Using High Fare Tickets on Keystones in the NEC?

[Explore]

All main stem Northeast Corridor trains are now reserved. And conductors often announce that tickets must read valid for that particular train and date. For good reason: fares may be considerably higher on certain trains.

But AFAIK, fares on Keystone service between Philadelphia and New York are always priced in the lowest bucket, perhaps because of support from the State of Pennsylvania, or just because these are bare-bones services.

And in some cases, you may want to ditch your high-priced NE Regional or Acela service and use the ticket on a Keystone, especially if your reserved train is late or it's a short segment of a multi-city itinerary. You're not seeking a refund, but you do want the conductor to lift your ticket and turn it in.

Can anyone speak from actual experience that Keystone conductors will honor same day tickets from higher-priced trains?

Thanks....

 

[the_traveler]

I do not have direct experience, but I would say "Why should they have a problem with it?" After all (and I'm just making up these fares) why should they complain that you want to use a ticket that cost you $57 on a train where the fare is only $36? :huh:

If that were the case, why not just go to the ticket window or QT and buy a lower priced unreserved ticket for the Keystone, and get a refund for the higher priced ticket? :huh: Then you could use the extra $21 for something else that you chose!

 

[DivMiler]

Tickets on the Keystones between Philadelphia (PHL) and New York Pennsylvania Station (NYP) are reserved. I would think that the conductor would expect to see a ticket for that train and that train only.

Tickets on the Keystones between PHL and Harrisburg (HAR) are unreserved (subject to peak/off-peak pricing).

 

[battalion51]

In most cases a Conductor doesn't really care if you're holding a ticket for a different train so long as you've got a ticket and the train is scheduled to stop their. I've gotten on 160 before with a ticket for 164 and told the Conductor "Hey I just needed to get to New Haven a little earlier." So long as the train isn't sold out most Conductors won't care. Don't try this during the peak travel periods, or going from Regional to Acela. Results not guaranteed. Some side effects may occur. Side effects may include: nausea, vomiting, water weight gain, lower back pain, receding hairline, eczema, seborrhea, psoriasis, itchy chafing clothing, liver spots, blood clots, ringworm, excessive body odor, uneven tire wear, pyorrhea, gonorrhea, diarrhea, halitosis, scoliosis, loss of bladder control, hammertoes, the shanks, low sperm count, warped floors, cluttered drawers, hunchback, heart attack, low resale value on your home, feline leukemia, athlete's foot, head lice, club foot, MS, MD, VD, fleas, anxiety, sleeplessness, drowsiness, poor gas mileage, tooth decay, split ends, parvo, warts, unibrow, lazy eye, fruit flies, chest pains, clogged drains, hemorrhoids, dry heaving, and sexual dysfunction.

 

[AAARGH!]

In most cases a Conductor doesn't really care if you're holding a ticket for a different train so long as you've got a ticket and the train is scheduled to stop their. I've gotten on 160 before with a ticket for 164 and told the Conductor "Hey I just needed to get to New Haven a little earlier." So long as the train isn't sold out most Conductors won't care. Don't try this during the peak travel periods, or going from Regional to Acela. Results not guaranteed. Some side effects may occur. Side effects may include: nausea, vomiting, water weight gain, lower back pain, receding hairline, eczema, seborrhea, psoriasis, itchy chafing clothing, liver spots, blood clots, ringworm, excessive body odor, uneven tire wear, pyorrhea, gonorrhea, diarrhea, halitosis, scoliosis, loss of bladder control, hammertoes, the shanks, low sperm count, warped floors, cluttered drawers, hunchback, heart attack, low resale value on your home, feline leukemia, athlete's foot, head lice, club foot, MS, MD, VD, fleas, anxiety, sleeplessness, drowsiness, poor gas mileage, tooth decay, split ends, parvo, warts, unibrow, lazy eye, fruit flies, chest pains, clogged drains, hemorrhoids, dry heaving, and sexual dysfunction.

They have pills for that!

 

[the_traveler]

They have pills for that!

But the pills are 2 feet long - plus you have to take them 3.7381 times a day for 12.9375 days! :lol:

 

[Explore]

If that were the case, why not just go to the ticket window or QT and buy a lower priced unreserved ticket for the Keystone, and get a refund for the higher priced ticket? :huh: Then you could use the extra $21 for something else that you chose!

If it was just one segment of a multi-city itinerary, it would not be possible to do so. And there would be no savings anyway, because a through fare was purchased.

 

[Shanghai]

I opted for an earlier train from PHL to NYP and the ticket agent printed me a new ticket. Price did not change, but she said I needed a ticket with the

proper train number. It was on August 20, 2009.

 

[NJCoastExp]

Labor day weekend I did a trip on Sunday with tickets bought for Monday (got my dates confused for my regular "volunteer commute" from MET to NHV). Nobody cared, of course it helped that train was not full.