NOW ARRIVING: The New Amtrak.com

[jccollins]

Lets just hope their isn't a U.P. freight derailment delay... Just received this in my Amtrak Guest Rewards newsletter e-mail today:

The New Amtrak.com -- Faster! Easier to Use! More Information!

We're pleased to announce the new, completely redesigned www.Amtrak.com website, coming soon. Making reservations and finding information online is easier than ever at the new www.amtrak.com. Check out the new site and save 10% on bookings made online between September 26 and December 15, 2004. Travel must be completed by February 28, 2005. Restrictions apply.

 

[P40Power]

Amtrak has had a great website threw the years Ive always thought, it was always easy to use. Im sure the new one will be great

Too bad the same cant be said for Athearn's (model trains) new website, that site is horrible. You cant find anything easily.

 

[Firebert]

Amtrak's site is okay, but could be a lot better. I really like sites that have the tabbed navigation across the top were great. Hopefully they will add that to their site. Also I'd like to see that all blue background go. I like having a plain white background because it looks so simple and clean. Perhaps they could use blue and orange colored tabs for their navigation to make the site behave much like the national timetables. The more consistency they can have across all of their publications the better. I'm looking forward to it!

-Firebert

(Yeah, the Athearn site sure is a disaster right now.)

 

[jccollins]

Oops, should have said ARRIVING SOON. :blink:

It sounds like the new site will be up and running around 3:00am (PST), 6:00am (EST) this Sunday morning.

 

[AlanB]

As posted elsewhere on the Internet:

A NEW VERSION OF WWW.AMTRAK.COM WILL BE LAUNCHED SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 AT APPROXIMATELY 1:00 AM EDT. CUSTOMERS WILL NOT HAVE ACCESS TO WWW.AMTRAK.COM DURING THE SUNDAY ARROW OUTAGE. FULL FUNCTIONALITY OF THE NEW SITE BEGINS APPROXIMATELY 6:00 AM EDT SUNDAY.
NEW FEATURES OF WWW.AMTRAK.COM WILL INCLUDE:

- EASIER BOOKING PROCESS

- PRICING COMBINED WITH AVAILABILITY

- ABILITY TO CANCEL BOOKINGS MADE ONLINE (BOOKINGS MADE OR

MODIFIED IN OTHER CHANNELS CANNOT BE CANCELLED ONLINE).

- MAJOR STATION INFORMATION IDENTICAL TO ARROW, INCLUDING

ADDRESSES, TICKET OFFICE HOURS AND AVAILABILITY OF

QUIK-TRAK AND CHECKED BAGGAGE.

- ABILITY OF CUSTOMERS TO SAVE AND REVIEW INFORMATION ABOUT

TRIPS BOOKED ONLINE

- MAPS OF AMTRAK STATIONS PROVIDED BY MAPQUEST

- IMPROVED INFORMATION ON ACCOMMODATIONS

WWW.AMTRAK.COM WILL CONTINUE TO REQUIRE AP WITH AN APPROVED CREDIT CARD FOR ALL PURCHASES. ALL SCHEDULES AND FARES ARE DIRECTLY FROM ARROW.

NATIONAL ADVERTISING WILL PROMOTE THE NEW SITE'S FUNCTIONALITY AND A 10-PERCENT DISCOUNT. CUSTOMERS WHO BOOK ONLINE BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 12 AND DECEMBER 15 MAY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A 10-PERCENT DISCOUNT. NOT VALID ON ACELA EXPRESS, METROLINER SERVICE AND CERTAIN OTHER SERVICES.

DURING THIS 5 HOUR DOWNTIME FOR THE UPDATE, THE ENTIRE ARROW RESERVATIONS SYSTEM WILL BE INACCESSIBLE, AND THE AUTOMATED PHONE AGENT, JULIE, WILL ALSO BE OUT OF ORDER.

 

[PRR 60]

It almost has to be better. Compare the current site to virtually any airline site and Amtrak looks real bad. I hope the train status feature is more functional.

 

[engine999]

I actually prefer the way amtrak's site works in most aspects, compared to all the airline sites.

