Ticket Exchange Madness on the Empire Builder

[diesteldorf]

I always get a kick out of those people who want to know the difference between Trane 8, 28, 808, or 7, 27, 807

Of course everyone whose been around these boards or ridden the Builder knows it's the exact same train. Yes, the prices may be different for each one so ALWAYS take the cheaper one and you'll still get to Chicago, Portland, Seattle etc.

Within the past 4-6 weeks I made a couple of reservations that were part of larger itineraries. Since I was exchanging old tickets toward these reservations, I had to have the new tickets printed immediately.

Here is an except from the 1st reservation:

Train: 7 Empire Builder

Departure: Chicago (Union Station), Illinois

Tuesday November, 2009 2:15PM

Arrival: Lacrosse, Wisconsin

Tuesday November, 2009 7:14PM

Accommodation: 1 Reserved Coach Seat

A couple of days ago, I received a new email of the above reservation with one noticable change:

Train: 807 Empire Builder

Departure: Chicago (Union Station), Illinois

Tuesday November, 2009 2:15PM

Arrival: Lacrosse, Wisconsin

Tuesday November, 2009 7:14PM

Accommodation: 1 Reserved Coach Seat

I had been on #7 and now I was on #807.

Thinking there was a reason why I received the updated email, I checked my answering machine and was treated to a woman informing me that my trains had changed but not to worry becasue it is really the same train... However, I need to exchange my ticket for the correct one before leaving.

Here is the 2nd reservation:

Train: 8 Empire Builder

Departure: Lacrosse, Wisconsin

Wednesday December, 2009 10:47AM

Arrival: Glenview, Illinois

Wednesday December, 2009 3:12PM

Accommodation: 1 Reserved Coach Seat

Train: 7 Empire Builder

Departure: Chicago (Union Station), Illinois

Wednesday December, 2009 2:15PM

Arrival: Lacrosse, Wisconsin

Wednesday December, 2009 7:14PM

Accommodation: 1 Reserved Coach Seat

Again, recently I received a new email and a nice message imploring me to exchange the tickets before departure.

Train: 808 Empire Builder

Departure: Lacrosse, Wisconsin

Wednesday December, 2009 10:47AM

Arrival: Glenview, Illinois

Wednesday December, 2009 3:12PM

Accommodation: 1 Reserved Coach Seat

Train: 807 Empire Builder

Departure: Chicago (Union Station), Illinois

Wednesday December, 2009 2:15PM

Arrival: Lacrosse, Wisconsin

Wednesday December, 2009 7:14PM

Accommodation: 1 Reserved Coach Seat

OK. Yes, it would've been much easier if I had not printed the tickets, but since I was using exchange tickets I had no choice. Now, I am being told that my new, perfectly valid tickets for trips I am taking on the EB must be exchanged for newer tickets that are equally valid for the same train on the same day.

For those that don't know, Train 808 and 807 are special in that they represent a dedicated coach for Minneapolis to and from Chicago that is added at times of higher demand-usually summer and holidays.

As a side note, it's a great deal considering that there have been many times when I've seen the EB go from being at high bucket/close to sold out to having a plethora of low bucket seets appear overnight because Amtrak decided to add an extra coach after the fact. The EB may be one of the few if only train where one can actually get better fairs around Thanksgiving and Christmas by waiting patiently for that extra coach to appear when it wasn't available if you booked the same trip back in July. Of course, that really only applies if you're riding between St Paul and Chicago.

I am a little perplexed why Amtrak is using valuable time and resources to tell people to exchange tickets that really have no business being exchanged. They are managing to also confuse some novice riders in the process and irritate ticket agents. I know that I can still ride even if I thumb my nose at Amtrak's directive but I don't want to deal with the reality that my AGR points may not post if my printed tickets don't match the train #s on my altered reservations.

At the same time, if Amtrak really wants to devote these resources, I feel like I should give them the benefit of the doubt and comply with the exchange.

However, I would hate to be the person standing behind me waiting to check a piece of important luggage when the train is arriving in 10 minutes. I would also hate to be the ticket agent who failed to get the memo and thinks I'm an idiot for insisting that Amtrak is telling me I must exchange tickets for a new ticket on the same train, at the same time, on the same day.

If I wasn't concerned about the AGR points, I doubt I would exchange anything at all.

I actually called my local ticket agent to get his take on the matter and he was also perplexed and somewhat irritated at what was going on. He mentioned that he actually processed an exchange for a customer but that in the process of the exchange, the buckets jumped up and he had to manually price her new ticket so that she was able to keep the same fair.

