QR Code

[Guest]

Can you cut out the QR Code from the eTicket and use for boarding instead of the giant 8.5 X 11 piece of paper? It's more convenient to carry the QR Code itself in my wallet. Or does the Conductor need to see the entire page?

I'll carry a full copy in my luggage. I won't be taking a smart phone.

Thanks

 

[Ryan]

In theory, that should work. Not sure how a conductor would feel about it.

By "in your luggage", do you mean carry on or checked?

Honestly, I'd fold the paper into quarters and shove it in a pocket. If the conductor wants to see it, you can unfold it.

 

[Guest]

In theory, that should work. Not sure how a conductor would feel about it.

By "in your luggage", do you mean carry on or checked?

Honestly, I'd fold the paper into quarters and shove it in a pocket. If the conductor wants to see it, you can unfold it.

It would keep the full copies in a carry-on. It's just that I have several for Amtrak and and some airline QR Codes as well for my trip. The group of all of them easily fits in my wallet. Folding the all up would be one fat clump of paper. Besides, I like knowing I have all my tickets on my person all the time, where ever I go, should the luggage disappear.

 

[tomfuller]

If the conductors scanner doesn't "read" the QR code properly, s/he can punch in the res # in the scanner. You can probably just use the top half of the page. I've seen some people with the QR code called up on their cell phone.

 

[DennisInGeorgia]

Our bunch stores tickets on our smartphones. Then we take a pic of our QR code and store it in our Camera Roll. The conductor will then scan my code with his iPhone, it beeps and then we board. Lately they just ask for our last name and look it up on their paper list. Good idea though to ask them to scan the QR so the system doesn't cancel your connections. That happened into WAS once.

 

[BCL]

It should work, but I'm thinking that many conductors would find it odd. If there's any issue with their iPhones, then the whole document may be more convincing.

That being said, I've presented the eTicket PDF on a mobile device and have seen others do the same. Typically a conductor will ask that the QR code be enlarged, even if the other information isn't visible. That does require a working iPhone and scanner case. I've seen conductors use their iPhones outside of the case, and they always have to look up the res # or name. For some reason, the Amtrak program only works with that scanner, and won't work with the iPhone camera.

 

[jis]

If I am using my iPhone I primarily use Passbook for reservations that can be displayed on the App. For the rest, yep, a photo of the QR PDF on iPhone screen works fine.

 

[Ryan]

Helpful info to be sure, but no help to this guest.

I won't be taking a smart phone.

 

[John Bobinyec]

No one needs to bring a piece of paper with the bar codes/QR codes, nor do they need to display them on their computer/tablet/smart phone. The conductor can check you in by your name. However, that said, it probably will speed things up a little if you do have something that can be scanned.

jb

 

[fairviewroad]

Oh, how far we've come [or not] from the not-so-distant days when you had to physically have a piece of paper on you (i.e. a "ticket") in order to ride an Amtrak train.

 

[Shanghai]

The past 4 trips I have taken, the conductor has not asked for my ticket

or has anyone looked at my e-ticket. The SCA meets me at the door

where I enter the train - says my name - I respond with my room number

and I board the train.

 

[AlanB]

A word of caution; if you are boarding from a major station like NY, DC, Chicago, etc. then you will need more than just the QR code. This because the gate attendants have no way to read the QR code and they will not let you go by unless they can verify that you are boarding the correct train. So in major cities with gate checking, you will need at least the QR code and the train number to be visible.

 

[BCL]

A word of caution; if you are boarding from a major station like NY, DC, Chicago, etc. then you will need more than just the QR code. This because the gate attendants have no way to read the QR code and they will not let you go by unless they can verify that you are boarding the correct train. So in major cities with gate checking, you will need at least the QR code and the train number to be visible.

The reservation number may be there if the gate attendants have a clipboard with reservation names/numbers. It would still be pretty small to include the res # under the QR code.

Seriously though, I'm not sure what's to be gained by trimming out everything but a small box. It's easy enough to just fold the thing. I'd frankly be more worried that I might lose a tiny piece of paper.

 

[PerRock]

If you do go the trimming route, DO NOT trim to the exact size of the QR code, leave some white space around the code. If you trim right up to the edge, the camera/IR scanner scanning the image can easily get confused and not read it properly. However I would just keep the piece of paper. If you need to, fold into 3rds (like for putting in en envelope) then once more in half the other direction. It'll fit quite nicely and easily into any pocket!

peter

disclaimer: maybe not one of those tiny pockets found on women's jeans these days...

 

[jis]

A word of caution; if you are boarding from a major station like NY, DC, Chicago, etc. then you will need more than just the QR code. This because the gate attendants have no way to read the QR code and they will not let you go by unless they can verify that you are boarding the correct train. So in major cities with gate checking, you will need at least the QR code and the train number to be visible.

The reservation number may be there if the gate attendants have a clipboard with reservation names/numbers. It would still be pretty small to include the res # under the QR code.

