Complaint letter to AMTRAK not responded to

[Cho Cho Charlie]

2:45 is not that bad of a delay. I've seen much more. The OP should have given him/herself enough padding.

I have to agree. If being there by a specific time was all that important, the OP should have given him/herself enough padding.

I've been on NEC where the loco has died. Not fun, especially in the summer when you then also loose all A/C and the cafe car has to close (no cold drinks). But it does happen.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

In the NEC, there's a lot of people traveling that missing their destination by that much would be a huge negative impact. A 2 hour and 45 minute delay should never be considered unimportant (or even just a voucher for future travel.) If I miss a meeting because of a delay, that could be a huge loss to my company (at minimum, they'd be paying me for almost three hours while getting zero benefit.) If I'm three hours late for work, my supervisor would not be happy, and there's little to no way that I'd be paid for that time (which, if I'm making $25/hr, is $75 I've just lost.) I'm not just paying for Amtrak to get me from point A to point B, I'm expecting (whether officially recognized or not) them to get me there at the time they say they will. If not, why would I pay any premium to travel with them? I'd be better off taking the Megabus or a Chinatown bus.

If you missed an important meeting and I was your boss, I would definitely fire you.

I would fire you for totally failing to think. I pay you for such (or at least use to). And I don't pay you for excuses.

For such an important meeting, I would not expect you to wait until the very last minute to travel. I would expect you to be smart enough to have traveled with enough padding, even the night before.

BTW, buses break down, and get stuck in traffic, too. All you need is one 12 car pile up, and you could easily be stuck not moving on the highway for 2 hours and 45 minutes.

 

[PRR 60]

And sometimes one has no choice in the matter either and must live with the "plan" as it were, not saying that this is what happened to the OP, but things can happen or schedules might not permit a greater cushion. Case in point, my Mom & I decided to taken in a show by Bill Cosby in the Kennedy Center next weekend. He was doing two shows, 7 & 9:30 PM, so we picked the later time and setup hotel & Amtrak accordingly.

This past Thursday an email arrives stating that they're cancelling the 9:30 PM show. Options are refund or exchange for the 7PM show. So not wanting to lose the trip entirely, we accept tickets to the 7PM show.

Now the problem is it will cost at least $100 more to change our Amtrak train to a better arrival. So we left with arriving at 5:52 for a 7PM show. I did cancel the original hotel out in Arlington, that aforementioned HGI in another topic at the Court House stop, and managed to land the Marriott right at Metro Center for only $13 more than what we would have paid at the HGI.

But it's the only way that I can see us getting off Amtrak, getting to a hotel to drop off luggage, and still make the show. No way we were going to get out to Arlington & back in time, so now I lose 1,000 AGR points. And of course if Amtrak isn't on time, then we lose!

In your case, you had choices. You could have moved up to an earlier Acela for more money, or moved up to an earlier Regional and probably received a credit back. In either case, you could have kept your existing hotel and not had any timing anxiety. You chose to keep your existing reservation and take a chance with the timing. That's fine, but it was your choice.

Did they cancel the 9:30 show because The Cos can't stay up that late anymore? :lol: Hey, hey hey!

 

[benjibear]

Assuming the OP was on the NEC the earliest he could have borded was Washington. It is a less than 3 and a half hours on any NER. A 2H45M delay would be very unlikely on this stretch.

If you went early to every meeting like some here say you should, a business would not be able to compete in today's economy.

 

[Ryan]

As an extreme example, I doubt too many people would be pleased with Amtrak advertising train travel and them placing people on a pedicab service as a substitution for a distance of longer than a couple miles, or having a timetable based on a maximum of 125mph and then traveling at 10mph the entire distance. People expect Amtrak to get them not only where they want to go, but also at close to the advertised time. While delays do happen, Amtrak needs to make sure to make them as painless as possible.

That's fine. "As painless as possible" does not mean a full refund because you didn't get to do what you wanted to in New York.

stating that Amtrak has little to no on-time responsibility is also false.

