Can I BON to BOS, if My Tix are BON to BBY?

[The Davy Crockett]

I searched, but did not see any recent threads on this. If I missed them, my apologies...

I've got a trip coming up where I have tickets from BRK to SDY, with the 'self-transfer' from BON to BBY.

My questions are:

1) Since I'd like to get a good seat on #449, and also use the CA in BOS if #682 is on time into BON, could I use my ticket to board #449 in BOS, or should I change my ticket on #449 to reflect starting in BOS?

2) While the transfer between #682 and #449 is not a guaranteed connection, it does sound like Amtrak will put one on the next train - in this case I'd be picking up lodging - with the tickets I currently have. However, I'm only spending one night in SDY before catching Empire Service train #280 to NYP, then connecting to #85, ALX and home. Therefore, what are the chances of me getting Amtrak to use the missed connection for a ride to NYP? Or would I be better off changing the ticket on #449 to depart BOS, and then calling 800-USA-RAIL from #682, if I'm going to miss the connection?

For background, here is a quote from this Service Alert:

1In the event of a missed connection, passengers will be reaccommodated on the next available train. If there are no more departures available on the same day on which to be reaccomodated, passengers will be responsible for arranging and paying for their own overnight lodging.

Thanks for any input! :hi:

TDC

 

[jis]

I don't know what the rules are. But I have boarded at BOS with a BBY ticket and at BBY with a BOS ticket, and the Conductor had no problem with either.

 

[the_traveler]

You can easily use board 449 in BOS instead of BBY. They do not even collect tickets until after it departs from BBY, since it's only 1 mile. The only thing is the transfer from BON to BBY is a 1 seat ride on the Orange Line (6-7 stops), while to get to BOS you have to transfer from the Orange Line to the Red Line. And the transfer is not all that easy - and includes a set or two of stairs. Plus you have to wait for the Red Line train.

If it were me, I'd just stay on the Orange Line to BBY, go up the escalator, turn right and walk 100 feet (in the station) - and you're there!

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Thanks gentlemen!

I understand what you are saying Dave. I'm just thinking that if #682 is on time, I'd have almost an hour and a half to make the connection...

Another option...

Anyone know of a decent lunch place around BBY?

 

[the_traveler]

BBY is a commuter rail station, and I know they have at least a Dunkin Donuts in the station. (There may be others too.) BBY is also at/near Copley Square. There is a shopping mall right across the street, but I don't recall if they have a food court. Also 1 1/2 blocks to your right when you exit the door is Boylston (sp?) Street. There are many restaurants there nearby.

 

[amamba]

I hate BBY if I have to wait more than 10 minutes. It is crowded. There is no seating. There are lots of panhandlers. It is dirty. There aren't that many food options IN the station, so if you are toting around luggage, you don't want to walk around to better food options.

If I were you, I would absolutely take the T over to BOS. OR from BON you can take the orange line to BBY, then watch the arrivals screen for any amtrak trains arriving from the South (from RTE). Then just board the next amtrak train (acela, regional, whatever) to BOS. There are people that do this all the time without any problems.

With 90 minutes, you should have plenty of time to do the green to red line transfer however. From BON, take the green line towards Park Street or the orange line. If you take the orange, you can switch to the red at downtown crossing. If you take the green, you can switch to the red at Park Street. The red line runs pretty often during the week.

Once at BOS, there is a food court with lots of options like cosi, au bon pain, cheeseboy, mcdonalds, some chinese place, etc.

With 90 minutes between trains, there is no way I would want to spend that time at BBY fi I could be waiting at BOS.

 

[jis]

If you want to walk less and get more frequent service, take the Green to Red via Park Street

 

[Bob Dylan]

Scott: If you dont want the hassle of changing/waiting on Subway trains as others have said,, just hop in a Cab @ BON, its like a $5-$7 ride to BOS depending on the traffic! We took the Orange Line to the Red Line last year when we rode #682 TO BON and as Dave said it's sort of a hassle! Dave almost missed his Regional and #449 was Loading when we got to BOS!! EZ way to Roll!

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Thanks Ladies and Gentlemen!

I don't get the 'warm fuzzies' about BBY the way I do about BOS - especially with its CA - so I'd really prefer to just pass through BBY on 449, which is what I'll do, time permitting.

And maybe I'll 'ice pack' some lobster salad, purchased the night before, for lunch... :huh: I could always pick up a fresh roll, to put it on, at Au Bon Pan... Or, in a pinch, a doughnut at Dunkin' D.'s.

Thanks again everyone! :hi:

 

[The Davy Crockett]

This is a follow up, after the trip.

First of all, THANKS AGAIN to everyone who replied. The responses were very helpful!

My train, SB Downeaster #682, was only a few minutes late into BON, so I decided to 'subway' it to BOS, using the Green and Red lines, as I had the time to still make it to BBY via subway if they had a problem with me boarding at BOS. When I got to BOS I went directly to CA, telling the attendant why I was there and not BBY. She not only had no problems with me boarding there, she said she didn't blame me for not wanting to wait at BBY. Going out to the train it was the same story. My ticket was checked twice and nary a word said.

