boarding my 49 but got a snack at the train hall.

A+ for fast driving lol.. if we couldn't do 110. we would have never made it.

AND..

I still have my bedroom lol!

 

[joelkfla]

From reading the various posts to this thread, it is my understanding that moosejunky99 had a confirmed bedroom reservation on a train that was supposed to have had two sleeping cars. For some reason, one of these sleepers was cut from the consist on short notice. In the sleeping car that was cut, a party of six had reserved two adjoining bedrooms. To accommodate them, Amtrak arbitrarily moved moosejunky99 to a roomette and gave moosejunky99's bedroom (and the adjoining one) to the party of six. In making this switch, Amtrak did not consult moosejunky99 first.

No, the train had 3 sleepers. No cars were cancelled. He had a reservation for a bedroom in one of the cars. That bedroom was taken away, apparently so a large party could occupy it as part of a bedroom suite. He was put in a Roomette in one of the other 2 sleepers.

 

[PVD]

AND..

I still have my bedroom lol

Glad you made it, sorry you did not have more time to relax in the excellent lounge in Moynihan. Tou could have grabbed good snacks there.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

made my connection lol.. that was crazy.. now boarding my 49 but got a snack at the train hall.

A+ for fast driving lol.. if we couldn't do 110. we would have never made it.

Oh I’m so glad you made it!

This was more suspenseful than a mystery/suspense novel!

In a book, you can skip to the last chapter to find out what happens. In real life, we had to wait to find out!

And I’m so glad you got your bedroom. Are you on the river (left side) or other side?

 

[PVD]

It's a little yucky today, not sure if the weather is clearer further up the river and he gets good scenery before it gets dark

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

It's a little yucky today, not sure if the weather is clearer further up the river and he gets good scenery before it gets dark

Oh good point. Well if he’s on the other side, he won’t be too disappointed.