RT zone awards on single reservation

[crescent2]

I know I should know this, but I've forgotten. :unsure:

I have my last-hurrah award zone trips booked, a round trip on the Zephyr , but the agent booked both awards on a single reservation. After I was given the single reservation number on the phone, I asked if it wouldn't be better to have separate reservations, but the agent said no, there was no advantage to having separate reservations. She had been very patient and helpful with some non-routine things, so I let it go. Now I'm wondering if I should have asked for separate reservations for these two award trips, but I can't remember why I'm thinking this. Barring some semi-disaster, I don't anticipate cancelling or changing these trips, and if the outgoing trip had to be changed, so would the return trip.

As today is the big AGR day for zone trips, I hesitate to phone about this at this point. Please refresh my memory and tell me if I should attempt to get these award trips booked as separate reservations. And if so, does it need to be done today? Thanks!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I just prefer separate reservations, whether it be trains or planes.

As for Amtrak, there's the chance, though slim, that your return trip could be cancelled if your outbound trip is not scanned/entered/registered on any of it's legs.

 

[willem]

Yes, you're right, but I think you could have stated it more strongly. All subsequent travel could be canceled if a ticket is not lifted on any leg, regardless of whether the subsequent travel is a continuation of outbound or part of the return.

Since the OP mentions a round trip on the Zephyr, it sounds like there is not a second outbound leg. But if the trip were Zephyr and Starlight and reverse, and the ticket didn't get lifted on the Zephyr, then both Starlight legs and the return Zephyr leg could get canceled.

 

[crescent2]

No, just one leg each way, on the Zephyr. I was surprised these were placed on a single reservation, though. The awards are several days apart. In the back of my mind I was thinking separate reservations were better. I guess we'll have to make double-sure our tickets are scanned. Other than that, any other disadvantage to having them on a single reservation? Thanks

 

[DoB]

No, just one leg each way, on the Zephyr. I was surprised these were placed on a single reservation, though. The awards are several days apart. In the back of my mind I was thinking separate reservations were better. I guess we'll have to make double-sure our tickets are scanned. Other than that, any other disadvantage to having them on a single reservation? Thanks

If you have to change or cancel one leg, your entire reservation will be repriced rather than just the one leg, presumably to your disadvantage (and if it were to your advantage, you'd always have the option of having the other leg repriced anyway).

If there's no possibility that you'd change one leg but not the other, then it probably doesn't matter.

 

[me_little_me]

I have always requested separate reservations in case I had to change just one - it is easier. Also, there was more time available to change the return w/o penalties - which depends on the kind of fare you have, paid or points.

I also have always been concerned with the conductor not recording the boarding. Happened on Wolverine when we had a continuation bedroom on the SWC. Good thing I found the guy and complained. He had missed us in B.C.

On sleepers, no longer do I seem to encounter the conductor coming around to check tickets. Makes me nervous because I can never be sure he checks us off and that affects the second train. Next summer is a two-train connection (with an overnight) and a three-train connection on one trip. Makes it that much harder to hunt down and beat on the conductor if he screwed it up on a previous train.

 

[willem]

If I don't see a conductor lift my ticket, I ask the car attendant to have a conductor visit me at his or her convenience.

An a California Zephyr trip from Chicago to Emeryville a few years ago, somewhere in Colorado a conductor stopped at my room and said I had been recorded as a no-show in Chicago. He did get the reservation, which included a follow-on leg, reinstated. Ever since then, I follow the procedure in my first paragraph and I book any discontinuous travel on separate reservations.