Timely Ticket scanning

[jis]

I don't think I've ever had my ticket scanned while in a sleeper in either the CZ or LSL.

While traveling by Sleeper quite often the SCA reports the boarding to the Conductor who marks me scanned. There have been cases like last week when I checked with a Conductor sitting in the Sleeper Lounge and he said I had already been marked scanned based on roster info from the SCA.

 

[TinCan782]

Interesting. On two occasions over the past few years, I've no-showed for Surfliner reservations (in Biz, for whatever that's worth). I just got delayed and couldn't make it. They were relatively inexpensive tickets, and I didn't pursue any refunds, changes, later use, etc.

I still had points post, for both of them, though.

In my case (and my wife) we were in business class and it was during Double Days. An online missing points request was easy and took care of i

 

[ehbowen]

As much as I enjoy the unrestricted platform access in much of the US, except where gate dragons rule like at CHI, ALB, and certain NEC stations, I sympathize with the ticket lifting issue. Conductors shouldn't have to be ticket inspectors on top of the safety and security responsibility they hold. I had to chase down a conductor just today so as to not lose my precious points.

I rather think that passenger trains should have an operating conductor plus a "Pullman Conductor" to handle ticketing, fares, and onboard service supervision.

 

[joelkfla]

When I told the SCA on my return trip on the SM last week that I hadn't seen the conductor, he told me that he had taken care of it.

On the departing trip, the conductor had come by to scan it almost the minute I stepped in the room.

 

[railiner]

I rather think that passenger trains should have an operating conductor plus a "Pullman Conductor" to handle ticketing, fares, and onboard service supervision.

Maybe you mean, something like VIA Rail has? Engineer and Assistant in Locomotive and baggage car, Service Manager taking care of ticketing and on board services…

 

[zephyr17]

Maybe you mean, something like VIA Rail has? Engineer and Assistant in Locomotive and baggage car, Service Manager taking care of ticketing and on board services…

I've long advocated adopting the VIA model or something like it.

While not perfect, VIA onboard service is better and much more consistent than Amtrak. I think at least part of the reason for that is there is direct, line supervision of OBS onboard, as opposed to Amtrak's "free range OBS" approach.

 

[PeeweeTM]

On many German trains you can now "self-scan" your ticket, or at least click on a link on the electronic ticket to confirm that you are now sitting in your assigned seat. I think this shows up on the conductor's handheld device and the conductor will not disturb you as long as you remain in that seat.

Yup, I guess that feature matured during corona, being contact-less.
You can even easily change your seat in the app. The conductor just mumbles something, while looking at his handheld device and passing by.

 

[Palmland]

That’s one good thing about AutoTrain. If you’re in your seat/room no one else will board later to claim it! Do the points hit your account when you purchase a ticket or when it’s scanned?

 

[TinCan782]

That’s one good thing about AutoTrain. If you’re in your seat/room no one else will board later to claim it! Do the points hit your account when you purchase a ticket or when it’s scanned?

Points post a few days after completing the trip.

 

[n3rdg1rl]

Usually when I get on the LSL or Capitol in Cleveland, I'm the only one getting on sleeper and they just ask my name. I can't remember the last time I had my ticket scanned here. I assume they know the name of the one crazy person getting on at 4AM.

 

[Anderson]

I think it would be good to know if there is a written policy about when an itinerary is recognized as no show. From what I am reading it seems like an agent who notices that a ticket has not been lifted at some random time when they have another customer looking for seat can perhaps no show it and sell it again. That, if true, is very bad practice. But of course since Amtrak almost has the inside track on many bad practices, I suppose that might be par for the course.

