No checked baggage in Anaheim?

[sakana]

We are traveling from Anaheim to San Francisco on Oct. 21, business class. Received an email:

"We are contacting you to inform you that checked baggage service will not be available on Amtrak train 763 for your scheduled itenarary on your day of travel."

Never mind that Amtrak can't spell itinerary ...does anyone know why we would not be able to check baggage? We checked bags at that station last year. Does this mean we will have to schlep our bags to the Metropolitan lounge in LA? I am hoping we can check them there...because we have a thruway bus connection to Fisherman's Wharf. Anyone have any ideas or advice?

 

[ehbowen]

I would check with an agent to see if it is just checked baggage on train 763 which is affected, or if it is all checked baggage on that route. If the latter then, yes, you will have to schlep your bags to LA and attempt to check them there if time permits. However, if other trains are offering checked luggage, perhaps you can check your bags the night before and they can travel on a different train.

 

[CCC1007]

We are traveling from Anaheim to San Francisco on Oct. 21, business class. Received an email:

"We are contacting you to inform you that checked baggage service will not be available on Amtrak train 763 for your scheduled itenarary on your day of travel."

Never mind that Amtrak can't spell itinerary ...does anyone know why we would not be able to check baggage? We checked bags at that station last year. Does this mean we will have to schlep our bags to the Metropolitan lounge in LA? I am hoping we can check them there...because we have a thruway bus connection to Fisherman's Wharf. Anyone have any ideas or advice?

It could mean that a single level set without a guaranteed baggage car is estimated to be operating on that schedule.

 

[tp49]

You're probably on one of the Surfliners affected by the service alert due to trackwork in the LA area and between LA and San Diego. Check the service alert here you might want to give Amtrak a call. More likely than not you'll have to check your bags in LA. My guess is you'll be on a bus from Anaheim to LA.

 

[sakana]

Thanks for your swift replies. I will call tomorrow and check. Would anyone choose to Uber instead of bus from Anaheim?

 

[KnightRail]

We are traveling from Anaheim to San Francisco on Oct. 21, business class. Received an email:

...does anyone know why we would not be able to check baggage? We checked bags at that station last year.

Operational conditions at the station have resulted in checked baggage being suspended until the equipment needed can be repaired.

 

[CCC1007]

We are traveling from Anaheim to San Francisco on Oct. 21, business class. Received an email:

...does anyone know why we would not be able to check baggage? We checked bags at that station last year.

Operational conditions at the station have resulted in checked baggage being suspended until the equipment needed can be repaired.

Repaired? That sounds like there is more to the story.

 

[Karl1459]

If this is a STATION issue you may be able to modify your itinerary to Fullerton, which is just north.

 

[MikefromCrete]

You're probably on one of the Surfliners affected by the service alert due to trackwork in the LA area and between LA and San Diego. Check the service alert here you might want to give Amtrak a call. More likely than not you'll have to check your bags in LA. My guess is you'll be on a bus from Anaheim to LA.

The service outage is for Oct. 22-23, so the 21st should be OK.

 

[wdscott]

If this is a STATION issue you may be able to modify your itinerary to Fullerton, which is just north.

Departing from Fullerton may be just what you need. ANA is in the extreme southeast corner of the city of Anaheim. FUL is just about one mile north of the border of Fullerton and Anaheim (they are adjacent cities). Wouldn't be surprised if over half of the city of Anaheim area is actually closer to FUL than ANA. All comes down to where you are departing from and mode of travel to the station. You may very well be closer to FUL! Even if slightly closer to ANA, a switch seems like a reasonable choice. Of course your specific situation is what matters.

 

[Dave Van]

I too was going to say use Fullerton station......very close to Anaheim.

Uber??? used it for the first time yesterday in a somewhat emergency.......

VERY happy with this one time...saved me for sure!

