I haven't quite decided if I'm taking the Crescent to NO/Houston or the Lakeshore/Texas Eagle to Chicago/Houston but I have a few more questions. How early do I have to book to make sure I get a roommette or bedroom? My trip is next May. What is the refund policy and is Amtrak efficient at getting a refund to you? I know the policy is on their website but it's confusing and hearing from someone who has been-there-done-that is often more reiable.
How early to book?
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Swadian Hardcore
Engineer
For travel in July, I booked a long-distance Sleeper roomette in January and got a get deal! Since you are travelling in May, I would advise you to book in November.
ehbowen
Engineer
Officially, the policy is a 90% cash refund or a 100% credit to a voucher for future travel if you cancel at least 7 days before travel. If you cancel within 7 days of travel but before the train has actually left, you may have a 90% refund/100% voucher on the rail fare portion of your ticket and a 100% voucher on any accommodation charge, but no cash on the accommodation charge UNLESS you cancel on account of the train being two hours or more late at your boarding station.
Unofficially, Amtrak will give you a 100% cash refund as long as your tickets have not yet been printed. Once you have the tickets in hand, then the 90% cash refund applies.
Unofficially, Amtrak will give you a 100% cash refund as long as your tickets have not yet been printed. Once you have the tickets in hand, then the 90% cash refund applies.
caravanman
Engineer
Hi,
Broadly speaking the best way to be sure of obtaining sleeper accomodation is to reserve as far in advance as you can. I believe one can book 11 months ahead on Amtrak.
It is worth checking prices again nearer your departure date in case some lower price sleepers have become available... do a duplicate booking at the lower fare and then cancel your original booking.
Ed
Broadly speaking the best way to be sure of obtaining sleeper accomodation is to reserve as far in advance as you can. I believe one can book 11 months ahead on Amtrak.
It is worth checking prices again nearer your departure date in case some lower price sleepers have become available... do a duplicate booking at the lower fare and then cancel your original booking.
Ed
Ryan
Court Jester
Book Amtrak travel the way people vote in Chicago - early and often.
Prices go down over the 11 month window that bookings are open often enough that it's worth keeping an eye on things and rebooking if a better deal comes along.
Prices go down over the 11 month window that bookings are open often enough that it's worth keeping an eye on things and rebooking if a better deal comes along.
So in wanting to book for the auto train next spring, I should book now and keep checking prices on the Amtrak site. If they get cheaper, cancel them and rebook. Then, I'll get 90% of the original price back. Then, why book now? Shouldn't I just wait to book later - say in December or something?
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But the prices could also be much higher in December, especially if you are planning to take the AutoTrain (AT) north in the spring. The northbound AT was completely sold out in much of April and May this year when April and May came around. The snow birds heading north for spring. The southbound AT for those same dates had rooms and seats available. If you know your travel dates and they are not likely to change, the AT is train one should book earlier rather than later. Maybe not 11 months in advance, but don't wait until the last month either.
Ditto. I always book as early as possible and check to see if fares go down (which has not happened for me).Hi,
Broadly speaking the best way to be sure of obtaining sleeper accomodation is to reserve as far in advance as you can. I believe one can book 11 months ahead on Amtrak.
It is worth checking prices again nearer your departure date in case some lower price sleepers have become available... do a duplicate booking at the lower fare and then cancel your original booking.
Ed
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I use the Amsnag site to find the lowest fare I can possibly get. I look for weak travel times and come up with a target room cost. With that, I search my prospective dates and see how close they are to the target. If they are close, I book and then periodically check Amsnag for lower prices. Periodic means not less than monthly or weekly (if the price I am paying is much higher than the target).
If they go down, I rebook either by placing new booking and canceling old one or calling Amtrak and have them do it.
If the price is higher than I am willing to pay, I keep checking Amsnag until it comes within my limits then book and check for lower price periodically as above.
If they go down, I rebook either by placing new booking and canceling old one or calling Amtrak and have them do it.
If the price is higher than I am willing to pay, I keep checking Amsnag until it comes within my limits then book and check for lower price periodically as above.
Ryan
Court Jester
No, you'll get 100% of the price back.
You book now so that if the prices go up, you're covered.
the_traveler
Engineer
Slight clarification. DO NOT PRINT THE TICKETS and the refund is 100%!
And you should always rebook first and then cancel the original res. If you do the opposite, somebody could grab that room (which may be the last room on the train) and by the time you get back to remake your original res, someone may have grabbed that room also!
Ryan
Court Jester
He's talking about the Auto Train, which is e-tickets, so the usual advice about ticket printing doesn't apply.
the_traveler
Engineer
Sorry, I was not aware that the AT already had e-ticketing!
Book now! If you want a refund, it will immediately be refunded to your credit card. But when if you have a room, you cannot get a refund for the room less than 7 days before departure. In that case, you can get a voucher for a future Amtrak trip.
Prices can fluctuate though, so check back periodically to see if the price dropped. If it did, you can rebook at the lower price.
But book now. Don't wait!
The Auto Train was the first Amtrak train to get eTicketing, although it isn't really the same as the eTicketing program now currently rolling out to the rest of Amtrak.Sorry, I was not aware that the AT already had e-ticketing!
The Auto Train eTicket looks just the current Amtrak reservation confirmations, and in fact it is exactly that. One does not get a QC Barcode, but instead the traditional barcode that one can currently scan at any Quik-Trak machine. When you pull up at the booth on the access road, all you do it give them your name. They already have the old Auto Train ticket folders pre-marked with labels of the names of all expected that day. Just like prior to eTicketing, they write the number assigned to your car in that folder.
Then when you get inside to check in you can show the reservation confirmation and they complete the process, assign a dinner time, and give you a seat check indicating what car you're in and what seat/room you have.
Those ticket folders also provide a route guide and other useful information about the Auto Train.
By the way, AFAIK, it is still technically possible to go to a regular Amtrak station with your confirmation and obtain traditional tickets for the Auto Train. Certainly if one books the AT using a travel agent, one will get traditional travel agent tickets.
N
Nathanael
Guest
Interesting. I guess the Auto Train e-ticketing was a pilot. I wonder when they'll convert it to the same e-ticketing as the rest of Amtrak (I assume they will eventually).
Yes, the AT was the initial test bed for some of the eTicketing software & procedures.
And I'm not sure if they plan to covert it fully or not. No real reason to convert totally, unless they need to retire some software used by the current system that isn't needed for the rest of the eTicketing system. The AT is like no other Amtrak train, in that the conductors have never lifted tickets on board or even on the platform just prior to boarding.
Tickets have always been lifted by the station personnel at the checkin counter. Now instead of pulling the ticket, they just essentially check you in on the computer to my knowledge, make your dinner res like always, and give you the boarding pass.
And I'm not sure if they plan to covert it fully or not. No real reason to convert totally, unless they need to retire some software used by the current system that isn't needed for the rest of the eTicketing system. The AT is like no other Amtrak train, in that the conductors have never lifted tickets on board or even on the platform just prior to boarding.
Tickets have always been lifted by the station personnel at the checkin counter. Now instead of pulling the ticket, they just essentially check you in on the computer to my knowledge, make your dinner res like always, and give you the boarding pass.
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