I Can Not Add Another Person Onto My Existing Reservation!

[gswager]

It's hit and miss with email for me. I usually received about 80% of emails from Amtrak reservation system. Don't know why it does. As long as you have reservation number, you can get ticket from staffed station or Quiktrak machine.

 

[AlanB]

Betty,

It sounds like they're trying to send you an eTicket for your cousin. If indeed as I suspect the agent managed to setup an Open Sleeper ticket, then no eTicket can be generated. She must obtain a conventional ticket.

The agent should be able to trigger the old style email, with the more traditional bar code on it that you can scan at a Quik-Trak. But again they cannot trigger an eTicket.

Do you have the reservation number at least? If so, you can simply provide that to the agent at the station to get her ticket(s).

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I disagree that its virtually impossible to count on AGR for any specific routing at any given point cost. For example, if you are leaving from a major stop like CHI, NYP, SEA, etc it is very predictable to know what routings will come up and what the point value will be. I think it just throws them into a state of confusion - because there don't appear to be rules - when one tries to board or debark at a less popular/common location that might be mid-route or also on a zone border, or when the routing brings you around somewhat circuitously.

Those are all good points Amamba. Where I get frustrated is when I have no idea if I'm being told the truth or not because the "truth" is never fully defined in the first place. That's very aggravating to me. I'm used to dealing with rather restrictive redemption rules through airlines such as American and United, but as as complicated as those programs can be they still follow well defined rules that can be programmed into a website that allows me to find what I want without having to know every individual rule and restriction. If the website shows it then you can book it without having to argue with anyone. If I can't find a flight and point rate I want from American's website then I can often find it with on United's or US Air's websites. In the case of Amtrak I can't find anything unless and until I call and ask a human to chose to agree to my proposition and there's no other railway loyalty program to fall back on when AGR decides to play hardball with my points. They either agree or you simply don't ride. Sometimes even when they agree you can't make any changes or else they might try to unwind the previous arrangement. AGR's sytem is nuts, and this is coming from someone who spends lots of time working with multiple airline programs and alliances.

Texas Sunset, I suggest you write a complaint to headquarters. Mail it in and document everything you've tried and encountered. There is a management team that sets the policies and the call centers just do their best to apply those policies with whatever level of direction they're given. If you don't like mailing letters, try sending a FlyerTalk PM to AGR Insider with your membership details and documented grievances.

I thought about contacting AGR Insider but how would I go about proving I was right and the agents were wrong? For all I know the agents are telling me the truth and the zone map just hasn't been updated yet to reflect all these new zones that keep popping up. It seems odd that I'd get so many agents who are in perfect agreement that I can't book anything that isn't direct without being penalized with additional phantom zones. Presumably these agents were instructed to behave this way. Otherwise why would they act this way? Every disagreement I've ever had with AGR always ends in a stalemate due to lack of transparency and nothing AGR insider says on Flyertalk is likely to change that. The trains I wanted to book are already sold out of my room selection at this point anyway. Even if AGR Insider chose to side with me how would I use that decision to get what I want from the next agent? Maybe I'm just having a mental block but I can't see how AGR Insider can help me beyond saying I'm right or wrong and then wishing me better luck on my next attempt.

 

[Ryan]

Since it seems you've been told conflicting information from different agents, AGR Insider should be able to confirm which one is right, or the fact that there is no "right" and it really is up to each agent's discretion.

It would be utterly fascinating to see what she had to say about the topic and the lack of consistency when it comes to LD redemptions.

Edit to add: And the biggest takeaway should be if she says "This is correct", finding out where the reference is that says it's correct, so that the next time you call in you can say "look at reference X, page Y" and have the proper guidance applied.

 

[AlanB]

Texas Sunset, I suggest you write a complaint to headquarters. Mail it in and document everything you've tried and encountered. There is a management team that sets the policies and the call centers just do their best to apply those policies with whatever level of direction they're given. If you don't like mailing letters, try sending a FlyerTalk PM to AGR Insider with your membership details and documented grievances.

I thought about contacting AGR Insider but how would I go about proving I was right and the agents were wrong? For all I know the agents are telling me the truth and the zone map just hasn't been updated yet to reflect all these new zones that keep popping up. It seems odd that I'd get so many agents who are in perfect agreement that I can't book anything that isn't direct without being penalized with additional phantom zones. Presumably these agents were instructed to behave this way. Otherwise why would they act this way? Every disagreement I've ever had with AGR always ends in a stalemate due to lack of transparency and nothing AGR insider says on Flyertalk is likely to change that. The trains I wanted to book are already sold out of my room selection at this point anyway. Even if AGR Insider chose to side with me how would I use that decision to get what I want from the next agent? Maybe I'm just having a mental block but I can't see how AGR Insider can help me beyond saying I'm right or wrong and then wishing me better luck on my next attempt.

