Amtrak Refund is awesome-planes refunds stink

[Gingee]

I know why I like trains (instead of planes). I can switch my reservations around without penalties (usually). You find a better price or have to cancel a week before, no problem (with sleepers). No problem a day before with coach. I just snagged a bedroom for the two of us for one way for $57 more total (for entire reservation). I made my original one last summer but when I got a bedroom (versus a roommette), I jumped on it. Comparing to what my daughter has just done, I love Amtrak. She had to change her reservation (flying back from Miami) due to people backing out on her trip. To change that reservation to the day before (original costs the same, it cost her a penalty fee of $211. Yay Amtrak. I knew I didn't like to fly.

 

[FunNut]

Comparing to what my daughter has just done, I love Amtrak. She had to change her reservation (flying back from Miami) due to people backing out on her trip. To change that reservation to the day before (original costs the same, it cost her a penalty fee of $211. Yay Amtrak. I knew I didn't like to fly.

AFAIK, the only airline that doesn't impose change penalties/fees is Southwest. You can cancel or change your reservation and apply the full value of your original fare toward a new ticket. A $200+ penalty is ridiculous.

I'd still rather be on a train.

 

[Shawn Ryu]

Airlines generally try to come up with any excuse NOT to gvie refunds, at least in the US.

I had bustiution from Philly to NYP becaise of problems with catenary about 2 years ago. My ticket was torn up and wet, but when I went to Amtrak ticket office they gave me full refund.

 

[jis]

Actually you do get full refund even from airlines when you buy a refundable fare, and you can change a ticket without any fee if you buy a changeable fare, but they are not the cheapest fares. The cheapest fares are usually all non-refundable and changeable for a fee, hence you get to jump through those hoops if you happen to buy such a fare.

 

[VentureForth]

Amazing what you can do when you don't have to spend your own money or worry about the bottom line.

 

[PRR 60]

Amazing what you can do when you don't have to spend your own money or worry about the bottom line.

The cost of a fully refundable airfare can be much more than the restricted fare, but sometimes it is pretty reasonable. I've purchased fully refundable fares several times on my dime because of uncertainty of the timing of my travel. It's a judgement call depending on the cost to buy-up to an unrestricted fare and the degree to which I feel comfortable with the timing.

One advantage of an unrestricted airfare over Amtrak pricing is that same-day changes can be made with no change in fare. Amtrak reprices changes into the current fare bucket even for changes at the station on the day of travel. Airlines do not reprice to the walk-up fare for same-day changes. You swap-out the boarding passes, and you're on your way.

 

[jis]

Amazing what you can do when you don't have to spend your own money or worry about the bottom line.

Just like PRR, I have on my own nickel, on occasions used fully refundable fare and even more often used fully exchangeable fare, which usually is less than fully refundable. It all depends on how confidant I am about the trip and the difference for the upgrade of the fare. Another factor that occasionally plays into the equation is whether the fate allows mileage upgrades or not, more important on long international legs than on domestic ones.

 

[Gingee]

Well hers was the cheaper fare (was). She changed from next Saturday to next Friday.

 

[AlanB]

One advantage of an unrestricted airfare over Amtrak pricing is that same-day changes can be made with no change in fare. Amtrak reprices changes into the current fare bucket even for changes at the station on the day of travel. Airlines do not reprice to the walk-up fare for same-day changes. You swap-out the boarding passes, and you're on your way.

Yes, IMHO, this is a big problem for Amtrak. Certain changes I might be able to understand things repricing, even if I'm not happy about it. But for example, if one buys a BC ticket at low bucket for Acela, and then on the day of travel decides to upgrade to First Class, one doesn't just get charged the First Class upcharge. One also gets charged the difference between the bucket you originally booked for your railfare and the current bucket.

You're already giving Amtrak more money by buying first class, and yet they want you to pay more for the simple privilege of remaining on the same train that you booked months ago, just in a different class. And now they can still resell your original seat in BC at the current bucket.