It's a good thing that I didn't say that, then. My claim is that on the rare occasion when they fail to perform, they aren't responsible for refunding an entire trip due to a delay.

 

[Ryan]

If you went early to every meeting like some here say you should, a business would not be able to compete in today's economy.

Actually, I do that. I work in Columbia, MD, and was hired to attend meetings with the client in Dahlgren, VA on a weekly basis (sometimes multiple trip/week). It is 77 miles between those two points, which typically takes between 1h20 and 1h30 to travel (if I'm going from my house, it's about 15 miles shorter). I have a policy of leaving 2 hours before the meeting starts to account for delays en route. My boss was surprised by this, but over the course of the last 2 years, I've been late to a meeting exactly once, when multiple failures en route delayed me greatly.

On multiple occasions, my boss has commended me, saying that he appreciated the lengths I go to to be on time and represent the company well, and our business is doing just fine.

 

[caravanman]

Hi,

I believe the issue here is simply the lack of response from Amtrak to Dr. Obi's letter... He wants to get a reply to his request, in a fair timeframe, which anyone would reasonably expect. Whatever the outcome of that correspondence is, a complete lack of acknowledgement from amtrak simply stinks of rubbish customer service to start with. Can any of us trainfans applaud a company that takes 6 months to respond to customers?

ed

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Hi, I believe the issue here is simply the lack of response from Amtrak to Dr. Obi's letter... He wants to get a reply to his request, in a fair timeframe, which anyone would reasonably expect. Whatever the outcome of that correspondence is, a complete lack of acknowledgement from amtrak simply stinks of rubbish customer service to start with. Can any of us trainfans applaud a company that takes 6 months to respond to customers?

Six months? I'd suggest giving Amtrak at least a year before we start applauding.

 

[jebr]

As an extreme example, I doubt too many people would be pleased with Amtrak advertising train travel and them placing people on a pedicab service as a substitution for a distance of longer than a couple miles, or having a timetable based on a maximum of 125mph and then traveling at 10mph the entire distance. People expect Amtrak to get them not only where they want to go, but also at close to the advertised time. While delays do happen, Amtrak needs to make sure to make them as painless as possible.

That's fine. "As painless as possible" does not mean a full refund because you didn't get to do what you wanted to in New York.

stating that Amtrak has little to no on-time responsibility is also false.

It's a good thing that I didn't say that, then. My claim is that on the rare occasion when they fail to perform, they aren't responsible for refunding an entire trip due to a delay.

Okay, my bad. But it was stated that Amtrak's responsibility is to get someone from point A to point B, with the context inferring (to me) that the time advertised to get from point A to point B is irrelevant.

Nor did I ever say that they are responsible to offer a full refund. I said that it wouldn't be unreasonable, but I stated that they are responsible for a full refund of the northbound trip (and a voucher to get them to try Amtrak again). In almost any other industry, if they fail to perform, a full refund of the part where they failed to perform is in order. The voucher, while not required per se, is good business, as it offers an incentive to try a company again.

If you went early to every meeting like some here say you should, a business would not be able to compete in today's economy.

Actually, I do that. I work in Columbia, MD, and was hired to attend meetings with the client in Dahlgren, VA on a weekly basis (sometimes multiple trip/week). It is 77 miles between those two points, which typically takes between 1h20 and 1h30 to travel (if I'm going from my house, it's about 15 miles shorter). I have a policy of leaving 2 hours before the meeting starts to account for delays en route. My boss was surprised by this, but over the course of the last 2 years, I've been late to a meeting exactly once, when multiple failures en route delayed me greatly.

On multiple occasions, my boss has commended me, saying that he appreciated the lengths I go to to be on time and represent the company well, and our business is doing just fine.

Two hours early, including travel time? If so, that's only about a half-hour buffer. That's not unreasonable. A three or four hour buffer is.

