E-Tickets

[printman2000]

How will e-ticketing be handled with a thru bus? Surely they will not be issuing iPhones to bus drivers. Or are they?

 

[AlanB]

Not sure how that's going to be handled. I suppose that it may well depend on who the provider of the bus service actually is. For example it would not surprise me to find that some of the Amtrak California bus runs do get iPhones. But I wouldn't expect that the Greyhound run between Detroit & Toledo gets them. I'm figuring that if your trip includes a bus without eTicket capabilities, then you'll get traditional tickets for your entire trip.

 

[Nathanael]

Not sure how that's going to be handled. I suppose that it may well depend on who the provider of the bus service actually is. For example it would not surprise me to find that some of the Amtrak California bus runs do get iPhones.

Bus drivers operating Amtrak California routes *will* get the iPhones, and the routes which currently have e-ticketing *already have them*. This is confirmed! (Look for Amtrak Pacific Divison Newsletter.)

Apparently the order of rollout on California buses was determined by "which bus companies were ready". I assume that the Amtrak California ones, operated directly under contract to Amtrak and to the State of California, will be pretty straightforward.

Probably other buses where Amtrak contracts specifically to have the bus run just for Amtrak will get e-ticketing sooner or later (the Portland-Eugene and Seattle-Vancouver buses come to mind).

On the other hand, I would expect the cases where Amtrak is really just "code-sharing" with existing bus trips may never get e-ticketing. I'm not sure how Amtrak plans to deal with that.

There are some cases like that with trains too -- two runs on Altamont Commuter Express are "Thruway service" officially, NJT's Atlantic City Line offers "through ticketing from Amtrak", and SEPTA lets you go from 30th St. Station to Suburban or Market East with your "Amtrak ticket stub" -- and I have no idea how they'll handle those.

But I wouldn't expect that the Greyhound run between Detroit & Toledo gets them. I'm figuring that if your trip includes a bus without eTicket capabilities, then you'll get traditional tickets for your entire trip.

 

[Nathanael]

I am suspicious that e-ticketing will *not* have a full system-wide rollout on a single day. The reports I'm hearing are that some conductors are handling it a lot better than others.

The result will presumably be that it will keep getting pushed out a few routes at a time so they can focus on retraining a few conductors at a time rather than trying to deal with it nationwide all at once. And of course they're still in the beta-testing-the-software phase right now, and different routes will show up different minor design problems, some of which will need software fixes which are more involved than others.

So I'd expect to see the staged rollout continue.

 

[printman2000]

Seems I remember someone saying July 30 is the date e-tickets will become an OPTION for all routes. Maybe it will not be required yet.

 

[Acela150]

I'll put it this way.. I just booked a trip for July 30th and 31st. I was still given the same choices. Pick up or Express Service. I went with the Pick up naturally. Why pay an extra $15 for nothing.. Plus I'm hoping July 30th when I show up at PAO to hop the train it'll be eTickets.

 

[jis]

Not sure how that's going to be handled. I suppose that it may well depend on who the provider of the bus service actually is. For example it would not surprise me to find that some of the Amtrak California bus runs do get iPhones. But I wouldn't expect that the Greyhound run between Detroit & Toledo gets them. I'm figuring that if your trip includes a bus without eTicket capabilities, then you'll get traditional tickets for your entire trip.

I don't know exactly how the system is architected, but it seems to me that it should be possible to issue a "boarding card" for a specific segment without disturbing anything else in the system. If that is the case then they should not have to issue a paper ticket for anything, since the collected boarding cards would be usable to record that the segment was actually used.

Because of the nature of their operations airlines just have to issue a boarding card like document for each segment whether it be electronic or paper. On rail one does not need to do so because the original PNR can just be used as such. However, nothing should prevent issuing a boarding card for specific purposes like inter-line accounting etc.

 

[Trogdor]

Seems I remember someone saying July 30 is the date e-tickets will become an OPTION for all routes. Maybe it will not be required yet.

Option, perhaps for the passenger, but all (train) routes will be capable.

I'll put it this way.. I just booked a trip for July 30th and 31st. I was still given the same choices. Pick up or Express Service. I went with the Pick up naturally. Why pay an extra $15 for nothing.. Plus I'm hoping July 30th when I show up at PAO to hop the train it'll be eTickets.

Etickets won't show up as an option until July 30. It's essentially like flipping a switch. Right now the routes aren't eticket capable, so you don't get that ability. On July 30, they will be, and then you'll see it.

 

[printman2000]

Bought tickets for June 2013 this morning (July 30) and there was no e-ticket option. This was for the Texas Eagle.