Another big problem for them is the various discounts, like AAA & NARP. If one has to change to a later train on that same day, one really shouldn't lose that discount, yet one does. Even worse however is the fact that if Amtrak has a failure and doesn't run your train, the agent cannot keep your discount when they reticket you to another train. You have to call up after the fact to get your money back. That's outrageous IMHO.

You did nothing wrong at all; Amtrak is totally at fault, and yet they cannot fix things for you on the day of travel. You must make a special effort to get your money back from them.

 

[Phil S]

Iknow this is an Amtrak site, and you know I prefer trains to plane (or busses) any time, but especially overnight. But I do need to fly to places where trains just don't go. It's just me traveling and about two years ago I switched to Business class within the US and its territories (Ie. PR). Fares are about twice coach but -- no baggage fees, virtually no standing in line, edible meals on the planes, free drinks, lots of room for carryon, and even room to get to the aisle w/o crawling over your neighbor. And, you can generally wait until the last minute to book the non-refundable BC fares with no increase in cost. Yes, there's a change fee (although often waived by at least some airlines, like CO) but if you don;t book umtil a week or so before your travel to date, you're much less likely to have to change it. In the end the cost just isn't that different from coach, especially if you have to change the coach reservation because you made it before your plans firmed up. And, last but not least, business class gives you not just more room but also more air (about twice the air flow that they give in coach),it's much much quieter, and the attendants are able to behave like human beings (at least most of the time, if the airline lets them). Just a thought for some of you folks who travel a lot. Phil

 

[thully]

Yeah, you can always buy a refundable fare in the case of airlines, but often it costs so much more than the non-refundable fare that it is not worth it unless you think there is an extremely high likelihood of you having to change plans (and even then, it may just make sense to wait until the very last minute to buy rather than paying $$$ for a refundable ticket). Some airlines are more reasonable than others (for instance, all of Southwest's fares are exchangeable, and the refundable fares have seemed significantly less than other airlines when I've looked for a refundable ticket). However, when I've searched for refundable coach fares for domestic flights, I often come up with fares upwards of $1000 round-trip, which seems a tad absurd when the non-refundable fare is less than half that.

I will say that this is one of the reasons I really like Amtrak (though I really like the LD trip experience in and of itself) - I can change last minute and not have to pay some change fee or pay ungodly sums for a refundable ticket. In fact, I just had to eat the cost of a plane ticket due to taking the trip to New Orleans from San Diego at the last minute (and thus not being in CA to make my flight back to Michigan, and instead taking the City of New Orleans back) - the ticket was worth $157, and the change fee is $150. I guess I technically have $7 in Delta credit I can use, but I see no scenario in which I'd use it before it expires (and $7 is basically nothing)...

 

[Phil S]

Yeah, you can always buy a refundable fare in the case of airlines, but often it costs so much more than the non-refundable fare that it is not worth it unless you think there is an extremely high likelihood of you having to change plans (and even then, it may just make sense to wait until the very last minute to buy rather than paying $ for a refundable ticket). Some airlines are more reasonable than others (for instance, all of Southwest's fares are exchangeable, and the refundable fares have seemed significantly less than other airlines when I've looked for a refundable ticket). However, when I've searched for refundable coach fares for domestic flights, I often come up with fares upwards of $1000 round-trip, which seems a tad absurd when the non-refundable fare is less than half that.

I will say that this is one of the reasons I really like Amtrak (though I really like the LD trip experience in and of itself) - I can change last minute and not have to pay some change fee or pay ungodly sums for a refundable ticket. In fact, I just had to eat the cost of a plane ticket due to taking the trip to New Orleans from San Diego at the last minute (and thus not being in CA to make my flight back to Michigan, and instead taking the City of New Orleans back) - the ticket was worth $157, and the change fee is $150. I guess I technically have $7 in Delta credit I can use, but I see no scenario in which I'd use it before it expires (and $7 is basically nothing)...

Thully - That's precisely why I'm suggesting at least have a look at refundable business class fares. They're often cheaper than refundable coach fares and are often available right up until departure. Not a option for airline that lacks Businness Class , but otherwise what do you have to lose?