I don't think Amtrak ever bothered to figure this out when they introduced the e-ticket policy (which was, as I recall, expanded nationally completely out of the blue). I remember that when they introduced the no-show cancellation policy there were a slew of posts over the course of the first few weeks of the policy where two things were going on:
(1) Tickets weren't scanned on a short leg of a crowded route, and then the whole trip got cancelled out (sometimes after the second leg had been boarded, the third leg would still cancel out). An easy example would be someone connecting from the Hiawatha to Chicago, but I seem to recall a few cases of "Passenger boarded the Capitol Limited somewhere, got recorded as a no-show, and when they got to Chicago their reservation onward had been cancelled out from under them".
(2) Something got crossed up between (say) an SCA and a conductor in terms of who boarded or didn't late at night (potentially due to a room swap).
(3) Passengers who were used to being able to board a stop or two downline due to (say) traffic issues (e.g. WPK for ORL, ALX for WAS), if not outright skip a leg out of convenience (again, traffic issues and the like) were getting cancelled out.

(There was one case where I got stuck chasing the Hoosier State from Indianapolis for a few stops, and the conductor [Phil Streby of the RPA Board was the conductor that morning, as a fun side-note] had to un-cancel my ticket.)

The latter was arguably on the passenger (I say arguably because prevailing practice on Amtrak had been that this wasn't the case because of the paper tickets), but the former two were on Amtrak botching the rollout.

IIRC Amtrak ended up sending out a memo to SCAs and the like saying "Look, if you think someone has no-showed for a sleeper trip, make sure they've actually no-showed and hold your horses because those tickets are expensive and this is causing problems".

 

[cirdan]

(1) Tickets weren't scanned on a short leg of a crowded route, and then the whole trip got cancelled out (sometimes after the second leg had been boarded, the third leg would still cancel out). An easy example would be someone connecting from the Hiawatha to Chicago, but I seem to recall a few cases of "Passenger boarded the Capitol Limited somewhere, got recorded as a no-show, and when they got to Chicago their reservation onward had been cancelled out from under them".

If you rely entirely on digital systems this type of thing will occur. That's why it's good that conductors are still humans and (hopefully) able to apply some common sense.

 

[Anderson]

If you rely entirely on digital systems this type of thing will occur. That's why it's good that conductors are still humans and (hopefully) able to apply some common sense.

...this reminds me of another issue: At the time there was a lot more of the national network which had gaps in cell signals and the like, so there were (and really, still are) places where the tickets just wouldn't scan.

[This is also why VIA was still using carbon paper receipts and those imprint thingies on the Canadian until a few years ago.]

 

[jis]

...this reminds me of another issue: At the time there was a lot more of the national network which had gaps in cell signals and the like, so there were (and really, still are) places where the tickets just wouldn't scan.

That would seem to be just poorly designed system without reasonable cacheing of data. Yeah there would be a few very recently purchased things that may not be cacheable. But most of the roster should be cacheable with reasonably good cache coherency.

 

[jebr]

That would seem to be just poorly designed system without reasonable cacheing of data. Yeah there would be a few very recently purchased things that may not be cacheable. But most of the roster should be cacheable with reasonably good cache coherency.

Another item for the Center of Excellence punch list?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

And, on this subject, the conductors on 184(14) apparently were not scanning tickets today. I got on in Baltimore. Neither had come to my car by Newark, DE. After a bunch of kids boarded (fall semester is over...) still no sign of conductors. I walked back to the cafe and she tells me she had already lifted my ticket (and looked on her device to verify it).

 

[TinCan782]

And, on this subject, the conductors on 184(14) apparently were not scanning tickets today. I got on in Baltimore. Neither had come to my car by Newark, DE. After a bunch of kids boarded (fall semester is over...) still no sign of conductors. I walked back to the cafe and she tells me she had already lifted my ticket (and looked on her device to verify it).

I think sometimes, they just lift everybody as general principle. Kind of the opposite of missing people!

 

[Roadpupp]

I had this happen last week on the Acela New Haven to NYP I got a non descript text or email telling me to call Amtrak. The "Select Executive" line still had to call me back half an hour later. I had to stay on the phone for 20+ min to get my return put back (my selected seat was gone as well). Then a week later I had to request points because the trip wasn't showing.

 

[Anderson]

It didn't cause an issue, but I boarded 79 at RVR. I think my ticket was checked somewhere around RGH...

