Amtrak Website Not User Friendly....

[Lmo1131]

Having spent the better part of an hour vainly trying to figure out how the h*ll to pay cash (as opposed to 'points') to book passage from Los Angeles to Indianapolis I resorted to seeking additional information of how to do this online. What I found, almost immediately, was truly remarkable.

I joined this site for the sole reason of resurrecting the following post originated in 2004, reopened in 2013, and here today in 2020.

https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/off-amtrak-website-not-user-friendly.2347/
16 YEARS people have been trying to use this STILL ridiculously inadequate website ... is it any wonder Amtrak receives the ridicule that it does?

 

[IndyLions]

Understand your frustration, and I’m not here to defend the Amtrak web site.

I admire your desire to use cash – but it’s becoming more and more difficult to do that these days for multiple purposes - especially travel. So my suggestion for someone wanting to use cash for a major trip in 2020 would be to pick up the phone and/or visit your local Amtrak ticket counter if you still have one. Those two options are bound to be more conducive to cash usage then any travel website.

 

[John Bobinyec]

The OP was referring to the website's presentation of the choice of using points, or not to (meaning cash, credit cards, barter,...).

"Cash" these days is a dirty word.

jb

 

[Trogdor]

The OP was referring to the website's presentation of the choice of using points, or not to (meaning cash, credit cards, barter,...).

"Cash" these days is a dirty word.

jb

OP clearly states he’s trying to figure out how to use cash in the very first sentence.

 

[the_traveler]

If the OP meant “cash” as in “$ bills and coins”, how do you pay them online? I think the OP meant “cash” as in “credit/debit cards”. That can be done as easily as with any airline/store/restaurant/etc...

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I can't think of a single customer complaint or request that is addressed by any of the recent redesigns. What I mainly see is a bunch of supply-side "branding" with absurdly sized banners and photos that fill the screen with static content and leave scant room for planning and booking an actual train trip. It's so bad that I'm genuinely embarrassed for Amtrak. Seriously. I don't know who they're listening to when it comes to web design but so far as I can tell it's not their customers. Maybe folks along commuter lines are seeing some sort of benefit but for my purposes Amtrak's website is as bad as it's ever been.

 

[Gary Behling]

I agree. I can't even pull up a single train schedule.

 

[Qapla]

This latest version of the Amtrak site has much to be desired. They evidently don't employ anyone who actually uses POS websites to design theirs. Each of their "improvements" just keep getting worse!

That said, short of using PayPal or a Debit Card - I have never seen any website where you can pay with "cash". (well, our utility company does allow e-checks - don't know it I would want to do that for a "purchase" as opposed to paying a recurring bill)

Amtrak does allow the use of a Debit/Credit card

 

[the_traveler]

I agree. I can't even pull up a single train schedule.

Right now, you can’t pull a complete route timetable, because the timetables in the system are not what’s available currently. An example is NYP-BOS - instead of the 10-15 shown, there may be just 1 or 2 running.

But if you enter say KIN to NHV on 9/24/2020, it will show The current trains and times expected to run on 9/24/2020. I agree, that doesn’t show what time you get to WSY, NLC or OSB. Maybe after trains run a full schedule, they will come back.

 

[SanAntonioClyde]

Lost of being unable to pull up full train schedule is unbelievable. But since the airline clan is in charge I guess this is their view of how we travel; just point to point. I have also discovered if you use Safari you encounter some problems which do not occur when using google. hard to say if problem is Safari or Amtrak. Are travel advisories still available?

 

[the_traveler]

Would you rather have a schedule from Dec 2019 showing trains that are not currently running and/or are operating at different times due to this pandemic?

 

[sttom]

I found the train schedules here. Not sure which schedules have or have not returned to normal, but the link below is what Amtrak has posted.

https://www.amtrak.com/train-schedules-timetables

 

[Barb Stout]

I found the train schedules here. Not sure which schedules have or have not returned to normal, but the link below is what Amtrak has posted.

https://www.amtrak.com/train-schedules-timetables

But if you click on any of those, it won't show you the schedule. It just shows a list of reduced or eliminated services on account of the Covid19 epidemic.

 

[Barb Stout]

In another thread, John Bobinyec found a list of previously published schedules. It is Amtrak Timetable Archives - Home

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Would you rather have a schedule from Dec 2019 showing trains that are not currently running and/or are operating at different times due to this pandemic?

