Last Minute Suggestions?

[jackal]

Totally way OT from the original intention of the thread, but there is some interesting related info in the following Wikipedia articles:

Interchange fee

Acquirer

Acquiring bank

Issuing bank

Merchant account

Debit card

Also, here's a graphic that more or less shows the process:

 

[Ryan]

I would still call Amtrak by phone (1-800-USA-RAIL) and speak and reserve with an AGENT! The reservation will be booked immediately, but you will have a few days to pick up the tickets! (And will lock in today's fare! )

Not enough money in checking acct until tomorrow (auto deposit). Using Debit card, which usually posts right away.

But if you book with an agent tonight, you still don't need to pay until tomorrow! Unless you are doing it this way so you can book online and not have to print your tickets. But keep in mind that the fare could (but probably will not) go up a lot between now and then!

I want to avoid printing the tickets until the last minute, in case we have to change the dates. Hubby has been having medical issues & we don't know if that is going to affec the trip yet. :unsure:

Sunchaser

Not important now, since you have the tickets, but in the future you should just buy the tickets. If you have to change the dates, you can cancel your reservation for a 100% refund if the tickets haven't been printed (or 90% refund or 100% credit towards another reservation if the tickets have been printed). The only other "gotcha" is that if you reserve a bedroom/roomette, your refund is reduced if you cancel within 2 weeks of travel (but I don't recall the exact percentage).

 

[AlanB]

Not important now, since you have the tickets, but in the future you should just buy the tickets. If you have to change the dates, you can cancel your reservation for a 100% refund if the tickets haven't been printed (or 90% refund or 100% credit towards another reservation if the tickets have been printed). The only other "gotcha" is that if you reserve a bedroom/roomette, your refund is reduced if you cancel within 2 weeks of travel (but I don't recall the exact percentage).

Actually it's 7 days, not 2 weeks. And it's not reduced per say, you can't get a refund of the accomodations charge. You can only get the accomodation charge returned to you in the form of a voucher good for a future trip.

If you don't cancel by the departure time, then you forfit the entire accomodation charge.

 

[sunchaser]

I would still call Amtrak by phone (1-800-USA-RAIL) and speak and reserve with an AGENT! The reservation will be booked immediately, but you will have a few days to pick up the tickets! (And will lock in today's fare! )

Not enough money in checking acct until tomorrow (auto deposit). Using Debit card, which usually posts right away.

But if you book with an agent tonight, you still don't need to pay until tomorrow! Unless you are doing it this way so you can book online and not have to print your tickets. But keep in mind that the fare could (but probably will not) go up a lot between now and then!

I want to avoid printing the tickets until the last minute, in case we have to change the dates. Hubby has been having medical issues & we don't know if that is going to affec the trip yet. :unsure:

Sunchaser

Not important now, since you have the tickets, but in the future you should just buy the tickets. If you have to change the dates, you can cancel your reservation for a 100% refund if the tickets haven't been printed (or 90% refund or 100% credit towards another reservation if the tickets have been printed). The only other "gotcha" is that if you reserve a bedroom/roomette, your refund is reduced if you cancel within 2 weeks of travel (but I don't recall the exact percentage).

Sorry if I wasn't clear, we have paid for the tickets by Debit Card online, (rev# in hand!) but have not picked up/have printed the tickets yet. We will go to the station just prior to the trip to get them printed. As I said before, we may have to change the dates for the trip. That's why I did it online rather than by phone, to try to cover all possible issues with changing dates, refunds etc. Thank you again for all your help!

Sunchaser Look out Amtrak! We're boarding June 30th! LW :lol: