Question about Upgrade Coupons

[Acela150]

Ok AU Gang. I was able to upgrade my reservation from BC to FC on 2173 this afternoon from BOS to PHL. While on the phone with agent the e-mail with confirmation arrived. It included a new eTicket that says First Class. I also have it on my iPhone. I have the coupon that allowed me to upgrade. The agent said you'll have to surrender the coupon. But if I show my phone which I would to get into the lounge at BOS wouldn't they not question if I had a coupon unless they looked up my reservation. I guess my question is. I'm stumped on this.

Amtrak is pretty much giving me a "free pass" to use my upgrade coupons again. So I could use the same code hundreds of times until it changes.

Or do I have to turn in the coupon at the lounge?

This is tricky if you ask me. Cause to be honest I don't know which way to go with this. I could go either way.

Steve

 

[Guest]

It's a free pass. They didn't consider the ramifications of e-tickets and upgrade coupons. No one will ask for the voucher.

 

[PRR 60]

It's a free pass. They didn't consider the ramifications of e-tickets and upgrade coupons. No one will ask for the voucher.

That was the case when e-ticketing was first rolled out, but that is no longer the case. I believe that now when an upgrade is processed, your original e-ticket is cancelled, and a new e-ticket is issued. The new e-ticket code is not sent to the app or by e-mail to the passenger, and cannot be printed at a QuikTrak. You have to get the new boarding document from an Amtrak agent at a ticket window or in a Club Acela lounge, and your coupon is collected at that time.

Of course, all this could be simplified by making the coupons electronic and having them stored in your AGR account. Baby steps, baby steps.

 

[Anthony]

Hi Stephen,

You would need to bring the coupon with you to the lounge before you board the train. If the boarding pass made its way to you showing "first class" before handing over the coupon, that is an agent mistake. As PRR 60 said, the eTicketing glitch was fixed and is no longer a factor.

 

[Acela150]

Ok gang here's the update.. After a 9am arrival on 66 and a late breakfast at Susan's Deli AKA Train Crew's Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner spot.. I was walking back over to South Station when I saw J-1 3235? IIRC that's his user name.. Sorry Mike.. After screaming out "Hey you AU" he had mentioned that the agent in the lounge attendant who is drop dead gorgeous.. (Sorry I'm 21) Heather, isn't much of the Rule Follower like the other attendant is.. I thought well maybe I'll try to let this slide. Until...... At 145 I got a voicemail from AGR stating turn in your coupon or else. (Not really but that's what I got from the voicemail) They for some odd reason took the time to notice I redeem my select coupon, but didn't give me the AGR select number.. They gave me the standard number.. Go figure.. So I turned in the coupon and got a new ticket. I should be boarding with in the half hour.

 

[Anthony]

Glad you had a nice day in Boston! Most likely what happened is when the agent made the mistake, it ended up in an audit log in Arrow which the call center supervisors review throughout the day, just like how they cancel the duplicate reservations where someone books on multiple trains for the same day. But hey, you get a nice ride in First Class which I'm sure you'll enjoy

 

[Acela150]

One other thing that happened in the lounge. Is that Heather was having trouble "exchanging" the eTickets. She scanned the ticket and when she went to do a function and it said something about "exchange" the ticket. I don't know what she did.. I think she had to refund the FC Upcharge for it to work..