Two passengers with different destinations on same reservation

[amtkstn]

On my next trip in May I have a unique issue. The friend I have traveling with is only going halfway on the trip. I am connecting from the SWC to the CS on the same day. How should I handle making the reservation? The full trip is more then four seqments allowed on the multi city screen on the Amtrak website. My friend is only doing a round trip on one train. I am doing a longer trip with five different cities with many different dates.

 

[jis]

If you are traveling Coach, just get two separate reservations.

AFAIK, if it involves Sleepers, you cannot do this on the web site. You will need the help of a knowledgeable agent. You can get your own reservation via the web site. Then you will need to get an Open Sleeper Reservation for you short turning partner on the portion of the trip that you two are traveling together and have that attached to your Sleeper reservation, for the shared portion. The rest of you partner's reservation can be done as usual.

I have done this in the past, but do not remember the details beyond what I shared above. Maybe there are experts here who can fill in details and correct any lapse in memory that I might have.

 

[Ryan]

You speak the truth. "Open sleeper" is the key word when you call for your friend's ticket. That'll ensure that they're correctly able to use your room and receive the included meal services. It'll also make sure that they don't pay too much.

 

[RebelRider]

For open sleeper tickets, make sure you're talking to an actual Amtrak agent. The third-party call centers haven't been booking them correctly. The best I just had a few weeks ago was a paper-value unreserved coach ticket charged the full Y fare for someone occupying a room. I had it corrected with the difference vouchered back to the passenger.

 

[jis]

Yes. Unfortunately the level of competence or lack thereof among Amtrak telephone agents leaves much to be desired. Specifically ask if the agent knows how to do an open sleeper ticket, and if in doubt ask for a supervisor.

 

[Bob Dylan]

For open sleeper tickets, make sure you're talking to an actual Amtrak agent. The third-party call centers haven't been booking them correctly. The best I just had a few weeks ago was a paper-value unreserved coach ticket charged the full Y fare for someone occupying a room. I had it corrected with the difference vouchered back to the passenger.

I had the same thing happen on my "Open" Sleeper ticket to/from the Gathering in Dallas.

 

[the_traveler]

Yes. Unfortunately the level of competence or lack thereof among Amtrak telephone agents leaves much to be desired. Specifically ask if the agent knows how to do an open sleeper ticket, and if in doubt ask for a supervisor.

I just had an interesting experience with an Amtrak agent a few days ago.

I made 2 reservations for 2 roomettes. I was assigned rooms 2 & 5. I asked if they could be across the hall. The agent said it would cost more. She also said it can’t be done. I asked for her supervisor, she said he wasn’t available and that he could not do it either. So I called back - and the new agent did “what was impossible”!

And people wonder why the public doesn’t like Amtrak!

 

[me_little_me]

You speak the truth. "Open sleeper" is the key word when you call for your friend's ticket. That'll ensure that they're correctly able to use your room and receive the included meal services. It'll also make sure that they don't pay too much.

And be sure the second person has the first one's reservation # as they have to be linked.

 

[me_little_me]

I just had an interesting experience with an Amtrak agent a few days ago.

I made 2 reservations for 2 roomettes. I was assigned rooms 2 & 5. I asked if they could be across the hall. The agent said it would cost more. She also said it can’t be done. I asked for her supervisor, she said he wasn’t available and that he could not do it either. So I called back - and the new agent did “what was impossible”!

And people wonder why the public doesn’t like Amtrak!

Always, always call an agent to make the reservation to get rooms across. Never had a problem and always got the low bucket at the time of reservation. Only issue I had was on one reservation (of many), we could only get catty-corner rooms due to availability.

 

[jiml]

I just had an interesting experience with an Amtrak agent a few days ago.

I made 2 reservations for 2 roomettes. I was assigned rooms 2 & 5. I asked if they could be across the hall. The agent said it would cost more. She also said it can’t be done. I asked for her supervisor, she said he wasn’t available and that he could not do it either. So I called back - and the new agent did “what was impossible”!

