RogerD408

Just an FYI, I just purchased my first e-ticket trip. Everything went fine online. However, when I brought up the Amtrak app on both my android devices, neither one showed the trip. I could look it up using the rez code but it would not stick. Bottom of the screen still said no upcoming trips.

For grins, I decided to log out and back in. Violin! The upcoming trip now shows at the bottom of the screens (had to log out on both). I only have the one trip right now, so I'm not sure if I'll have to log out and back in after each booking, but thought I'd post this for those that might be frustrated the app is not showing their upcoming trip(s).

Triley

Ugh. Have had this happen quite a few times, and I don't get to travel with Amtrak as often as I would like. I would venture to say that out of 10 (one-way) trips since e-ticketing was introduced, I've probably had this happen 4 or 5 times. Went in to a panic the first time it happened as I was in-line in BOS to show the person checking tickets at the track. Actually had to step to the side and let another 75 someodd people pass by to find it. Thankfully I have OCD when it comes to organization of my travel documents, and was able to find the email with the reservation number within moments.

crescent2

The app also won't show trips booked through AGR. I haven't found a way to bring the reservations up on the app, making the app not that useful for me.
It accesses the AGR program easily, but won't show your reservations.

Triley

It won't add it to your account and make it easy to bring up. However if you keep your reference number handy, it appears you can still bring up your AGR reservations provided they were booked online. Case in point, I made a reservation for the overnight Regional 67 from BOS to PHI in business class online, and I can view that on the app with the reference number. Can even pull up the e-ticket. However, the return trip I booked over the phone to include a thruway bus service upon arrival in Boston, so I can not look up the reservation or get my e-ticket.

As a side note, viewing the booking for train 67 yields an incorrect price of $180 on the app, where the website correctly lists 6,500 points.

TehSuigi

I've got an odd mix of what shows on what device.

Booked on desktop = Shows on both desktop Amtrak.com and Android app
Booked on mobile = Shows on Android app only; even trying to look it up on Amtrak.com throws a website error. But I've got my receipt and I've been charged, so...
AGR redemptions = Shows on desktop Amtrak.com only

bitburgr

To be fair, there is a comment just below the Current Reservations header that states: "Only reservations made on Amtrak.com are listed."

For AGR Insider, there is a little bug on the Android app. When entering in the expiration date of a credit card, the month March is displayed twice. My card happens to expire in February, so I picked the first March and that worked. But I suspect there are other problems with the app's use of expiration date.

AGR Insider

Thanks - I checked with our mobile team and it is a known, intermittent issue that will be fixed in the next app release.

Anthony

bitburgr

Speaking of app releases, I gotta say that the last one was a huge improvement. ^

RogerD408

Is this still a common problem?

I just booked a points ticket. Does not show in My Trips on android. I can pull it up with ticket code. Tried logging out and back in. Tried uninstalling and re-installing. No luck.

I will pack a printout, but it would be nice if the app actually worked.

RogerD408

Ok, had some other issues so I called Amtrak and talked with internet services. They are aware of the issue and the "response" was they are different systems and you can only call up the rez manually. They also said the two systems are scheduled to be merged later this year.

So today the only way to get your redemption eTicket is from the eMail or manually pull it up in the app. I can't even get it over the web.

nerd

There are some surprising disconnects in the systems. I don't know if it's changed in the last 6 months, but a ticket booked using an Android app doesn't always show under your account on Amtrak.com.

RogerD408

Yes, sounds like many issues. I could hear the eyes rolling when I asked if there was any logic to how it was put together. Hoping their update process goes well.

This was a redemption ticket booked on Amtrak.com. The trip does show up on Amtrak.com, does not show up on the Android app under My Trips, but can be pulled up with rez and phone number.

AlanB

The problem in simple layman terms is that ARROW, Amtrak's primary reservation system, is very old and limited in what it can do by today's programming standards. It was created back in the 1980's, back before Windows and the idea of home computers basically. At the time it was hailed as a state of the art program. But programming has advanced by leaps and bounds since then.

So Amtrak over the years has created interfaces (front ends) that overlay ARROW to make it easy for the agents and we travelers. The agent now have a windows interface for booking. We have Amtrak.com and of course now the App's for our phones. And AGR has it's own system too.

And all those front ends talk only to ARROW; they don't talk to each other. And since ARROW is so limited, it cannot be used to pass information from one front end to another. Amtrak's programmers had to almost stand on their heads to modify ARROW to even accept an AGR number. But tying things together has been a real issue for them.

I believe, I'm not positive, that what that computer techie was reporting to you about merging things is more an attempt to get the front ends to talk to one another directly and sort of taking ARROW out of the loop for passing information around from one side to the other. ARROW will still need to get the reservation info, since that is what controls inventory on the trains. But instead of trying to find way to pass info through ARROW that it was never designed to handle and store; the front ends will simply talk to one another. Again, I could be wrong on this, perhaps they truly are going to try to merge the programs.

frankp01

My solution to all of the above is to make sure I open the confirmation emails and save the PDF ticket attachments on my phone. That way, whether I'm online or whether the Amtrak app is cooperating, or not, I have the ticket with me. I just open it with one of the PDF readers on my phone and I'm good to go.

MrChu

Or make sure all reservations are done on full website and signed in (you can do this on your mobile phone too unless you are still using crapberry). This way it will show up on the AGR app (logout and login)...