ralfp
Service Attendant
If this were flyertalk I'd point out that "The captain has turned off the I care sign."
Discount code V851?
- Thread starter Grill Master
- Start date
Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:
- Status
I wonder just how many people here, have a counterfeit Sams Club membership card too? Unfortunately, I think several.
I am disheartened that so many people feel that they have some basic right to a discount. The same discount that other people pay good money to join a discount club or group, to use truthfully.
To me, there is no difference between someone who didn't pay to join the Purple Perk discount program but use their V851 Amtrak discount, from those who have a counterfeit Sams Club membership card and buy merchandise. It is still stealing (or theft of services). Plus, I wonder if one takes Amtrak across state lines by using that ill gotten ticket, if it then becomes a felony.
h34r:I am all for using a discount that is meant for me to use. But this is going way too far.
This past weekend, I took the CZ for a quick weekend trip. I used the V851 code to purchase tickets a couple of weeks ago. I bought the tickets on-line and went to the station to pick up the tickets. I showed my ID to the Amtrak agent and after he printed my tickets, the agent said something like, "Cool, you got a discount." I was NEVER asked to show proof that I could use the code.
So, if Amtrak doesn't care why should I?
By using these codes, I get less AGR points so it takes me a LOT longer to get free trips. Doesn't it even out?
Anyway, I'm prepaired to be bashed, but if I would have gotten caught, I wouldn't have had a problem paying the full fair rate.
So, if Amtrak doesn't care why should I?
By using these codes, I get less AGR points so it takes me a LOT longer to get free trips. Doesn't it even out?
Anyway, I'm prepaired to be bashed, but if I would have gotten caught, I wouldn't have had a problem paying the full fair rate.
Last edited by a moderator:
ralfp
Service Attendant
[if you're male] You're not cheating Amtrak, you're fighting for equal rights. :lol: (Kidding: it doesn't work very well if nobody knows about it).
No. Only if AGR points were worth $0.50 each. Even the best redemption paths get far less than that ($0.10 is really good, $0.03 is normal).
p&sr
OBS Chief
So you're willing to "play fair"... but only AFTER you get caught?
T
Tony
Guest
Because it is the Purple Perks discount program, and its paying members, who are you really cheating.
And the real point is, why don't you care?
haolerider
Conductor
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2004
- Messages
- 1,436
I guess the real question is: "Why do you seem to care so much?" This has been beaten to death and if, in fact, you feel Amtrak is violating their internal ethical rules, contact the IG or some other entity and file a formal complaint. The topic is becoming boring on this forum.
T
Tony
Guest
I care because I have a good sense of right and wrong. When I see someone not only sealing, but actually bragging about doing it, I feel I have duty to speak up.
It isn't Amtrak who is violating ethics, but some people here.
And, sorry for being reduant, they are stealing from the paying members of the Purple Perks discount program.
Do I want to file an offical complaint with my local AG office, involving AmtrakTrains.com? No. At this point, I would rather attempt to deal with it amongst ourselves, even if my attempt to do just that, bores you.
I have no problem using the V851 code. I highly doubt the Purple Perks is actually losing money from using the code. Do you think AAA has to pay hotels for each time someone uses an AAA code?
When friends/family come into town and I’m too busy to entertain them, I’ll give them AAA card and tell them where to go to get discounts (certain restaurants, etc.) AAA doesn’t lose money and those businesses actually get people in the door. However, I will NOT give my AAA card so they can get towing service, etc. as that actually hits AAA’s bottom line.
I also post coupon codes I get for different products on the web for others to use and I then use codes I find (like V851) so it is a give and take.
A year ago, I had never ridden Amtrak and thought all Amtrak funding by the government was a waste. I thought Bush was correct in attempting to cut all funding for Amtrak.
Then, in an AAA publication, I saw I could get a discount on riding Amtrak. I starting looking into Amtrak, found this site (which is awesome) and the forum on Flyertalk. Someone posted the V851 code and I thought it would be worth 20% off to try Amtrak for a short trip (Feb 2008). I did and fell in love with the train. Since then, I have taken 10+ trips and used the V851 code about 4 times; I have probably saved a total of $50-$75 by using V851. Amtrak has a rider for life and now I want the government to keep funding Amtrak to make it better. I tell all my friends about Amtrak and I have probably gotten 5 people to become riders. So, by using that code, Amtrak has gained thousands of dollars in extra business from me alone.
