MSP2000

I agree about the lack of consistency part. I have had CSR's on the phone tell me one thing and the CSR at the station has agreed to the opposite and vice versa! I have seen different CSR's at the same station handle things differently. Moral of the story - Do not take no for an answer!

Tracklet

This all started last year when Amtrak began requiring a 3-day advance reservation in order to use certain discounts (like AAA, Student Advantage, NARP, etc.)

Anytime you have to switch a reservation on the spot, they're essentially creating a new reservation that won't allow you to use those discounts because the 3-day discount window has passed. (So the next time this happens, ask them to apply H570 if possible, since no advance reservation is necessary in order to use that code...)

GrizShel

Any more recent experiences on this? What's the current likelihood of being let on an earlier train than ticketed for (in this case in the nyc - was route) without having to be reticketed?

What is H570?

And when waiting to pick up your ticket at the station, does the 10% penalty if you have to change trains?

AlanB

None. On the NEC you must have the correct ticket for the train, other than when riding on a Keystone. If the conductor is paying attention, then he/she will put you off at the next stop if you don't have the correct ticket.

And if you have to or want to change the ticket, you will loose any discount that you had. And if the change is at your request, then you will also have the pay the current bucket price and not the one that you had. If Amtrak forces the change due to a train cancellation, then they should hold the same bucket price for you and not charge you the higher bucket rate most likely in effect at that time.

You can upon completion of your trip call up customer service and they can issue you a voucher in the amount of your lost discount, again assuming that it was Amtrak's fault for the change. That voucher is then good for a period of one year towards any future trip on Amtrak.

It was a special discount that was offered by Amtrak. It was rather unique in that it worked at any time, on any train and wasn't subject to the 3 day rule.

No, the 10% penalty only applies if you want a refund for your printed tickets. If you exchange your tickets, or take the refund in the form of a voucher, then there is no penalty. Or if the tickets have not been printed, then again there is no penalty.

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry7130e/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/104)

My only suggestion is that if you find yourself able and wanting to take an earlier train than the one for which you are ticketed, ask the conductor on the earlier train (before you board) if your ticket will be honored on the earlier train. You might be pleasantly surprised. This strategy will not work at stations where Amtrak personnel check tickets before allowing passengers down to track level, unless you can find a "back way" down to the platform.

EnvoyBoy

I've jumped on a earlier Acela twice out of NHV, bound for PHL and gotten no comment at all from the conductor. Both times were mid-afternoon and not the truly packed evening trains and both cases were in Business, not First. Given how full the evening Acela can be and how often First is sold out, I'm guessing it'd be much more unacceptable under those circumstances.

Daze

A group of us were making a turnaround from Chicago to Galesburg and #5 normally departs ahead of #3, but due to a problem, #5 was late and we went through the gate for #3. After a couple of us had presented our tix to the conductor, the gate agents raised a fuss and wanted to deny us passage, but the conductor overruled the gate personel. The car attendants were not thrilled by our lack of a car assignment and us sitting in the lounge car, but they deferred to the conductor's decision. The conductor is in charge of the train and that is the best person to deal with......understand it is NOT policy to allow you on a train other than the one ticketed on, and as always YMMV.