Last winter, I (on a whim) booked a business trip from Chicago-Minot ND on the train. Outbound trip was great, had a ball, but, the return train was running 17 hours late (yes, hours) at the time of departure-I had a meeting I had to get too, couldn't take that much of a delay, so I caught a flight. Long story short, since I didn't actually TAKE the return trip, they wouldn't refund the unused portion, but I can use it for "future travel" (ironic, since they said if I had used it, since it was so late they would have refunded it.....heck, it was so late I COULDN'T use it......whatever, I'm over that....)
Anyway, my question is, this unused portion (I think it's around $600 if I remember right in railfare and a sleeper charge) can I use it for multiple tickets for different people (i.e. me, wife, son, friend) on a trip, or can I only use it for me?
I live in Oklahoma City, only one place to go on the train (Ft Worth) from here, thought I might use it to do a day trip down and back for the son and a friend of his. I hate to let it go to waste, but I don't think I can talk my company into letting me try the train again! Any tips on using this would be appreciated, thanks! Been meaning to do somethign with it, but frankly forgot I had it until I found it in my suitcase tonight!
AlanB
Oct 25, 11, 12:02 am
You will have to go down to the station to exchange your ticket for the new tickets, but no you don't have to be one of the travelers. But hurry and get it done, that ticket only has value for 1 year from the date of issue. After that point, it's not worth the paper its printed on.
Paddlenpedal
Oct 25, 11, 7:02 pm
Perfect, thanks for the info. I'll hit the station in OKC on my way to work sometime this week, and see what they can do for me with it. I think I have until sometime in Jan to use it if I remember correctly. Think I'll also start building AGR poinnts through my car rentals, a cross country trip someday with the family might be fun. Again, thanks,
rmadisonwi
Oct 28, 11, 11:07 am
OKC is not a staffed station, so you will not be able to do anything with your ticket there.
Call 1800-USA-RAIL and ask for the refunds department (do so during business hours).
Explain the situation. Since your train was extremely late, you should be eligible for a refund.
They'll have you mail the ticket in, and process your refund that way.
Paddlenpedal
Oct 28, 11, 11:37 am
OKC is not a staffed station, so you will not be able to do anything with your ticket there.
Call 1800-USA-RAIL and ask for the refunds department (do so during business hours).
Explain the situation. Since your train was extremely late, you should be eligible for a refund.
They'll have you mail the ticket in, and process your refund that way.
Thanks, I already tried that route back in Jan after the trip. Bounced around the CS dept for a while, and apparently the policy for refunds on late travel was you had to actually be ON the train. I didn't wait around the 17 hours (ended up being more like 19 when it finally got to Minot, but by that time I was already in Chicago!) Since I flew, and didn't use the ticket, there could be no refund, but I can use the ticket still. Not a huge deal, I used FF miles for my ticket, so I wasn't really out anything other than the inconvenience. Since I can't get a refund, I'll just try and use it to take the family and a friend of my son's to Ft Worth. He's been wanting to take a train trip anyway, so it works. Didn't realize there wasn't a ticket agent at OKC at least during train time, I'll call and see what they can do for me, maybe let me book over the phone with it? We'll see. Thanks!
OKC is not a staffed station, so you will not be able to do anything with your ticket there.
Call 1800-USA-RAIL and ask for the refunds department (do so during business hours).
Explain the situation. Since your train was extremely late, you should be eligible for a refund.
They'll have you mail the ticket in, and process your refund that way.
According to the refund policy for sleeping-car tickets, as published in Amtrak's timetable, "If you do not cancel before train departure ("no show"), the accommodation charge amount is forfeited entirely, whether or not the train was late." (Emphasis added.)
It sounds like Amtrak is being generous by at least offering the OP a credit for his entire fare, including the accommodation (sleeping car) charge.
nerd
Oct 28, 11, 3:34 pm
According to the refund policy for sleeping-car tickets, as published in Amtrak's timetable, "If you do not cancel before train departure ("no show"), the accommodation charge amount is forfeited entirely, whether or not the train was late." (Emphasis added.)So the timetable and the website are saying two opposite things?
The sleeping car non-refundability penalty will not be imposed if the customer chooses to cancel on account of the train being late two hours or more at the boarding station.