Amtrak Guest Rewards - Purchasing Amtrak ticket at EWR

Hi,
Can someone tell me where I can buy an Amtrak ticket at EWR airport?
I'm wondering if I can purchase it in the terminals, or if I need to take the monorail first and then purchase before going through the turnstile to the train.

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You have to take the monorail first; the Amtrak ticket office is located at the EWR Rail Station.

Of course, if you have occasion to be at another Amtrak station (with ticketing facilities) before arriving at EWR, you can buy your ticket there.

Thanks!
I hesitate to buy a ticket in advance, since it's always a bit of a crapshoot whether my incoming flight will be on-time.
But this is very helpful.

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Are you flying United into EWR, and then heading south on Amtrak? If so, check UA's fares to ZFV (30th Street Rail Station, Philadelphia with an Amtrak codeshare from EWR); sometimes UA's fares to ZFV via EWR are less expensive than UA's fares to EWR alone.

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Are you flying United into EWR, and then heading south on Amtrak? If so, check UA's fares to ZFV (30th Street Rail Station, Philadelphia with an Amtrak codeshare from EWR); sometimes UA's fares to ZFV via EWR are less expensive than UA's fares to EWR alone.
Good info to know!
I'm actually traveling up to New Haven.

Good info to know!
I'm actually traveling up to New Haven.

Perfect! Then you can use code ZVE as your destination!

Perfect! Then you can use code ZVE as your destination!
Beautiful - thanks!! ^

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But watch out: because New Haven does not have the same amount of airline competition as Philadelphia, a through-fare on UA to ZVE (using Amtrak for the EWR-ZVE leg) might actually cost more than a UA ticket to EWR, and a separate Amtrak ticket from EWR to New Haven. It's wise to price the trip both ways.

Thanks!
I hesitate to buy a ticket in advance, since it's always a bit of a crapshoot whether my incoming flight will be on-time.
But this is very helpful.

If you buy the ticket in advance, you can always cancel it for a full refund. That way, you have the chance of nabbing a lower advance-purchase fare on Amtrak. Just be sure to cancel it before you print the ticket out (once you pick up the physical ticket from the Amtrak station, you lose value when trying to refund it).

If you wait to buy the ticket as a walk-up, you are most likely going to end up paying far more than an advance purchase ticket--double or higher.

This leads to a very interesting question... They are generous with the "layover" time between the plane landing and the train boarding... Can the OP exchange said train segment for an earlier train if logistically possible upon arrival? What happens if you "miss" your train segment? Most trains don't post for a week to two weeks which would seem to make it possible to skip... at OP's risk of course... for an earlier train exchange or not. Anyone done this?

This leads to a very interesting question... They are generous with the "layover" time between the plane landing and the train boarding... Can the OP exchange said train segment for an earlier train if logistically possible upon arrival? What happens if you "miss" your train segment? Most trains don't post for a week to two weeks which would seem to make it possible to skip... at OP's risk of course... for an earlier train exchange or not. Anyone done this?

I have had mixed results trying to exchange a later train segment for an earlier train segment at EWR.

A few time the agent was willing to exchange segments but other times I have been flat out denied stating they are not allowed to touch CO/UA tickets.

Once a male agent was more interested in talking with his girlfriend on his cell phone and simply said CO (at the time) sold you a train segment that is the one you should take.

I again asked but was rudely told that he was on the phone and that if I wanted faster service I should call AMTRAK.

I did try calling AMTRAK, but the agent was unable to do anything for me as she said she is not allowed to touch CO (at the time) tickets.

My final solution was to plead my case with one of the train employees, the female employee said I should talk with the conductor, who after hearing what the agent told me, had me get on-board and he radioed ahead and had a new ticket for me (not sure who he talked with) and I did manager to ride an earlier train to PHL.

Recently, I had a flight arrive EWR late and I missed my AMTRAK connection to ZWI (Wilmington, DE.) the UA agent said I should see the AMTRAK agent, the AMTRAK agent at first said I needed to speak with UA but then tried to help, he had to call somebody (I am guessing some sort of support desk) but was able to get me a ticket from NWK and advised me to contact UA for a refund for my NJT ticket from EWR-NWK (which I never did).