And people wonder why the public doesn’t like Amtrak!

It's not just Amtrak though... substitute Hotel Chain X or Airline Y for Amtrak in any conversation regarding travel planning these days. It could be a need for adjoining hotel rooms or disabled assistance boarding a plane. It doesn't matter - you still need the one remaining person who knows how to do it. Telephone customer service is a lost art.

 

[jis]

In a modern online reservation system one should not require human intervention to get disabled assistance or adjoining rooms or seats. Alas reservation systems for many outfits have some catching up to do, and others are capable of handling many but still not all such special requests.

 

[jiml]

In a modern online reservation system one should not require human intervention to get disabled assistance or adjoining rooms or seats. Alas reservation systems for many outfits have some catching up to do, and others are capable of handling many but still not all such special requests.

Those were the best abstract illustrations I could come up with on short notice, but anyone who belongs to travel forums regularly hears the advice "Call back until you get an agent who understands and knows how to solve the problem." My observation is that Amtrak is simply following the industry pattern. Doesn't matter if it's United, American Airlines, Marriott or Hilton - the bar has been lowered at all - even for Elites on special lines.

 

[amtkstn]

Thanks for everybody help. The agent knew what I needed to get an open sleeper ticket.

 

[Ryan]

Glad that you got it sorted.

 

[jis]

Those were the best abstract illustrations I could come up with on short notice, but anyone who belongs to travel forums regularly hears the advice "Call back until you get an agent who understands and knows how to solve the problem." My observation is that Amtrak is simply following the industry pattern. Doesn't matter if it's United, American Airlines, Marriott or Hilton - the bar has been lowered at all - even for Elites on special lines.

Dunno, I am yet to have anything but excellent service from the United elite desk. I have had to go there only a couple of times in the last many years, ever since United's website started doing a decent job with handling IRROPs. The most remarkable was when my return flight from Tel Aviv was canceled due to a snowstorm in New York. The rebooking on an irregular flight the next day was all handled purely through the website. I did not have to talk to any human being for the change of arrangements. Of course YMMV.

My experience at Amtrak has been generally positive too over the last ten or so years, except on two occasions when it was an unmitigated disaster. On of them led finally to cancellation of the entire itinerary, it got so mucked up under the tender care of the agents.

 

[jiml]

Dunno, I am yet to have anything but excellent service from the United elite desk. I have had to go there only a couple of times in the last many years, ever since United's website started doing a decent job with handling IRROPs. The most remarkable was when my return flight from Tel Aviv was canceled due to a snowstorm in New York. The rebooking on an irregular flight the next day was all handled purely through the website. I did not have to talk to any human being for the change of arrangements. Of course YMMV.

My experience at Amtrak has been generally positive too over the last ten or so years, except on two occasions when it was an unmitigated disaster. On of them led finally to cancellation of the entire itinerary, it got so mucked up under the tender care of the agents.

I don't disagree with what you've said (sorry for double-negative but it applies in this situation). I also don't think you'll disagree that customer service in the travel industry has declined in general to improve companies' bottom lines. Contact people are often contracted-out, sometimes resulting in less or inadequate training. Not every company's automated presence is as good as United's - which I can agree with despite lifetime elite status with a competitor. I am also a member of other travel forums (as I suspect you are) and there certainly seems to be a recent downtrend in satisfaction with companies, even from elites. This was the observation I was trying to make in the original post. For the record, my experience with those companies that I use frequently is nothing short of excellent. My airline of choice treats me like royalty, despite my post-retirement decline in flying. I have mostly good things to say about my hotel chain, although they're fraught with IT issues. And finally, my experience with Amtrak has been exemplary - for reasons I can't explain beyond dumb luck. I have been wait-listed for sleeping car space despite those who say it can't be done, I've had proactive calls to deal with irregular operations and generally my interaction with Amtrak people has exceeded that at VIA - often held up as the example of "getting it right".