Getting Tickets in the Mail

[National Limited]

I purchased tickets on Monday for a trip on April 29. I just realized tonight that April 29 is next week! Do you think I have enough time to get my tickets in the mail? If not, what would you suggest I do?

 

[Acela150]

If you paid $15 dollars then tomorrow or the day after. But they will arrive before!

 

[transit54]

The tickets I always get are mailed from Philadelphia, PA. I'm not sure this is true for all tickets.

Typically my tickets arrive within 2-3 days. I've had tickets take as long as four, but I think that's the longest. Two days is most typical.

I wouldn't worry at all. You have more than enough time to receive your tickets. I routinely order tickets on the edge of the nine day window.

 

[pebbleworm]

I had to have tickets mailed to me once because the local station agent was sick (Amtrak has a very 20th century business model). I was horrified, but they showed up in about 3 days. If every bar, bodega and convenience store can have an ATM why can't every Amtrak stop have a QuickTrak machine? In some ways Amtrak tickets are pretty cute- the IBM punch card size, same as cash, etc., but I am using them for transportation, not to moon over a bygone age.

 

[Pat Harper]

If every bar, bodega and convenience store can have an ATM why can't every Amtrak stop have a QuickTrak machine?

Because they'd have to hire someone to stock the machines with the cards. If the QT machine was located at an unstaffed station, there wouldn't be anyone there to service it if something went wrong with the machine. It would also require a tie-in to Amtrak's computer network.

 

[BobWeaver]

As transit54 said, I too believe that the tickets are sent from Philadelphia. Tickets are mailed via First-Class Mail, which normally has a 1-3 business day transit time depending on your location relative to the origin post office.

 

[transit54]

I had to have tickets mailed to me once because the local station agent was sick (Amtrak has a very 20th century business model). I was horrified, but they showed up in about 3 days. If every bar, bodega and convenience store can have an ATM why can't every Amtrak stop have a QuickTrak machine? In some ways Amtrak tickets are pretty cute- the IBM punch card size, same as cash, etc., but I am using them for transportation, not to moon over a bygone age.

If Amtrak charged you $3 per transaction at a Quiktrak, then maybe every station would. At the moment, it's a cost/benefit consideration versus mailing tickets (unlike the bar example, where they are trying to make additional revenue off you). The future is eTicketing, which is probably less than a year away on most lines, from what I can tell. See here.

 

[fillyjonk]

I live in Oklahoma and when I order tickets they are mailed out of California, according to the postmark. I usually receive them in about a week, sometimes less.

The station nearest me (Mineola, TX) is unmanned and twice when I've been in there, the Quik-Trak has been malfunctioning. (Once, a person could not get their tickets, another time it would beep annoyingly every 30 seconds to indicate it was broken).

My understanding is that if you are at an unmanned station and the QT is broken, they will let you board with your printout/reservation number. But I wouldn't want to chance it! Fortunately, I can make my travel plans really far in advance (college prof so I know when my vacations are at the start of the year), so I always have them mail me my tickets.

 

[WICT106]

Having gotten tickets for departures from Saint Cloud, MN, Red Wing, MN, Columbus, WI, and Madison (thru-way bus) WI, It has taken me about a week from placing an order to receiving the tickets. All in all, it has worked ok.

 

[Gratt]

If every bar, bodega and convenience store can have an ATM why can't every Amtrak stop have a QuickTrak machine?

Because they'd have to hire someone to stock the machines with the cards. If the QT machine was located at an unstaffed station, there wouldn't be anyone there to service it if something went wrong with the machine. It would also require a tie-in to Amtrak's computer network.

You could make it part of job for one of the OBS' to restock the machine. If the machine went down the conductor should have an electronic of their reservation anyways.

As for a tie in to the Amtrak system, if a private ATM can access my credit card or checking account, then Amtrak should be able to do the same with quick-trak anywhere.

The technology is there, and has been here for over 10 years. It is beyond me why they are stuck so far in the past.

 

[Cristobal]

I once overheard a conductor on a Capitol Corridor train telling someone who boarded at the (unmanned) Hayward stop that it used to have a Quik-Trak machine there but after being repeatedly vandalized the decision was made to remove it altogether. So I'm afraid that there is always that to take into account.

 

[transit54]

The technology is there, and has been here for over 10 years. It is beyond me why they are stuck so far in the past.

The answer is cost. It's a business decision.

I work in IT for a public transit agency. The cost for my agency to order a farecard vending machine (essentially the same technology) is $80k. Now, since Amtrak buys Quik-Traks in bulk and they operate off a slightly simpler technology, let's say that they cost Amtrak $20k each (that's the full cost, including delivery to the final destination). Then assume the cost to send someone out to set up the machine. This is probably around $500-$600 to bring an Amtrak employee out to configure and test the machine, especially in more remote areas where they would have to be flown in or travel overnight on Amtrak to get there. So let's say $20.5k per install in a one-off situation (which for all I know, could be highly optimistic). I'm not sure if Amtrak even installs QT machines in one-off situations - I've always seen them in pairs. In which case, almost double the costs.

Now you have the on-going costs. I'm not sure what a QT machine requires for a connection but assuming a basic POTS line that is going to be in use 24/7 (assuming the QT doesn't have dial on demand capability, which I doubt they would given where they're typically deployed), we're talking probably in the area of $50-60/month. If they don't have a dialup modem and require an ethernet connection, you're talking about $60-$80 a month for a business cable or DSL connection, and in areas where they isn't one, in the $200-$400/month range for a T1 to be brought in (maybe more - I've never procured a T1 in a very rural area).

