Where will e-ticket be scanned?

[zogburr]

We have a trip scheduled in early June to take the CS from Sacramento to Albany, Oregon. The other day at the Sacramento Amtrak station I saw about fifty coach passengers boarding the California Zypher that was headed to Chicago. The conductor did no scanning or checking of IDs. He just viewed the ticket and let people enter the train. It appeared that security or ticket validity was not in the forefront of their thinking. I mean, I could buy a ticket online, print the e-ticket, and then cancel the trip. I would now have in my possession an invalid ticket that could have been used to get me onboard this particular train. When would I be found out? I am on the train and could, maybe, avoid getting scanned.

Anyway, my real question is how in the heck do we get scanned so we won't be counted as a no-show and have the rest of our trip cancelled by Amtrak? I am sure people will tell me that you will be scanned later, but what does that mean? We board the CS around midnight and will be in coach for the first part of our trip. Is later three in the morning or ten in the morning? How will the conductor know that we need scanning? Do I have to wander around looking for someone to scan my ticket. It seems to me that I should have been scanned in the station or while boarding. Is this anyway to run a business. Can you imagine airlines letting people board without checking the validity of their tickets?

 

[Acela150]

A Conductor will scan your ticket on-board the train. Usually not long after boarding. There is a way for the conductor to manually enter you into the system without scanning.

 

[the_traveler]

If by chance, you did (as you said) booked at a low fare (say $200) and then cancelled, when the Conductor on board scans your ticket and finds it invalid, you will have to purchase a new ticket. And on board sales are always at the highest amount, say $500. So your choice is pay $200 or cancel and pay $500!

 

[BCL]

Just because a ticket isn't scanned doesn't mean that the ticket hasn't been tagged as being used. I've taken the CS a couple of times, and in no case was my ticket (iPhone Passbook actually) successfully scanned. Once was in Richmond (before it was taken off the route) and with three passengers he asked our names and looked like he checked them off a list. I've also taken the CS from Emeryville where we got in line and the conductor simply marked us off and probably handled it later.

I've taken a reserved train where we were the only passengers going only one stop (Richmond to Emeryville). The conductor looked at me and asked if I was going to Emeryville. I said yes and he said just get on. I flagged him down at Emeryville, and he said he'd already marked us off since we were the only passengers going to Emeryville boarding at Richmond. I think the kid was probably also a dead giveaway since our reservation was for one adult and one child. There might have been another subtle clue, but I won't get into that.

The conductors all have manifests. Whenever I've board the CS, either the conductor or a station agent came out with a clipboard with all reservations for that station. It would surprise me if they didn't also include names of those who cancelled. Since cancellations aren't that common, I'm thinking if a conductor notices a name from a cancellation list, they won't let that person board. Even if they don't have that list with them, they'll probably know who cancelled.

 

[Linda T]

Just the other day, I was seated next to a lovely old gentleman (WWII vet), who didn't know how to do his ticket. But he had printed out some papers, but not the right ones. The conductor asked him his name and found him on the manifest. I was very pleased that it worked out for him, he was going to his 73rd high school reunion, and he was just one of two left.

 

[zephyr17]

They don't lift/scan tickets prior to boarding at most stations except at some major terminals. The conductor walks through the train and scans/lifts tickets. The conductor knows you need scanning because he puts a seat check above your seat once your ticket is scanned, so anyone in a seat without a seat check will be asked for a ticket. Anyone without a ticket and not on the electronic manifest will be put off at the next stop, which is kind of tough on an airplane, one of the reasons for the difference in procedures. If the conductor gets lip, they'll be put off into the hands of the local police with a "theft of services" charge at a mutually convienent grade crossing, again, difficult to accomplish from 30,000 feet..

The railroads have been using this basic method since long before the airplane was invented. It works well for a very different mode of transportation from air travel.

What kind of "security" would you like?

 

[BCL]

They don't lift/scan tickets prior to boarding at most stations except at some major terminals. The conductor walks through the train and scans/lifts tickets. The conductor knows you need scanning because he puts a seat check above your seat once your ticket is scanned, so anyone in a seat without a seat check will be asked for a ticket. Anyone without a ticket and not on the electronic manifest will be put off at the next stop, which is kind of tough on an airplane, one of the reasons for the difference in procedures. If the conductor gets lip, they'll be put off into the hands of the local police with a "theft of services" charge at a mutually convienent grade crossing, again, difficult to accomplish from 30,000 feet..
The railroads have been using this basic method since long before the airplane was invented. It works well for a very different mode of transportation from air travel.

