FlyerTalk Forums - Cancellation Policy

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Cancellation Policy

I have purchased a value fare from SJC-LMY-SJC with the Coast Starlight being booked in Business. I read that Amtrak uses the highest class of travel when calculating change frees and refunds. Is it true that my cancellation policy is that if I cancel before train departure I get a 100 percent refund vs the after 14 days I get a full refund minus 25 percent?

Thanks

(Deleted. See boswash52's response, below.)

Quote:

Business Fares

Classes of Service: Non-Acela Business Class

Refunds: Full refund to original form of payment with no fees if canceled before departure.
No change fee

and it further says:

Quote:

When a trip consists of multiple classes of service, the refund policy is applied to the entire trip based on the primary class of service, which is determined in the following order:

Private Rooms
Acela First Class and Non-Acela Business Class
Flexible Fares
Value Fares
Coach on Reserved Services and Acela Business Class
Saver Fares
Advanced Purchase Fare
Coach on Unreserved Services

Example: If a trip includes both coach on a reserved service and a private room, then the private room refund policy applies to the entire trip.

I read this as saying that the because Business Class (2) is ahead (2) of Value (4) on the list, if this is all booked on one ticket, the Coast Starlight segment promotes the entire ticket to Business-class rules for refunds, which is to say full refund at any time prior to departure with no fees.

I've never personally tried to do this, but that seems to be what the policy says.
Of course, all change fees are waived if the reservation was made prior to Feb. 28, 2023 (which it obviously was, absent a time machine), so setting refunds aside, you can change the ticket arbitrarily.

And it would seem a good idea to change the ticket from a Value fare to a Saver fare, if you still can, since that will make it cheaper and the aforementioned rule will preserve your ability to make changes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by boswash52 (Post 34684340)

I think this reply misunderstands the question. The OP has booked a roundtrip SJC-LMY and then LMY-SJC.
LMY-SJC is accomplished with LMY-LAX (Southwest Chief, or similar and LAX-SJC (Coast Starlight). (SJC-LMY seems like a mess involving bus substitution?)
So the LMY-LAX is a Value coach fare, and the LAX-SJC (Coast Starlight) is a Business-class fare.

The same web page cited says:

and it further says:

I read this as saying that the because Business Class (2) is ahead (2) of Value (4) on the list, if this is all booked on one ticket, the Coast Starlight segment promotes the entire ticket to Business-class rules for refunds, which is to say full refund at any time prior to departure with no fees.

I've never personally tried to do this, but that seems to be what the policy says.
Of course, all change fees are waived if the reservation was made prior to Feb. 28, 2023 (which it obviously was, absent a time machine), so setting refunds aside, you can change the ticket arbitrarily.

And it would seem a good idea to change the ticket from a Value fare to a Saver fare, if you still can, since that will make it cheaper and the aforementioned rule will preserve your ability to make changes.

Excellent points!

This is how the OP described the trip in a prior thread:

"I was looking at airfares to Albuquerque and even with Frequent Flier Miles it was just a bloody waste of miles or $$$. I was able to book Amtrak with t he Disability Discount for $246 r/t in includs Buinsess Class from Los Angeles to San Jose on the Coast Starlight and I will be able to see the Metropolitan Lounge at LA."

Not clear whether this was booked as a single, roundtrip ticket, or as multiple tickets. Perhaps the OP can clarify.

Quote:

Originally Posted by guv1976 (Post 34684419)

Its a single round trip! Value and Saver was the same cost online and due to my disability I booked the discount. I paid $246 r/t and its goid to know about refund policy just in case!