Over the years it's always amazed me how terrible the IT department must be at Amtrak - the website and app were never in sync, there were times you couldn't make a change on line because they only set up the credit card code for 3 characters when Amex uses 4, etc. etc. There were times the app didn't work at all!
Well last week took the cake. Last Monday I was bumped from Business Class on Train 371 because the equipment had changed from a double decker train (with lower and upper available seats too) to a single decker. Business Class on the double decker has 28 seats and the single decker sells 12-14 seats.
We are on the 2nd or 3rd week of this new equipment and the Amtrak website and app are STILL selling tickets for the double decker equipment! As I get on the train in SJM, the last stop, there are no more Business Class seats left. I was called last Saturday and told there was NO BUSINESS CLASS at all on the train, which was a lie. I am a SELECT PLUS rider who has been taking this train for 12 years. I also purchase multiple tickets at once well in advance of my travel to make sure I can get Business Class seats.
I called Amtrak about this last week and there was nothing they could do to guarantee me I won't be bumped every Monday morning going from SJM-CHI. Doesn't matter if you're Select Plus, doesn't matter that they've sat on your money for over 2 months so you could ensure a Business Class seat, doesn't matter that you've been riding this train every week in and out for 12+ years. The guy that rides once a year who bought his ticket yesterday (because they are STILL selling them!) gets his seat because he gets on in Grand Rapids. That is no way to treat your frequent travelers.
ESPECIALLY since it's due to a stupid error like not adjusting the website to the equipment. The conductors have had to deal with this as well as those people who reserved LOWER LEVEL seats (which they are still selling today) that don't exist on this equipment. How hard is it to just fix the website and app? I understand that when equipment changes unexpectedly this could happen. But the single deckers are now what will be in service until next winter and we are 3 weeks in. I just don't get how Amtrak can still not have this updated 3 weeks after the fact!
If anyone has any suggestions on who to call I will call them. Thanks in advance.
Well last week took the cake. Last Monday I was bumped from Business Class on Train 371 because the equipment had changed from a double decker train (with lower and upper available seats too) to a single decker. Business Class on the double decker has 28 seats and the single decker sells 12-14 seats.
We are on the 2nd or 3rd week of this new equipment and the Amtrak website and app are STILL selling tickets for the double decker equipment! As I get on the train in SJM, the last stop, there are no more Business Class seats left. I was called last Saturday and told there was NO BUSINESS CLASS at all on the train, which was a lie. I am a SELECT PLUS rider who has been taking this train for 12 years. I also purchase multiple tickets at once well in advance of my travel to make sure I can get Business Class seats.
I called Amtrak about this last week and there was nothing they could do to guarantee me I won't be bumped every Monday morning going from SJM-CHI. Doesn't matter if you're Select Plus, doesn't matter that they've sat on your money for over 2 months so you could ensure a Business Class seat, doesn't matter that you've been riding this train every week in and out for 12+ years. The guy that rides once a year who bought his ticket yesterday (because they are STILL selling them!) gets his seat because he gets on in Grand Rapids. That is no way to treat your frequent travelers.
ESPECIALLY since it's due to a stupid error like not adjusting the website to the equipment. The conductors have had to deal with this as well as those people who reserved LOWER LEVEL seats (which they are still selling today) that don't exist on this equipment. How hard is it to just fix the website and app? I understand that when equipment changes unexpectedly this could happen. But the single deckers are now what will be in service until next winter and we are 3 weeks in. I just don't get how Amtrak can still not have this updated 3 weeks after the fact!
If anyone has any suggestions on who to call I will call them. Thanks in advance.