Seriously though, I'm not sure what's to be gained by trimming out everything but a small box. It's easy enough to just fold the thing. I'd frankly be more worried that I might lose a tiny piece of paper.

At least in New York, Washington and Boston, gate attendants have nothing in their hand. They depend entirely on the document that you show them to make sure you are at the right gate. So just the PNR code is not enough, and the QR/bar code is useless too. I have seen gate agents ask people to go to a QuikTrak machine and print themselves out their itinerary and come back to go through the gate.

 

[Guest]

you need to, fold into 3rds (like for putting in en envelope) then once more in half the other direction. It'll fit quite nicely and easily into any pocket!

I get it. But, I have 7 tickets. 7 pages don't fold up nicely for pocket putting. You can see the departure/arrival and rez number on my trimmed ticket.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I've found it good policy while traveling to ALWAYS have paper backup for travel documents handy, even if you travel with smart phones, tablets,lap tops etc.

It's a good idea to carry a small day pack with you in which you can keep them handy along with other frequently used items.

Plus it's a good way to carry your valuables when leaving your seat or room while on the train, bus, plane etc.!

 

[Guest]

I've found it good policy while traveling to ALWAYS have paper backup for travel documents handy, even if you travel with smart phones, tablets,lap tops etc.

It's a good idea to carry a small day pack with you in which you can keep them handy along with other frequently used items.

Plus it's a good way to carry your valuables when leaving your seat or room while on the train, bus, plane etc.!

Think: Fanny Pack :giggle: Crocks are also comfortable!

 

[Alice]

Guest said the full pages would be in carry-on (not checked) so available for any gate dragons. You can tell which stations need the full pages before you get to the front of the line, if there is a line.

 

[Guest]

Guest said the full pages would be in carry-on (not checked) so available for any gate dragons. You can tell which stations need the full pages before you get to the front of the line, if there is a line.

Perfect, that'll work. Thanks everyone!

 

[City of Miami]

Those scanners the conductors use are iPhones? Why!? Sounds like a racket to me.

I generally use the pdf that Amtrak sends me displayed on my tablet. I think the conductors want the brightness to be maximized not the size in order to make scanning easier.

I'll have another opportunity tomorrow: I'm going to Philly, then on to to Trenton Thursday on SEPTA then on to NYP on NJT; returning on Amtrak Sunday.

 

[BCL]

Another alternative (if there's time and access) is to just go up to a ticket office or Quik-Trak and ask for the tickets to be printed. Maybe a human agent will ask what the deal is (I remember one who refused to print a physical ticket because I already had a code on my phone) but the Quik-Trak machines don't care.

If you have the QR codes, it's a simple matter of just scanning them (there's a code reader right in front with a red light) to bring up the reservation and have them printed on airline boarding pass sized ticket stock. I could stack 7 of those easily to fit in a jacket pocket or a purse. I've scanned everything at Quik-Trak, from a QR code to a 1D bar code, as well as the PDF417 code from Passbook. Heck - I can reprint from another eTicket indefinitely. The only thing to watch out for is that it might indicate that "this document is valid for travel" but you can just proceed anyways, at which point the option to print a new eTicket is available.

 

[jis]

Another alternative (if there's time and access) is to just go up to a ticket office or Quik-Trak and ask for the tickets to be printed. Maybe a human agent will ask what the deal is (I remember one who refused to print a physical ticket because I already had a code on my phone) but the Quik-Trak machines don't care.

That is one of the great things about the QTs. They don;t waste your time arguing. Worst case they just fail. The human agents first argue and half the time then fail anyway. Juuuust kidding
Yup, a QT will happily scan any code that Amtrak gives you and spew out the corresponding e-ticket.

 

[BCL]

Another alternative (if there's time and access) is to just go up to a ticket office or Quik-Trak and ask for the tickets to be printed. Maybe a human agent will ask what the deal is (I remember one who refused to print a physical ticket because I already had a code on my phone) but the Quik-Trak machines don't care.

That is one of the great things about the QTs. They don;t waste your time arguing. Worst case they just fail. The human agents first argue and half the time then fail anyway. Juuuust kidding
Yup, a QT will happily scan any code that Amtrak gives you and spew out the corresponding e-ticket.

Yeah - I've had a deteriorating 10-ride ticket and just used the machine to print up a new one. Heck - I've tried it out after I'd used up all the rides - just to see what happens. The machine was saying "0 rides remaining" and I was still able to reprint it. I didn't try that out with a human agent; I was afraid that security might be called in. However, QT does have some programming that tells you that you don't need to print another ticket, but all it takes is one press for that message to go away.

And I've been there when a QT printer failed in spectacular fashion.

 

[Guest]

you need to, fold into 3rds (like for putting in en envelope) then once more in half the other direction. It'll fit quite nicely and easily into any pocket!

I get it. But, I have 7 tickets. 7 pages don't fold up nicely for pocket putting. You can see the departure/arrival and rez number on my trimmed ticket.

Why would you have 7 tickets? Is it 7 unrelated trips? If it is one trip you can have multiple segments and multiple riders on one reservation.