New sys redempt: Boarding at unstaffed station w/no eticket

[oregon pioneer]

OK, so this morning I booked a trip to California for Hubby under the new AGR system. He needs to go from Bend (BND) to Modesto (MOD) next week. I booked as two separate redemptions (coming and going). Booking the trip coach to MOD was a piece of cake online... 3200 points, with a 160 point rebate, instead of the old one-zone 5,500 point charge. I was assured on the screen that an e-ticket is forthcoming.

So then I went to book the return trip. Hubby wanted a roomette, and I could not get the "change" arrows in the premium column for the CS to budge. All it offered me was Bus class. So I called, and waited on hold for half an hour (not bad considering the storm back east). I got a very nice agent who said it was her first redemption under the new system. I had to go to Hubby's AGR account, and get a PIN (or else call AGR and wait on hold again). Not too hard, I did it in 30 seconds. That one was 9,104 point minus a 456 point rebate (vs. 15,000 under the old system).

So here's where the HELP! part starts:

I was told by our little HighDesert Point bus company (when I called a couple weeks ago, they are the shuttle to the train) that they have been taking e-tickets for a couple of months now. No problem, they said! We love it because we get a manifest from Amtrak, they said! So I figured I could wait till the last minute, and do it under the new AGR system (which the points estimator told me would be beneficial).

But when I was talking to the agent this morning, she said they could not get the system to issue an eticket because of the bus. There is no time to receive a paper ticket sent in the mail any more, no station agent or QuickTrak machine at either Bend (the bus stop) or Chemult (our boarding stop), and it's 250 miles to the nearest staffed Amtrak station.

The agent checked extensively, and assured me that there would be no problem boarding either the bus or the train with just the reservation number. Of course, Hubby will have the whole printed itinerary with him, but it clearly says:

THIS IS NOT A TICKET

TICKETING INFORMATION
---------------------------------------
Pick up your tickets at any Amtrak Quik-Trak self-service ticketing kiosk, or at any Amtrak ticket
window. Check station operating hours before you go; ticket window and Quik-Trak kiosk hours vary
from station to station. Your entire reservation (all segments) will be cancelled if you do not pick up
your tickets before your first departure or if you no-show for any segment in your reservation. If your
reservation cancels, you will need to make a new reservation, which may be at a higher fare.

Has anyone actually boarded a train with just their reservation number, no ticket? Ad did you have connections to make, and was the ticket still valid (or cancelled) when you got to the next leg?

Hubby is ready to just cancel the whole trip, and take the points penalty, rather than get stuck in SAC and have to BUY another ticket from there to Modesto, possibly wait hours for another train. I am discouraged, because I spent hours on this. Feeling like I should have gotten him the reservation several weeks ago, and just paid cash, so they could have mailed the tickets to us.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

As to the train, don't know about the bus, the conductor can pull up his reservation, even just with his name.

 

[oregon pioneer]

As to the train, don't know about the bus, the conductor can pull up his reservation, even just with his name.

Thanks for that. I can call the bus company tomorrow, and ask how people have been doing it (the agent was able to pull up someone that used the bus with only a reservation on the 20th).

But Hubby is worried that, if the ticket is not PRINTED OUT, the reservation will be cancelled. That's what they say, anyway. I can't seem to convince him that boarding the train and having the reservation validated that way will work. It contradicts their stated policy.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

As to the train, don't know about the bus, the conductor can pull up his reservation, even just with his name.

Thanks for that. I can call the bus company tomorrow, and ask how people have been doing it (the agent was able to pull up someone that used the bus with only a reservation on the 20th).

But Hubby is worried that, if the ticket is not PRINTED OUT, the reservation will be cancelled. That's what they say, anyway. I can't seem to convince him that boarding the train and having the reservation validated that way will work. It contradicts their stated policy.

Tell hubby to join AU and he'll find a wealth of info to help ease his worries. And then some that will add to his worries. :help:

 

[oregon pioneer]

Well, he called AGR himself to ask what would happen. They assured him that the conductor could lift his ticket with just the reservation number. For some reason, he believed the agent he was talking to, when he would not take it second-hand from me.

