? re missed connections AGR

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crescent2

Conductor
Joined
Sep 15, 2012
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a little south of normal
If a guaranteed connection between two separate AGR sleeper reservations is going to be missed due to the train you're on running very late, what is the best way to handle that, if there is a choice?

Is there a way to find out, before the departure time/AGR cancellation deadline of the next reservation, whether you will be bused to catch up to the missed train or be given a hotel overnight?

Assuming a hotel overnight is in the works and sleepers are sold out on the next trains, does Amtrak cancel the second (to-be-missed) AGR reservation so that you get your points back and then book a new AGR reservation for coach, costing much fewer points? They would have to rebook your reservation in coach, but do they cancel the to-be-missed sleeper reservation before its departure time?

If not, why isn't that done, so that you are paying the correct number of points for the accommodations you will now be using on the next reservation?

Our layovers are scheduled to be long, so I don't anticipate this will happen, but if it does, I'd like to know ahead of time how to handle it. In the above scenario, I'd much rather have the points difference, if I'm going to lose my remaining sleepers on two trains, than a voucher. A voucher would be of little use to me as there are no trains nearby. Any future trip would likely be LD sleepers using points. Just wondering if there's a way to make that happen. And hoping it turns out to be a moot point! :)

IIRC, I've read that you are supposed to see a station agent upon detraining and they handle things. But at that point, the missed train would have already departed and it would be too late to cancel that (mega-points!) AGR reservation.

This has probably been discussed here before, but if so I've missed or forgotten that aspect of it. Thanks-
 
It's not clear from what you say if you have two separate points redemptions (i.e. a one-zone and a two-zone, or two one-zone trips with separate reservation numbers). I think that would have to be the case in order to cancel and receive a points refund.

I have been bustituted on part of an AGR redemption, and received only a voucher. It's my understanding that once a "trip" begins, you cannot cancel part of it and receive any points refund. Another incentive to keep the parts of the trip on separate reservations. But then, as the poster above notes, you are responsible to make the connection or cancel before the connecting train is scheduled to leave the station (and pay for the hotel yourself if you need one).
 
If you reserve two different trains with separate reservations of Guest Rewards points, I would suspect you would need to call and cancel the second reservation once you have determined you will not make the connection. Example: If you booked the CZ from Denver to Chicago and then the Cap Ltd from Chicago to Washington as separate reservations, then you would be responsible for notifying Guest Rewards that you will not make your Cap Ltd train and they can change your reservation to: the next day's Capitol Ltd, or coach on a later train if available, or other options. Betty is correct that the second reservation is not guaranteed if made separately.
 
Bill, the only problem with making separate reservations and breaking at Chicago (the conneciton point) is that if you make them that way, each leg is two zones, costing you 40,000 points in all fpor a roomette (where if you made it as a single three-zone award, it would be 35,000 points). If I am going to break my three-zone award, I am going to do it at the zone boundary. THEN what do you do if the first train is going to miss the connection??
 
Bill, the only problem with making separate reservations and breaking at Chicago (the conneciton point) is that if you make them that way, each leg is two zones, costing you 40,000 points in all fpor a roomette (where if you made it as a single three-zone award, it would be 35,000 points). If I am going to break my three-zone award, I am going to do it at the zone boundary. THEN what do you do if the first train is going to miss the connection??
In your scenario above for example purposes let's speculate that you have two reservations. The first is Pdx - tol (Toledo Ohio) and the second is tol-NYP. This keeps you with a two zone and a one zone.

If you realize you aren't going to make that connection in CHI it is your responsibility to call AGR and get that TOL-NYP segment adjusted. They won't do it automatically and if you are a no show your rezzie will be cancelled and you will lose your points.

The folks in CHI only see that on the reservation that you are traveling on that you are going to TOL. If you misconduct you get the hotel and then space on the next days train. If you get a force able downgrade I know AlanB has stated previously that you are supposed to get meals included. I'm assuming you also get a voucher from customer relations for a future trip.
 
I will say that I had a trip two years ago that was two, two zone redemptions. I had sea-chi then an overnight in chi and then chi-SPG-wfd (BOS section of the LSL).

My EB was severely delayed and there was a question that we might not make the connection (we arrived 30 hours late). Frankly we only made it bc they held the LSL that night. But you can bet that I was proactively calling AGR multiple times that day to ask what they advised I do in the situation and I explained that I was on a delayed train etc. You can probably look at some old posts bc I was posting live updates from the train.
 
Bill, the only problem with making separate reservations and breaking at Chicago (the conneciton point) is that if you make them that way, each leg is two zones, costing you 40,000 points in all fpor a roomette (where if you made it as a single three-zone award, it would be 35,000 points). If I am going to break my three-zone award, I am going to do it at the zone boundary. THEN what do you do if the first train is going to miss the connection??
In your scenario above for example purposes let's speculate that you have two reservations. The first is Pdx - tol (Toledo Ohio) and the second is tol-NYP. This keeps you with a two zone and a one zone.

If you realize you aren't going to make that connection in CHI it is your responsibility to call AGR and get that TOL-NYP segment adjusted. They won't do it automatically and if you are a no show your rezzie will be cancelled and you will lose your points.

The folks in CHI only see that on the reservation that you are traveling on that you are going to TOL. If you misconduct you get the hotel and then space on the next days train. If you get a force able downgrade I know AlanB has stated previously that you are supposed to get meals included. I'm assuming you also get a voucher from customer relations for a future trip.
Thanks, this is almost exactly the scenario I am envisioning (substitute CIN for TOL). I'm assuming you'd be in CHI before you missed your train in CIN (inless you're on the EB, ha, ha, and I am not planning to do that, I'll be boarding south of PDX and going via the CS/CZ)!).
 
You would be in CHI before you missed the train in CIN but I would call AGR before that if it's obvious you won't make the train. The earlier you call the better your chances are IMO of securing sleeper space in a misconnect. Plus the folks in CHI won't want to make any changes to an AGR rezzie.
 
You would be in CHI before you missed the train in CIN but I would call AGR before that if it's obvious you won't make the train. The earlier you call the better your chances are IMO of securing sleeper space in a misconnect. Plus the folks in CHI won't want to make any changes to an AGR rezzie.
Seconded.
 
Third! But any Agent can now modify an AGR Rez if they want to and know how! Ive had the Chicago agents do this several times when the guaranteed connections were missed and AGR was unreachable or closed! (they have longer hours now!)If they tell you differently they're lying or lazy or both but it is Better to call yourself as was said! The early caller gets the scarce room!
 
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Pioneer: I do have two separate AGR redemptions which are also two separate reservations.

Thanks, all! Yes, you've answered almost all of my questions along with an important one I didn't think to ask. I did not realize that the connection between the two awards (two reservations) was not a guaranteed one! I'd better hope the Cap is not EB-style late. It would have to be running at least eight hours late to be a big problem.

If we are running late for making the second award/reservation, I'll definitely be on the phone to AGR.

I phoned AGR today to ask about busing, but that's a moot point between the two awards. They said if I had to phone to cancel, they would try to help find accommodations on an alternate train.

Again, many thanks!
 
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For what it is worth: I recently book a trip aboard the SW Chief from LA to Kansas City, MO with a connection to the morning Missouri River Runner to St. Louis. Union Pacific track work caused the cancelation of my StL bound train with a bus substitute offered for a portion of the trip to where the remainder would be on the rails. I refused to be bused and received a full refund for the Missouri River Runner portion of the trip.
 
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