I also work for a company that gives certain organizations discounts and I, personally, don’t mind if they give them out to everyone. As a business, would I want 0% of a $100 item (as a customer would go to the competition) or 80% of $100 and possibly gain a customer for many years?
ralfp
Service Attendant
Are they? Does the club pay Amtrak for each ticket? If not, using the code may be stealing from Amtrak, but not the club or "Purple Perks". They lose nothing, neither actual nor potential revenue, as long as a guy uses the code (women using the code are depriving the club of dues for the Perks program).
The discount may or may not be ethical/legal/worth caring about, but it clearly does violate Amtrak's own ethics policy (unless someone can read it and correct me on that).
sky12065
Conductor
I won't address the first part of the above quote. Your conscience should tell you the right and wrong of it!
As for the AAA towing service, I don't know if your indication pertains to when you are with the vehicle or not, but I will quote the following from the AAA site simply for clearification:
"Who can Receive Service?
EMERGENCY ROAD SERVICE IS PROVIDED ONLY FOR THE MEMBER WHOSE NAME APPEARS ON
THE MEMBERSHIP CARD. You, as a member, are covered in any vehicle you are driving or are
a passenger in, the member is expected to be in the vehicle. Clubs will accommodate members in extenuating circumstances. Service does not cover a particular car nor is service available to any nonmember driving the member's car – even though the non-member may reside in the same household. Associate memberships are available at special reduced rates for qualified persons residing in the member's household."
And on the last item... welcome aboard. All Amtrak converts welcome!
This topic comes up time and time again. Somebody finds a magic 'discount code' and asks if they should use it even though they aren't a member of this or that. Then everybody jumps in and we have a great long debate about whether its right, (legally and morally), to use the code or not.
In the end just join NARP, Veterans Advantage or one of the several other associations and use that discount every time you travel. Veterans Advantage costs around $75 per year for my wife and I. One or two trips cover that association cost easily. Doing the quick math, VA saved me about $300.00 last year so the $75 membership fee was plenty worth it.
I feel that Amtrak offers enough discounts to accommodate just about everybody if one take the time to look.
In the end just join NARP, Veterans Advantage or one of the several other associations and use that discount every time you travel. Veterans Advantage costs around $75 per year for my wife and I. One or two trips cover that association cost easily. Doing the quick math, VA saved me about $300.00 last year so the $75 membership fee was plenty worth it.
I feel that Amtrak offers enough discounts to accommodate just about everybody if one take the time to look.
Green Maned Lion
Engineer
I'm not getting into this, but people's ability to justify their dishonesty has always amazed me.
Joel N. Weber II
Engineer
Have you written to your Senators and your Congressional Representative with your thoughts on whether they should fund such expansion?
I've written to them about other stuff, but nothing seems to get done about those things! But yeah, never thought things like trains they cared or maybe even could do anything about. Never thought of trains or transportation as political, but I suppose they are/it is!
Kicking myself now for not bookmarking the thread (anyone remember where that is? probably on a stickied thread I missed-duh)that had the layout of the Zephyr so I could see where I will be on the train room wise, upper or lower, etc. I didn't use any coupon codes, I just tried to get dates that had the best deal, even though it meant I had to stay a day or so longer than anticipated where I'm going.
Last edited by a moderator:
Here you go, just click here.
Thanks A. ! Now I know where I will be, though I'm not sure if it is advantageous or not to be on the top or bottom floor (still wishing I could lock the door to my room so I could go take a shower or something seeing as I will be on the train for what amounts to almost 48 hours , more if running behind). Or at least have lockers. I mean, how does one watch a laptop in the shower? Ahh well, I guess I'll go grungy or improvise in my roomette, ha.
Next thing to try and find is the the internet situation on trains. From what I have searched on already, it appears not to be too reliable, one reason was obvious- you keep moving from one place to another, 2 was the metal of the train itself- #2 sounded like it might be BS because I know you can get internet on planes- some other site said planes can get the signal via satellite (umm, trains could too!) and didn't address the metal blocking signals situations. From what I looked at, it appears to entail getting some gadget- a wireless card and subscription to a service, which would probably be contractual like cell phones or expensive pay as you go, like cell phones- (even though my laptop is this years model and has some wireless junk built-in to detect networks). Is this pretty much right? I mean, I CAN live for 2 days without it, but it would be pretty cool to be able to skypecast while traveling or communicate with people, let them know all is well, etc. Yeah I know it is mixing the modern-coffeeshop-tech-involved-world with the maybe older world of being 'forced' to sit and meet people through accident of fate- but in general I think people would be happy about having the option if Amtrak got some kind of satellite wireless deal going. I'm sure people would pay for it. I would , that's why I'm looking around to see what is out there. I just don't know if I need a 2-yr contract if I'm not a huge traveler (yet!).