There was one interesting thing the CA attendant said, as she was checking my ticket on her computer.

"I don't know why they do that," she said.

"Do what?" I asked, thinking she meant boarding at BBY when transferring from BON, but not being sure.

"Oh, putting the self-transfer in as a segment of the trip. You're fine, but since that segment does not get scanned, you could lose your reservation on the Lake Shore Limited if it was running late and too much time had passed." :help: :excl: :wacko: :excl: :help:

Anybody know if this is true? :unsure:

If so, that could be enough to ruin one's day! :angry2:

 

[Acela150]

Why would that be true? Amtrak doesn't run the "T". Just my view of things.

 

[the_traveler]

The only reason for the self-transfer "ticket" is so Arrow can calculate a thru fare. But with e-tickets, it does seem dumb. But until Amtrak gets something better (meaning 21st century), I think we will be stuck with that useless ticket!

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Why would that be true? Amtrak doesn't run the "T". Just my view of things.

There is the problem. No one on MBTA to scan that segment.

As Dave said, it is for Arrow; and as I said in my OP, I wanted to have the two Amtrak segments linked, so if #682 was really late and I missed the LSL, Amtrak would need to deal with the missed connection.

 

[AlanB]

My guess, and I stress that, is that Amtrak has somehow setup that T ticket to essentially autoscan. Amtrak has some revenue recognition software that can check people in even on regular trains. My guess is that the software has been told not to auto-cancel for "missing" that MBTA segment. Or maybe they just set the time limit very high on that segment.

But regardless, as noted, the reason that Amtrak does issue that ticket is because that is the only way that ARROW can handle the through trip. If that segment were eliminated, one would have no choice but to book two separate reservations for any trip involving the Downeaster and trains out of BOS/BBY.

 

[chakk]

Why would that be true? Amtrak doesn't run the "T". Just my view of things.

There is the problem. No one on MBTA to scan that segment.

Is this the real reason why the Kingston Trio sang about how Charlie couldn't get off the MTA? They said he needed one more nickel, and so his wife would go down to the station every afternoon and hand him a sandwich as the train came rumbling through. (Always wondered why she just didn't put a nickel INSIDE the sandwich that she handed to him each day.)

 

[amamba]

Glad you were able to make it to BOS and hang in the Club Acela!

 

[the_traveler]

Is this the real reason why the Kingston Trio sang about how Charlie couldn't get off the MTA? They said he needed one more nickel, and so his wife would go down to the station every afternoon and hand him a sandwich as the train came rumbling through. (Always wondered why she just didn't put a nickel INSIDE the sandwich that she handed to him each day.)

Maybe she didn't want Charlie back! "Sorry Charlie!" :giggle:

 

[SubwayNut]

Question, I've never done the "Self-Transfer" but I'm wondering if the segment at least has posted (even if its not eligible for points) on anyones AGR Account Activity, now that we've gone to eTickets? That would mean the ticket is auto-scanning right?

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Question, I've never done the "Self-Transfer" but I'm wondering if the segment at least has posted (even if its not eligible for points) on anyones AGR Account Activity, now that we've gone to eTickets? That would mean the ticket is auto-scanning right?

The 'T' segment didn't post to AGR, but even if those 'tickets' do indeed auto-scan, could there be a way to suppress them from posting to AGR?

 

[AlanB]

Question, I've never done the "Self-Transfer" but I'm wondering if the segment at least has posted (even if its not eligible for points) on anyones AGR Account Activity, now that we've gone to eTickets? That would mean the ticket is auto-scanning right?

The 'T' segment didn't post to AGR, but even if those 'tickets' do indeed auto-scan, could there be a way to suppress them from posting to AGR?

They already suppress selected Thruway bus routes from earning points; so it shouldn't be any harder to suppress the ride on the subway.

 

[SubwayNut]

I was picture them posting but with the Ineligible for Points message you still get on your account for segments for an award trip. I guess this means that if I paid for this thruway connection (that started a two zone redemption from flagstaff but posted to my account with a date almost exactly a month after I took the van) it is still eligible for points? (earned them when I took the van back in 2010 paying for it. It posted with a date used two months later and I got double-points when I wasn't supposed to)

07/25/2013 Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, AZ (PHA) - Flagstaff, AZ (FLG) Hide Details

Ticket: #------------, Thruway Reserved , Price: $0.00
Train #: 8558
Reservation #: ------
Not eligible for points
Travel Earning

 

[sicariis]

Looking at making this same trip/connection and glad to hear that a BBY sleeper ticket still gets one access to the CA at BOS.

However in the time that's passed it looks like ARROW now forces one to take Downeaster 680 rather than 682 to make this connection which results in a 5 hour layover, rather than the 2.5 hour layover if 682 was allowed. Having made the BON to BOS transfer many times via Park Street, 30 minutes is more than enough time.

I know that I can book 682 separately or even take the bus, but its nice to have all travel on one itinerary either for rewards purpose or trip protection.

 

[OBS]

This was probably due to the poor On time performance the DE was experiencing while the track work was going on...