Can Amtrak do this?

[Cal]

Maybe --BUT the sleepers have not run at the back for several YEARS and there has not been a Chicago-Denver sleeper for several years even in the Summer. I acknowledge that the sleepers have been at the end and possibly a Chicago-Denver sleeper but that apparently ended about 4-5 years ago.

While that is quite possibly true, it still shows that there has been an X30 sleeper sometime in the past, albeit a while ago.

 

[JontyMort]

We

There is, but we're not prepared to use it.

We’re in a similar, but slightly different, boat. Plan A sees us arrive in New York on September 12, road trip from Boston to Prince Edward Island and back, then the LSL/CZ leaving New York on October 1. Apart from the obvious snag, I’m slightly wary of driving a US rental car into Canada and back, if - for example the US were to re-close the Canada land border (I know they haven’t re-opened it yet) over the weekend we’re planning to be in Canada.
So I’m shifting towards Plan B, which would entail flying to Toronto or Montreal (at least 14 days before the end of September), doing the Ocean run eastbound, car rental from Moncton NB or Halifax NS, then flying to New York to pick up the rest of the schedule (which includes a Yosemite/Zion/Grand Canyon/Pacific road trip from San Francisco).
Then there’s Plan C, which is to stick completely to Canada, including the Canadian to Vancouver and a BC road trip.
One particular worry is that there are reports of some US bars and restaurants being somewhat snooty about the AstraZeneca vaccine. I don’t want to find we can’t eat or drink even if we can get into the country.
Any thoughts from AU experts west of the Atlantic?

 

[AmarilloByMornin]

You guys are a really crappy horde telling me that I'm wrong. Be better.

Wasn't me, you're absolutely right.

I'd prefer to be downstairs every time, very difficult for me to drag my carry-ons upstairs. But no way to request it online. I don't want the disability bedroom, just downstairs roomettes, almost never available online.

 

[Exvalley]

A friend of mine that has dual Citizenship ( Danish/US) flew to Germany from Copenhagen and used her EU Passport to fly Direct Frankfurt to Austin.

Your friend might have shown her Danish passport at check in to board the plane - but the law requires that she enters the United States with her U.S. passport. This would explain how she was able to enter the United States with no issues.

 

[Trogdor]

Maybe --BUT the sleepers have not run at the back for several YEARS and there has not been a Chicago-Denver sleeper for several years even in the Summer. I acknowledge that the sleepers have been at the end and possibly a Chicago-Denver sleeper but that apparently ended about 4-5 years ago.

The CHI-DEN sleeper ended circa 2011/2012 when Denver Union Station construction began in order to accommodate the commuter rail system being built and Amtrak had to move over to the temporary station.

 

[user 6862]

Have read all the replies carefully and now have a better understanding of how this circumstance has happened, and that we are far from unique in this situation.

On consideration I do think Amtrak should behave in a different manner, such as...

Contact the customer, explain that the product bought is no longer available and they are able to offer this or that alternative or a full refund.
Give the customer say a max of 7 days to respond and on no response refund the full ticket price.

This involves the customer in the decision making. The current Amtrak method of rebooking a customer without any warning or consultation is pretty heavy handed and leaves a bad taste even for big Amtrak fans.

 

[Cal]

The current Amtrak method of rebooking a customer without any warning or consultation is pretty heavy handed and leaves a bad taste even for big Amtrak fans.

Can't be worse than flexible dining!

(@me_little_me Just for you )

 

[MilwaukeeRoadLover]

This is not a complaint as I hold Amtrak in very high regard, also think their customer service at least when I have dealt with them has been second to none, but...

We have received over the last 2 days 4 email messages from Amtrak stating they have changed our accommodation reservations on the Zephyr.

The original was EMY to CHI departing 10.12.2021 for a Bedroom in Car 630 Room D

The replacement is a Roomette in Car 632 Room 12 on the same route same day, a balance difference refund has been issued but not as yet received. We have never travelled in a bedroom and as the prices were so low in early April we thought it an excellent opportunity to experience Bedroom travel.

There was no consultation about this or whether this was acceptable to us, or even would we prefer a full refund? Is this acceptable corporate practice without even an "Is this ok?"

We mainly want to think that Amtrak have a perfectly good reason for these actions, that we are missing something, here's hoping someone here understands what is going on and there is an acceptable reason.

Thanks

This is not unique to Amtrak. We had the same thing happen to our Delta Airline reservations booked in April for an Aug trip. In our case, they switched us from a direct flight to a one stop flight with connection at our least favorite airport with a most inconvenient time. And they did this FOUR times WITHOUT asking but WITH communication. It appears carriers are juggling schedules based on changing demands (customers) and supply (staff and planes?)

 

[user 6862]

This is not unique to Amtrak. We had the same thing happen to our Delta Airline reservations booked in April for an Aug trip. In our case, they switched us from a direct flight to a one stop flight with connection at our least favorite airport with a most inconvenient time. And they did this FOUR times WITHOUT asking but WITH communication. It appears carriers are juggling schedules based on changing demands (customers) and supply (staff and planes?)

Yes it must be very very difficult for business to operate in these time and do appreciate they have to organise in ways that enables them to survive.

But... Having had a retail business there is a single lesson to learn, the customer within reason takes priority. Run roughshod over too many of them and that may eventually end up with the equation : no customers = no business.

That airlines act in the same way as Amtrak are doesn't make it right and very sorry to hear of your experiences.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

This is not unique to Amtrak. We had the same thing happen to our Delta Airline reservations booked in April for an Aug trip. In our case, they switched us from a direct flight to a one stop flight with connection at our least favorite airport with a most inconvenient time. And they did this FOUR times WITHOUT asking but WITH communication. It appears carriers are juggling schedules based on changing demands (customers) and supply (staff and planes?)

In 2012 I had a connecting flight rescheduled for the day before my arriving flight. And as I recall, I found out about it (online) before they bothered to notify me.

 

[Dakota 400]

And they did this FOUR times WITHOUT asking but WITH communication.

Since this comment applies to Delta, I'll chime in and say that this seems to be a regular pattern for Delta. Never have had large scale changes; tweaks in schedules, sometimes a change in seat assignment. But, each time, I received an e-mail notification of the change well in advance of the flights. If there was a change in seat assignment, in every case, I was able to choose a different one if I wanted to do so.