That agent did recommend that I call the bus company (yes, I will call them first thing tomorrow morning, and ask how they are dealing with the lack of actual etickets). And they said he'd easily get as far as SAC without the ticket, but they strongly advised he get a printed ticket for the rest of the itinerary, as soon as he arrives in SAC.

 

[BCL]

Hasn't a "live ticket" always been a requirement for many third party bus operators who don't tap into the Amtrak system directly?

 

[oregon pioneer]

Hasn't a "live ticket" always been a requirement for many third party bus operators who don't tap into the Amtrak system directly?

I am on the phone with AGR right now. They thanked me for "bringing this to their attention" and said they are just in the process of getting e-ticketing set up for many of those third-party local bus lines. The are just puzzled that the system said it was issuing me an eticket for this one, when the live agent can't actually get that done.

I talked with the bus line earlier this morning (yes, they are "local" enough that you can call and talk to a real person). They said they had been accepting actual etickets for a couple of months, this glitch is new, and it's something they want to get fixed right away! Stay tuned...

 

[oregon pioneer]

OK, so here's the resolution:

We went with "plan B" which was to cancel the bus from BND to CMO, and get an eticket for the rest (there is another bus later in the trip, but it seems that was not an issue). The agent I talked with was very, very helpful and friendly. She refunded ALL the points for the cancelled portion (no penalty, since she said it was really their problem). Hubby now has a reservation direct with the bus company and he will pay cash ($21.25 Senior fare) on boarding. And he has his precious eticket.

What this has taught us is that the system may say it can give you an eticket, and booking online is easy, but if you have any doubts you had better either make the reservation a month in advance so they can mail you tickets if they need to, and you have time to straighten out any glitches. This has not been a pleasant experience trying to straighten it out.

 

[tomfuller]

I'm glad you didn't have to drive the extra 64 miles from Bend to Chemult. Many years ago (2001?) I was traveling on a Rail Pass and got on the bus in Bend. The driver had my name and I had to

show him my PA drivers license.

I now live in Crescent OR where it is 9F. Contact me if you ever need a ride from Chemult to Bend.

 

[oregon pioneer]

Thanks Tom! It was 7° here in Bear Valley this morning, and Hubby says the snow depth is about the same as Chemult.

Hubby was not worried about getting on the bus -- everyone assured me they could check him off by name on the bus, and even when boarding the CS. But he was worried because the verbiage on the reservation assured him that if his ticket was not PRINTED OUT before boarding time, the later segments would be cancelled. This is an automatic system thing, so no amount of personal assurances are really enough to insure nothing can possibly go wrong. As soon as we took the Bend to Chemult bus off the multi-city trip, the system was able to issue him an eticket, and all was good.

The funny part was that the Amtrak agent was worried because she cannot issue a ticket for the bus without a connecting train. I assured her that we could take care of the bus ourselves. And so we did. Just called the bus company in Bend, gave them his name and boarding station, and they said "he's on the list now, just bring the fare with you." No problems at all!

:giggle:

Hubs is now on his way home after a successful trip. I saw the #14 left CMO nearly on time, but lost almost 90 minutes between there and Eugene. Probably a slow freight.

 

[tomfuller]

So did he get to the Bend bus stop by 11:10AM as advertised? Did he go over US 395 from Burns past the spot where OSP killed LaVoy? I saw a picture of the big wood cross someone put up on the spot.

 

[oregon pioneer]

So did he get to the Bend bus stop by 11:10AM as advertised? Did he go over US 395 from Burns past the spot where OSP killed LaVoy? I saw a picture of the big wood cross someone put up on the spot.

Yes, arrived right on time in Bend. That bus system is really good, they meet the train no matter what the weather.

Have not driven past the Finicum roadside monument. Don't want to, but sooner or later I will have to. Some people hate the government so much they are willing to die just so they can prove a point. And some of my good friends are down there today, with signs. in front of the courthouse, supporting those who are restoring law and order to Harney County.