Bookings to Burlington Not Possible?

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A

Anderson

Engineer
Joined
Nov 16, 2010
Messages
10,426
Location
Virginia
This is a two-part issue:
(1) Amtrak's website doesn't seem to have train service to Burlington "loaded in" yet (I don't think the downtown station is loaded in as a destination).
(2) More frustrating, there's a rail-bus combo [NYP-ALB on the train, ALB-Burlington on the bus], but even for combos which would make for a legal booking [NPN-NYP arrives at 1335 and there's a legal Empire-to-bus option leaving at 1640, so that's 3:05 to make a connection] the website claims "one or more segments are not available" even if I can book them separately. What gives? (Even more oddly, it will allow me to book NPN-NYP-RUD even though the connection for that is under an hour, so it's not connection time.)
 
Are you a member of the Vermonter and Valley Flyer FB group? Lots of discussions there about the extension.
 
Also still don't seem to able to buy a ticket for the new berkshire flyer service via the Amtrak App to Pittsfield, MA even through it starts tomorrow and the website works. Had the same glitch for months
 
City of Miami said:
Not a single word of publicity about new daily service to Roanoke and it starts Monday next.
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Yes, which is an Amtrak problem (the state is doing some work here, and they're planning splashy events in a few places). But at least it is bookable.

[It probably helps that there are no new stations being added for this one...]
 
9 days to go for me, the massively heavy lift of adding Burlington Union Station code still hasn't been done.

By July 17th, there is no turning back from riding the Vermonter out of Essex Jct on August 1. I am not going to eat the 25% cancellation penalty and book the Ethan Allen because Amtrak is lazy.
 
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I am trying to find out what gives with the Burlington service start. Since June 17, I can find nothing on the Amtrak site nor is it able to book the trip. Vermont Agency of Transportation and Vermont's taxpayers have done their share so where is it? Staffing issues? Try sheer incompetence.
 
Have any of you trying to book Burlington service online tried to CALL Amtrak instead? If so, please let us know your experience.

Edit to add: Yes, this should be doable online---bad on Amtrak for not making it so. But it still begs the question: Is the problem with the online booking system, or is Amtrak not actually running those trains on the days you want to book?
 
tricia said:
Have any of you trying to book Burlington service online tried to CALL Amtrak instead? If so, please let us know your experience.

Edit to add: Yes, this should be doable online---bad on Amtrak for not making it so. But it still begs the question: Is the problem with the online booking system, or is Amtrak not actually running those trains on the days you want to book?
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Maybe we should try asking "Julie"?
 
Amtrak25 said:
9 days to go for me, the massively heavy lift of adding Burlington Union Station code still hasn't been done.

By July 17th, there is no turning back from riding the Vermonter out of Essex Jct on August 1. I am not going to eat the 25% cancellation penalty and book the Ethan Allen because Amtrak is lazy.
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You'd likely be able to modify the reservation to the Ethan Allen without penalty once it is bookable.

That is what I intend to do with my EVR-VAC reservation in November once the Cascades becomes bookable, so as to avoid having to backtrack to Seattle in order to take the bus.
 
zephyr17 said:
You'd likely be able to modify the reservation to the Ethan Allen without penalty once it is bookable.
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I'll give it a shot to save a bus schlep from Downtown to Essex, but not too omptimistic.

zephyr17 said:
That is what I intend to do with my EVR-VAC reservation in November once the Cascades becomes bookable, so as to avoid having to backtrack to Seattle in order to take the bus.
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I don't know if that is the same thing. Amtrak would rather have you on their train, not a contracted bus. If moving from one train to another in Vermont, they can just say you changed your mind, $17.10 refund fee.
 
Amtrak25 said:
I'll give it a shot to save a bus schlep from Downtown to Essex, but not too omptimistic.



I don't know if that is the same thing. Amtrak would rather have you on their train, not a contracted bus. If moving from one train to another in Vermont, they can just say you changed your mind, $17.10 refund fee.
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As far as I can tell, the modification/cancellation rules are consistent irrespective of what they'd "rather" you do, as long are both Amtrak ticketed services.

Also, in my experience, they pretty much consider a change to any itinerary a "modification" and not a cancellation as long as you have it in mind when you talk to them. It is only a cancellation if you flat don't travel (or don't have your proposed itinerary in mind when you call).

With that said, some agents are better than others, and I'd call the AGR line just to be sure.
 
Amtrak25 said:
Look at Intercity Rail Map ASAP.

Burlington Union Station is "BTN". It says train 290 left Burlington 15 minutes late at 10:25am, and is over an hour late from Rutland and on down

Don't waste your time looking for that station on the Amtrak website - it ain't there.
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Guess you didn't see my post at 3:33 today ;)
 
No it isn't. Seems they are only in the process.

On a PC, there is a Burlington Union Station (BTN) in the drop down for Burlington, but BTN will not load. You may get a bunch of business names that start with the acronym BTN, like BTN Automotive in California.

On Android App, it loads, but for a particular date chosen, result is "We are temporarily unable to process your request. Please try again later". That's for southbound or round trip. It does seem to work northbound.

No $1 fares loaded for local Vermont trips like RUD - BTN
 
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It works for me. I have tried both on the web site and on the iOS app and everything works as it should up until the payment screen (I did not go further yet).

Also: The station code is BTN, not BNT.

I can confirm though that I do not see any Saver fares, only Value fares.
 

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