New Amtrak Cancellation/Refund Policy

[PRR 60]

Amtrak has posted a new, and more restrictive policy for cancellations and refunds. Here it is:

A new refund and exchange policy will be in effect starting August 12, 2012. The key changes include:
Passenger travel in a reservation is grouped into “logical trips.” Refunds will be applied to a logical trip - a grouping of continuous travel. Example: A booking Wilmington - Washington - Chicago - Seattle with same-day connections is one logical trip.

Refund fee is 10 percent of logical trip with a $5 minimum, $100 maximum.

Refund rules are governed by the following types of travel, in the following order:

Sleeping Car Reservations: Refundable if the reservation is canceled at least 15 days prior to travel; refund fee applies.

First Class & non-Acela Business Class: Refundable; no refund fee applies if the reservation is canceled prior to scheduled departure.

Reserved Coach & Acela Express Business Class: Refundable; no refund fee applies if the reservation is canceled at least 24 hours prior to scheduled departure.

Unreserved Rail Fare: Refundable; refund fee applies.

New Policy

 

[the_traveler]

But what about AGR awards?

 

[DingDong]

But what about AGR awards?

So there is now a refund fee if you miss your train (and were not travelling First Class or non-Acela Business Class).

 

[Train2104]

Does the whole fee system for getting the refund in cash still apply?

 

[colobok]

What about reservations made before 08/12/12?

If I cancel them after 08/12/12 - will they charge me refund fee or not?

 

[the_traveler]

Not the way I understand it. Up until 8/11/12, the current policy applies.

 

[Anderson]

What about exchanges instead of refunds?

 

[amamba]

What about exchanges instead of refunds?

This is a great question, especially for travel on the NEC with business people. Like when you get out of your meeting early and get to NYP and then switch to an earlier train so you don't sit around waiting for 2 hours. Can we assume that there is a 10% "change" fee (for cancelling a reservation in less than 24 hours before departure) in addition to paying the fare difference?

 

[jerichowhiskey]

Very nice. I've been a bit hesitant to reserve my first trip on Amtrak since my group may reserve a van/bus for DC. It's good to know I may cancel without a fee applied.

 

[colobok]

Not the way I understand it. Up until 8/11/12, the current policy applies.

I am afraid that if I cancel after 8/12/12 they may charge me a fee.

I would like to see any written confirmation that my old reservations are still free to cancel.

 

[Anderson]

What about exchanges instead of refunds?

This is a great question, especially for travel on the NEC with business people. Like when you get out of your meeting early and get to NYP and then switch to an earlier train so you don't sit around waiting for 2 hours. Can we assume that there is a 10% "change" fee (for cancelling a reservation in less than 24 hours before departure) in addition to paying the fare difference?

I wouldn't assume either way.

The other thing that isn't clear is what is done with trip "cutbacks" (i.e. with the Wilimington-Washington-Chicago-Seattle trip, axing the Wilmington-Washington leg and driving into DC). Do I have to pay a fee on that whole thing?

The odd thing is that on some readings, this might actually be a liberalization of their refund policy

One other unclear point: With Acela FC, is only the accommodation charge handled separately, or are they basically throwing passengers a bone in an attempt to encourage an upgrade?

 

[Anderson]

Ok, just called customer service. There's no fee involved if you get a voucher (at least per the lady I spoke with, who had apparently had to ask about the new policy earlier today herself), and you can still get that up until travel time.

In other words, I think this might actually be a liberalization of the refund policy for regular travelers.

 

[amamba]

Well no fee for vouchers (rather than a refund) makes it sound like switching to an earlier train on the NEC would not involve a fee other than fare differential.

 

[Anderson]

Well no fee for vouchers (rather than a refund) makes it sound like switching to an earlier train on the NEC would not involve a fee other than fare differential.

Correct. And it also seems that if there were a differential in your favor, you'd be able to hold that in a voucher in your name.

