Multi-city Tickets

[benjibear]

Are multi-city tickets guaranteed connections?

Follow up question: The Lake Shore Limited arrives in NYP at 6:23 PM. The Keystone leaves at 7:53. What is the odds of making this connection?

 

[ehbowen]

SLIM | Odds of making this connection=SOMEWHERE | NONE

(Sorry, couldn't resist!)

But the Lake Shore is a long distance run that frequently has issues with timekeeping. I wouldn't care to try it.

 

[Acela150]

If you can book it on the multi city tool. It's a guaranteed connection.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[the_traveler]

You mean "".. NOT on the multi-city tab but on the regular (point A to B) screen". You could book Erie to CVS to CIN via NYP using the multi-city tab - but the overnight would not be included because it's not guaranteed.

 

[PRR 60]

Are multi-city tickets guaranteed connections?

Follow up question: The Lake Shore Limited arrives in NYP at 6:23 PM. The Keystone leaves at 7:53. What is the odds of making this connection?

Oddly enough, I actually know the answer (I've been tracking the performance of #48 since March 1 for another group).

Since 3/1, #48 has arrived NYP at 7:43pm or earlier (leaves 10 minutes for the connection) 62% of the time. That means you have nearly a 4 in 10 chance of mis-connecting - not good odds at all. I'd book the later connection, then if you get in with time to make the earlier Keystone, see if they will let you move up at no charge.

 

[amamba]

Are multi-city tickets guaranteed connections?

Follow up question: The Lake Shore Limited arrives in NYP at 6:23 PM. The Keystone leaves at 7:53. What is the odds of making this connection?

Oddly enough, I actually know the answer (I've been tracking the performance of #48 since March 1 for another group).

Since 3/1, #48 has arrived NYP at 7:43pm or earlier (leaves 10 minutes for the connection) 62% of the time. That means you have nearly a 4 in 10 chance of mis-connecting - not good odds at all. I'd book the later connection, then if you get in with time to make the earlier Keystone, see if they will let you move up at no charge.

Bwahahahahahahaha at the thought of a ticket agent moving you to an earlier train at no charge. They will gladly reticket you to the earlier train when you pay the difference in fare.

 

[Ryan]

Unless you're on an AGR award. Then you get moved up for free, which is awesome.

 

[benjibear]

The issue is, if I miss the 7:53 PM train on Sunday, the next direct train is not until 7:25 AM the next morning. There is a combination that leaves at 3:00 AM with almost an hour layover in Philly. Either way spending 7 hours or 11 hours in NYP does not sound that fun.

Will they hold the Keystone for a "short" time for people to make the connection?

Also, if I book a multi-city trip, which from my understanding, is a guaranteed connection, and I miss my connection, what will Amtrak do? Will they just tell me to sit in the station for 7 hours to get the next train? Or would they put me up in a hotel?

 

[amamba]

It's not necessarily a guaranteed connection. Can you book it regularly (without) multi city ??

 

[benjibear]

So is it guaranteed or not?

From Amtrak web site:

Amtrak does not normally guarantee connections of less than 60 minutes (90 minutes between arriving long-distance trains and local trains in the Northeast Corridor). Please call Amtrak 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) or your travel agent if your planned itinerary includes a shorter connection. A guaranteed connection does not ensure that such a connection will always be made. In the case of a missed guaranteed connection, Amtrak will provide alternate transportation on Amtrak, another carrier, or overnight hotel accommodations, at Amtrak's discretion.

So the connection I am trying to make is arrival at NYP is 6:23 PM. Departure is 7:53. Assuming the rules above, the connection time is 90 minutes which should be guaranteed per Amtrak's published rules.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Are you booking from the main web page or the multi-city web page? If the multi-city web page then it's probably not guaranteed.