Amtrak Voucher questions

[AmtrakBlue]

I'm guessing your eVoucher was issued due to delays or other "trips was unsatisfactory" reasons vs one that is issued when we choose to cancel a trip for some reason. As I said before, it does depend (at least in the past) which type of voucher you received.

 

[Rizla Ronnie]

A quick update to our ongoing voucher situation. We took our intended journey from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando - tried to use the voucher when booking at the station but were told this could only be done online.
After our return from the US we once again emailed Amtrak expressing our frustration at not being able to use these vouchers to book online.
We also suggested the deadline be extended for another 12 months to allow us another chance to use them next year.
Amtrak obliged so now we have another year in which to try our luck.
To be continued ...

( Compliments of the holiday season to all our American chums on here.Thanks for all your suggestions. )

 

[caravanman]

Sadly I had to cancel my visit stateside last Sept 2023. Just booking a replacement trip for this September. Anyone know how the voucher expiry dates work? I have a voucher which expires on 27th July 24, for a previously cancelled train ticket, but when I try to use it for this September, the system won't accept it, even though I am trying to use it within it's validity? I guess one has to actually travel before the voucher expiry date, and not just make a reservation?
Not a big deal, I have bought a ticket anyway, just thought it worth asking, before I bin the other vouchers too!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Have you tried calling? Amtrak has some of the worst tech in the modern travel business so I tend to avoid it whenever possible. I'm no voucher expert but even if your plan is against one or more of the rules you might get some traction by explaining what happened and how your situation is different from someone who can hop on the next train out of town. I'm glad to hear you're still able to travel long haul. I saw another post about you giving up on more travel to India and thought that meant you were done with anything outside of Europe. Did you ever consider retiring to India or is that not an option?

 

[caravanman]

Have you tried calling? Amtrak has some of the worst tech in the modern travel business so I tend to avoid it whenever possible. I'm no voucher expert but even if your plan is against one or more of the rules you might get some traction by explaining what happened and how your situation is different from someone who can hop on the next train out of town. I'm glad to hear you're still able to travel long haul. I saw another post about you giving up on more travel to India and thought that meant you were done with anything outside of Europe. Did you ever consider retiring to India or is that not an option?

To be honest, the total amount of the vouchers is only low, so I don't feel that it is worth while phoning, etc. I got refunded for some train tickets, and a couple of vouchers for others, all were coach seats.

I had a mini stroke back in Feb. this year, which has left me with slight ongoing issues, so adventurous travel is more cautious just now. I think visiting India soon would be okay, and was weighing up USA v India recently. Going with USA this September, only booked my flight last evening, so plans are still fluid. I imagine I will take more flights to get around than trains this time, but it's all still a cheapo jaunt as usual.
I like visiting India, but I would not live there. A bit like working in a cookie manufacturers, one probably enjoys eating all the chocolate biscuits at first, but constant exposure would lessen the pleasure, I imagine.

There are restrictions on immigration to India, so it would not be a realistic option to retire there anyway, despite the "Marigold Hotel" films!

 

[caravanman]

Have you tried calling? Amtrak has some of the worst tech in the modern travel business so I tend to avoid it whenever possible.

I am tending to agree with you about the tech today. I tried to use a different voucher, which is fully valid, as part payment for a train ticket, and the Amtrak site just dumped me back to start the booking afresh, multiple times. No explanation. I am used to Amtrak not being so great these days, but issuing vouchers as "partial refunds" and then not allowing them to be used, stinks.
Rant over, I am not supposed to get my blood pressure up! Ommmmmm...

 

[Rizla Ronnie]

I am tending to agree with you about the tech today. I tried to use a different voucher, which is fully valid, as part payment for a train ticket, and the Amtrak site just dumped me back to start the booking afresh, multiple times. No explanation. I am used to Amtrak not being so great these days, but issuing vouchers as "partial refunds" and then not allowing them to be used, stinks.
Rant over, I am not supposed to get my blood pressure up! Ommmmmm...

I'm with you. Unable to use the voucher for an online booking as it rejects it so that means calling. Which on a cellphone/mobile from the UK to the USA and the inevitable being put on hold is not ideal. Trying to find someone with a landline 'phone but hardly anyone I know has one these days.