Dan

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Although there are no guarantees, I would think that explaining your situation and showing your ticket to a conductor on an earlier train before you board that train would often result in your being accommodated, as long as the earlier train is not full.

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Although there are no guarantees, I would think that explaining your situation and showing your ticket to a conductor on an earlier train before you board that train would often result in your being accommodated, as long as the earlier train is not full.

That may be true right now, but I'm not so sure that the conductors will have as much discretion when eTicketing rolls out. I do know that the system will flag that ticket indicating that the rider is on the wrong train. What I'm not sure about is whether or not there is a way for them to override things and permit one to board.

That may be true right now, but I'm not so sure that the conductors will have as much discretion when eTicketing rolls out. I do know that the system will flag that ticket indicating that the rider is on the wrong train. What I'm not sure about is whether or not there is a way for them to override things and permit one to board.

This would seem like a serious degradation of customer flexibility once eTicketing rolls out. Surely EWR is not the only station where some override capability would routinely be needed, and I would therefore hope that the override function is on their development path before implementation....

This would seem like a serious degradation of customer flexibility once eTicketing rolls out. Surely EWR is not the only station where some override capability would routinely be needed, and I would therefore hope that the override function is on their development path before implementation....

Well actually since your "ticket" no longer exists, having been replaced by a bar code, all one really needs to do now is place a phone call to an Amtrak agent prior to stepping onto the train to change your reservation in the computer. That way when the conductor scans the barcode, it will read out that you belong on his train.

Not sure how easy it might be however to fix a code share ticket, that could be a problem. And again, I'm not sure what power the conductor will have to override things. They may have some, I simply don't know. I just know that their iPhone will beep at them and warn them that the ticket isn't valid for that train.

And again, I'm not sure what power the conductor will have to override things. They may have some, I simply don't know. I just know that their iPhone will beep at them and warn them that the ticket isn't valid for that train.

FWIW, the app actually allows the conductor to lift any ticket after acknowledging the "wrong train" message (need not even be the same route, direction, or anything else). So the scanner doesn't remove the conductor's discretion in this regard. It might, however, make mismatches more obvious, whereas with paper tickets it might have been possible to pass unnoticed with the right cities but the wrong train number.

Tonight, I asked the Amtrak agent at EWR whether or not a UA ticket originating in ZFW covered the cost of the Air Train? I could not get an answer from an exceptionally surly Amtrak representative! Does anyone know the answer to my question?

Tonight, I asked the Amtrak agent at EWR whether or not a UA ticket originating in ZFW covered the cost of the Air Train? I could not get an answer from an exceptionally surly Amtrak representative! Does anyone know the answer to my question?

I would be beyond shocked if it didn't.

Tonight, I asked the Amtrak agent at EWR whether or not a UA ticket originating in ZFW covered the cost of the Air Train? I could not get an answer from an exceptionally surly Amtrak representative! Does anyone know the answer to my question?
Kind of ... Amtrak has an arrangement where when you show your ticket for Amtrak travel, they let you through the turnstile without paying. YMMV, SRA.

Even if they don't let you through, it's only a few dollars, not worth an argument, and you should always travel with a few hundred in cash.

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Tonight, I asked the Amtrak agent at EWR whether or not a UA ticket originating in ZFW covered the cost of the Air Train? I could not get an answer from an exceptionally surly Amtrak representative! Does anyone know the answer to my question?

Yes, it does. Any Amtrak ticket to or from EWR includes the AirTrain fare, including UA code shares. Just show the Amtrak eticket printout from the kiosk to the station gate agent.

Yes, it does. Any Amtrak ticket to or from EWR includes the AirTrain fare, including UA code shares. Just show the Amtrak eticket printout from the kiosk to the station gate agent.

There is no reason the agent shouldn't have been able to politely convey that information to the OP or find someone with the right answer. Antonio8069, you should consider notifying Amtrak Customer Relations of your experience with this maladjusted employee. There's a good chance that the info about your incident would get routed to the appropriate manager(s) and that the employee would at least receive remedial training. It wouldn't fix the surliness, but it might help with the baffling inability to answer a basic question.

