Checking baggage on late train

[ehbowen]

My hometown is an interesting case. It's a major city (obviously), but a small station with one or at most two agents on duty. The one and only train has a scheduled dwell time of 37 minutes westbound, or a full hour eastbound. What with the generous padding in the schedule, it's not uncommon for the train to arrive in the station well before the 45 minute baggage cutoff. I'm not exactly sure what they do in those cases, but they do have a sign saying that the office is closed when the train is in the station. On my last few trips I have avoided the cutoff by checking my baggage at the station the day before departure...Amtrak will accept checked baggage up to 24 hours before scheduled departure.

 

[fairviewroad]

I've never had my bags delivered by Amtrak for the happy reason that my bags have always arrived at my destination station on the same

train as me.

OTOH I've had my bags delivered by airlines at least a half-dozen times. Very nice service indeed, though one that should not be necessary.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

The point is you shouldn't be late. It is your responsibility to drop your bags off on time. Company policy dictates a minimum of 2 hours advance drop off. Like it or lump it.

The customer could turn that big lumpy finger of yours right back at Amtrak and say maybe the point is that the train shouldn't be late in the first place. Where is your minimum of two hours claim coming from? If you can't quote it then you probably shouldn't be spreading it.

So while the agent may have been technically correct, in my opinion it's pretty poor customer service.

Agreed.

It's interesting that the OP's luggage was lost en route even though it was checked almost 2 hours before #14's arrival time. Maybe he will report back and let us know if it finally made it.

Interesting is one way to put it. Suspicious would be another way.

I got my bag this morning. The station agent put it in a cab and it was delivered to my front door. I would never get that kind of service from an airline.

Airlines have delivered luggage to me and/or my traveling companions on several occasions and as recently as last month. In the US it's usually a courier company rather than a taxi but I fail to see the difference. If anything the courier vehicle is probably cleaner than the moribund jalopies that pass for a taxi these days.