 

[transit54]

Bought tickets for June 2013 this morning (July 30) and there was no e-ticket option. This was for the Texas Eagle.

Based on this, e-ticketing starts at 9 AM.

 

[Acela150]

I have traditional paper for 642, 86 and my return tomorrow on 175. But trogdors statement makes sense. Guess Im collecting my last paper tickets.

 

[printman2000]

Bought tickets for June 2013 this morning (July 30) and there was no e-ticket option. This was for the Texas Eagle.

Based on this, e-ticketing starts at 9 AM.

Shoot. Wish I had known that. I guess then I will be one of the very last people to use a paper ticket when we travel June 29, 2013.

 

[Trogdor]

Bought tickets for June 2013 this morning (July 30) and there was no e-ticket option. This was for the Texas Eagle.

Based on this, e-ticketing starts at 9 AM.

Shoot. Wish I had known that. I guess then I will be one of the very last people to use a paper ticket when we travel June 29, 2013.

If you want an eticket, and you haven't already printed out your paper ticket, you could call Amtrak later on and see if they can convert your reservation to eticket status. Not sure 100% if it would work. Or you could cancel and rebook.

 

[transit54]

e-Ticketing is now live!!!!

As someone who lives in a state without a single agent or QT machine, this day has been a long, long time in coming. I plan on taking a hop on the Vermonter later this week, just to celebrate the occasion!

 

[Mackensen]

I just booked a roomette on the Lake Shore Limited for January and got an E-ticket. Very painless (we'll see how January works out); E-ticketing is simply one of several pickup options, although it is selected by default.

 

[user 1215]

I guess Amtrak is now officially an "E-Ticket Ride"! (Raise your hand if you get the Disney reference, ya ol' timers!)

 

[PRR 60]

I guess Amtrak is now officially an "E-Ticket Ride"! (Raise your hand if you get the Disney reference, ya ol' timers!)

Hand raised!

 

[Trogdor]

Bought tickets for June 2013 this morning (July 30) and there was no e-ticket option. This was for the Texas Eagle.

Based on this, e-ticketing starts at 9 AM.

Shoot. Wish I had known that. I guess then I will be one of the very last people to use a paper ticket when we travel June 29, 2013.

If you want an eticket, and you haven't already printed out your paper ticket, you could call Amtrak later on and see if they can convert your reservation to eticket status. Not sure 100% if it would work. Or you could cancel and rebook.

ACtually, having looked it up, your ticket is supposed to automatically convert to an eticket when it's printed (at a ticket office). No further action required.

If you want to print it at home, that would probably still require calling, since it's not yet in the system as a print-at-home eligible eticket.

 

[amamba]

So I just booked a reservation on the phone using my electronic voucher. The guy said he couldn't do an eticket for it (its an acela FC Ticket from NYP - RTE). However, he did say that I could pick it up at the station, so I might head down there later and see if they can print me one of the eticket print-outs rather than a traditional paper ticket.

 

[Acela150]

I caught a glimpse of the iPhone scanner program they run for the eTickets. Looks very interesting. It looks like it shows how many get on at that station, how many are getting off, and My third guess would be how many total after tickets are collected.. But one must the question if tickets are cancelled after an "All Done" button is hit and there is someone boarding at say PHL who was going to board at WIL what would happen then if the ticket is cancelled out?

The conductors on my trains today seem very pleased with their scanners and that the eTickets have finally gone live.

Steve

 

[fairviewroad]

Anyone book an AGR ticket today? Do you get the same e-ticket option?

 

[zephyr17]

They are live everywhere on e-tickets. Press release:

http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/197/699/eTickets-Now-Accepted-on-Every-Amtrak-Trains-ATK-12-069.pdf

 

[colobok]

What about cancellation policy? Is it still free cancellation now with eTickets?

 

[PerRock]

Bought a standard ticket today, and was given 2 choices: E-ticket, QT-Print, Agent print. I chose Agent Pickup, however the system sent me a E-Ticket anyways. The rumor I heard was that you can't get a full refund with an E-Ticket, so I figured I'd get an Agent as I'm still not 100% on my travel plans. But apparently you get the E-Ticket if you like it or not.

peter

 

[PRR 60]

What about cancellation policy? Is it still free cancellation now with eTickets?

The terms and conditions suggest that all cancelled e-tickets are subject to the 10% refund fee (maximum $100), however a former Amtrak travel agent who posts at another site says he has confirmed that e-tickets will be 100% refundable. I guess we will not know for sure until someone tries it out.