Last time through I had an AMTRAK E-ticket (used my phone as a mobile AMTRAK BP) and the AirTrain agent glanced at my phone and opened the wheelchair accessible gate for me to pass through.

It is my understanding that AMTRAK has an arrangement with Port Authority to allow AMTRAK to customers through the fare gates without paying anything extra.

Sort of like the arrangement AMTRAK has with SEPTA to allow AMTRAK pax to ride free on SEPTA from 30th Station into downtown Philadelphia (Market East and Suburban Station) and visa versa.

Again, YMMV.

Dan

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An Amtrak passenger going to EWR definitely does pay more to ride the AirTrain. But the extra cost is paid directly to Amtrak, which presumably has some type of arrangement with the AirTrain operator to reimburse for Amtrak passengers' use of the AirTrain.

For example, on a day when the lowest Amtrak fare from PHL to EWR is $40.00, Amtrak charges only $36.00 to ride the same train to points beyond, like NWK and NYP.

you should always travel with a few hundred in cash.

Especially if you are catching a time machine back to the early 20th Century or any other point in history that predates widespread credit card acceptance.

Especially if you are catching a time machine back to the early 20th Century or any other point in history that predates widespread credit card acceptance.
Or your credit cards get shut off by the bank's fraud detection system because you're making purchases away from home, or, worse, your card gets skimmed and has to be shut off when you're in a foreign country. Or where you end up has a broken POS system and can't take your credit card, or you need to take a cab and, like most places, they don't take credit cards (unlike NYC). Or how about just to tip the bellman at your hotel?

I'm right now in London and I assure you, even though most places accept CC's, many of them have a 5, 10 or even 50 pound minimum before you can use it, and in the last week I've gone through 100 pounds in places where I couldn't use my credit card.

It's generally just dumb to not have some cash when you're away from home, although I generally carry less than $20 on me around where I live, when I travel (and I'm away from my home ATMs) I carry at least a few hundred.

Or your credit cards get shut off by the bank's fraud detection system because you're making purchases away from home, or, worse, your card gets skimmed and has to be shut off when you're in a foreign country. Or where you end up has a broken POS system and can't take your credit card, or you need to take a cab and, like most places, they don't take credit cards (unlike NYC). Or how about just to tip the bellman at your hotel?

I'm right now in London and I assure you, even though most places accept CC's, many of them have a 5, 10 or even 50 pound minimum before you can use it, and in the last week I've gone through 100 pounds in places where I couldn't use my credit card.

It's generally just dumb to not have some cash when you're away from home, although I generally carry less than $20 on me around where I live, when I travel (and I'm away from my home ATMs) I carry at least a few hundred.

Of course you should carry some cash. But you said "several hundred." IMHO carrying around hundreds of dollars in cash is a liability. And, you said "whenever you travel." Yes, there are some situations where it's wise to carry cash [though last time I was in London I simply got cash from an ATM once I arrived, but YMMV] but I don't agree with the sweeping statement that one should always carry 100's of $$$ of cash when you travel.

Sorry, I suppose I took this thread off-topic. :(

Of course you should carry some cash. But you said "several hundred." IMHO carrying around hundreds of dollars in cash is a liability. And, you said "whenever you travel." Yes, there are some situations where it's wise to carry cash [though last time I was in London I simply got cash from an ATM once I arrived, but YMMV] but I don't agree with the sweeping statement that one should always carry 100's of $$$ of cash when you travel.

Sorry, I suppose I took this thread off-topic. :(
ATMs suffer from the same problems as credit cards ... oh, and of course, one other problem: if the phone system is down to your bank, your card doesn't work. ;)

By several I'm not talking about a wad of $500, just go to the ATM before you leave and take out $200 or so - whenever I go to the ATM that's what I generally take out, anyway. When I arrived in London, I had about $150 USD on me (it took some in transit), and then went to an ATM and took out 200 GBP. I haven't had to go back to the ATM since, but carrying $200-$300(or equivalent local currency) around gives you pocket money while you travel and leaves you with about $100, "Just in case."