The Amtrak Website Has a "New Look."
- Thread starter Thirdrail7
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Ronbo
Lead Service Attendant
Okay, so I see what you mean by the Show Vouchers button not doing anything. I didn't go as far as actually trying that. However, when I tried a second time and still didn't get any results, I scrolled to the top of the page and clicked on my account. When that window opened, I clicked on My Trips. The voucher info shows up there. Then I hit the back button and got a prompt about whether or not to resubmit, clicked submit, and returned to the payment page with the vouchers then showing up. I hope this makes sense. Give it a try.
Ronbo
Lead Service Attendant
You beat me to it!
jis
Permanent Way Inspector
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I have given up on it for today and booked an air ticket instead [emoji6]Incompetence has consequences.
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Ronbo
Lead Service Attendant
I was able to book a trip 11 months in advance today. Maybe I could've done it the other day too, I don't know. My workaround was to put in what it considers a valid date (which is any date from tomorrow till 10 months out) and go through to the next page. Once I got to the next page I could change the date to the Sept 2018 date and select the type of fare I wanted and it let me go all the way through to purchase the ticket. My eTicket came to my email box right away.
Pere Flyer
Lead Service Attendant
The desktop site still has issues jiving with the iOS app. Two weeks ago, I purchased with the app roundtrip tickets for this weekend. The tickets show up on the app, but not on the website. I don't remember that being an issue with the old site.
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PaulM
Engineer
The real question is what is so great about the new look that justifies the expense and frustration?
What do you mean by "data-rich" site? What new data are we getting?
About the only thing I see is that it takes an extra click to retrieve fares (you have to click DONE after a silly pop up before clicking FIND TRAINS).
The one thing that does appear to be an improvement over the old site is the mobile web experience. It used to be a very old, extremely limted site that, while perhaps useful for a few things, didn't really offer a lot of information. The new website uses responsive design so it can show up well on screens of pretty much any size.
Of course, if the website isn't working properly that doesn't matter, but once those things are ironed out it will bring a much better experience to mobile browsers.
Of course, if the website isn't working properly that doesn't matter, but once those things are ironed out it will bring a much better experience to mobile browsers.
Seems to have settled down today.
I was just playing around with reservations on the website and I selected a hypothetical trip from NPN to ALX. What I found interesting is that one of the itineraries which was offered had me taking the 94 Northeast Regional all the way to WAS and then taking the 19 Crescent back toward ALX. Which was weird because another itinerary had me taking the same NER train straight to ALX without going all the way to WAS and then transferring.
Is that a glitch in the site, or is it a new way that Amtrak is doing travel itineraries? I don't recall having seen that before.
Is that a glitch in the site, or is it a new way that Amtrak is doing travel itineraries? I don't recall having seen that before.
Pere Flyer
Lead Service Attendant
How did the two compare in travel time and price? Perhaps the Crescent itinerary was favorable in one metric or another?
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Nope. Using Chrome, it still fails trying to go to https://www.amtrak.com/home
As it has for days now, here is what I get:
We are currently conducting site maintenance.Sorry, our site is temporarily unavailable. We are working to address this issue.
Please try again shortly. Or, for immediate assistance, please call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).
Thank you for your patience.
Reference #
Pere Flyer
Lead Service Attendant
I'm using Chrome, and that link works for me.
jis
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I am happy you have the time to play with this. I don't. Thanks for the suggestion. However as I mentioned, my booking for the trip I was working on is done and Amtrak did not make the cut this time. Hopefully when my next trip comes around Amtrak's quality of user interface will be able to give it a chance to be in the running for potential selection.
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You need to clear or refresh your cache. Your computer still thinks that address is the old one./home is now /home.html
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jis
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You mean /home.html?
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Nope. I cleared the cache. Physically TYPED https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
This is what I am STILL getting...
We are currently conducting site maintenance.Sorry, our site is temporarily unavailable. We are working to address this issue.
Please try again shortly. Or, for immediate assistance, please call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).
Thank you for your patience.
Reference #
*****
Work computer. Chrome is only option, because it updates everything across server and all workstations, even company cell phones.
KmH
Engineer
I use Chrome and can access the new web site.
I just type amtrak.com.
I just type amtrak.com.
jis
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Still can't update my Profile, or get to the Vouchers directly. One can work around the Voucher problem using the trick suggested by mondo a few posts back. Don't know a work around the profile update issue.
On flyertalk the discussion of Amtrak's new web site petered out on the 10th with the general consensus that the site is just broken. There have been no further posts since then.
On flyertalk the discussion of Amtrak's new web site petered out on the 10th with the general consensus that the site is just broken. There have been no further posts since then.
LOL, I got that option too, looking at NOL-ALX. Pretty weird.
It actually cost more to go to WAS and then back to ALX!! Although it does give me the option of a different arrival time at ALX, not that I would want to pay more for something like that.
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neroden
Engineer
I also hope there were some penalties for the developers. They obviously didn't have a test protocol before the site went live, which is absurd.
TiBike
OBS Chief
If the website is more attractive to potential customers, and consequently generates more business, it's worth the money. That's basic marketing. The frustration? That's poor implementation, not bad visual design.
I wasn't clear -- I don't consider the new site to be data rich. The PDF schedules are data rich -- there's a large amount of data that's accessible and understandable (with a bit of mental exertion) at a single glance. That's not the direction that online marketing is heading, though. So even though it's not to my taste, I think the new website is fine, or would be if it were competently implemented.
I wasn't clear -- I don't consider the new site to be data rich. The PDF schedules are data rich -- there's a large amount of data that's accessible and understandable (with a bit of mental exertion) at a single glance. That's not the direction that online marketing is heading, though. So even though it's not to my taste, I think the new website is fine, or would be if it were competently implemented.
