If I miss my connection in Chicago

[TraderTif]

Ok, see last time I took this trip I missed the Lakeshore Limited out of Chicago, and I lost my sleepers, so my parents and I had to go back in coach.

I will NOT do that again! And, honestly, my parents are too old to put up with an overnight coach trip.

But, if I miss the connection again, what other choice do I have? What does or can Amtrak do for people who miss their sleepers and won't go coach? My folks won't fly or bus, and I know that all of the other sleepers are likely to be sold out (or, at least they were last time). What can I do?

Will I have to rent a car and drive home? Or what?

Tif =

 

[AlanB]

TraderTif,

Sadly renting a car might well be your only choice if you should miss the connection, and don't expect that Amtrak will willingly pay for it either. Other than a refund, you have no choice but to accept Amtrak's alternative arrangements.

However, here are a few things to keep in mind. One, even though I'm not sure just where you are getting off of the Lakeshore, consider alternative routings. Example see if there is a bedroom on the next day's Capitol Limited or the Three Rivers. If so, have them book you into that room and then get a Northeast Corridor train back home. It might take a little longer to get home, but at least you get to do it in style and you get to see a different route. Plus Amtrak should not charge you extra for this.

Secondly if you are running very late, don't wait until you get to Chicago to figure things out. Assuming that someone in your party has a cell phone with them, use it to call Amtrak. Get a live ticket agent and have them check availability of sleepers on all train leaving Chicago the next day. If there is a room, book it. They should be able to hold your reservation without charging your credit card. Even if they insist on a credit card payment, you can always straighten out the finances later in Chicago. Now at least you know that when you finally do get to Chicago, you've got a sleeper for the next day.

Now do be careful with the above suggestion. Make sure that you account for the fact that there is padding in the timetable. Note that it takes the California bound Zephyr approximately 2 and 1/2 hours to go from Chicago to Galesburg. Yet the Chicago bound Zephyr is given 3 and 1/2 hours to cover that same distance.

Also note that if Amtrak thinks that a late running Zephyr might still arrive by 7:30 PM, they may decide to hold the Lake Shore for the connecting passengers.

However if you can reliably predict or can get a commitment from the conductor, that you will indeed arrive later than 7:30 - 8:00 PM then I suggest going ahead with a phone call to Amtrak in an effort to book a room.

 

[Superliner Diner]

Assuming that someone in your party has a cell phone with them, use it to call Amtrak. Get a live ticket agent and have them check availability of sleepers on all train leaving Chicago the next day. If there is a room, book it. They should be able to hold your reservation without charging your credit card. Even if they insist on a credit card payment, you can always straighten out the finances later in Chicago. Now at least you know that when you finally do get to Chicago, you've got a sleeper for the next day.=========================

However if you can reliably predict or can get a commitment from the conductor, that you will indeed arrive later than 7:30 - 8:00 PM then I suggest going ahead with a phone call to Amtrak in an effort to book a room.

Whatever did we do in the days before cell phones were invented???

If you have a halfway decent conductor or sleeper attendant aboard the first train, and they know you are connecting to another train at Chicago, they should be able to arrange things themselves -- whether it's having the connecting train held a short while, or checking sleeper availability on other trains to the east coast.