More 'Good' Press for Amtrak!

[Oh Boy]

Oh boy, customer service 'does it' again! AU is even mentioned in the comment section!

Mary Flanagan had plans to visit her son in Virginia for the Christmas holiday.

In November, she booked a coach seat on Amtrak. The train would leave from Metropark on Dec. 22 and return on Dec. 27.

"I had traveled this route before in this class of service and was most pleased," the Whitehouse Station woman said. "I am 70 years old and normally very self sufficient."

But on Dec. 8, Flanagan was rushed to the hospital. She had emergency heart surgery, she said, and she was given a pacemaker.

"My doctor said I could still travel to Virginia on Dec. 22, but I could not push/pull/lift," she said in an email.

This article is from here: http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2015/01/bamboozled_amtrak_passenger_70_upgrades_ticket_for_handicapped_services_that_dont_exist_at_station.html

 

[Thirdrail7]

Oh boy, customer service 'does it' again! AU is even mentioned in the comment section!

Mary Flanagan had plans to visit her son in Virginia for the Christmas holiday.

In November, she booked a coach seat on Amtrak. The train would leave from Metropark on Dec. 22 and return on Dec. 27.

"I had traveled this route before in this class of service and was most pleased," the Whitehouse Station woman said. "I am 70 years old and normally very self sufficient."

But on Dec. 8, Flanagan was rushed to the hospital. She had emergency heart surgery, she said, and she was given a pacemaker.

"My doctor said I could still travel to Virginia on Dec. 22, but I could not push/pull/lift," she said in an email.

This article is from here: http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2015/01/bamboozled_amtrak_passenger_70_upgrades_ticket_for_handicapped_services_that_dont_exist_at_station.html

Refund or not, it is still crappy. NEC stations are loaded with cameras. If what she says is true, they should easily be able to identify the specific crew member that didn't help. :angry:

And find the agent on the phone. Pull the tapes because they do this stuff all of the time.

 

[TinCan782]

Upgrade to Business Class is required to obtain assistance for those with physical limitations?

 

[Big Iron]

I wonder if Reservation Agents are now being incentivized for upselling passengers????

 

[mjaynes288]

Upgrade to Business Class is required to obtain assistance for those with physical limitations?

No. I have no idea why anyone would think that. Accessible services are not the same thing as Red Cap (if there is Red Cap they usually handle disability services also). If the station is staffed they are supposed to provide assistance getting to/from the train to all people with disability who ask. It sounds like there was a miscommunication about disability services vs extras give to business class passengers. The phone agent who sold her business class should have instead noted on her record she needed assistance to the train.

 

[MikefromCrete]

There certainly seems to be a great deal of miscommunications here. The reservation agent should have known enough the difference between special services for a handicapped person and business class. The agent should also have known about the lack of red cap services at the boarding station.

The conductor who wouldn't help with the luggage needs a reeducation or a reassignment to a midnight shift yard job.

 

[neroden]

There seems to be a fair amount of, shall we say, freelancing among conductors who make up their own rules, unfortunately. Hmmph.

 

[TinCan782]

Upgrade to Business Class is required to obtain assistance for those with physical limitations?

No. I have no idea why anyone would think that. Accessible services are not the same thing as Red Cap (if there is Red Cap they usually handle disability services also). If the station is staffed they are supposed to provide assistance getting to/from the train to all people with disability who ask. It sounds like there was a miscommunication about disability services vs extras give to business class passengers. The phone agent who sold her business class should have instead noted on her record she needed assistance to the train.

I'm well aware of that...just noting what was said in the article.

 

[VentureForth]

Where is the thread here where this was discussed?

 

[HAL]

Upgrade to Business Class is required to obtain assistance for those with physical limitations?

No. I have no idea why anyone would think that. Accessible services are not the same thing as Red Cap (if there is Red Cap they usually handle disability services also). If the station is staffed they are supposed to provide assistance getting to/from the train to all people with disability who ask. It sounds like there was a miscommunication about disability services vs extras give to business class passengers. The phone agent who sold her business class should have instead noted on her record she needed assistance to the train.

Metropark is not an Amtrak staffed station. So there are no Amtrak meet and assist services there. The train crew should be assisting passengers with disabilities who are on the platform onto the train at that station. That includes getting the luggage to the proper place onboard. Business class does not get any extra assistance than coach so there was a miscommunication between the agent and customer. The crew would also assist the coach passenger with disability in the same way. Maybe the agent was more interested in doing the upsell. TNo need to pay extra for hat the crew is supposed to do for either class of passengers. The agent should have mentioned there is no meet and assist at Metropark. That means passenger have to get on to the platform by themselves.