Sorry if I am asking too much stuff- I can tell by reading the forum there are Smart People here- my son having the 'engineer's mentality' I can usually recognize when I'm around similar or even possible 'Mensas'. I know my limitations, why torture myself looking for info when someone else already has the answer?
ALC Rail Writer
Engineer
All those legit. discounts (Veterans, NARP, Student, ect.) are good all the way around. I use my Student Advantage card for a lot of things beyond Amtrak.
Amtrak's fares a dirt low as it is- we don't need to cheat them out of it.
Amtrak's fares a dirt low as it is- we don't need to cheat them out of it.
TV,
I just went west on the Capitol Limited and the SW Chief. I went to meals in the dining car, took showers, and spent hours in the Sightseer Lounge, all with my laptop sitting in my roomette. On the Chief, my laptop wasn't even in my bag, I just left it on the seat covered with a pillow. The key is to 1) not leave things in plain sight, 2) close the curtain on your room as you leave so that no one can see if you are in the room.
And remember that coach passengers aren't allowed into the sleeping cars. So this vastly limits the number of people who actually have access to your room. Just don't leave things out in plain sight and you should be just fine.
As for getting online, that will be tougher without some form of cell connection. You may find Wi-Fi access for a few minutes at stations, but I wouldn't want to count on that. And yes, a cell phone company will want you to join a plan, otherwise you'll pay some hefty connection fees.
Joel N. Weber II
Engineer
The United States Congress decides how much taxpayer money to give to Amtrak (along with how many tax dollars to spend on highways and airports), and thus is very much involved in determining just how extensive Amtrak's services are. (A few Amtrak trains have their operating losses covered instead by individual states.)
I've certainly tended to get better responses from my state legislators than my federal legislators when writing to them, but I suspect the number of people contacting each federal legislator about Amtrak has some impact on the total amount of funding Amtrak gets.
Green Maned Lion
Engineer
My father keeps telling me I'm a computer genius and it angers me to all heck. I am somewhat computer literate. I know more about how they work than most, but my programing knowledge ends at C++. I haven't written a program in 7 years. But I will admit I am computer literate and tend to be logical enough to troubleshoot most computer problems. I'm of that younger generation, I suppose you could say.
But boy, I must be a weird one from this generation, because having the internet out there 24/7 bugs me to hell. I keep trying to explain that cellphones have off buttons. I keep trying to explain that when I am not in the mood to chat with people (which is often!) my cell phone is off, and its not somehow evil to turn them off. People are slaves to technology.
I have an old pocket watch in my collection, a key wind Breguet hunter circa 1815. Solid silver. Beautiful piece- its made with attention to detail and care of workmanship people just don't have anymore. It is close to two hundred years old, yet it keeps near perfect time. It fits in my pocket. It has a cover on it, so as not to disturb me with the time should I not be interested in seeing it. This watch, when I use it, serves me. It lets me know what time it is when I happen to care to know.
I have another watch, which I also love. (I used to run a business selling vintage watches) It is a Rolex Oyster Precision (more or less the lowest end model in the lineup- manual wind, no date, not chronometer certified) from circa 1960. Together with my much more modern Omega Seamaster, it makes up what I wear most of the time. I serve the watch. Why? Whenever I see my wrist, I am reminded time passes. Whenever I look at the dial, I am reminded of how much has passed.
When I ride the train, I often take my Texas Instruments LED digital or Soviet Elektronika 2 LED digital. Due to the fact that I have to press a button to display the time, I am not reminded of it so much. (I ain't taking $5k worth of 200 year old horological art on the train!) You should ride the train to experience the world where time and communication doesn't matter so much.
Don't just tolerate not having the internet my friend. Relish in it. I pray Amtrak never implements internet on the long distance trains.
G
Guest
Guest
I used the code V851 and some 50 year old lady who checked me in saw that I used the code and she made me pay the extra 20%. I had no idea that the code was for Red Hat ladys. I am 19 and male so she didn't even ask for ID.
- Status