Also, to the poster who stated to travel the night before for a business meeting: what if I was assigned those travel times by the company travel agency? Or, for another example, let's say that there's a 10 AM meeting 20 minutes travel time away from NYP, so I schedule the first train of the day (as my employer insists that they won't pay for a hotel room, as the meeting isn't "that important".) While a two hour and 45 minute delay wouldn't completely crash that, it'd be fairly tight (as the train normally comes in at 6:40, I'm now in at 9:25.)

Minor delays should be expected, but if I'm having to schedule three hours of buffer time every time I (hypothetically) commute between Philadelphia (or even WAS) and NYP to work, I'm not taking Amtrak.

 

[amamba]

Alan B, good luck with your trip! I hope you enjoy Mr. Cosby.

I think it's absurd - when traveling on the NEC - to travel down a day before a meeting. There are thousands of business travelers in the country who regularly travel between WAS - NYP - BOS using the train and they don't travel down the night before an important meeting. My boss would howl with laughter if I suggested I take the train down the night before and pay for a hotel in Manhattan for a 10:30 am meeting.

 

[sunchaser]

Good Afternoon Forum

I had a major complaint with Amtrak a couple of months ago when I was taking my family to New York to see the final show of a Broadway production which was also sold out

The train I was, on broke down and it took almost 2 hours 45 minutes delay to get the train fixed at PHL after spending a lot of time on the track with non-functional toilets.

We missed the show, 4 tickets at about $135 each.

We were offered a credit for only the North Bound Journey when I called the 800- number

I stated I did not want a credit but a full refund of what I paid AMTRAK. The customer service rep was nonchalant and told me to write to Mr John Wojciechowski, Director of Customer Relations if I was not satisfied with thir offer which we refused

We have written Mr Wojciechowski, with USPS confirmation that he received the letter.

He has neither called or responded, and I am at a loss to know how to proceed next

Does anybody have any ideas?

Thank You

Dr Obi

Welcome to the forum!! I'm sorry to hear you missed out on your show.

From what I understand, Amtrak has a narrow qualification for refunds, that can be found here.

I would call Amtrak Customer Service again and accept a voucher, unless you do not plan on taking Amtrak again.

I personally would not expect a transportation company to cover the cost of tickets of a function I missed because of lateness. It is usually something out of the control of the company.

On our first train trip, there was some issues with our sleeper car. I first sent an email, but they were so backed up, they didn't respond, so I called.

I spoke to a very nice lady who sent us a voucher, which we did use a few months later. I did not expect money. Most companies will give you gift certificates or vouchers when there is a problem, unless it is a really bad one, like an accident. I hope you try Amtrak again!

I think you need to reread OP's issue. I highlighted the appropriate sentences.

It is not, in my mind, unreasonable for them to ask for and expect Amtrak to offer in this case, a full refund of the tickets since they took a train early enough to see the play and they are NOT ASKING FOR THE MONEY FOR THE TICKETS as far as I can see from what was stated. The train trip without being able to see the play would likely not have been taken so Amtrak should be nice enough in this case to refund the whole ticket price. Hopefully, the letter will eventually get them a more agreeable compensation.

When the whole purpose of your trip is ruined because the transportation company failed to come through, a nice transportation company would and should take that into consideration. Amtrak hopefully will be nice.

I carefully read his issue before responding. And reread to make sure I didn't miss anything. Amtrak does not offer refunds, according to the website. The OP is asking for an exception. He also wants a response. I listed the tickets for the show in case he also had any question in that area. That's why I suggested he call Amtrak again. Amtrak can, if they so choose, to give a refund. However, I would be surprised if they did. It's really too bad he lost the money for the show, but as I said earlier, it was something outside of Amtrak's control. If it was a situation like, let's say the train wrecked, I would expect refunds would be forthcoming.

When we take the train, I purposely add extra 'free' time just in case of lateness. You and I cannot predict if the train will always be on time. It would be awesome if that was true, but it is just not the case. We don't take the train a lot, but have done pretty well on the lateness thing so far.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I carefully read his issue before responding. And reread to make sure I didn't miss anything. Amtrak does not offer refunds, according to the website. The OP is asking for an exception. He also wants a response. I listed the tickets for the show in case he also had any question in that area. That's why I suggested he call Amtrak again. Amtrak can, if they so choose, to give a refund. However, I would be surprised if they did. It's really too bad he lost the money for the show, but as I said earlier, it was something outside of Amtrak's control. If it was a situation like, let's say the train wrecked, I would expect refunds would be forthcoming.

When we take the train, I purposely add extra 'free' time just in case of lateness. You and I cannot predict if the train will always be on time. It would be awesome if that was true, but it is just not the case. We don't take the train a lot, but have done pretty well on the lateness thing so far.

Thanks you for reading the Amtrak policy. I didn't even do that. The reason amtrak didn't respond was probably because he was writing a letter about an exception. I must agree that letters get less attention than phone calls.

The fact that the OP is still not responding suggests to me that he just wanted to rant. I have seen other occasions where refunds were denied to passenger because of delays. A small voucher may be possible, but not a full refund. After all, how was Amtrak going to know, or care to know, about thE OP going to see a show?

 

[sunchaser]

I carefully read his issue before responding. And reread to make sure I didn't miss anything. Amtrak does not offer refunds, according to the website. The OP is asking for an exception. He also wants a response. I listed the tickets for the show in case he also had any question in that area. That's why I suggested he call Amtrak again. Amtrak can, if they so choose, to give a refund. However, I would be surprised if they did. It's really too bad he lost the money for the show, but as I said earlier, it was something outside of Amtrak's control. If it was a situation like, let's say the train wrecked, I would expect refunds would be forthcoming.

When we take the train, I purposely add extra 'free' time just in case of lateness. You and I cannot predict if the train will always be on time. It would be awesome if that was true, but it is just not the case. We don't take the train a lot, but have done pretty well on the lateness thing so far.

Thanks you for reading the Amtrak policy. I didn't even do that. The reason amtrak didn't respond was probably because he was writing a letter about an exception. I must agree that letters get less attention than phone calls.

The fact that the OP is still not responding suggests to me that he just wanted to rant. I have seen other occasions where refunds were denied to passenger because of delays. A small voucher may be possible, but not a full refund. After all, how was Amtrak going to know, or care to know, about the OP going to see a show?

I understand the OP's frustration. Phone calls are faster, mail will be slower.

One of jobs I had involved doing Customer Service, which sometimes people would try to get something free, or a large gift certificate for no reason at all.

I don't have any experience in late flights. Has anyone out there ever gotten a full round trip refund from an airline in a similar situation?

 

[Ozark Southern]

I carefully read his issue before responding. And reread to make sure I didn't miss anything. Amtrak does not offer refunds, according to the website. The OP is asking for an exception. He also wants a response. I listed the tickets for the show in case he also had any question in that area. That's why I suggested he call Amtrak again. Amtrak can, if they so choose, to give a refund. However, I would be surprised if they did. It's really too bad he lost the money for the show, but as I said earlier, it was something outside of Amtrak's control. If it was a situation like, let's say the train wrecked, I would expect refunds would be forthcoming.

When we take the train, I purposely add extra 'free' time just in case of lateness. You and I cannot predict if the train will always be on time. It would be awesome if that was true, but it is just not the case. We don't take the train a lot, but have done pretty well on the lateness thing so far.

Thanks you for reading the Amtrak policy. I didn't even do that. The reason amtrak didn't respond was probably because he was writing a letter about an exception. I must agree that letters get less attention than phone calls.

The fact that the OP is still not responding suggests to me that he just wanted to rant. I have seen other occasions where refunds were denied to passenger because of delays. A small voucher may be possible, but not a full refund. After all, how was Amtrak going to know, or care to know, about the OP going to see a show?