It would seem that in order to operate a fleet of trains somebody somewhere would need to keep track of full-route schedules. So what is still preventing this information from being published in digital form? If Amtrak no longer has the funds to reliably operate their trains, or if the freight railroads are no longer honoring a predictable schedule, or if the system that previously created customer facing schedules is no longer functioning, then that needs to be explained to customers and Congress. The only way sweeping full route schedules under the rug still makes sense in June is if Amtrak does not want outsiders to see everything that's changing in a simple and easily digested format. At which point you have to ask yourself why that would be the case.

 

[Gary Behling]

In another thread, John Bobinyec found a list of previously published schedules. It is Amtrak Timetable Archives - Home

Thank you !! Since my planned trip isn't until November, this is what I really needed. I don't know how you were able to find this. Amazing.

 

[20th Century Rider]

Am too having problems with the Amtrak bureaucracy. Am not getting the 'Earn 1,000 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) toward earning tier status each time your eligible spending reaches $5,000 in a calendar year, up to 4,000 TQPs per year' among other benefits... but they sure were good at billing me the $79 yearly fee. After loyally spending $8000 this year NO TQP's. Back and forth calling Amtrak who tells me to call BOA ... who then says I need to work it out with Amtrak. Has anyone else had this problem with the Amtrak World Mastercard???

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Am too having problems with the Amtrak bureaucracy. Am not getting the 'Earn 1,000 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) toward earning tier status each time your eligible spending reaches $5,000 in a calendar year, up to 4,000 TQPs per year' among other benefits... but they sure were good at billing me the $79 yearly fee. After loyally spending $8000 this year NO TQP's. Back and forth calling Amtrak who tells me to call BOA ... who then says I need to work it out with Amtrak. Has anyone else had this problem with the Amtrak World Mastercard???

In the past you had to spend the $5000 within a quarter to earn the points. I think this year it was modified that you'll get the points after spending $5000 regardless of when. I did get 1000 TQPs on 3/1.

 

[tricia]

I've had problems being able to actually use the card for large purchases--for example, BoA froze my account when I tried to pay for two windows at Lowes recently, which they considered suspicious. I'm about to cancel the Amtrak/BoA fee card and shift to the no-fee card....

 

[20th Century Rider]

Am too having problems with the Amtrak bureaucracy. Am not getting the 'Earn 1,000 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) toward earning tier status each time your eligible spending reaches $5,000 in a calendar year, up to 4,000 TQPs per year' among other benefits... but they sure were good at billing me the $79 yearly fee. After loyally spending $8000 this year NO TQP's. Back and forth calling Amtrak who tells me to call BOA ... who then says I need to work it out with Amtrak. Has anyone else had this problem with the Amtrak World Mastercard???

Finally reached Amtrak for the 4th time regarding this issue; and once again I DOCUMENTED the numbers... they see there's a problem so they are sending it back to accounting. Amount spent is clearly stated in the Amtrak site on my page. No one understands why I didn't get the TQP's so back and forth we go. I think the eventual answer will be to switch to the fee free card so that 'nothing gained is nothing lost.' It all comes down to RELIABILITY and ACCOUNTABILITY which is not coming through the bureaucratic system. Found some colorful emojis to go with this and end with a smile because otherwise, and despite bigger problems in the world, there's room for optimism and life is good!

 

[yarrow]

i have been trying to do a simple reservation with senior discount. not user friendly

 

[jebr]

One thing to note is that the TQP are not put into your account as redeemable points. They simply are added to your TQP total for the year.

When I had the annual fee card, I don't recall any per-quarter limitation with the TQP earnings. It was a simple every $5,000 spent would bump up my TQP "balance" by 1,000 points. This was in 2018 (I've since switched to other cards, since the benefits don't pan out for me with the paid card.)

 

[20th Century Rider]

One thing to note is that the TQP are not put into your account as redeemable points. They simply are added to your TQP total for the year.

When I had the annual fee card, I don't recall any per-quarter limitation with the TQP earnings. It was a simple every $5,000 spent would bump up my TQP "balance" by 1,000 points. This was in 2018 (I've since switched to other cards, since the benefits don't pan out for me with the paid card.)

Not getting anywhere with TQP's that should have been earned after spending over $8000 with the paid card. After documenting everything with Amtrak and BOA, who all agreed that I should be getting 1000 TQP's for the amount of money spent this year, they are sending it back to accounting. Again. 3rd time! System is broken. No benefits from the card. Will be switching to the basic card so I don't have to pay the yearly fee. It's just money thrown away.