Booked my first AGR trip...and a question

[Chessie Hokie]

I booked my first AGR trip for July a few days ago and just got the tickets in the mail...I'm psyched!

My AGR booked portion is as follows: Leaving Chicago on a Sunday on the California Zephyr to Sacramento, where I connect to the Coast Starlight to Portland, arriving on Wednesday. I'll layover in Portland for a night before taking the Empire Builder back on Thursday, arriving in Chicago on Saturday.

This is the AGR portion and I think I got lucky with the routing...this is the way I wanted to do it (using PDX as my destination), but the AGR agent seemed to say that I would have to take the Builder from Chicago in both directions as it is the most direct route. Luckily, though, there were no more roomettes on the westbound Builder, so that opened the door for the Zephyr/Starlight routing! I feel I got lucky on this!

I only used a two zone booking and elected to just buy a round trip coach ticket between CVS and CHI (only $118.80 with a NARP discount!)...an extra 15,000 points each way for the third zone (roomette) didn't seeem worth it for three zone travel, plus I would have worried about a same day connection between the Cardinal and Zephyr. So I chose to arrive in Chicago a day before my AGR booked CZ departure so as not to have the connection worries. I plan to rent a car and visit the Rochelle Railroad Park (UP and BNSF mainlines cross with 120 trains per day), spending the night in Rochelle before returning to CHI for the westbound CZ.

I am curious about my return connection in Chicago from the Builder to the eastbound Cardinal. Will Amtrak honor this as a "guaranteed connection"...even though they are under separate booking numbers (one with redeemed AGR points and the other with cash)? If this connection is missed due to a late arriving Builder hopefully I could still make the Capitol Limited departure and connect with the Crescent in WAS to get back to CVS, and I'm pretty sure Amtrak would accept that...but if I miss that will they consider me a true "guaranteed connection" type and put me up for the night, etc?

154 hours 44 minutes of solid train travel (6.45 days...not including layovers!), 19 states and covering 6,866 miles!

 

[Cascadia]

6 and a half days - 7,000 miles - you are going to have a FANTASTIC trip.

Now I am concerned what they said about you wanting to do the circle on the Zephyr and the Builder as I certainly want to do something similar myself. The agent was saying you should have had to just stay on the same route for your return? I should read what you wrote again as I am not clear on why you would have to do it that way if you did. Anyway I'm glad you found a workaround, boy that will be a super fun trip!

 

[the_traveler]

Is there a reason you got your 2 zone award just to CHI? :huh: If you made it to CIN (the edge of the zone ), you would still be in the 2nd zone, you would have been on the Cardinal, you would have had a guaranteed connection in CHI and you would have only had to buy a ticket from CIN-CVS!

Also, do you know you could have chosen a routing from PDX-SEA (on a Cascade - in Business Class) connecting to the EB? :huh:

I had the same experience. I requested to go to PDX, but they wanted to route me on the EB both ways. When I said I was coming back on the EB and wanted to try a different routing, the rep offered the CZ/CS!

 

[Chessie Hokie]

Is there a reason you got your 2 zone award just to CHI? :huh: If you made it to CIN (the edge of the zone ), you would still be in the 2nd zone, you would have been on the Cardinal, you would have had a guaranteed connection in CHI and you would have only had to buy a ticket from CIN-CVS!
Also, do you know you could have chosen a routing from PDX-SEA (on a Cascade - in Business Class) connecting to the EB? :huh:

I had the same experience. I requested to go to PDX, but they wanted to route me on the EB both ways. When I said I was coming back on the EB and wanted to try a different routing, the rep offered the CZ/CS!

I considered starting my 2-zone in CIN, but I was afraid that would not allow me a day layover in CHI, which would have given me a risky connection with the CZ (and I really wanted to visit Rochelle, anyway). Was I right in my assumption that Amtrak wouldn't allow a layover in CHI? I guess I should have asked. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated so that I can know for next time.

For the return I did consider going through SEA, but decided I wanted to do the Columbia River Gorge route instead (never having been there). So it never even got to the point of asking the AGR agent if that was a possibility. I was happy with the route he offered me.