 

[Amfleet]

The reservation system is really bad compared to many airline and travel reservation websites as PRR 60 stated. Train status feature could be improved by adding a 'reason for delay' like the airlines have.

 

[Guest]

I'd like to see a map that uses GPS to track your train, kinda like the airlines have. See exactly where your train is at all times... Not that there wouldn't be a lot of traffic from rail buffs...

I'm sure somehow either budget or terror concerns won't let that happen.

 

[engine999]

I'd like to see a map that uses GPS to track your train, kinda like the airlines have. See exactly where your train is at all times... Not that there wouldn't be a lot of traffic from rail buffs...
I'm sure somehow either budget or terror concerns won't let that happen.

That would be cool, they already have a feature like that on the cascades trains. Also I think they used to have it in a few lounge cars.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

Yeah, maybe somebody could figure a way to put together a nationwide real-time map, like the ham radio APRS system does. That system certainly works.

 

[Trogdor]

I'd like to see a map that uses GPS to track your train, kinda like the airlines have. See exactly where your train is at all times... Not that there wouldn't be a lot of traffic from rail buffs...
I'm sure somehow either budget or terror concerns won't let that happen.

Budget. If "terror concerns" were a valid argument, then they would disallow the use of all electronics on board the train. When I rode the Coast Starlight in May, another passenger hooked up a GPS to his computer and we tracked our progress. If "terrorists" really wanted to target the Southwest Chief (yeah, right), all they'd have to do is put one guy on the train, with GPS, and relay that info.

But, I don't even know if all Amtrak trains have GPS equipment on board (maybe they do, maybe they don't). So, as with everything else on Amtrak, this feature is limited by the budget.

 

[jccollins]

But, I don't even know if all Amtrak trains have GPS equipment on board (maybe they do, maybe they don't).

Nope, all of them don't. If they did, we might be able to receive reliable, current train status information. Those of you out here on the west coast know what I'm talking about, like when the train status says the train should be arriving at 10:00am but it is 10:45am and the information has not changed for hours (since the last time the conductor on board called in the train's location)...

 

[AlanB]

Well the switch is complete and the new site is now in place and working. At least one thing bearing the name Amtrak has arrived on schedule.

Have fun checking out the new site, there's lots of goodies and some neat things.

 

[Gavin]

Remembber to put in code H431 for the 10% discount for booking online

 

[denmarks]

I have found one problem with the new site. I was using a 14 point font and it overflows the center boxes. I had to change it to 11 point to fit. Too bad the site doesn't automatically adjust to any font size.

I would like to be able to change intermediate leg departure dates without starting over or using the multi-city screen. For example. I enterred Chico to New York. It gives me Chico/Sacramento/Chicago/New York. Now if I want to stay an extra day in Chicago I should be able to just change the date of that leg.

The multi-city entry requires that I know dates of each connection in advance but the purpose of the screen is to help me do the planning. It also needs to allow more that 4 segments. Since the return trip must be enterred the segments would be used up fast.

 

[Steve4031]

I like the feature for saving trips. It seems to flow a litle easier than the old one, but so far no great features.

 

[Steve4031]

Train status is much easier to use than on the old one. So that is a vast improvement. This will facilitate quick status checks at Work.

 

[Amfleet]

Sleeper accomodations are certainly broken down specificly and there are now virtual tours availible for the Viewliners as well as Superliners. Amtrak is also promoting there rail sale, now called weekly specials. Instead of giving you a price in dollars it gives you the percentage of the discount. And while before you could choose any departure and arrival points it is made more availible with the new system. The biggest improvement is one can check train availbility, click the back space, and still retain all the information put in originally. Before that would be erased.

 

[Joe]

Now that Amtrak has unveiled their new state of the art web site, none of the Amtrak hyperlinks that have been posted in previous posts work. If you read an old post and see a url for an Amtrak press release, the link won't work now that all the pages are changed on the new site.

The Moderator might want to post a notice mentioning the new Amtrak web site and that when reading older posts the links won't work.

Joe P.