Even at a conservative $50 a month for the connection, Amtrak could mail about 1,200 tickets a year before they broke even on the communications cost alone (I'm assuming 50/cents per mailing between postage (41.4 cents, presorted first class on most ticket mailings), envelope and processing costs).

There's also on-going maintenance including the occasional service trip by a tech when the machine needs on-site troubleshooting. That's a significant cost over time.

So add up all these costs, and divide the cost of the QT machine over it's useful life (let's say 10 years). The question for Amtrak is: does the cost of deploying, connecting and supporting a QT machine at a given location exceed the cost of mailing tickets and the estimated loss of business as a result of not having the machine (which is going to be pretty minimal, especially on an LD line). If the answer is yes, no machine is going to be deployed - it just doesn't make business sense. Keep in mind they are making this decision knowing that eTicketing is on the horizon.

Now, all this comes with the assumption that Amtrak is acting as a rational business would, which I can't guarantee. But this is how most companies evaluate these decisions, and I'd be willing to bet quite a bit this is what Amtrak does when deciding where to deploy Quiktraks.

 

[zephyr17]

The technology is there, and has been here for over 10 years. It is beyond me why they are stuck so far in the past.

The answer is cost. It's a business decision.

I work in IT for a public transit agency. The cost for my agency to order a farecard vending machine (essentially the same technology) is $80k. Now, since Amtrak buys Quik-Traks in bulk and they operate off a slightly simpler technology, let's say that they cost Amtrak $20k each (that's the full cost, including delivery to the final destination). Then assume the cost to send someone out to set up the machine. This is probably around $500-$600 to bring an Amtrak employee out to configure and test the machine, especially in more remote areas where they would have to be flown in or travel overnight on Amtrak to get there. So let's say $20.5k per install in a one-off situation (which for all I know, could be highly optimistic). I'm not sure if Amtrak even installs QT machines in one-off situations - I've always seen them in pairs. In which case, almost double the costs.

Now you have the on-going costs. I'm not sure what a QT machine requires for a connection but assuming a basic POTS line that is going to be in use 24/7 (assuming the QT doesn't have dial on demand capability, which I doubt they would given where they're typically deployed), we're talking probably in the area of $50-60/month. If they don't have a dialup modem and require an ethernet connection, you're talking about $60-$80 a month for a business cable or DSL connection, and in areas where they isn't one, in the $200-$400/month range for a T1 to be brought in (maybe more - I've never procured a T1 in a very rural area).

Even at a conservative $50 a month for the connection, Amtrak could mail about 1,200 tickets a year before they broke even on the communications cost alone (I'm assuming 50/cents per mailing between postage (41.4 cents, presorted first class on most ticket mailings), envelope and processing costs).

There's also on-going maintenance including the occasional service trip by a tech when the machine needs on-site troubleshooting. That's a significant cost over time.

So add up all these costs, and divide the cost of the QT machine over it's useful life (let's say 10 years). The question for Amtrak is: does the cost of deploying, connecting and supporting a QT machine at a given location exceed the cost of mailing tickets and the estimated loss of business as a result of not having the machine (which is going to be pretty minimal, especially on an LD line). If the answer is yes, no machine is going to be deployed - it just doesn't make business sense. Keep in mind they are making this decision knowing that eTicketing is on the horizon.

Now, all this comes with the assumption that Amtrak is acting as a rational business would, which I can't guarantee. But this is how most companies evaluate these decisions, and I'd be willing to bet quite a bit this is what Amtrak does when deciding where to deploy Quiktraks.

Makes sense, also makes sense to invest the money into the paperless ticketing technology instead, with condutors being issued portable devices to handle paperless ticketing. Which, according to the latest Amtrak Ink, are being rolled out this year.

This issue of the portable devices was the limiting factor here, and is about to be implemented. Remember, airlines ALWAYS have fixed gates. No one gets on an airplane at an unmanned airport and have the captain or flight attendants handle the paperless tickets in flight.

 

[slyfield]

If you are booking a trip within a week or so and you are boarding at an unstaffed station, Amtrak will typically offer to have the tickets printed at a station preceeding yours, given to the conductor, and when you board the conductor will take your first ticket (give you your stub) and then give you any additional tickets due for your trip. Outside of that, Amtrak will send them via first class mail. You also have the option of paying to have it sent via express mail.

 

[Sara]

I ordered my tickets a couple of weeks ago. They haven't come in yet, should I be worried? Who can I talk to about lost tickets, if they are indeed lost?

 

[AlanB]

I ordered my tickets a couple of weeks ago. They haven't come in yet, should I be worried? Who can I talk to about lost tickets, if they are indeed lost?

That depends on when your trip is. If your trip is within the next few days, then I'd be very worried and would call Amtrak at the regular toll free number. If your trip is still weeks/months away, then I wouldn't worry yet.

 

[TransitGeek]

I live in Oklahoma and when I order tickets they are mailed out of California, according to the postmark. I usually receive them in about a week, sometimes less.

The station nearest me (Mineola, TX) is unmanned and twice when I've been in there, the Quik-Trak has been malfunctioning. (Once, a person could not get their tickets, another time it would beep annoyingly every 30 seconds to indicate it was broken).

My understanding is that if you are at an unmanned station and the QT is broken, they will let you board with your printout/reservation number. But I wouldn't want to chance it! Fortunately, I can make my travel plans really far in advance (college prof so I know when my vacations are at the start of the year), so I always have them mail me my tickets.

They're mailed from beautiful Riverside, CA. I always get mine the next business day. (Sadly, I can't convince them to waive the 15-day rule.)