2nd pax in roomette one going part way

[Linda T]

I have a question that seems simple enough, but makes me nervous non-the-less, so I'll ask here. I know I've talked a little about this trip, but I don't think I actually asked this question on this forum. My husband needs to be in Richmond in a few weeks, and we decided to book a one zone round trip roomette redemption for me to Fort Lauderdale. AGR said it would be okay for him to get off at RVR and I'd travel on down to FTL. However, here's my concern.

A while back I was considering taking my sister with me to on a trip. When I talked to AGR about her need to get off at CHI to catch the 48, and I'd continue on to CIN on the 50 on my redemption, the AGR rep said my sister couldn't be booked on two trains (48 and 50) at the same time. And they said that they'd need to do something different with her ticket (something like put down that she's getting off at CHI).

Now my husband needs to get to RVM (Main Street station) from RVR and purchased a ticket for the same night, as he's booked on the Meteor. My question is, Can he take the #99 NER to Main Street if he's booked on the Meteor for FTL? AGR didn't seem to understand my question, and my station manager agreed that my husband should not be booked on two trains. So who's right and who's wrong?

Since it's two tickets anyway (one in my name and one in his) can AGR change his to just go to RVR, while mine continues to be for FTL, and that way my husband will be free to go on the 99? On the return it would also help since he won't be boarding at FTL. I'm concerned that if he doesn't board at FTL that his ticket will be cancelled and he may need to pay the rail fee at RVR. Thoughts on that?

I'm sorry to be a worry wart for this trip, but I don't want anything to go wrong with my husband's plans especially since he was kind enough to think of doing this trip for me (the continuation to FTL that is). TIA. Confused in Ohio. :unsure:

 

[the_traveler]

First off, the easy prt: even if your H is only going part way, book him on the award for the entire trip. Otherwise, if he is only booked to RVR, you reservation will only be to RVR only! And since you can not have a stopover on an AGR award, you would need to redeem another award to get to FL (15K for a Roomette) or pay cash.

Now for the semi-deceitful advice. h34r: Use a different name for his other ticket. If his name is say "Tom David ____" , and mis I'd says "Tom D. ___", he can always "explain" that he prefers to use "David". Besides (and I'm sure many will chime in to disagree) I have never been asked for ID aboard Amtrak in the past 42 years. When buying tickets at the ticket window or when checking bags, yes. But never at a QT, online or on board (except when crossing the US/Canada border), but YMMV.

 

[AlanB]

My guess is that it would never get caught in the first place, since you're the primary traveler on the Silvers and he'd be the primary traveler on the connection to RVM. It's highly unlikely that Amtrak's checking routine for impossible bookings would catch the fact that a secondary passenger is booked on a conflicting trip.

That said, I do agree that something along the lines suggested above would be good to do. You don't even have to get so fancy as using the middle name instead of his first name. Simply include a middle initial on one and not on the other reservation.

Worst case scenario, if he gets to RVR and finds he can't print a ticket at the Quik-Trak indicating that the res was cancelled, he would simply have to buy a new ticket there. Yes, he might pay a higher bucket, but I don't think that the cost would be huge.

 

[Linda T]

My guess is that it would never get caught in the first place, since you're the primary traveler on the Silvers and he'd be the primary traveler on the connection to RVM. It's highly unlikely that Amtrak's checking routine for impossible bookings would catch the fact that a secondary passenger is booked on a conflicting trip.
That said, I do agree that something along the lines suggested above would be good to do. You don't even have to get so fancy as using the middle name instead of his first name. Simply include a middle initial on one and not on the other reservation.

Worst case scenario, if he gets to RVR and finds he can't print a ticket at the Quik-Trak indicating that the res was cancelled, he would simply have to buy a new ticket there. Yes, he might pay a higher bucket, but I don't think that the cost would be huge.

Thanks guys! I think sometimes I just worry too much.

 

[SubwayNut]

That's not true (at least according to an upcoming reservation that I've talked to AGR about three times and each confirmed by intentions). You can have someone join you mid-way without it being considered a stopover on an AGR reward.

I'm redeeming a Phoenix Airport (Shuttle)-FLG-LAX-EMY-PDX-CBS roomette reward next month, 20,000 points. I'm going from Phoenix to Minneapolis, my friend is going LA to CBS (and he bought a coach ticket onto Chicago and New York), I'm saying in MSP for 3 days before continuing in coach back to New York. I told the reservation agents (I have called a couple times booked it without the shuttle from Phoenix at first, not realizing it was possible) that my friend isn't joining me until LA and they (although my e-mails don't say this) they said it was all on the reservation, although the e-mail can't display this correctly.

I also told her I was getting off at MSP but was told not to worry about it. She said "You can get off the train anywhere you'd like". 3 full days doesn't seem like grounds to cancel a reservation (It isn't an impossible routing). The Shuttle to start the trip means I need paper tickets (although the agents seem to think I can board the Shuttle in Pheonix with just your confirmation and they will take care of ticketing in Flagstaff. I did call up the shuttle company and she made it sound like I should pick up my tickets in advance which is fine, otherwise requiring me to pay for the trip before getting my money back in flagstaff). I'm definitely going to pick up the tickets at some point at Penn Station in New York before me and my friend go our separate ways so each of us have our own sets of tickets. Mainly in case the Chief is late/misses the Starlight so he can be in our room up the coast as I get rerouted via the San Joaquin (really hope that doesn't happen). Normally would just stop at a Quick Trak machine but I'll probably go into the Club Acela (I'm S+) and get a human to print them to make sure I'm getting just six tickets (4 for me, two for my friend) instead of eight, in case there is a problem and I'm on the phone with AGR again before their printed.

 

[the_traveler]

Getting off early (MSP vs CBS) is no problem at all. I still would book both travelers on all segments, and not tell an AGR agent otherwise. (Remember that saying that "there is no official rule" and "any agent can make any rule"?) Another agent may see it otherwise, and you may find another 15,000 points removed for the trip from PHX to LAX and/or another 15,000 removed for the trip from MSP to CBS!

I would just make it for both all the way. So what if you have 2 extra pieces of paper (tickets)? You can hold on to them. (I did.) Better to have the PHX to FLG tickets and the FLG to LAX tickets with you than not have them with you, and have to pay for them (or be charged for them)!

 

[Linda T]

FWIW, I decided to call AGR and inquire (probably not a good idea, though it seems to have worked out okay). Here's what happened. They sent me a new itinerary that didn't look any different, both passenger 1 and 2 going to FTL. Yet, when I took it to the Amtrak agent at HUN he said no new tickets needed to be printed. The itinerary says he's going to FTL, but in the system it says he is only going as far a Richmond, so he's freed up to take another train (like you guys, he didn't seem to think the system would notice anyway). He said passenger 1 is going to FTL, and passenger 2 is going to Richmond. Perfect! I guess I just try to play by the rules, and if there are no rules I make up what I think I'd like people to do if I were the business. Guess I'm just too honest, cause I'm too insecure. Four more weeks, and maybe then I'll settle back down.

 

[the_traveler]

Rule #1 - Never call Amtrak to tell them of a "strange" situation.

Rule #2 - Never believe what is told are "the rules"!