 

[Trogdor]

I'm with you. Unable to use the voucher for an online booking as it rejects it so that means calling. Which on a cellphone/mobile from the UK to the USA and the inevitable being put on hold is not ideal. Trying to find someone with a landline 'phone but hardly anyone I know has one these days.

Just out of curiosity…what can a landline phone do that a cell phone can’t, with respect to being put on hold?

 

[b243923]

Just out of curiosity…what can a landline phone do that a cell phone can’t, with respect to being put on hold?

When you are hold so long your battery goes dead on the cell phone and you are disconnected.

 

[Trogdor]

When you are hold so long your battery goes dead on the cell phone and you are disconnected.

Wouldn’t that be resolved by having your phone plugged in? I mean, if your alternative is a landline phone, it would seem that would not be any worse. Then put the phone on speaker and you don’t even have to be tied to it for however long, and you can walk around as long as you’re within earshot of it.

 

[caravanman]

Wouldn’t that be resolved by having your phone plugged in? I mean, if your alternative is a landline phone, it would seem that would not be any worse. Then put the phone on speaker and you don’t even have to be tied to it for however long, and you can walk around as long as you’re within earshot of it.

I know I am not up to date with all the latest sim card deals, etc, but I think for most of us here in the UK, our mobile phone service providers charge a high cost for "international" calls. I get free included calls within E.U. (yes, even since Brexit...) but other destinations are like £1 a minute. There may be better plans for international available, but I guess most folk rarely need that option.

Slightly different topic, any advice on using an e-sim in America, which providers work best?

 

[acelafan]

For a regular sim, I have a 3 UK one that I was going to use back in May for travel through London. That trip got canceled but I already had the sim. So I activated it and it worked perfectly here in the US. I was chasing the solar eclipse and wanted a 2nd cell phone for data.

If 3 UK offers an e-sim, I'd be confident it will work well in the US. I was getting connected on the primary networks here (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile).

Because I have Google Voice I was able to use it for phone calls, too.

 

[jis]

I know I am not up to date with all the latest sim card deals, etc, but I think for most of us here in the UK, our mobile phone service providers charge a high cost for "international" calls. I get free included calls within E.U. (yes, even since Brexit...) but other destinations are like £1 a minute. There may be better plans for international available, but I guess most folk rarely need that option.

Slightly different topic, any advice on using an e-sim in America, which providers work best?

High international call rates would seem to be a problem irrespective of whether one is using a Mobile device or a land line. However, a Mobile Device, especially of the Smartphone variety, offers choices of using internet phone services which can be much lower cost or even free under some situations for international calls.

 

[caravanman]

I think I need to look into the voice over the internet phone calls a bit more. I have watsap, but I don't know if that will connect to just any phone number, I think both have to have the watsap app installed?
Not aware of google voice, so will look into that now. Thanks for the above tips and feedback!

 

[Rizla Ronnie]

International calls on cell-phones are very expensive. Landline 'phones less so particularly if you're able to use a work 'phone which, being retired, we no longer do.
For e-sim in the US THREE UK still have an incredible GO ROAM deal on their physical PAYG Sim which allows US roaming at their UK standard rates.
For worldwide e-sims I use Airlo. Simple app-based that works everywhere.
They're currently offering 10GB data, 200 mins of calls and 100 texts for $34.50 valied for 30 days.

 

[Rizla Ronnie]

Quick update.
We finally booked over the phone for April 2925.
I rang the 215-856-7924 number from a landline and waited 45 minutes on hold before booking using an evoucher.
NOLO to LAX $1026 for two Seniors in a Roomette minus $400 evoucher.
Coach 130 Room 3. Hope it's a nice one.

 

[daybeers]

Wow, I guess inflation will have really slowed by then

 

[disney1990]

Quick update.
We finally booked over the phone for April 2925.
I rang the 215-856-7924 number from a landline and waited 45 minutes on hold before booking using an evoucher.
NOLO to LAX $1026 for two Seniors in a Roomette minus $400 evoucher.
Coach 130 Room 3. Hope it's a nice one.

Did you mean April 2025?

 

[Rizla Ronnie]

Did you mean April 2025?

Sure do. Will there even be trains in 2925 ?

 

[BlackDiamond]

Sure do. Will there even be trains in 2925 ?

California High Speed Rail should almost be done by then