Amtrak Guest Rewards - OSC>CHI>WAS>FBG switch to earlier NEC?

I have reserved trip from my nearest station (OSC in Iowa) to FBG via CHI and WAS on CZ>CL>NEC.

Phone reservation required connection with 125 NEC departing WAS at 3:55p. As CL is scheduled to arrive at 12:40p, if CL is on time, any advice on using my 125 NEC on the 2:30p 95 NEC from WAS to FBG?

Reservation in July and will print something (prob eTic?) via QT machine in OSC (unstaffed).

VRE departs 12:55p and 3:35p so doesn't offer any better option than 125 or 95, and would give up 100 AGR pts.

Trip starts in Iowa on Thu 8/30 and WAS>FBG is on Fri 8/31. Are Fri PM trips out of WAS more likely to be full?

I have reserved trip from my nearest station (OSC in Iowa) to FBG via CHI and WAS on CZ>CL>NEC.

Phone reservation required connection with 125 NEC departing WAS at 3:55p. As CL is scheduled to arrive at 12:40p, if CL is on time, any advice on using my 125 NEC on the 2:30p 95 NEC from WAS to FBG?

Reservation in July and will print something (prob eTic?) via QT machine in OSC (unstaffed).

VRE departs 12:55p and 3:35p so doesn't offer any better option than 125 or 95, and would give up 100 AGR pts.

Trip starts in Iowa on Thu 8/30 and WAS>FBG is on Fri 8/31. Are Fri PM trips out of WAS more likely to be full?

Great question!

You have a couple of options...
1) You can switch your ticket once you arrive in WAS, although you will receive the pro-rated, residual value of your original ticket and be charged the current rate of the fare to FBG.
2) You can lock in the fare to FBG now by purchasing a "backup" WAS-FBG, not printing it, and then only printing it if you make it, and then either turning in your original at WAS or mailing it in; both options would give you back the residual value; if you don't make the earlier train, you could then receive a voucher for the value or refund it minus a fee (I think still so, but I'm confused on refunds now)

I think what you are looking for is a "standby" option on the earlier train with the later ticket - this is not possible as the train is reserved.

So in short, yes, you can, but it will most likely cost a bit more, and you will need a ticket for that earlier train one way or another.

2) You can lock in the fare to FBG now by purchasing a "backup" WAS-FBG, not printing it,

Also note some members reported to have been called when purchasing "overlapping" tickets to clarify which one they really want so as to not lock up multiple trains... YMMV

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8320/4.5.0.81 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

Also, be aware that some NER fares are non-longer refundable.

As it turned out, I didn't make either of the afternoon NER trains as the CA Zephyr was too late to connect with the Capitol Limited and I re-routed via NYP.

Knowing I would miss the CapLimited, I called 800-USA-RAIL as I passed GBB and grabbed one of the last 4 roomettes on the LSL/48. I also changed my 125 NER for a 67 NER that leaves NYP at 3am and arrives next day at FBG at 8:33am.

When I got to Chicago I picked up the full schedule book 'just in case' before boarding the LSL/48.

Next morning, as I passed Rochester, I figured out the LSL might be in early to ALB (2:44pm via m.amtrak.com on my phone), and there was a 3:05pm ALB>NYP 5:35pm (242 Empire Service) as an alternative to staying on the LSL/48 and arriving to NYP at 6:35pm. Getting in an hour earlier to NYP improved my chances of getting to WAS/FBG on same day.

After three tries via 800-USA-RAIL were dropped due to spotty cell service in northern NY state... I used my phones web browser and purchased the 242/3:05p ALB>NYP and got the eTicket pdf to show on my phone. I told my sleeper car attendant, who said he would do what he could to get me to the 242.

Just before service stop/separation btw NYP and BOS sections of the LSL, the conductor was walking the train telling all who are headed to BOS to move to front of diner prior to ALB stop. I told him I wanted to catch the 3:05p/242, and he said to follow him and we walked through 4-5 cars from my sleeper in last car (NYP section) all the way to the BOS cafe car.

After we separated, the BOS cars pulled in to ALB at 3:02p. I ran up the escalator where a station guide/agent was watching at the down escalator and called ahead I would be boarding. After showing the 242 conductor the eTicket on my phone, I had a fine trip on the 242 (speedometer app on phone showed 110mph often) and arrived at NYP at 5:30pm.

Next step, was to get my 3am NYP>FBG changed to the 6:25pm NYP>WAS 9:42pm where relatives could drive to WAS to pick me up. Customer Service at NYP got that done with 15 min of some kind of magic in the back room while I nervously waited out front.

Relatives were happy to see me longer, and I got a very nice sleep from midnight to 8am in their guest bedroom instead of the hard floor at NYP from 6:35pm to 3am :) Next day, I continued my trip from FBG to CLT (DNC delegate).

Hard to know how the money all got allocated to my trips, but points showed up for OSC>CHI (CZ, orig res), CHI>NYP (LSL, orig res), ALB>NYP (EmpireServ, extra, paid $57, not refunded) and NYP>WAS (reroute with LSL to replace CL CHI>WAS). Nothing showed in AGR for FBG>CLT though.

I am thinking paid fare was consumed by the CHI>NYP LSL trip and the NYP>WAS NER trip, and although I could continue from FBG>CLT on my original reservation, it didn't have any 'value' left so a $0 trip = 0 AGR pts?!?

My original reservation was OSC>CHI, CHI>WAS, WAS>FBG, FBG>CLT as a multi-ride for $499.70. I expected min of 1k pts, but anticipated more as the WAS>FBG and FBG>CLT might both be <$50 each, but didn't know for sure as I didn't have breakdown of value for each segments on the eTicket (vs the old real ticket which showed rev/segment on each stub)

Points showing on AGR are 142 OSC>CHI ($71 coach) + 714 CHI>NYP ($357 rail+roomette) + 100 NYP>WAS ($39 coach) for total of 956 ($467 rail+accommodations). That may leave $32.70 for FBG>CLT, which hasn't posted yet (9 days after travel).

Was quite the adventure. Much thanks goes to the LSL/48/448 conductor on 8/31 at ALB, ALB station agent that was watching for me, and the NYP Customer Service office that got me on the 6:25pm to WAS :)

On 9/6 email said I got to select status for points from this trip. My return was an award trip (CLT>WAS>CHI>OSC all in roomettes), and I don't have any more trips planed for '12, so my select bonus points may not apply until travel '13. If I had know about double pts for autumn... I might have switched the award and paid trips.