As far as I'm concerned, this policy is a liberalization...it seems that you don't have to pay a refund fee for cancellations in advance by certain amounts of time (an improvement, since those used to require a refund fee and they seem not to now) and still never have to pay for "voucherizations" of paid fare as long as they're done ahead of travel time. Not only that, but though the policy is vague, it at least looks like you can cancel and get a refund for first class travel on the Acela right up until departure.

 

[Acela150]

I will call in a few days when everyone has learned about the policy. It doesn't make a ton of sense to ask Customer Service about a policy they just learned about themselves that we're just learning about. (Most likely) Unlike with the eTickets where they had months to be taught about it.

 

[jis]

Now only if they could figure out a way to give Select+ customers an additional break like most airlines do to their most valued customers.

 

[Steve4031]

Pre boarding in Chicago would be a huge select + benefit IMHO.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

As far as I'm concerned, this policy is a liberalization.

The vast majority of my travel with Amtrak is on sleeper tickets. Now instead of seven days before departure I'll have to cancel fifteen days out if I want my money back. I also have to pay as much as $100 for the privilege of getting my money back whereas previously I could simply avoid printing anything and get it all back without issue. So, at least for me, I'm not seeing any liberalization for the trips I take. Maybe you were talking about the de jure policy instead of the de facto process?

 

[printman2000]

Lets remember, there has been a refund fee specified for a long time. They just never collected it. It makes me wonder if they will actually begin collecting it now or if they will just continue to ignore their own policy.

 

[jis]

As far as I'm concerned, this policy is a liberalization.

The vast majority of my travel with Amtrak in on sleeper tickets. Now instead of seven days before departure I'll have to cancel fifteen days out if I want my money back. I also have to pay as much as $100 for the privilege of getting my money back whereas previously I could simply avoid printing anything and get it all back without issue.

I agree that it takes an incredible amount of mental gymnastics to arrive at a conclusion that this is a more liberal policy than the pre-existing de-facto policy as far as Sleepers are concerned. Indeed Amtrak is now uniformly worse than airlines when it comes to Sleepers which are the highest fare service. Most airlines will refund such a fare 100% with no cancellation fee.

Notice that where they actually compete with airlines - on the NEC - their policy is more in line with airline's policy for refundable fares.

At least now it will be less confusing from my friends visiting from Europe who could not fathom why a policy that says 10% cancellation fee does not apply even when the ticket is already paid for but the ticket has just not been printed out. That was very baffling for them, and I just asked them to trust me and go with the flow. cancellation 24 hours before departure is something that is easier to understand than the previous convoluted de-facto policy.

 

[colobok]

I just called about new cancellation policy and pretty rude lady told me that all sleeper trips with travel date after 8/12/12 will be the subject of 10% cancellation fee, regardless of when they were booked.

I asked for the confirmed source and she told me that SHE is the source.

I am still not sure she knows the truth, but if this is the case it will be pretty bad. Many people already have booked reservations for the future dates and they have no idea that they will not be able to get full refund if they cancel them after 8/12/12.

I would think that the new policy should not apply to old reservations.

Then I called AGR and they said AGR policy is not changing.

 

[RRUserious]

Marvelous. That reminds me of the sleeper car attendant who gave me SUCH an attitude about there being no supper. I guess that's how some of the rank and file have decided to personally cope with the implosion of the system. "It aint my fault, so from here on the customer isn't right, I am right" And if Amtrak management can screw the customer, why can't I?

 

[colobok]

So how to find out the truth?

I have several reservations booked for the next year and I am sure I will have to cancel one of them later,

but I don't want to lose $100 on that.

 

[Ispolkom]

So how to find out the truth?

I'd say that you just did. Would you feel better if you talked to another agent and got another answer? How would you decide that agent was more reliable?

The rules as written don't give any exception for trips booked before 8/12/12, IMHO. Given that, I canceled a trip in November that I'm almost certain not to make.

Then I called AGR and they said AGR policy is not changing.

That's good news, if true. But why do you think the AGR agent is correct?

 

[the_traveler]

1344030153[/url]' post='384883'].I asked for the confirmed source and she told me that SHE is the source.

That sounds like confirmation of what we thought!

The agents make up their own rules!