Random seat assignment changes - resumption of full train booking
 

Just wanted to give everyone a "heads up" - I noticed today that for trains I booked for next month when Amtrak will no longer limit capacity, but which I booked while the capacity controls were still in effect, I have had my seat assignments changed - was moved in Acela F from single seats to shared seats with a table. I was able to restore my original selections since the trains were still fairly empty, but you might want to baby sit your reservations!

I had the same thing happen today. I was booted from the Acela quiet car to regular business. I was able to reclaim my seat without issue. It appears all seats are bookable.

I got an email from Amtrak today about a possible seat assignment change (which I assumed was related to the elimination of seat blocking), but I can't see the seat maps, and my reservation details won't even show on Amtrak.com! :eek:

We were also in the quiet car, FWIW.

I also got an email notification, but my seat assignments on the app were unchanged, however when I logged into the web site, I could see they had been changed there.

The reservation vacillates between showing on the app and not showing. Sometimes I can get the seat map to show with the old seats, but any change (to put 2 of us together) does not go through. Sometimes only a blank seat map comes up. The Amtrak.com website shows the "upcoming trip" but "We are unable to retrieve your reservation at this time." to see details.
The phone line read out my reservation, with what seemed like two different seat assignments (it's a one-way trip).
Then to add insult to injury, Verizon marked the Amtrak call-back caller ID as junk and sent it straight to voicemail. :mad: :mad:
So I'm waiting on hold.

I got the emails as well. I had been in the QC and had been moved to regular BC. I was able to change them all back without issue.

Finally was able to speak to an agent who saw that we were moved to a non-QC and was able to move us back, also to be seated together, but it took a few explanation attempts. :shrug:
Then a required log-off/log-on to see the reservations properly in the app and website.

BTW/FWIW, the Amtrak callback system does seem to try again every 30 minutes if you miss the call.

They are still at it! Just had another seat change this morning for one I changed yesterday. I guess this resumption of fully booking trains has really screwed up their system!

In the last couple of weeks I have gotten about ten of these emails where they tell me the seats have changed and they will send me a new eticket. No etickets have arrived. They also say you can view or change your seat in the app or on the site, but when I click on that reservation on the site and try to modify it, it gives me a "reservation unavailable" message and tells me to call. I just called and reached an incredibly rude rep who said, "that's because you're supposed to call." When i said, "the email didn't say to call," he said "I'm not going to argue with you about verbiage" and sent me into hold hell. Anyone else having this issue?

Edited with the answer, in case it helps anyone else: I called again and reached the same guy! But the third time was the charm and I reached a woman who was fantastic. She didn't know why either but worked it through and found out it was because of those crazy $39 sale fares. They each had to be manually rebooked as a new ticket with the price overridden. She rebooked all ten for me at the same fare and I was then able to open them online and change my seats back to the ones I wanted.

I had the same issue with the app, but on the website itself I was able to re-select seats no problem and get a new eTicket. However, in the app it continues to show my old seats :confused:

I have had 4 out of 6 seat assignments change in the past few weeks: Acela First, Business and NE Business. It seems that every single train I get on has had boarding drama with two people being in the same seat. The conductor told me that seat assignments change but
he provided no reason why. Last night my SO and I (who booked together) we split up and I lost my window seat and was moved to a table for 4. Am I just unlucky or is it a thing? And any way to minimized the odds of it continuing to happen?

Wow, yikes, I take multiple Acelas and Regional BC's a week and have for a while now. This has never happened to me since the original change described in this thread occurred... I wonder why that happened to you and so many times? I've only seen one drama where two people had the same seat but it was too far ahead of me to learn what the reason was or how it was resolved. Usually it's just that someone is sitting in the wrong seat.

I'm in Acela First almost every week since seat assignments started & I've never had a random seat change...

Well, it appears then it is not a thing and we have been unlucky, as have a few others. The conductor said that it does happen and that the "correct" seat assignment is the one on the app. Some of my reservations were made by others, not on my app, and I even had a few
paper tickets. Maybe that interface is the issue. Whatever, I will now make all of the bookings myself on the app and see if that ends it.

Occasionally they will move/reassign you. The app always gets it. They don't always send out notification emails.