 

[sakana]

OK, I am on the phone with Amtrak and am very, very frustrated. The reason we cannot check bags in Anaheim is because the machine is broken. Further, customer service says I can only carry on a bag that's overhead bin sized. Well, we will have actual suitcases - we are traveling for two weeks - so what the heck do we do with them? CS says we can get ourselves to LA and check them there, on our own dime (for THEIR problem), BUT we won't be able to go to Fisherman's Wharf only Transbay terminal. What a nightmare. We did this exact itinerary last November and had no trouble checking luggage.

Edited to add. On phone to rebook. Fullerton to Transbay. This adds almost 2 miles of travel to both ends of the reservation, which frustrates me, but what can we do? We can't leave our bags behind.

 

[seat38a]

OK, I am on the phone with Amtrak and am very, very frustrated. The reason we cannot check bags in Anaheim is because the machine is broken. Further, customer service says I can only carry on a bag that's overhead bin sized. Well, we will have actual suitcases - we are traveling for two weeks - so what the heck do we do with them? CS says we can get ourselves to LA and check them there, on our own dime (for THEIR problem), BUT we won't be able to go to Fisherman's Wharf only Transbay terminal. What a nightmare. We did this exact itinerary last November and had no trouble checking luggage.

Edited to add. On phone to rebook. Fullerton to Transbay. This adds almost 2 miles of travel to both ends of the reservation, which frustrates me, but what can we do? We can't leave our bags behind.

You can bring suitcases aboard on the Surfliner. They have luggage racks on the train on the lower levels. Surfliner has special rules which Amtrak agents are obviously not familiar with. Its the only train where bringing a surfboard is allowed for example. I have a feeling, the electronic gates that allow the luggage cars to cross back and forth on the track might be what is broken. The single level Horizons also have dedicated luggage racks at the end of the cars.

2 Carry-On Bags — 50 lbs. — 28" x 22" x 14" Each (The dim shown for "carry on" are actually the size of a full size suitcase)

P1000868 by B H, on Flickr

 

[sakana]

While it may be that you can actually carry-on bags in Anaheim, I changed our reservation to Fullerton. I also changed our trip next Wednesday from Seattle to Anaheim to Seattle - Fullerton.

 

[fairviewroad]

Once again Amtrak's wildly inconsistent luggage policy rears its ugly head. Amtrak says its baggage allowance is two free checked bags per passenger, but that passenger has to be lucky enough to be departing from (and arriving into) the minority of stations that offer the service. And in this case, even that wasn't enough.

 

[ehbowen]

Look on the bright side, at least they gave him some advance warning. Imagine if he had shown up at the station and been told, "Oh, by the way...."

 

[fairviewroad]

Look on the bright side, at least they gave him some advance warning. Imagine if he had shown up at the station and been told, "Oh, by the way...."

Well, okay. In the meantime, one can book a ticket on the Amtrak website for that exact same itinerary on the exact same date, and the booking engine specifically lists checked bags as an amenity. So I guess it's only after Amtrak has your money that they bother telling you...

 

[KnightRail]

We are traveling from Anaheim to San Francisco on Oct. 21, business class. Received an email:

"We are contacting you to inform you that checked baggage service will not be available on Amtrak train 763 for your scheduled itenarary on your day of travel."

Never mind that Amtrak can't spell itinerary ...does anyone know why we would not be able to check baggage? We checked bags at that station last year. Does this mean we will have to schlep our bags to the Metropolitan lounge in LA? I am hoping we can check them there...because we have a thruway bus connection to Fisherman's Wharf. Anyone have any ideas or advice?

The issues in Anaheim have been resolved and as of today, October 7th, checked baggage service has resumed.

 

[fairviewroad]

The issues in Anaheim have been resolved and as of today, October 7th, checked baggage service has resumed.

OK, then I suppose my previous post was a bit off the mark, assuming this is correct. I still say Amtrak over-promises when it comes to checked bags, especially given the trend toward de-staffing stations. And can you imagine an airline telling you that checked bags are only available on certain flights, and that some airports temporarily won't have checked bag service due to "operational conditions."

