February trip question.....

[Tumbleweed]

We are planning our first AGR trip the first part of February.....OMA-CHI-WAS-WPB and return....we will not know the exact dates until the last week of January....If I make tentative reservations, including roomettes, and we can't make the dates, how much time would I have to cancel or change dates? I would think that time of year, there should be plenty of room.....

 

[Guest]

Plenty of room going to Florida in February? You and everyone else wants to go to Florida in February. I would contact AGR regarding their cancellation policy. I would guess that the earlier you need to change dates, the better since everyone wants to head south in winter and rooms can become scarce on the Florida trains.

 

[battalion51]

I don't know about all that. It seems like from the beginning of school in January til about Presidents Day, Silver Service is typically dead. Now, things change, random events happen. But you should have a little bit of breathing room. As the guest suggested contact AGR regarding cancellation/change policies on a points trip.

 

[the_traveler]

AFAIK, the AGR cancellation policy is "you must cancel your reservation anytime prior to the train's departure from the station" to get your points back!

 

[GiantsFan]

Also ... ive been told by an amtrak representative that you can't (or its hard) get a refund once the tickets are printed ... so WAIT UNTIL THE MORNING OF TRAVEL TO PRINT THEM!!

From Amtrak.com

• Rail fare: Most tickets are refundable before travel begins. In most cases, partially used regular (full) one-way fare tickets may be returned for a partial refund. Some discount tickets are non-refundable once paid for.
  
• First class seat charge on Acela Express trains; Business class seat charge on other trains:Refundable if reservations are cancelled at least one hour prior to departure. If not cancelled by one hour prior to departure, the seat charge amount will not be refundable but it may be applied to future Amtrak travel purchases. The First/Business class non-refundability penalty will not be imposed if the customer chooses to cancel travel on account of the train being late one hour or more at the boarding station.
  
• Sleeping car accommodation charge: Refundable if sleeping car reservations are cancelled at least seven days prior to departure. If cancelled fewer than seven days prior to departure, but before actual departure, the accommodation charge is not refundable but may be applied to future travel purchases by issuance of a non-refundable exchange voucher. If not cancelled before actual departure ("no show"), the accommodation charge is neither refundable nor may it be applied to future travel. The sleeping car non-refundability penalty will not be imposed if the customer chooses to cancel on account of the train being late two hours or more at the boarding station
  

 

[PRR 60]

Also ... ive been told by an amtrak representative that you can't (or its hard) get a refund once the tickets are printed ... so WAIT UNTIL THE MORNING OF TRAVEL TO PRINT THEM!!

From Amtrak.com

• Rail fare: Most tickets are refundable before travel begins. In most cases, partially used regular (full) one-way fare tickets may be returned for a partial refund. Some discount tickets are non-refundable once paid for.
  
• First class seat charge on Acela Express trains; Business class seat charge on other trains:Refundable if reservations are cancelled at least one hour prior to departure. If not cancelled by one hour prior to departure, the seat charge amount will not be refundable but it may be applied to future Amtrak travel purchases. The First/Business class non-refundability penalty will not be imposed if the customer chooses to cancel travel on account of the train being late one hour or more at the boarding station.
  
• Sleeping car accommodation charge: Refundable if sleeping car reservations are cancelled at least seven days prior to departure. If cancelled fewer than seven days prior to departure, but before actual departure, the accommodation charge is not refundable but may be applied to future travel purchases by issuance of a non-refundable exchange voucher. If not cancelled before actual departure ("no show"), the accommodation charge is neither refundable nor may it be applied to future travel. The sleeping car non-refundability penalty will not be imposed if the customer chooses to cancel on account of the train being late two hours or more at the boarding station
  

The quoted refund policy applies to paid travel, not AGR award travel.

Award trips, including those with sleeping car accommodations, can be cancelled up to the scheduled time of departure with a 100% recredit of points and no redeposit fee. You can even do this if you have printed the tickets, although it is more difficult. If the tickets have not been printed, you simply call AGR and cancel. Your points will be back in your account before you hang up.

If the ticket were printed, you call AGR and cancel. Be sure to get a cancellation code. Then you have to send your tickets back to AGR for credit. Best bet is to use a mailing service with tracking and with a delivery signature requirement to have positive evidence that AGR received the tickets. Once AGR gets your tickets and processes them, your points will go back into your account.

Note that if you want to cancel one trip and book another and the tickets for the first trip were printed, you will not be able to use the points from the cancelled trip for the new trip. The cancelled trip points will not be available for use until AGR gets the tickets, so rebooking will require having enough other points in your account for the new trip. If the tickets were not printed, the AGR points from the cancelled trip are immediately available and can be used for the rebooking.

 

[Tumbleweed]

Thanks all, for the info.....if anyone else has any to add, please do so...