There must be some logic behind Amtrak's directives, but I fail to see it.

 

[diesteldorf]

Upon closer inspection of one of the new emails I had received, I also noticed that my fare had gone up $7. It seems that Amtrak may be changing the train #s and not always double checking that the fare remains the same. It would have been awkward if I had been asked for the $7 upon completion of the exchange.

I ended up calling and having it adjusted back to the original fare, but it still seems like time is being wasted for nothing.

 

[Donctor]

Upon closer inspection of one of the new emails I had received, I also noticed that my fare had gone up $7. It seems that Amtrak may be changing the train #s and not always double checking that the fare remains the same. It would have been awkward if I had been asked for the $7 upon completion of the exchange.
I ended up calling and having it adjusted back to the original fare, but it still seems like time is being wasted for nothing.

Maybe the set-aside coach is being removed earlier than planned. I think that if the coach can get to another train that really needs it (such as the EB), it's worth at least a small portion of the trouble. Then again, I'm not the one expending resources on something like this.

 

[Ispolkom]

There must be some logic behind Amtrak's directives, but I fail to see it.

Oh, I doubt that there's any actual logic to it. It is what it is. And I've yet to sit in the Chicago-St. Paul coach, no matter how many times I've had a ticket for it.

Last year I booked a trip from St. Paul to Minot that was $208 in coach, and $204 in roomette, for two travelers. I had to cancel the trip, but was amused that this summer you could get a 20% discount off low bucket for that same trip.

You pays your money, you takes your chances.

 

[J-1 3235]

Perhaps Amtrak believes it will have more requests for people traveling farther than MSP, or from stops beyond MSP, and wants to free up seats for those folks. Moving Chris, and others, into the 807-808 coach would accomplish that goal.

Mike

 

[Rafi]

Part of the reason they want you to turn the ticket in is because ARROW can't release your seat on #7 for sale to someone going beyond MSP until the ticket is actually exchanged for #807. So in a sense, you're holding two seats on that train until you have the tickets exchanged: one seat in #7 and one seat in #807.

When eTicketing goes into effect, this will all get much better, obviously, as you'll be able to instantaneously make these changes online, on the phone, and at Quik-Trak machines, and print out your new travel documents (they won't formally be called tickets anymore) either at home or at the station.

Rafi

 

[RailFanLNK]

Gosh Diesteldorf, kinda sounds like a hoop jumping convention, Brenda and I were members of this convention from about July until early September. Its like us folks have nothing better to do then jump through mega-hoops created by our jobs, neighborhoods, physicians, pharmacists, insurance companies, cellphone companies, churches, selfhelp groups and whatnot. Took me 8 phone calls to my doctor, 3 stops to my pharmacist to obtain a medication I've been on daily for 5 years just to get it filled in August. Started the re-fill process 7/24, obtained the magic serum on August 9th. Glad I didn't die! :lol: Amtrakwise, I needed 80 "group move" tags for our singles trip. My station in LNK said, "we don't have that many" so I thought I would get some at CUS in March. They don't have group move tags. (thats what they told me) They then told me to call group sales, (they told me the stations have them) I then contacted the LNK station and they said they would have to get some from the Hastings NE station because they don't have 80 group move tags. (they told me that in March) Told me to call back in three days. Employee that works LNK and HAS "forgot", told me to call back in 2 days, (he forgot again) and then finally a different employee said, "how bout I give you what we got until we get more of them from HAS". I said "sure". He then handed me 280 "group move" tags when I only needed 80 of them in the first place and this was a 6 month process! :blink:

 

[diesteldorf]

Part of the reason they want you to turn the ticket in is because ARROW can't release your seat on #7 for sale to someone going beyond MSP until the ticket is actually exchanged for #807. So in a sense, you're holding two seats on that train until you have the tickets exchanged: one seat in #7 and one seat in #807.
When eTicketing goes into effect, this will all get much better, obviously, as you'll be able to instantaneously make these changes online, on the phone, and at Quik-Trak machines, and print out your new travel documents (they won't formally be called tickets anymore) either at home or at the station.

Rafi

I kinda figured it may be inventory related and an effort to free up seats for sale for those going beyond MSP. However, if I wait to make the exchange on the day of travel I wonder how much time Amtrak will have to be able to sell that seat?