What kind of "security" would you like?

When I was at Richmond (unstaffed and no line was formed) for the Coast Starlight, the conductor pulled my ticket based on my name and told me to go to my seat where the seat check was already placed. Some conductors have their own way of doing things. I've seen a conductor hand out seat checks while boarding.

I usually take an unreserved train, and have seen everything. Most often the conductor will stick the seat check above me. Sometimes if I'm found in the dining car I've had the seat check folded and placed on the table.

 

[zephyr17]

Hmmm, never seen that variant, but I agree each conductor has there own way of doing things at intermediate stops, although my experience is to announce to the boarding pax to stay put until they come and lift/scan/look on manifest for your ticket, and put a seat check up is the most common.

I don't generally see people line at most intermediate stations except some big ones, either.

"Tickets, please!"

 

[BCL]

I think in my case the CS just got out of Martinez which takes several minutes. There were three passengers (me with infant and one other pax) so the conductor didn't have to guess wildly who was who. My kid technically didn't get a seat, but I'm thinking the conductor wasn't going to put anyone in the adjacent seat at Emeryville.

 

[zephyr17]

That's another variant, some crews just left you sit where you find a seat at intermediate stops, some want to assign it.

 

[crescent2]

Yes, there are other ways besides scanning, but there have also been several posts in various threads about tickets never having been scanned and those passengers never received their AGR points for the trip. If my ticket was not scanned, I too would worry that the rest of my trip would be cancelled as a no-show. I agree there should be some more consistent procedure or a way for the passenger to know they'd been entered into the system as being on the train. I don't think a passenger should have to locate the conductor or convince him or her to scan their ticket. That's just awkward for the passenger, and not very professional.

And, it's not like it's only a matter of principle; the rest of your trip will be cancelled if you have indeed been missed.

 

[zephyr17]

That's true. For myself, if the conductor hasn't seen me and scanned my ticket by whatever method (checking in at the station, at the door, walking the train), I will go hunt him down.

I am not so concerned about the method as long as the conductor does it, what I don't like are the "stealth" methods, like seeing you are the only man/woman/group of 3/etc and inferring that is the Jones party, the conductor asking SCA if passenger x has boarded, and not contacting the passenger himself, etc. I want the conductor or AC to get my "transportation" on his special iPhone personally from me, regardless of where/how he does it.

One of the most annoying phrases to me is "Don't worry about it, it'll be taken care of"

 

[crescent2]

Right, Because sometimes it's NOT. And how to know which??

 

[rusty spike]

In a rare case, my ticket on my ipad was scanned on the platform at MRC before the SL had evenarrived!. It's a crew change point so he, just coming on duty was, scanning tickets and issuing seat checks for the pax lined up to board. Once the train was stopped the CA assigned our seats and told us to hang the seat check. Now that's efficiency albeit an unusual and abnormal situation.

 

[SubwayNut]

Tickets are collected that way to board the Zephyr in DEN and SLC although not on the platform but at a desk in the station (in Denver the desk is now in the obnoxious place of on the wall opposite the doors to the platform). The last time I boarded the Zephyr I did try and board without entering the station (a good half-hour before departure) and was told I needed to go into the station to have my ticket collected and get issued my seat check/boarding pass (I've heard them referred that way both times). The current Denver station has the same wide wooden desk that was once in Union Station and has a Coach Side and a Sleeper Side. The crew doesn't give you a seat assignment (at both stations) but does give you a car assignment writing it on what are generally double width seat checks. On other occasions I've boarded late Zephyrs at both stations and we got our tickets collected (this was pre eTickets) before the trains have actually arrived in the stations.

On VIA's Canadian (for sleeper passengers) at least at Vancouver and Jasper the station agent actually collects your ticket when you check your baggage in! The attendant greats you using a manifest.

 

[pebbleworm]

I just made an AGR trip on the California Zephyr and no one ever came by to scan it. I was kinda proud of myself since I was visiting elderly relatives and had to use Hardees wifi to get the e-mail, and then downloaded it to my Kindle book reader.

 

[Ben_G]

In Reno the conductor made the rounds of people waiting to get on the CZ, checked tickets and ID while inside before the train arrived. Sleeper passengers went to one door, Coach to another. Once there and stopped they open 1 coach door and all coach passengers lined up at that door. We were told to pick out any available seat. They then came around and put up the seat check cards after we were underway.