I understand the OP's frustration. Phone calls are faster, mail will be slower.

One of jobs I had involved doing Customer Service, which sometimes people would try to get something free, or a large gift certificate for no reason at all.

I don't have any experience in late flights. Has anyone out there ever gotten a full round trip refund from an airline in a similar situation?

Nope. Delta once left me in Cincinnati with a 6-hour delay, and didn't offer a penny, not even a voucher. Just a lip service "I'm sorry that happened to you, but corporate doublespeak gobbledygook backtracking notgonnadoanythingforyathankseegoodbye."

 

[me_little_me]

I don't have any experience in late flights. Has anyone out there ever gotten a full round trip refund from an airline in a similar situation?

That's pretty funny! They don't even give you a partial refund these days even if they get you there a year late!

Years ago (like 30) they might give you a voucher for a free flight if you got lucky. Not any more. They don't care about customer satisfaction. You are just cattle.

 

[sunchaser]

I don't have any experience in late flights. Has anyone out there ever gotten a full round trip refund from an airline in a similar situation?

That's pretty funny! They don't even give you a partial refund these days even if they get you there a year late!

Years ago (like 30) they might give you a voucher for a free flight if you got lucky. Not any more. They don't care about customer satisfaction. You are just cattle.

That's what I expected. True Customer Service is long gone. I think that the OP's expectation of a full refund may be too high. But that's only my opinion. I was pleased with the response from Amtrak when we had an issue, while it would have been nice to get a bigger voucher, it was fine. After the problem, hubby didn't want to try riding the train again. The next trip was much better. We will taking another soon, and already talking about taking one next year too.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I don't have any experience in late flights. Has anyone out there ever gotten a full round trip refund from an airline in a similar situation?

That's pretty funny! They don't even give you a partial refund these days even if they get you there a year late! Years ago (like 30) they might give you a voucher for a free flight if you got lucky. Not any more. They don't care about customer satisfaction. You are just cattle.

That's what I expected. True Customer Service is long gone. I think that the OP's expectation of a full refund may be too high.

A few years ago (2006) I was delayed with another family member on a domestic flight ex-SFO and received the following...

Upgrade to First Class on next flight out x2

International First Class amenity kit x2

Accommodation at the Hyatt Regency

$65 worth of meal vouchers x2

$600 worth of like-cash credits toward future flights x2

That is not to say that this is typical of any situation or any airline.

I'm just trying to point out that if nothing is ventured then nothing is gained.

I think we can count on today's Amtrak to avoid paying anything beyond a credit toward a future fare, but I don't see any reason why the OP can't ask.

 

[sunchaser]

I don't have any experience in late flights. Has anyone out there ever gotten a full round trip refund from an airline in a similar situation?

That's pretty funny! They don't even give you a partial refund these days even if they get you there a year late! Years ago (like 30) they might give you a voucher for a free flight if you got lucky. Not any more. They don't care about customer satisfaction. You are just cattle.

That's what I expected. True Customer Service is long gone. I think that the OP's expectation of a full refund may be too high.

A few years ago (2006) I was delayed with another family member on a domestic flight ex-SFO and received the following...

Upgrade to First Class on next flight out x2

International First Class amenity kit x2

Accommodation at the Hyatt Regency

$65 worth of meal vouchers x2

$600 worth of like-cash credits toward future flights x2

That is not to say that this is typical of any situation or any airline.

I'm just trying to point out that if nothing is ventured then nothing is gained.

I think we can count on today's Amtrak to avoid paying anything beyond a credit toward a future fare, but I don't see any reason why the OP can't ask.

Wow. Nice! I agree there's nothing wrong with asking. Just talking about stated policy. Amtrak can do whatever they want, if someone with authority approves it.

 

[Nickrapak]

A few years ago (2006) I was delayed with another family member on a domestic flight ex-SFO and received the following...