If I have the opportunity to visit the station sooner, I'll exchange then but I wonder how Amtrak would handle those that are getting on at unstaffed stations between Minneapolis and Chicago?

It's not a huge deal, but more of a hassle for the passengers, ticket agents, and those making the phone calls.

They just need to do a better job rechecking reservations to insure that the fare price is kept the same when the exchange is made. Although, it was easy to fix once I made the phone call and probably would have been equally easy when I vitited the station.

Al,

Sounds like you also went through an ordeal at the Lincoln, NE station. I'll be looking forward to meeting Kevin in November

 

[Bob Dylan]

Gosh Diesteldorf, kinda sounds like a hoop jumping convention, Brenda and I were members of this convention from about July until early September. Its like us folks have nothing better to do then jump through mega-hoops created by our jobs, neighborhoods, physicians, pharmacists, insurance companies, cellphone companies, churches, selfhelp groups and whatnot. Took me 8 phone calls to my doctor, 3 stops to my pharmacist to obtain a medication I've been on daily for 5 years just to get it filled in August. Started the re-fill process 7/24, obtained the magic serum on August 9th. Glad I didn't die! :lol: Amtrakwise, I needed 80 "group move" tags for our singles trip. My station in LNK said, "we don't have that many" so I thought I would get some at CUS in March. They don't have group move tags. (thats what they told me) They then told me to call group sales, (they told me the stations have them) I then contacted the LNK station and they said they would have to get some from the Hastings NE station because they don't have 80 group move tags. (they told me that in March) Told me to call back in three days. Employee that works LNK and HAS "forgot", told me to call back in 2 days, (he forgot again) and then finally a different employee said, "how bout I give you what we got until we get more of them from HAS". I said "sure". He then handed me 280 "group move" tags when I only needed 80 of them in the first place and this was a 6 month process! :blink:

A perfect example of why we need a single payer health care system, cut out the clerks that get between you and your doctor (its called socialistic when the government does it but free market when for profit companies get between you and your doctor! :blink: )

Rafi is so right, we need e-ticketing and updated rez system for Amtrak, its not rocket science and plenty of out of work hi-tech types available and will work for food as the street people say! No excuse for the mess we have now in either system, we pride ourselves on innovation and modernization here,whats the hold up Amtrak and Congress? Dont be fooled again folks, its the 21st Century as much as SOME would like to turn back the clock to the never were "good old days"! (Well. maybe the trains were better! LOL)

 

[transit54]

Can ARROW support an eTicketing system? Or does the move to eTicketing necessitate upgrading the reservations system?

 

[RRrich]

Please upgrade the reservation system

 

[sky12065]

He then handed me 280 "group move" tags when I only needed 80 of them in the first place and this was a 6 month process! :blink:

Perhaps you should ask him if you can have 200 additional seats at no extra cost to match the number of tags you now have! Just kiddn'!!! :lol:

 

[Bob Dylan]

He then handed me 280 "group move" tags when I only needed 80 of them in the first place and this was a 6 month process! :blink:

Perhaps you should ask him if you can have 200 additional seats at no extra cost to match the number of tags you now have! Just kiddn'!!! :lol:

Perhaps Amtrak has come up with a system similar to what some of the airlines proposed (was it ever implemented?) in that pax that were overweight had to purchase two seats, and you know how those corn fed mid-westerners like to eat! :lol: (one for the price ot two!what marketing!!)

 

[zoltan]

A perfect example of why we need a single payer health care system, cut out the clerks that get between you and your doctor (its called socialistic when the government does it but free market when for profit companies get between you and your doctor! :blink: )

It's wonderful in Britain. If I need to see my doctor, I see my doctor, and if my doctor says I need medicine, I get given that medicine. (or, were I not a student, I would pay a nominal £7.10 for collecting it as a contribution to the health service, same price whatever it is).

 

[RailFanLNK]

Diesteldorf....Kevin is up to snuff now. He was excellent! He even came out and told me about a "problem" passenger that was boarding in LNK. Almost all of us were knowledgeable when we saw the "problem" passenger. He has an IQ so high that he can't function. He has been kicked out of most businesses in LNK and soup kitchens. When he walked into the LNK station that morning my heart sank. His MO is to harass women...and we had 26 of them on our trip. After listening to his banter in the station, we ended up being in another coach car far from the problem.

 

[Neil_M]

This sort of pointless nonsense is the sort of stuff that turns people away from rail travel, especially if the change is badly done and you end up paying more.