 

[the_traveler]

I considered starting my 2-zone in CIN, but I was afraid that would not allow me a day layover in CHI, which would have given me a risky connection with the CZ (and I really wanted to visit Rochelle, anyway). Was I right in my assumption that Amtrak wouldn't allow a layover in CHI?

Yes you're right that the award ticket would not allow you a stopover. But one thing I'm confused about is, in your OP you stated that you're

Leaving Chicago on a Sunday on the California Zephyr

but you are also returning - and I assume that is when you are going to Rochelle. In this reply you stated

I considered starting my 2-zone in CIN

:huh:

Why not buy a ticket on the Cardinal CVS-CIN, then get a 2 zone award from CIN-CHI on the Cardinal, CHI-SAC on the CZ and SAC-PDX on the CS. And then you could have bought a ticket for the return on the EB to CHI and Cardinal to CVS. That way it would have been a guaranteed connection!

Or were you planning to go to Rochelle on the return? In that case, your original question does not make sense, because you would have had (at least) 1 day in between trains. And in your latest reply, you said you considered this, but it would have given you

a risky connection with the CZ (and I really wanted to visit Rochelle, anyway)

so I am confused on when you want to go to Rochelle - on the outbound or on the return? :huh:

 

[Chessie Hokie]

Okay, I didn't do the best job of explaining things...I will visit Rochelle on the first layover in Chicago. Here is a cleaner version:

Purchased ticket -

Friday afternoon departure from CVS on Cardinal

Saturday morning arrival CHI

Saturday night in Rochelle, IL

AGR 2-zone travel -

Sunday afternoon departure from CHI on California Zephyr

Monday on CZ

Tuesday afternoon arrival in SAC

Tuesday night departure from SAC on Coast Starlight

Wednesday afternoon arrival PDX

Wednesday night in Portland

Thursday afternoon departure from PDX on Empire Builder

Friday on EB

Saturday afternoon arrival CHI

Purchased ticket -

Saturday afternoon departure from CHI on Cardinal

Sunday afternoon arrival CVS

 

[the_traveler]

AGR 2-zone travel -Sunday afternoon departure from CHI on California Zephyr

Monday on CZ

Tuesday afternoon arrival in SAC

Tuesday night departure from SAC on Coast Starlight

Wednesday afternoon arrival PDX

Wednesday night in Portland

Thursday afternoon departure from PDX on Empire Builder

Friday on EB

Saturday afternoon arrival CHI

So is your 2 zone award from CHI-PDX (via the CZ and CS) or PDX-CHI (via the EB)?

If it is both, it would take 2 awards (20,000 * 2 for a roomette) since there is a stopover (in PDX). If it is just the return (via the EB), again my original question - why not make it a 2 zone award all the way to CIN (with a guaranteed connection and your need to purchase only a CIN-CVS ticket, not a CHI-CVS ticket? (Don't forget the fares on Amtrak are one way times 2 for a round trip - there is no savings!)

 

[Chessie Hokie]

AGR 2-zone travel -Sunday afternoon departure from CHI on California Zephyr

Monday on CZ

Tuesday afternoon arrival in SAC

Tuesday night departure from SAC on Coast Starlight

Wednesday afternoon arrival PDX

Wednesday night in Portland

Thursday afternoon departure from PDX on Empire Builder

Friday on EB

Saturday afternoon arrival CHI

So is your 2 zone award from CHI-PDX (via the CZ and CS) or PDX-CHI (via the EB)?

If it is both, it would take 2 awards (20,000 * 2 for a roomette) since there is a stopover (in PDX). If it is just the return (via the EB), again my original question - why not make it a 2 zone award all the way to CIN (with a guaranteed connection and your need to purchase only a CIN-CVS ticket, not a CHI-CVS ticket? (Don't forget the fares on Amtrak are one way times 2 for a round trip - there is no savings!)

It is a 2-zone each way...40,000 points total for the AGR booked roomette CHI-SAC-PDX-CHI loop.