Upgrade to First Class on next flight out x2

International First Class amenity kit x2

Accommodation at the Hyatt Regency

$65 worth of meal vouchers x2

$600 worth of like-cash credits toward future flights x2

That is not to say that this is typical of any situation or any airline.

I'm just trying to point out that if nothing is ventured then nothing is gained.

I think we can count on today's Amtrak to avoid paying anything beyond a credit toward a future fare, but I don't see any reason why the OP can't ask.

Was this from a "legacy" carrier (UA,AA,Delta) or a "low-cost" carrier? If it was from the former, I can understand why their flights cost a bit more. If it was the latter, it goes to show you why the legacies are on their death march.

 

[rrdude]

2:45 is not that bad of a delay. I've seen much more. The OP should have given him/herself enough padding.

I have to agree. If being there by a specific time was all that important, the OP should have given him/herself enough padding.

I've been on NEC where the loco has died. Not fun, especially in the summer when you then also loose all A/C and the cafe car has to close (no cold drinks). But it does happen. And I would have requested a full refund.

What kind of TRAIN-SCHEDULE-OTP HELL do we live in here in the USA? On many European, or Japanese trains, if the train is TEN MINUTES late, the railway is furious, and is doing everything possible to accommodate "delayed" passengers.

While I'm a fan of rail travel, as purely a means of getting from "point A to point B", I would never, EVER, EVER, "accept" a 2.5 hour delay, on the NEC, as a reason to consider taking an earlier train.

I travel the NEC for business, and as such, I EXPECT Amtrak to be on time, or pretty damn close. If they aren't, I'm pissed off. Being a "RailFan" I understand the reasons why, but it doesn't change the fact that they ARE LATE, and I should be compensated for Amtrak's FAILURE to deliver me at or near the advertised arrival time.

God, it just seems like this board is made up of too many AmPoligist.

"2:45 is not that bad of a delay " R U Kidding me? I'd be livid.

 

[JoeBas]

Hear Hear!

 

[Trogdor]

2:45 is not that bad of a delay. I've seen much more. The OP should have given him/herself enough padding.

I have to agree. If being there by a specific time was all that important, the OP should have given him/herself enough padding.

I've been on NEC where the loco has died. Not fun, especially in the summer when you then also loose all A/C and the cafe car has to close (no cold drinks). But it does happen. And I would have requested a full refund.

What kind of TRAIN-SCHEDULE-OTP HELL do we live in here in the USA? On many European, or Japanese trains, if the train is TEN MINUTES late, the railway is furious, and is doing everything possible to accommodate "delayed" passengers.

While I'm a fan of rail travel, as purely a means of getting from "point A to point B", I would never, EVER, EVER, "accept" a 2.5 hour delay, on the NEC, as a reason to consider taking an earlier train.

I travel the NEC for business, and as such, I EXPECT Amtrak to be on time, or pretty damn close. If they aren't, I'm pissed off. Being a "RailFan" I understand the reasons why, but it doesn't change the fact that they ARE LATE, and I should be compensated for Amtrak's FAILURE to deliver me at or near the advertised arrival time.

God, it just seems like this board is made up of too many AmPoligist.

"2:45 is not that bad of a delay " R U Kidding me? I'd be livid.

Seriously. Two hours and 45 minutes is 100% of the scheduled Acela WAS-NYP running time, and over 80% of the running time for a typical Regional schedule.

While delays and cancellations do happen, I don't see how anyone can see a delay that amounts to taking twice as long as it should have, to be "not that bad."

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Was this from a "legacy" carrier (UA,AA,Delta) or a "low-cost" carrier? If it was from the former, I can understand why their flights cost a bit more. If it was the latter, it goes to show you why the legacies are on their death march.

I've seen airlines at their best and I've seen airlines at their worst just as many times.

I've flown all the legacies at one time or another and for every time they took care of me there is another time when they left me to resolve everything on my own with my own money.

A lot of what governs the outcome is based on factors beyond your control, including evolving transportation laws, unpublished operational protocols, and obscure international treaties.