Well proving you're right is something you can't really do, since AGR makes the rules. Best you can do is lay out your case to Insider and let them tell you who is right or wrong.

As for what to do if Insider tells you that you're right, it's real simple. Insider is at the very top of the AGR food chain. They can simply ask you for your name & account number via PM. With that they can then call and educate a supervisor in the call center, and have that supervisor call you to book your trip. Now I notice that you say the trip you wanted is now sold out, so obviously nothing can be done about that now. But certainly the next time it happens, take you case up with Insider!

Years ago, back before AGR moved in house, one of the supervisors from the contractor that handled things joined up here to assist people. Sort of an unofficial AGR Insider. I tell you this as an example of how it can help.

Member Greg (gswager) tried to book a trip and his station is right on border line. He called up to book something and the agent falsely told him that his trip would be a two zone award. Greg vented his frustration here on the forum, and was also seeking confirmation that he was right. Many of us told him that indeed he was correct. Greg noted that he would call later as he had things to do.

This supervisor saw his post, and somehow managed to figure out which agent in his office had taken Greg's call. So he was able to back track and figure out what trip Greg wanted. By the time Greg got back home, he had a message on his answering machine confirming that his trip was now booked and at the correct number of zones.

And not to demean this wonderful gentleman who took it upon himself to join our forum and help people, but he was only a call center supervisor. Again the AGR Insider Account was setup by the second in command at AGR, Vicky Radke. One of her assistants often handles the day to day posting there, but again anything sent to that account is reaching the highest levels at AGR. If Vicky or one of her people say jump, the supervisors at the call centers say "how high?"

 

[Anthony]

I still haven't received the email with my cousin's ticket. I again called AGR and the lady really did everything she could and tried to send it a couple of times, talked to support, etc., but still can't email it to me. She said I can pick up my cousin's ticket the next time I go to Bloomington.

The strange thing is that she was able to re-send my e-ticket, but can't send my cousin's.

So once again, stay tuned. I don't know when I'll be in Bloomington again, but I'll stop by the station and see what happens there.

Is it possible that there are two email addresses in the redemption reservation? There's a system glitch where if you have multiple email addresses in a redemption booking, only the first email address gets the eTicket email. The bug doesn't apply to paid bookings, only free ones. Supposedly a fix is in the pipeline but not in place yet.

 

[Everydaymatters]

Alan, I do have my cousins reservation number. From what you said, it shouldn't be a problem picking it up in Bloomington. Anthony, I changed my email address over a year ago. I don't know how they work it when someone sends them a new email address. It's possible they do have the old one as well.

My next scheduled trip to Bloomington isn't until the beginning of next year. It's only about 20 miles away, but I just don't get out of El Paso very often.

 

[Everydaymatters]

Update: Dear daughter had to go to Bloomington for some Christmas shopping and I went with her. We stopped at the BNL station and the agent issued three paper tickets:

The first one was for my original reservation, showing all of the pertinent information: date, train numbers, car and room numbers, reservation number. These were all on one ticket.

Then there were two tickets issued for my cousin. These must be the open tickets Trogdor, Alan and Anthony talked about. They don't have a reservation number, train number, car number, room number. My reservation number is not on her tickets. The first one shows BNL and LAX, the second one shows LAX and SEA. There's not a lot of information on these two tickets. Basically there's only her name, the original and destination stations and the dates. They both show Superliner Romette, but no room number.

My only concern is that her tickets do not show a link to my tickets. If that's ok, then we're good to go.

 

[Ryan]

Since they both show that she is in a roomettes, I think you're ok.

 

[AlanB]

Betty,

That's exactly what they should look like. Now the key thing here is that her tickets are real Amtrak tickets. Lose them and you've lost the money! So put them some place safe and treat them like Amtrak tickets in the past or cash.

Your ticket would still be an eTicket, so your's could be lost and still reprinted without issue.

 

[Everydaymatters]

Thank you all for the help and advice. It's always very much appreciated.

 

[New to Train Traveler]

Same thing has just happend to me. The agent I contacted on the weekend did not really know how to handle it and indicated the new ticket would not be eligible for sleeper meal service. (This agent was there on a Sunday night.) The agent I called during the week afterward knew exactly what to do without any prompting. Problem looks to be solved for me. Yep, I need to pick up a physical ticket, but no prob since we are near the station anyway.