Ah ha! The light just went on...now I understand what you are saying! I should have booked a 2-zone AGR return for PDX-CIN (and purchased CIN-CVS) rather than PDX-CHI (with a purchased CHI-CVS). That makes sense and I probably should have done it that way, but I just didn't think of it. Chalk that up as a rookie mistake on my part. Someone once said "experience is what you get right after you needed it". That applies in this case. At least it wasn't a huge mistake dollar-wize...in fact the difference between a CHI-CVS ticket and a CIN-CVS ticket is only $11 ($9.90 with the NARP discount). Still, I could have had a sleeper for the CHI-CIN portion of my return to CVS.

Does my return connection between the Empire Builder and the eastbound Cardinal in Chicago not count as an official "guaranteed connection" because the tickets were procurred separately? You seemed to infer so, but without stating it emphatically. What, then, would be my situation if the EB is late into Chicago and I miss the departing eastbound Cardinal...do I have any protection? Can I hope they will still put me on the Capitol Limited to WAS with a connection on the Crescent to CVS...or will I be on my own? :unsure:

 

[the_traveler]

Yes, that is a rookie mistake! Don't worry, we all made them! (Mine was not knowing about the 100 points per segment loophole - even on the same train - until shortly before they closed it! I hate to think about how many points I could have had! )

I'm not sure, but I think if the EB is late and you miss the Cardinal connection, you may be on your own. You contracted with Amtrak (your AGR ticket) to carry you from PDX to CHI only (not PDX-CVS)! I think Amtrak's responsibility ends in CHI! You then made a separate contract with Amtrak (your purchased ticket) to carry you from CHI to CVS.

I don't think Amtrak has to do anything, but I hope I'm wrong!

Good luck!

 

[jackal]

I think you can still fix it--AGR tickets are changeable. You'll just need to have a station agent exchange the tickets after calling AGR to make the change (or you can probably mail them back and have them send you the replacements, too).

It's only an $11 mistake now, but it could cost you a lot more if something happens and the guaranteed connection would have saved your bacon. I'd go ahead and change it because you can reverse that $11 mistake...and as a bonus, you get a sleeper for longer--including a free meal, perhaps--and get to save $11!

 

[Chessie Hokie]

I think you can still fix it--AGR tickets are changeable. You'll just need to have a station agent exchange the tickets after calling AGR to make the change (or you can probably mail them back and have them send you the replacements, too).
It's only an $11 mistake now, but it could cost you a lot more if something happens and the guaranteed connection would have saved your bacon. I'd go ahead and change it because you can reverse that $11 mistake...and as a bonus, you get a sleeper for longer--including a free meal, perhaps--and get to save $11!

Hmm...please excuse me as I continue to beat this dead horse...

If I were to make the change to PDX-CIN and still miss the Saturday connection in Chicago due to a late Empire Builder...then would Amtrak only be concerned about getting me to CIN (even if I had a separate ticket CIN-CVS)? Of course I don't really care about going to CIN...it is just one of two ways to get me to CVS. The next train to CIN is three days later (Tuesday) due to the Cardinal's thrice-weekly schedule. Would they put me on a bus to CIN? That would still strand me in CIN with still no transportation to Charlottesville.

I would hope that at the worst they would credit my CHI-CVS ticket for the Cardinal toward a Capitol Limited/Crescent ticket to CVS (I would pay the difference, I suppose)...is that overly optimistic?

I know this is all hypothetical...but your thoughts are appreciated...

 

[AlanB]

Chessie,

Normally in the case of two paid reservations that were booked as one, you can call up Amtrak and get the agent to link the two reservations and thus getting you your guaranteed connection. Since in this case you're dealing with one paid and one AGR reservation, I'm not 100% sure but I suspect that they should still be able to link the two reservations in the computer.

I would try calling the main Amtrak number, not the AGR number, and speaking with an agent to see if indeed the two reservations can be linked. Make sure that you have both reservation numbers handy when you call.

 

[Chessie Hokie]

Chessie,
Normally in the case of two paid reservations that were booked as one, you can call up Amtrak and get the agent to link the two reservations and thus getting you your guaranteed connection. Since in this case you're dealing with one paid and one AGR reservation, I'm not 100% sure but I suspect that they should still be able to link the two reservations in the computer.

I would try calling the main Amtrak number, not the AGR number, and speaking with an agent to see if indeed the two reservations can be linked. Make sure that you have both reservation numbers handy when you call.

Well, I called and talked to an agent and was told that it is a guaranteed connection with the two separate reservations numbers. I'm not completely comfortable with that, based on some of the responses here.

I think I'll call again in a day or so and see what somebody else says...the guy I got didn't seem to be too sharp. He first told me that the connection between the EB and Cardinal in CHI couldn't be guaranteed because it was less than two hours! I told him that the Amtrak website says 60 minutes for a guarantee (and 90 minutes for a connection with an NEC train)...he replied that he couldn't even book the EB to Cardinal connection. I said that the Amtrak website uses that connection for PDX-CVS and he was like "Huh? Really? Hold on..." then came back after a few minutes to say I was right and the connection was guaranteed. <_< He said he couldn't link the reservations, though, but it was guaranteed anyway.

Still, I think I'll call back to verify with hopefully somebody a bit more on the ball...

 

[RailFanLNK]

When I called AGR and tried to book LNK-NYC, they wanted to put me on the Capital Limited. I said, "NO WAY JOSE!" The guy was explaining to me that it would be "quicker" but the CZ is ALWAYS late and the connection time for the CL is 7:05pm. I told him I wanted to do the Lakeshore Limited because it departs CHI at 9:55pm. He agreed that "made sense" and booked it by my way. We are taking the Capital Limited back to CHI from WAS. I just didn't want this big of a trip with my girlfriend and her two daughters and then be sweating it to CHI if the #6 is late. I have yet to take a train where I have a connecting train so this will be a first for all of us. I only would be "sweating" it since we have roomettes and during the summer I don't want to be put on the "next" train and find out we are in coach. Don't care if we get a refund or whatever, just don't want to be doing coach on this trip.

 

[MrFSS]

Chessie,
Normally in the case of two paid reservations that were booked as one, you can call up Amtrak and get the agent to link the two reservations and thus getting you your guaranteed connection. Since in this case you're dealing with one paid and one AGR reservation, I'm not 100% sure but I suspect that they should still be able to link the two reservations in the computer.

I would try calling the main Amtrak number, not the AGR number, and speaking with an agent to see if indeed the two reservations can be linked. Make sure that you have both reservation numbers handy when you call.

Well, I called and talked to an agent and was told that it is a guaranteed connection with the two separate reservations numbers. I'm not completely comfortable with that, based on some of the responses here.

I think I'll call again in a day or so and see what somebody else says...the guy I got didn't seem to be too sharp. He first told me that the connection between the EB and Cardinal in CHI couldn't be guaranteed because it was less than two hours! I told him that the Amtrak website says 60 minutes for a guarantee (and 90 minutes for a connection with an NEC train)...he replied that he couldn't even book the EB to Cardinal connection. I said that the Amtrak website uses that connection for PDX-CVS and he was like "Huh? Really? Hold on..." then came back after a few minutes to say I was right and the connection was guaranteed. <_< He said he couldn't link the reservations, though, but it was guaranteed anyway.

Still, I think I'll call back to verify with hopefully somebody a bit more on the ball...

Don't know if this has been suggested, but when you call, could you get them to rebook it to CIN and then redo the paid part of the trip from CIN onward? That would solve the problem.

 

[AlanB]

Don't know if this has been suggested, but when you call, could you get them to rebook it to CIN and then redo the paid part of the trip from CIN onward? That would solve the problem.

He's not calling AGR, he's calling Amtrak. Only AGR can adjust the reward reservation, and that will require him to mail the ticket back in order to get new ones. It's probably not worth the hassle.

Additionally as he already mentioned, if something goes wrong better that he's stuck in Chicago, rather than CIN.

 

[Chessie Hokie]

Okay! I called back to Amtrak and got an agent who seemed much more on the ball than the last one. She "cross-referenced" the two reservation numbers in the system and now the eastbound connection in Chicago (EB to Cardinal) is guaranteed. Thanks to everybody for the advice, particularly AlanB!

I can't wait to take this trip!