Originally Posted by
travelmad478
Just an update on the whole ticket buying, train travel experience. We took this trip about 10 days ago and the e-tickets worked exactly as they should have--great!
As for the refunds, I certainly didn't have the experience that LHR/MEL/Europe FF had. I sent two e-mails to IRCTC right away when I noticed all the redundant charges, and they did a few of the refunds within a week or so. The rest of the refunds are only coming through now, several months after the initial booking, and in fact after the travel was completed! Since I had taken the initiative to call Amex right away and tell them about the overcharges, I never did have to pay them, but the process was not at all seamless or quick.
I did enjoy my ride. That train is showing some serious wear and tear though--when I took it about five years ago, the cars looked fresh and new, but no longer. Still, the meal service was fabulous as ever (providing hours of entertainment!)
The meal service is pretty good. The cabin attendant brought extra ice cream for my kids. For that, he expected a tip later on. I gave him a tip but I felt guilty encouraging such practice. Neither I nor my kids asked for the extra ice cream.