However in some cases it may be based on little more than your own knowledge of the system, your ability to use the right words to catch the ear of the right person at the right time, and your willingness to be more flexible than the average passenger.

On many European, or Japanese trains, if the train is TEN MINUTES late, the railway is furious, and is doing everything possible to accommodate "delayed" passengers. While I'm a fan of rail travel, as purely a means of getting from "point A to point B", I would never, EVER, EVER, "accept" a 2.5 hour delay, on the NEC, as a reason to consider taking an earlier train. I travel the NEC for business, and as such, I EXPECT Amtrak to be on time, or pretty damn close. If they aren't, I'm pissed off. Being a "RailFan" I understand the reasons why, but it doesn't change the fact that they ARE LATE, and I should be compensated for Amtrak's FAILURE to deliver me at or near the advertised arrival time. God, it just seems like this board is made up of too many AmPoligist. "2:45 is not that bad of a delay " R U Kidding me? I'd be livid.

Well said. Other countries may not share the same compensation expectations Americans have, but they also don't have to put up with as many extended delays in the first place. In places like Germany or Japan you can set your watch to the departure time. Nobody would ever think of doing that here in America. We just wait for everything to go to hell and then ask for compensation.

 

[VentureForth]

On many European, or Japanese trains, if the train is TEN MINUTES late, the railway is furious, and is doing everything possible to accommodate "delayed" passengers. While I'm a fan of rail travel, as purely a means of getting from "point A to point B", I would never, EVER, EVER, "accept" a 2.5 hour delay, on the NEC, as a reason to consider taking an earlier train. I travel the NEC for business, and as such, I EXPECT Amtrak to be on time, or pretty damn close. If they aren't, I'm pissed off. Being a "RailFan" I understand the reasons why, but it doesn't change the fact that they ARE LATE, and I should be compensated for Amtrak's FAILURE to deliver me at or near the advertised arrival time. God, it just seems like this board is made up of too many AmPoligist. "2:45 is not that bad of a delay " R U Kidding me? I'd be livid.

Well said. Other countries may not share the same compensation expectations Americans have, but they also don't have to put up with as many extended delays in the first place. In places like Germany or Japan you can set your watch to the departure time. Nobody would ever think of doing that here in America. We just wait for everything to go to hell and then ask for compensation.

Just to reiterate, in Japan, they have station conductors who pass out excuse notes to passengers who are delayed greater than 10 minutes so they can prove to their boss that it was the railroad's fault. The note actually has a little graphic of a conductor bowing humbly offering the most sincere apology. Such a huge cultural difference! You can BET that with better customer service and with SINCERE apologies, the request for refunds would be considerably reduced. Note that in 4 years of heavy, daily commuting in Japan, I've only seen this happen once.

Two hours is the padding that Amtrak gives passengers for connections between long distance trains. Why on Earth should the OP have expected to travel THE PREVIOUS DAY or even 2 hours earlier on the NEC? The gentleman clearly purchased the tickets in good faith - round trip - for which the purposed of the trip was completely annuled by the delay of the first train. I don't see any reason why the OP shouldn't ask for his entire trip funds back. He's clearly not a railfan riding for the sheer fun of it (in which case, many of here would LOVE to be stuck on a train for an extra 2.5 hours!). Yes, the terms of carriage are clear. Yes, the standard for refunds/vouchers are established. But we know that those are guidelines and that a little bit of customer service goes an extremely long way.

 

[JoeBas]

Clearly, if commuting on Amtrak to work from, say, Poughkeepsie to NY Penn (Empire service), if work starts at 9, and the train is scheduled to get you in at 8:30, and to do that you leave POU at say 7:30... well, clearly even leaving at 4:30 you're "only" leaving 3 hours for something to go wrong. Horrors!!!!

I think there's a serious disconnect between OTP expectations for the NEC/Corridor service, and the Sunset Landcruise or the Late for Sure limited. :blink: