Changing Reservations While Keeping the Price?

[Rimobo]

Hi All,

Please forgive me if this has been asked before, but I can't find relevant prior posts about this.

I reserved two seats (for myself and my wife) over three months ago from PDX to ATL, which ended up costing around $600. The departure date is this coming Saturday. Last week, however, I had to get emergency appendectomy, and am now recovering and am told that spending four days on a train this soon afterwards is very ill-advised. I called Amtrak to see about changing reservations to at least two weeks in advance, but while there are no fees, the price of the same two tickets is now $1300!

Is there any way I can push the departure day by two weeks while keeping the price that I paid? I simply don't have the money to pay more than double what I already paid for the seats.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Hi All,
Please forgive me if this has been asked before, but I can't find relevant prior posts about this.

I reserved two seats (for myself and my wife) over three months ago from PDX to ATL, which ended up costing around $600. The departure date is this coming Saturday. Last week, however, I had to get emergency appendectomy, and am now recovering and am told that spending four days on a train this soon afterwards is very ill-advised. I called Amtrak to see about changing reservations to at least two weeks in advance, but while there are no fees, the price of the same two tickets is now $1300!

Is there any way I can push the departure day by two weeks while keeping the price that I paid? I simply don't have the money to pay more than double what I already paid for the seats.

Thank you in advance.

Unfortunately No! This is the heavy Summer travel season, the trains are running Full and SOLD OUT, especially the Western trains! Sorry about the medical misfortune, it's probably a good idea to take even longer to heal before you travel! What you can do is log on to amtrak.com and try various dates in the future looking for lower fares (the fares are called buckets, ie low bucket (the one you had!) up to high bucket ! (probably the $1300 fare!

Another thing to look @ is to try different trains although you probably run into the same thing ie: Ride the Talgo to SEA, catch the EB #8 there (youd have to spend the night to do this)to Spokane where it combines with #28 from PDX, then on to CHI! Also you could try the Coast Starlight to Sacramento,then the Cal Zephyr to CHI but it too is expensive and usually SOLD OUT, or ride down to LAX and try the Southwwest Chief or the Sunset Ltd./Texas Eagle (only runs three days a week)!The trains from CHI to the East are the Capital Ltd.,

CHI-WAS which usually is the cheapest, the Cardinal CHI-WAS-NYP which only runs three times a week and is usually high bucket and SOLD OUT, and the Lake Shore Ltd. from CHI-NYP which is also usually expensive and SOLD OUT!

It's too bad this happens but until Congress gives Amtak more funding for new cars and additional trains (theyve been starved for 40 years!), we all have to try to plan as far ahead as we can for Long Distance train trips! If you are flexible you probably can find something close to what you had but it will take patience and luck and might be in the fall! :lol:

 

[AlanB]

Another thing to look @ is to try different trains although you probably run into the same thing ie: Ride the Talgo to SEA, catch the EB #8 there (youd have to spend the night to do this)to Spokane where it combines with #28 from PDX, then on to CHI!

As long as one catches one of the first 2 Talgos of the day out of Portland, there is no need to overnight in Seattle, prior to catching the eastbound Empire Builder train #8. Both trains 500 & 506 make a same day connection with #8 in Seattle.

 

[AlanB]

Rimbo,

I do agree with Jim regarding the rest of things. Try alternate dates on Amtrak.com surrounding the 2 week mark and maybe you can find a day that works for you that's close to what you've paid. Then call Amtrak and have them make the change for you. Additionally, I would consider the suggestion of running north first on a Talgo to Seattle, and then connecting with the Empire Builder there. It could alter the price some by going that way.

But otherwise, I don't believe that there is much else that you can do.

 

[PerRock]

one can also catch the EB in Portland....although I don't know how the timing works for that one (if it does)

peter