Anyhow, obviously at this point I'm just ranting so I'll leave it there. ^_^

 

[KnightRail]

And can you imagine an airline telling you that checked bags are only available on certain flights, and that some airports temporarily won't have checked bag service due to "operational conditions."

Yes actually. It happened at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport during May of this year when 'unprecedented technical issues' (TSA's issues but that's a rock better left unturned) resulting in thousands of check bags sitting in a parking, lot baking in the Phoenix sun unable to be screened. Bags ended up having to be trucked to Las Vegas to be screened, rerouted, and reconnected with their owners hours or days later. Stuff happens. Here passengers with existing reservations weeks out were proactively warned that checked baggage service might not be available. It ended up being resolved sooner than anticipated. The alternative was to communicate nothing and hope the issue was fixed, but if it wasn't have people show up expecting checked baggage service when it might not have been possible.

 

[PVD]

Airlines with a few exceptions are collecting a good deal of money on checked bags. Not quite the same as a service that doesn't charge for reasonable sizes and quantities of luggage.

 

[gswager]

Other option would be taking Metrolink train to LAUS when the passenger load is not high, i.e. rush hour. There is space by the vestibule that fit your luggage.

 

[sakana]

We are traveling from Anaheim to San Francisco on Oct. 21, business class. Received an email:

"We are contacting you to inform you that checked baggage service will not be available on Amtrak train 763 for your scheduled itenarary on your day of travel."

Never mind that Amtrak can't spell itinerary ...does anyone know why we would not be able to check baggage? We checked bags at that station last year. Does this mean we will have to schlep our bags to the Metropolitan lounge in LA? I am hoping we can check them there...because we have a thruway bus connection to Fisherman's Wharf. Anyone have any ideas or advice?

The issues in Anaheim have been resolved and as of today, October 7th, checked baggage service has resumed.

Ugh, for real? After 4 phone calls to change our itinerary? After they insisted the whole month was no checked bags in Anaheim? These are points reservations, could they be changed when we check in (i.e. Switch destination from Fullerton to Anaheim next Wednesday)? I am disinclined to call and change again!

 

[Triley]

We are traveling from Anaheim to San Francisco on Oct. 21, business class. Received an email:

"We are contacting you to inform you that checked baggage service will not be available on Amtrak train 763 for your scheduled itenarary on your day of travel."

Never mind that Amtrak can't spell itinerary ...does anyone know why we would not be able to check baggage? We checked bags at that station last year. Does this mean we will have to schlep our bags to the Metropolitan lounge in LA? I am hoping we can check them there...because we have a thruway bus connection to Fisherman's Wharf. Anyone have any ideas or advice?

The issues in Anaheim have been resolved and as of today, October 7th, checked baggage service has resumed.

Ugh, for real? After 4 phone calls to change our itinerary? After they insisted the whole month was no checked bags in Anaheim? These are points reservations, could they be changed when we check in (i.e. Switch destination from Fullerton to Anaheim next Wednesday)? I am disinclined to call and change again!

So you'd rather it still be broke and others inconvenienced further? It got fixed earlier than everyone expected, and I would think that'd be a good thing...

Anyway...The station staff can't do any changes to reward redemptions, that has to be done through AGR.

 

[sakana]

Complaining about my own inconvenience in no way wishes inconvenience on others.

Anyhow, after further investigation, it appears that we will not be boarding a train at all in Fullerton. According to the Amtrak website, on October 21 people will be bussed from Fullerton to LA. So if I call and switch that trip back to Anaheim, we would apparently take the train to Fullerton, get off and get on a bus to LA. None of the reps mentioned anything about the bus, but I think I'd rather uber to Fullerton and get on the bus over Ubering to Anaheim, getting on a train, then getting off and boarding a bus.

....Ugh, that's not right either. The service alert is only for train 595. We are on 763. Guess I am on the phone again tomorrow.