Getting Off Early -- Considerations?

[daveyb99]

I have an AGR award from Chicago to San Francisco in early October on what is now a sold-out train, but I am planning to get off in Salt Lake City and then fly home after a couple of days there.If I try to rebook it through AGR, I am afraid I will lose the space, so was thinking just to tell the SCA that I am going to get off in Salt Lake City after we leave Grand Junction (or pass Helper, Utah).

Is there any problem I am going to run into here?

Call and rebook ... you alread that the space to SLC.

And ,,,,,, rebooking lets AMTRAK sell the space SLC-SFO.

 

[guest in the west]

However, if you're certain that you'll be getting off in SLC, why not just call and adjust your reservation? :huh: This way Amtrak can possible sell your seat or room! It is a full day and night trip from SLC to EMY. If someone wanted to book from (say) Elko to Sacramento, there may not be space because you have a reservation for that segment. And if you have checked baggage, you could not check them to SLC if you're ticketed to SF!

Yes I agree that would be the right way to do it. But I am a little wary to call AGR because of the inconsistency of the agents. My booking is actually a NY-NOLA-CHI-SF right now and I am afraid that AGR would cancel the present award and try to rebook with a NY-NOLA-CHI-SLC and I already know that all three trains are sold out for the dates I am currently traveling. So I would then end up with no AGR available for the dates I now am traveling. If I call, can I tell the AGR agent up front that I don't want to rebook if it involves cancelling the entire reservation and rebooking, that I only want to change the CHI-SF to CHI-SLC which I understand can be done without cancelling anything?

 

[AlanB]

The agent would not/should not cancel the entire reservation. However, in order to change the destination on the CZ the agent must release the room back into inventory and then grab it back for the new city pair. During those few seconds, there is a slight chance that someone else checks to see if a room is out there and grabs it before the agent can get it back into your reservation.

So you are right to be concerned. Again it is a very slight risk, but it is nonetheless a risk!

 

[DivMiler]

Well, we were on the Lake Shore Limited (448) which left 1.5 hours late on Friday, July 19.

I mentioned to our SCA, Starr, when we boarded that my daughter would be getting off early. Even though (I think) she had no SPG passengers, she was happy to do it. I reminded her once we left Albany, late due to heavy rain the night before.

We ended up in Springfield at almost midnight on Saturday, July 20, and my in-laws were there to pick up my daughter six hours late.

I myself didn't get to Boston South Station until about 2:30 a.m. Sunday, July 21, 5.5 hours late. Not what I want to encourage my daughter's enthusiasm for trains, but the handoff otherwise went smoothly and I gave Starr a nice tip as well.

 

[Ryan]

Glad to hear that it worked out.