CHI to BOS with class-change at TOL, can't do the reverse??

[oregon pioneer]

For my big trip next fall, it occurred to me that I may wish to spend a night or two in CHI with Nephew and his new wife. I haven't quite got enough points yet for the three-zone trip back from BOS to BND, so I played around with my options, and found that it only costs about $25 more to stop in CHI, as long as I am willing to get up at 6am in TOL and switch to coach class (I.e. a one-zone award from BOS to TOL in roomette, coach class TOL to CHI, a 2-day layover in CHI, and then a two-zone award from CHI to BND).

So anyway, while I was putting in the parameters, I selected from among the options given on the multi-city screen, and discovered that I got the following message:

Problem with Your Itinerary: Sorry, we are unable to price the itinerary you selected. Please modify your selection and try again.

Changing the CIN -->CHI selection to train #49 did not help. Changing to a thruway bus via Ann Arbor seems to be acceptable to Arrow, but it's not acceptable to me (costs more, gets there later).

Why do they even give you options that won't work? :wacko: I suspect this is just an Arrow glitch, because the booking I want *is* available in the opposite direction! So how does this get fixed? Should I contact the AGR Insider at flyertalk, if I decide that I want to do the trip this way?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

When you call AGR, they should be able to switch you from sleeper(AGR) to coach($$). I was doing the opposite - coach($$) to sleeper(AGR) last October as the first leg of my cross-country trip. Of course, I didn't get to use the sleeper as this was the first LSL to get busituted during the NS meltdown.

 

[the_traveler]

I do not understand your statement "... only $25 more to stop in CHI ..." - how do you mean? :huh: Are you saying the fare from TOL-CHI is only $25. :huh: When I looked last, it was over 3 times that.

Example #1 - BOS-TOL=free (1 zone), TOL-CHI=paid, Stay in CHI, CHI-BND=free (2 zones)

Example #2 - BOS-TOL=free (1 zone), TOL-BND=free (2 zones)

Call AGR and they can also book your paid portion in coach. And when you board your sleeper in BOS that day, ask your SCA if you can remain in your sleeper all the way to CHI. If the room was not sold, they may get an OK. (I've had that happen - to remain in my room from SAC-EMY on the CS on a coach ticket.) No guarantee and you will have to pay for breakfast, but you can sleep later!

 

[oregon pioneer]

Yup, example #1 is exactly what I'd want to do. That's funny -- when I check it by itself, it's $34.85 from TOL to CHI (Senior fare, on the 449 on Dec 12th). When I do it as part of a multi-city trip, it comes up $25.47 (same Senior discount, same date). Just another Arrow glitch?? Arrrgghhh. :angry2: But really, the price, while different, is still within the range I'd pay for the privilege of a layover in the middle of the trip.

The only way I can get the price is by switching to the NYC section train #49 at ALB. I'm not willing to really switch rooms at ALB, but that's the only way I could test the system and get it to give me the paid portion price. Maybe it's going to be the higher price just because I won't be paying for the first part.

I am just afraid that if I call for a reservation the way I want it, and the system won't give it to the Agent, they will make me take the one where I have to switch sections at ALB. Asking to see whether I can "sleep in" is a good idea. Yup, I will be on my own for breakfast, but I can handle that.

 

[Bob Dylan]

You might want to consider doing the switch from #449 to #49 in ALB since the NY Section #49 Sleepers are on the back of the Train next to the Diner! The BOS Sleeper from ALB- CHI is on the front behind the Engines and it's like an Eight car walk to/from the Diner!

Also if you have to switch to Coach in TOL ( as Dave said, you'd probably get to stay in your room to CHI and pay for Breakfast)the #49 Coaches are in front of the Diner so you wouldn't have far to walk!

Would be worth it to get a cheaper price IMO!!

 

[AG1]

I have had no problems switching 449 to 49 roomettes at ALB several times because of availability.