Veteran's Advantage & AMTRAK Service

[jdwolfskill]

I have recently decided to give AMTRAK another try for a cross-country trip this Spring. I purchased the AMTRAK Veteran's Advantage card, which seems like a good deal.

Does anyone out there use this card regularly to purchase tickets?

Can you upgrade onboard?

Can you get a refund or credit if you can't make the trip?

Are there any hidden gotchas that I should be aware of (except the blackout periods)?

The last time a took AMTRAK was in 1985. I came home after that trip throroughly disgusted with the attitude of almost all (but not all) of the AMTRAK onboard service folks, and swore to myself I would never use AMTRAK again.

I know this is probably a pretty broad-based (and loaded) question to ask here, but has the overall service and attitude of the AMTRAK onboard service folks improved since then, or is it still business as usual?

 

[AlanB]

I can't answer all of your questions, but I'll take care of a few of them for you. Hopefully a few of our other members may know those answers.

If a bedroom is available, then yes you can certainly upgrade on board. There are no restrictions on your tickets. In fact I think that you can even upgrade before you board, while still in the station. Although if you do that you would pay the normal price for the room. Upgrading on board is supposed to get you about 20% off the normal price for the room.

I'm not 100% sure, but I believe that VA tickets are at least exchangeable, if not refundable.

As for the service, let me first say that everyone's opinion of things can vary. I personally think however that especially within the last year, since David Gunn has come on board as President, that worker attitudes have gotten better.

That's not to say that you still can't encounter a bad apple here and there. That is simply a fact of life any where you go, there are some who do a good job, some who do what they need to get by, and some who just don't care. Just look at my trip report 7 Amtrak Trains In Seven Days, in the Travelouge section to see what I mean. Overall I had great service, until I hit the dinning car crew on the Capitol Limited. They were the pits.

Finally welcome to our little forum here.

 

[AlanB]

Jdwolfskill,

I just went and looked at the Amtrak site now. I didn't realize that they were offering a special 50% off sale. That might carry a few more restrictions than the normal 15% sale tickets do. I'd suggest calling the 800 number if you want to know for sure.

Just in case you don't have that number it's 1-800-872-7245. Hope that helps.

 

[Guest_carknocker51]

I use the Vet. Advan. card & it can save you a bundle.....there is a long black out period during the summer,and some other small time's as well,but I upgrade & Amtrak has even called me about up-grades...small fee for membership is well worth it...in my opinion anyhow...

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

I have been riding trains for years all my life, both well before 1985 and since, and I really think it is largely the luck of the draw. I may have taken trips in 1985 which I thought service was excellent, but do not remember. I have encountered all types of service....on the whole I think it is quite good. One really good test is when you have an infirm or handicapped person with you. I took my mother(who had a condition similar to Parkinsons Disease. she could not speak, among other things) on a round trip from ATL to NY about 1991 on Amtrak and we were treated like royalty. We were treated like swamp monsters on Delta Air

Lines for a trip a year later to Albuquerque.In all fairness, I am sure that many handcapped have received excellent service on Delta---we happened not to.

I think how they treat the handicapped is a good barometer, that is, those who really NEED extra help. They were great for that.

 

[jdwolfskill]

Thank you one and all for the replies and information. I'll let you all know how the trip turns out.

If you want to look at some "new" railfan pix from the 1970s, log onto my trainweb.org website. I've just posted a shot there of the circa 1977 AMTRAK Southwest Limited going through Cajon Pass!

I recently rediscovered over 1700 silides and photos I though had been lost in a coast-to-coast move back in 1978. There will be lots of early west coast AMTRAK and NEC photos among them. Anyway, have a look. I"ll be posting more of them as I get them cleaned up.

John Wolfskill

http://www.trainweb.org/metrovalleyline/index.html