Duplicate bookings

[Bex]

How strictly does Amtrak enforce the duplicate/impossible booking rule?

Back when it was a flat rate for AGR point trips, if I was unsure which train I could make some day in the distant future, I'd just redeem points for it that week or even the day of, knowing that the high buckets would make no difference. Now that that's no longer a feasible strategy, I'd really like to book the two most likely possibilities as Saver fares and just cancel one later. Is this something I should chance or would you advise against it?

 

[CCC1007]

From what I understand they cull their reservations network of impossible tickets once a week.

 

[Thirdrail7]

They've been strict ever since e=ticketing.

I'm not sure I'd mess with it. I can't seem to find the thread (it may not even be on this board) but I remember someone doing this and it canceled their reservation. There was some sort of consequence as a result...possibly the fare no longer existed or part of the trip was lost...or maybe I'm imagining all of this.

 

[Bex]

I did find a thread where that happened but it was from 2009 and so I wasn't sure how relevant it still was. But it sounds like this isn't a good bet and I should just book the latest one. Annoying, but there it is.

Thanks.

 

[Acela150]

or maybe I'm imagining all of this.

Please TR, we all like to imagine things.. Sadly, our imaginations are nothing but fantasy anymore..

 

[me_little_me]

It depends. If you make two one-way bookings (remember, round trip really doesn't mean any more than two one-ways - one in each direction) in the same direction and reasonable, it should work. e.g. you want to go round trip from city A to city B but don't know if it will be July 1or July 10 with return in the end of July, then a one-way out on each of those days would probably fly. But July 1 and July 3 probably would not.

I always make one-way reservations on a round trip. Costs no more and have extra time to cancel return. Same for stopovers. Separate reservations if multi-day.

 

[Bex]

They'd be the same day, just a few hours apart. I ride every week most of the year so have reservations like you describe legitimately!

 

[neroden]

Book 'em under two different names. Surely you have at least two credit cards with slightly different variations of your name, and at least two AGR accounts? If not, why not?