No points on this leg?

[Ispolkom]

Last weekend I traveled MSP-MKE-MKA on Saturday, then planned to go MKA-MKE-CHI on Sunday. Rather then book two separate tickets on two separate days, the agent saved me money by booking me on one itinerary MSP-MKE-CHI for Saturday, even though we were traveling MKE-CHI on Sunday. There was no problem doing this, of course, because the Hiawathas are unreserved. In the end, we just traveled MKA-CHI, and will use the value of the MKA-MKE tickets on some later trip.

Here's my question: the MKE-CHI ticket has a value of $0.00. Does this mean that no points accrue for that leg, as would be the case with an AGR ticket? Or can I get my 100 rail points for that leg anyway? I assumed the no-points variant, but then started thinking about Thruway buses.

 

[the_traveler]

Because the ticket shows a value of $-0-, it will not accrue points!

Even the Thruway busses alocate some value on the ticket.

Example (and I'm just making up prices): SFC-PDX may be $85. The SFC-EMY Thurway will show $2.30, and the EMY-PDX ticket on the CS will show $82.70 for the total fare of $85!

 

[diesteldorf]

Because MKE-CHI is part of a conjunctive ticket----to verify, check to see if that ticket says 2 of 2, it does have value even though it shows up as 0.00.

You should still earn points.

 

[Bigval109]

Because MKE-CHI is part of a conjunctive ticket----to verify, check to see if that ticket says 2 of 2, it does have value even though it shows up as 0.00.

You should still earn points.

I have always had to call agr. even this year when the ticket had a value on it. Every year they tell me that the glitch has been fixed and like I said every year I have to call. If you want your points you will have to call. This year they didn't make me wait for weeks the points

 

[Ispolkom]

Because MKE-CHI is part of a conjunctive ticket----to verify, check to see if that ticket says 2 of 2, it does have value even though it shows up as 0.00.

No joy, it doesn't say 2 of 2. I do like the term "conjunctive ticket," though. It sounds like a grammatical term from a foreign, inflected language. "The conjunctive ticket requires the aorist tense."

 

[diesteldorf]

Because MKE-CHI is part of a conjunctive ticket----to verify, check to see if that ticket says 2 of 2, it does have value even though it shows up as 0.00.

No joy, it doesn't say 2 of 2. I do like the term "conjunctive ticket," though. It sounds like a grammatical term from a foreign, inflected language. "The conjunctive ticket requires the aorist tense."

To be fair, my experience is based on traveling from La Crosse, WI to CHI.

I usually always book LSE-GLN-CHI

When printed, I am given 2 tickets for the same cost as La Crosse to CHI direct

1. La Crosse to Glenview, IL (EB) 1 of 2

2. Glenview to Chicago (Hiawatha) 2 of 2

I've always earned points on both legs

 

[Ispolkom]

Oh, this is annoying. Trying some test bookings, it looks like the agent didn't even save me any money. If I book MSP-MKE for 7/29, and MKE-CHI on 7/30, I get the same rate as if I booked them the same day, but with a dollar amount on each ticket, I would have gotten 300 points (I'm in a targeted triple points promotion) for the MKE-CHI leg.

I wouldn't have booked the tickets in person except that I had a voucher. This confirms all my prejudices against human interaction.

 

[AlanB]

When you have multiple tickets for a connecting trip, only the first ticket ever shows a value. The subsequent tickets always have a zero value posted on them, but they always have a value that only the agent can see in ARROW. You should still get points for your ticket, although as always something can go wrong and you may have to call.

 

[jacorbett70]

When you have multiple tickets for a connecting trip, only the first ticket ever shows a value. The subsequent tickets always have a zero value posted on them, but they always have a value that only the agent can see in ARROW. You should still get points for your ticket, although as always something can go wrong and you may have to call.

Up until a few years ago, Amtrak tickets also had dollar figures (apparently the allocated amounts that eventually show up in the AGR statement) in what is now an empty box in the middle of the ticket above the payment method.

e.g.

XV R107.04 A288.00 (sleeper of multi-segment trip)

XV R12.96 (coach short segment)

I suppose they removed it and made it only available to the agents, as travelers may have confused them for a true "exchange value" (XV) and were disappointed if it was a non-refundable non-exchangeable ticket.