Nothing is guaranteed, but you've got a significantly better shot at avoiding a bus by traveling when you know that a segment has been cancelled.
As for your hotel accommodations, that's on you for booking non-refundable accommodations knowing that something like this would happen.
The airlines would just cancel the flight out from under you, at least Amtrak is offering an alternative in this case.
So, are you inferring that if I choose to travel by Amtrak in the future that I should always get fully-refundable lodging?
Why, that sounds like you are saying that Amtrak is a totally
unreliable way to travel! That is so unusual for an "Amtrak Cheerleader" like yourself. If you are trying to instill confidence in the general public that passenger rail is safe and
dependable, you should be telling folks to book the least expensive lodging option available - which is typically a non-refundable room.
"Knowing that something like this
WOULD happen". Again, not a very positive statement there. I certainly hope that you aren't a spokesperson or lobbyist for them. Why not just come out and say that rail is not a dependable way to travel, but it is kinda' fun and relaxing as long as you don't have a set schedule? You could present it sorta' like hitchhiking your way to a destination. That would paint a picture of wild abandonment and raw thrillseeking.
The plain truth is that we are going anyway. If Amtrak can't get us there comfortably and in a reasonable amount of time, I'll drive today. My wife's Chrysler 300 is very comfortable (and fasssssttt), and we could get there and back in way less time - and for about a third the cost in fuel prices. The hotel reservations were never in jeopardy of going to waste. Besides, the platinum card I booked with has travel insurance as a perk.
And yes, I've had airline flights cancelled on me. But, in every case I was booked on another flight and given compensation (except when weather related). And, I was ALWAYS booked on another airplane. In other words, I was transported by the same type of vehicle I had originally chosen, not some lesser form. Now there are even
more protections for fliers when
Involuntarily Denied Boarding. Those rights extend beyond simple oversold flights, and may also be applied to cancellations caused by mechanical/scheduling issues.
"
Nothing is guaranteed, but you've got a significantly better shot at avoiding a bus by traveling when you know that a segment has been cancelled." So true. I would
never book a train trip if notified that a bus would be used instead. I do mean
never. Now, it would be up to the reservation-takers to inform the person making travel plans to inform them of such an inconvenience. Do you really think that I am stupid enough to book a
TRAIN trip when a big red "
!" pops up and says you will be on a
BUS instead? Remember, my wife and I had a horrible experience with bus substitution earlier this year, why would we want to repeast
that nightmare? When I made my reservations (by phone, with a live agent) there was NO MENTION of the possibility of a cancellation. I can see why now, it was only for yesterday.
NEW UPDATE:
This morning our phone rang, identified as "800 Service". I had a sinking suspicion that it was our friends at Amtrak. It was. They called to inform us that our booking on Train 22 from CBR to FTW wuold be provided with "alternate transportation". That was the final straw. I was set to drive, but decided to call the 877 number for more information. As it turns out, a derailment somewere between LRK and FTW had the Train 21 in Service Disruption this morning. According to Trainorders it (the derailment) was near Texarkana. Anyway, a call to the number revealed that 22 was being turned at FTW and would return with the "bustituted" passengers to SAS. So far it looks like train all the way, at least as confirmed by "Richard" on the toll free number. He had no idea why we were called and e-mailed with the "bustitution" update. We were obviously
not going to be affected.
Yay! Go Team Amtrak! Does my cheerleader skirt make my butt look big? I can iron out all those pleats if it does.