 

[AustinTx22Pax]

I take the Texas Eagle pretty often between Austin and Dallas or Ft Worth. I have always booked a ticket to Dallas but occasionally get off early in Ft Worth just depending on which family member decides to pick me up. Likewise, I have boarded in Ft Worth, one stop past Dallas for the same reason. The ticket prices are the same and I have not felt guilty about it because no one takes Amtrak between Dallas and Ft. Worth. The Trinity Rail Express commuter train travels the same route cheaper and more frequently than once a day. In Austin and Dallas, the conductors make passengers line up for scanning before boarding the train. This can be chaotic as people are often bunched up and everyone feels they belong at the front of the line. I have learned where on the platform they form the line and make sure I am there when the train arrives. In Ft Worth, however, I guess because it is a service stop and the train can be there for up to an hour due to schedule padding, passengers board any time during the stop and tickets are scanned after you are in your seat. Once last year when I boarded in Ft Worth for Austin with ticket booked out of Dallas the conductor told me after we were rolling that I was cancelled as a no show and would have to buy another ticket. He said he would come back to sell me one but never did and I completed the journey. I still get off early sometimes, but I don't board downstream anymore which is inconvenient.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I take the Texas Eagle pretty often between Austin and Dallas or Ft Worth. I have always booked a ticket to Dallas but occasionally get off early in Ft Worth just depending on which family member decides to pick me up. Likewise, I have boarded in Ft Worth, one stop past Dallas for the same reason. The ticket prices are the same and I have not felt guilty about it because no one takes Amtrak between Dallas and Ft. Worth. The Trinity Rail Express commuter train travels the same route cheaper and more frequently than once a day. In Austin and Dallas, the conductors make passengers line up for scanning before boarding the train. This can be chaotic as people are often bunched up and everyone feels they belong at the front of the line. I have learned where on the platform they form the line and make sure I am there when the train arrives. In Ft Worth, however, I guess because it is a service stop and the train can be there for up to an hour due to schedule padding, passengers board any time during the stop and tickets are scanned after you are in your seat. Once last year when I boarded in Ft Worth for Austin with ticket booked out of Dallas the conductor told me after we were rolling that I was cancelled as a no show and would have to buy another ticket. He said he would come back to sell me one but never did and I completed the journey. I still get off early sometimes, but I don't board downstream anymore which is inconvenient.

I have never had my Rez Cancelled in over 50 years of riding Amtrak, but have had my Room Sold to someone that got on in San Antonio before the Train( #22) got to Austin.( I live in Austin and the Texas Eaglette is my Home Train)

 

[Willbridge]

Usually when I get on the LSL or Capitol in Cleveland, I'm the only one getting on sleeper and they just ask my name. I can't remember the last time I had my ticket scanned here. I assume they know the name of the one crazy person getting on at 4AM.

Same thing boarding a coach at McCook. Departing Denver the tickets are scanned in the Coach or Sleeper queues on the platform.

 

[railiner]

Same thing boarding a coach at McCook. Departing Denver the tickets are scanned in the Coach or Sleeper queues on the platform.

They used to do it inside the station, at the “check-in desk”, when I worked there in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s. Not scanned back then, but lifted. Coach passengers were issued seat checks with their destination and car number (but open seating within that car)…

 

[Bonser]

I think sometimes, they just lift everybody as general principle. Kind of the opposite of missing people!

If there's a choice of two wrongs that's a much better practice.

 

[Barb Stout]

They used to do it inside the station, at the “check-in desk”, when I worked there in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s. Not scanned back then, but lifted. Coach passengers were issued seat checks with their destination and car number (but open seating within that car)…

I have seen this done in Albuquerque, NM on the Southwest Chief, at least between 2017-2020. However, seats were also assigned even though in my case that didn't do any "good" because someone was already sitting in my assigned spot. Seat assignment doesn't happen every time. I suppose it is done when the train is full or close to it as was the case when my seat assignment was taken. (I did find another available seat in the same car and it was indeed the last one.)