Missed Connection and Troubles/Voucher

[RailFanLNK]

Well today I called Amtrak Customer Relations and gave them a detailed account of how badly our trip went coming back on the Lakeshore Limited on 7/21. My wife and I both were in sleepers and they are going to mail us a $250 voucher. Is this normal? I lost out on $250 in wages, so did the wife, we paid $70 for a cab from Willowbrook IL just to get to CUS since the Amtrak bus didn't come to pick us up. Is this all one gets when Amtrak really blows a trip? Was I expecting to be fully compensated for lost wages? No not at all but I think this is small beans considering what all happened. Thanks!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Al: Sounds like you got one of those agents that might want to become an insurance claims adjuster (no offense Tom! ^_^ )and "save" the company money by low balling you! I'd call back and ask for a Supervisor and fill them in with the hassles involved and the amount of money involved! Based on what ya'll went through and previous experience with CR I'd say that your Voucher should be more on the order of $500-$600!

 

[daveyb99]

This was a points ticket if I recall ... so $250 seems pretty fair. Travel Disruptions are a pain sometimes, and sometimes one must fend for themselves to a degree. Sad but true .. but it does not mean a financial bonanza ....

BTW, What was the cause of the delay.

 

[Acela150]

If the ticket was paid through points, I'd say $250 is generous. Just my 2 Cents.

 

[guest]

Not sure I understand what difference it makes if it was a trip using points.

The passenger still had to earn the points--they aren't free--and should get proper compensation if the trip got screwed up through no fault of his own.

Or is there something I am missing here?

 

[Nathanael]

Amtrak won't pay for lost wages, but certainly should pay for the cab fare which you were forced to pay because Amtrak's bus didn't show up.

This was a particularly egregious case (it was discussed in an earlier thread). If I were Amtrak I would be generous because this was really, really, really bad.

 

[benjibear]

I don't think lost wages can be claimed in most circumstances and probably not worth pursuing.

Any direct out of pocket expenses such as your cab fair should be reimbursed. Other things like meals you paid for, parking expenses, any money you lost for reservations (car, hotel, etc.) for being late, telephone calls to alert jobs and loved ones you are going to be late, etc. should be reimbursed in my opinion.

I don't remember if you lost your sleeper accommodation on the next days train. If so, I think the cost difference should be reimbursed. Points do have value and at a minimum the value should be what the cost to purchase the points would be or the cost of the trip. Or, they can just reimburse the points. You can't say they are worth nothing.

If you still got the same accommodations, I wouldn't expect anything back.

You should get some amount just for your hassle of the situation. If that is the $250, I would think that should be more than enough.

I would list everything you think you are entitled to and call back. Just to say, $250 is not enough, is not a convincing argument. If you can point out, for example, you paid $150 in direct out of pocket expenses, you lost $500 in change of sleeper to coach, and you want something for the hassle, makes a stronger argument that $250 is not enough.