schistosomiasis

I booked a ticket from PHX-EWR and then Amtrak to Philadelphia. Searching previous forums, they get upset if you skip the train. But I don't want to wait at EWR train station for three hours, I'd rather take the NJ Transit to Princeton and get picked up from there, it's the same distance to my house as my house is to PHL train station or airport. I checked online and there are no earlier trains available.

Should I keep my One Pass number in my reservation, or change it to a different airline (like Emirates), I don't want to risk losing all of my miles? It's a one way ticket so I don't have to worry about a return getting cancelled.

ClimbGuy

Just keep the ticket stub and say you took the train and it never posted. Amtrak doesn't post stuff all the time. They mail the tix in to a central place to process its not like flying where they scan it when you board.

sbm12

Did you check CO.com or Amtrak.com for an earlier ticket? The CO tickets are good on any unreserved amtrak train, and they run every couple of hours through most of the day. Or you can just not use it and not worry about it.

ClimbGuy

Amtrak's NEC service has been reserved for the past few years. However, you should be able to change it to an earlier train and can then get off at any stop. Regardless just keep the ticket and if CO gives you a hard time tell them you took the train and it just never posted. About 10-20% of the time I have to call AGR to request them to post my points from trains I did take. If you don't use the ticket this time save it since Amtrak tickets are valid for one year you may be able to use it another time. Also if there is a $ amount in the bottom of the ticket it can be applied to any ticket for one year.

mbreuer

Note: You HAVE to go to the Airtrain station and get the ticket from the kiosk. Once you have the ticket, you can ask an Amtrak agent to change to an earlier train (if there are any). As noted, they're all reserved now, so you can't just board a different train w/o permission. Once you're on a train, the Amtrak T&C (to which you're bound, not the CO terms) don't require that you remain on the train until the ticketed destination - just that you don't remain on past it.

HLS2002

Has anyone really had a OnePass account cancelled as a hidden city penalty for skipping an Amtrak segment? Amtrak can't realistically keep a fair count of who is on board, unlike air manifests, so innocent people would likely have their accounts closed all the time.

I successfully skipped Amtrak segments both in and outbound in 2004. The hidden city scheme saved me over $1000, and I never suffered any penalty. I received OnePass miles for the flights, but not the trains obviously.

sbm12

I did too. But that was then and this is now. Apparently they've fixed the problem on the outbound so if you don't get the train ticket first they do cancel your air segments. On the inbound it shouldn't matter at all, as you're already done flying.

HLS2002

I just don't want my frequent flyer accounts terminated. Here's one curiousity, though: Amtrak is generous with ticket changes. If I collect my ticket from the QuikTrak machine and exchange it for a ticket on a train a month later, have I violated the rules?

craz

Bingo! just make sure that the train you do take actually will stop at the station you want to get off at.

What happened back in '05 & '04 was back then. Now Amtrak & CO computers do talk to each other.

I dont know of a case where someone booked a hidden city, I need to go to IAH but a tkt to AUS via IAH is alot cheaper and Im flying on a 1 way or the return portion. As long as a person doesnt make it a monthly occurance and simply walks off the EWR-IAH and doesnt get on the IAH-AUS flight usually nothing will happen. Make it a reg occurance an dyou got apotential problem.

Id see if there is an Amtrak train before the one on my tkt and grab that one after all the OP will have to pay for the NJT ride while Amtrak is already covered. CO leaves tons of time in between when you are to land and the train time. Ive never had a problem getting onto an early train, BUT dont simply board it w/o having gotten a your tkt switched by teh Agent near the Kiosk machine. Since all Amtrak are now Reserved they will throw you off at the 1st station, since you dont have a res for that particuliar train.

craz

The tkts use to be good for 1 yr from the date on it for the route that is written on the tkt.

If the fare to EWR and to ZFV is the same then probably no prob, but if ZFV (Philly) was less $$ then not taking that train wont be looked on lightly.

also if you do take the train you were booked on you would get the miles for it, you wont for a train after the date you were suppose to fly as you would have to send in for that and You got to be crazy to do so as they will see you didnt ride when you were suppose to. Its hit or miss when taking a different train on the same day.


Just remembered this tidbit, CO doesnt see all the trains so check the Amtrak shed and then call up and see if CO can switch the train for you. I was able to have this done a couple of times. Ecven once when I was taking a VDB @ IAH and wanted to fly IAH-EWR-ZFV instaed of overnighting it @IAH on CO, I said just give me the Hotel @EWR instead, they werent able to see any trains whatsoever EWR-ZFV nor knew that ZFV even existed. I found a flight/train # and then found a better onne once I landed @EWR called up and had CO switch it for me.

flyinfroggie

One thing that I've done - I've gotten the Amtrak agent to switch it from Newark Penn to Philadelphia Penn. I jump on a nj transit train from Newark Airport to Newark Penn, then taken the Amtrak (that didn't stop at the airport) to Philly...

icydog

Are you telling me that the Amtrack train from Philly doesn't stop at EWR?

I have another thread going on this but wonder if I can pick up my ticket in Princeton Junction this week. On my scheduled flight day can I take the train from Princeton to EWR and skip the Philly connection. I live in central NJ and going to Philly to take a train to EWR is a gigantic time waster. If I can board the train in a closer station like Princeton Junc or Cranbury Station I could definately do this. Any opinions on taking the train from another Amtrack stop on the way to Newark?

craz

True NOT every Amtrak Train stops at EWR most Do Not.You need to check the schedule very closly, also those that do stop are All Reserved Trains so you can not simply get onto any train that does in fact stop at EWR, you have to get Amtrak to switch before hand, maybe that alerts CO also.

Hope this helps enjoy the reading http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthrea...ghlight=amtrak

JohnneeO

Not sure how this eventually worked out for the OP, but I don't think that Amtrak stops at Princeton Junction. That is a NJ Transit stop only; Amtrak goes through w/o stopping. The OP could always board an Amtrak train at EWR (thereby earning the miles), and then transfer to NJ Transit at a common NJ Transit/Amtrak station. like MetroPark/New Brunswick/Newark Penn, buying the NJ Tranist ticket from the common station to Princeton Junction. That would probably also save a little $$, since for all trains that stop at EWR, there is a premium in those fares to offset the cost of the station

abefroman329

Not true. Some (not all) Amtrak trains stop at Princeton Junction.