Incompetence in Amtrak automated message hurting LSL customers.

[neroden]

So. I'm booked in a roomette on the LSL, #48, from Chicago to Syracuse, departing May 27th. This is connecting from a short hop on the Empire Builder, booked on the same ticket.

I get an automated voice call saying "Your train #48 has been cancelled. No alternate transportation will be provided." I hit the button to talk to an agent and get stuffed on hold for an arbitrarily long time.

Obviously, this is incorrect. Alternate transportation is available, in the form of the LSL, #448. In fact, it turned out I *had* been rebooked on #448, but *that's not the message I got*.

I was on hold so long that I reserved a business class seat in case they really had cancelled my reservation out from under me. Turned out they hadn't, so I cancelled the new one.

But this is ridiculous. They ought to have automated messages telling people "You have been rebooked on a different train."

 

[cpotisch]

So. I'm booked in a roomette on the LSL, #48, from Chicago to Syracuse, departing May 27th. This is connecting from a short hop on the Empire Builder, booked on the same ticket.

I get an automated voice call saying "Your train #48 has been cancelled. No alternate transportation will be provided." I hit the button to talk to an agent and get stuffed on hold for an arbitrarily long time.

Obviously, this is incorrect. Alternate transportation is available, in the form of the LSL, #448. In fact, it turned out I *had* been rebooked on #448, but *that's not the message I got*.

I was on hold so long that I reserved a business class seat in case they really had cancelled my reservation out from under me. Turned out they hadn't, so I cancelled the new one.

But this is ridiculous. They ought to have automated messages telling people "You have been rebooked on a different train."

There are just too many examples of this. Multiple AUers have complained about it, and despite how easy it would be for Amtrak to fix this, they've done it for years.

 

[John Bobinyec]

Facing a similar situation with a trip on 48 to NYP in August, we opted to go to our local ticket agent to get reticketed on 448, with business class on train 244 to NYP and a voucher for the downgrade in accommodation from Albany to NYP. We have a very good agent. If anyone has a complicated reticketing/rebooking and you have a local ticket agent, you might try to go there to get the mess straightened out.

jb

 

[Lonestar648]

It would be easy for Amtrak IT, or the IT sub, to write a notification program for their voicemail system , text system, and email system. So the information is enter once, the computer pulls the passenger list, then looks to see if a rebooking has occurred for each customer. It is just a matter of writing code with the necessary commands and what ifs so the computer knows what to do, then it is up to a humane to enter the parameters correctly, then the computer notifies everyone.

 

[caravanman]

If half the agents don't have a clue, I don't expect the Amtrak automated computers to be any more clued up...

Ed

 

[cpotisch]

If half the agents don't have a clue, I don't expect the Amtrak automated computers to be any more clued up...

Ed

Not sure if you're completely joking, but I've found Amtrak's computers to be VASTLY more reliable than their agents...

 

[Lonestar648]

A lot of times the computer has the info, but the agent doesn't know enough to find it.

 

[cpotisch]

A lot of times the computer has the info, but the agent doesn't know enough to find it.

Yeah. Since all the fares, inventory, reservations, trains, etc. are all computerized, it's effectively impossible for an agent to know more than the computers.

 

[fairviewroad]

But this is ridiculous. They ought to have automated messages telling people "You have been rebooked on a different train."

I would argue that even this wording is needlessly confusing, as it implies a change to your routing or departure time.

In your scenario, there should have been no phone call at all. You are getting on the same physical train at the same physical station at the same time as originally booked. At most, Amtrak should send you an email saying that the train number has been changed but that no further action on your part is necessary.

 

[cpotisch]

But this is ridiculous. They ought to have automated messages telling people "You have been rebooked on a different train."

I would argue that even this wording is needlessly confusing, as it implies a change to your routing or departure time.

In your scenario, there should have been no phone call at all. You are getting on the same physical train at the same physical station at the same time as originally booked. At most, Amtrak should send you an email saying that the train number has been changed but that no further action on your part is necessary.

Well, it is a different car. So I would say at minimum they need to send a new e-ticket with the new car number.

 

[the_traveler]

It would only be a different car IF you have a roomette or bedroom. (And even then, it may be still the same car.)

I have boarded coach on like 48/448, 7/27 or 1/321/421 and boarded the same car as people “on the other train”.

 

[Anderson]

So, a generalized thought: On the presumption that the new food service is a downgrade from the present state of the Ghost of the Century...er...New England States...er...Lake Shore Limited, Amtrak's fumbling of the Grand Central situation probably gives folks on that train a "get out of jail free" card ("They said my ticket was cancelled so I made other plans" should stick with most credit card disputes even if Amtrak tries to resist that point).

 

[cpotisch]

It would only be a different car IF you have a roomette or bedroom. (And even then, it may be still the same car.)

I have boarded coach on like 48/448, 7/27 or 1/321/421 and boarded the same car as people “on the other train”.

He said he's in a roomette. So he will be in a different car.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

It would only be a different car IF you have a roomette or bedroom. (And even then, it may be still the same car.)

I have boarded coach on like 48/448, 7/27 or 1/321/421 and boarded the same car as people “on the other train”.

He said he's in a roomette. So he will be in a different car.

Why do you say that? 48/448 are all going to Boston, so he can certainly be in the same car he was originally booked in. My guess is that the computer knows that 48 is not running to NYP, so it's sending out emails saying that 48 is cancelled.

 

[cpotisch]

It would only be a different car IF you have a roomette or bedroom. (And even then, it may be still the same car.)

I have boarded coach on like 48/448, 7/27 or 1/321/421 and boarded the same car as people “on the other train”.

He said he's in a roomette. So he will be in a different car.

Why do you say that? 48/448 are all going to Boston, so he can certainly be in the same car he was originally booked in. My guess is that the computer knows that 48 is not running to NYP, so it's sending out emails saying that 48 is cancelled.

Oh right (temporarily forgot about the NYP suspension).

 

[PaulM]

It would only be a different car IF you have a roomette or bedroom. (And even then, it may be still the same car.)

I have boarded coach on like 48/448, 7/27 or 1/321/421 and boarded the same car as people “on the other train”.

He said he's in a roomette. So he will be in a different car.

Why do you say that? 48/448 are all going to Boston, so he can certainly be in the same car he was originally booked in. My guess is that the computer knows that 48 is not running to NYP, so it's sending out emails saying that 48 is cancelled.

Oh right (temporarily forgot about the NYP suspension).

If you try to book CHI to ALB, only 448 show up. So I presume 48 isn't going anywhere, including BOS. So certainly the car number on his reservation will change, and most likely the room number as well.