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  • Amtrak Cancellations

  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1588420  by electricron
 
Cancellations happen because of weather all the time throughout the travel industry, that is not new. What is new is the reason for cancellations caused by labor shortages, a pandemic vs a union strike. Never-the-less, what a terrible time for cancellations to happen, during the peak holiday travel season every year. Just when the customers expect a large increase in services, the most trains with the most cars in service, having to cancel services instead is just terrible news.
Bragging about being very reliable year round in your advertisements when you are not at the busiest time of the year leaves a horrible taste in the American traveling guests pallet. The truth comes back hard.
 #1588430  by STrRedWolf
 
jp1822 wrote: Sat Jan 01, 2022 9:07 pm Amtrak cancelled four long distance routes for ONE day. Yes, I think COVID plays a role, but in the case of the LD trains (at least CA Zephyr and Empire Builder), that was done more as a "reset" as the trains had befallen some bad luck in operations - be it weather delays or not being able to catch up and get back on time similar to what sometimes happens with the Auto Train.

Some of the other Northeast train cancellations - being they are a little longer in nature.........a different story.
I can see the LD reset, but my main point is that a public statement or notice should have been posted about it. That is what ticks me off because you're going to get passengers who don't get word until they get to the station... and they will immediately become irate over it.

Putting out a statement early in addition to reaching out to customers lets Amtrak save face instead of being sneaky-sneaky... and failing. Someone in their Marketing department is going to get fired...
 #1588433  by eolesen
 
Do you know for a fact that nobody was contacted by Amtrak?...

Only about 10% of the US uses Twitter. I wouldn't be using that as a benchmark for proactive comms. I'd be looking at people being contacted by SMS or email based on their booking profiles.

Yeah, the walk ups are screwed but that's what they get for not booking in advance...

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

 #1588446  by jp1822
 
STrRedWolf wrote: Sun Jan 02, 2022 9:25 am
jp1822 wrote: Sat Jan 01, 2022 9:07 pm Amtrak cancelled four long distance routes for ONE day. Yes, I think COVID plays a role, but in the case of the LD trains (at least CA Zephyr and Empire Builder), that was done more as a "reset" as the trains had befallen some bad luck in operations - be it weather delays or not being able to catch up and get back on time similar to what sometimes happens with the Auto Train.

Some of the other Northeast train cancellations - being they are a little longer in nature.........a different story.
I can see the LD reset, but my main point is that a public statement or notice should have been posted about it. That is what ticks me off because you're going to get passengers who don't get word until they get to the station... and they will immediately become irate over it.

Putting out a statement early in addition to reaching out to customers lets Amtrak save face instead of being sneaky-sneaky... and failing. Someone in their Marketing department is going to get fired...
Agree with your statement - I was also critical of the fact that Amtrak seemed to keep this “a big secret” and didn’t post any service alert that I saw - or at least in a timely fashion. Didn’t see anything on their website explaining the cancellations......This is still effecting passengers on 1/2/2022, as trains that would have left Chicago or West Coast on Dec 31 would be arriving at their final terminals today, 1/2/2022. Hopefully no one at Twin Cities was waiting for a eastbound train #8/28 today! Passengers that had tickets were notified.......
 #1588483  by gprimr1
 
My friend is in NY today and got hit with one of the cancellations and let me say, I don't usually complain much, but Amtrak did a really pathetic job of handling it.

He's booked for NYP-BAL, but he's a train that goes south of DC. The email essentially says "The train is cancelled, there are no alternatives, go online for options."

He goes online, there are alternatives, but they are all more expensive, so he books the cheapest one, but Amtrak won't refund the difference because he booked an Acela, even though it was significantly less than a Regional.

Amtrak says he should have booked 19 or 97, but the email never said anything about any of that.

Devil's advocate, I understand Amtrak is saying he's upgrading from coach to business, but overall, pathetic handling of the situation. They obviously had alternatives if he could book them online, it's hard to believe the system couldn't figure out he wasn't traveling south of DC, and even if he was, Amtrak said he should have booked 19 or 97.

I also think it's pretty low that they refunded his money, and then basically said "rebook your ticket that you bought 6 months ago, but now you have to pay the prices for a ticket booked 24 hours in advance."
 #1588490  by JimBoylan
 
gprimr1 wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 12:59 amI also think it's pretty low that they refunded his money, and then basically said "rebook your ticket that you bought 6 months ago, but now you have to pay the prices for a ticket booked 24 hours in advance."
That's how they make money with cancelations.
 #1588499  by gprimr1
 
That honestly seems like it should be illegal.
 #1588536  by nkloudon
 
If Amtrak cancels a train you are booked on, aren't you entitled to a full refund?

Anyway, IMO all transactions involving refunds or cancellations should be handled in person or by voice!
 #1588537  by STrRedWolf
 
eolesen wrote: Sun Jan 02, 2022 11:20 am Do you know for a fact that nobody was contacted by Amtrak?...

Only about 10% of the US uses Twitter. I wouldn't be using that as a benchmark for proactive comms. I'd be looking at people being contacted by SMS or email based on their booking profiles.

Yeah, the walk ups are screwed but that's what they get for not booking in advance...
First of all, I heard that Amtrak *was* contacting people by phone. I also know that such "proactive communications" don't reach 100% of people. There would definitely be people who missed such communications. It's a miracle if they did reach everyone.

Second, Amtrak usually posts these cancellations on their website and Twitter. I can see skipping Twitter but for the life of me I can't see them missing their website. And yet, they did.

And yes, walk-up last-minute purchases were screwed. But so were those who didn't get their phone call... and probably only found out by a sign on the station door.
 #1588577  by STrRedWolf
 
west point wrote: Tue Jan 04, 2022 12:44 am Mr. Norman. evidently you have not seen the mess in NE Virginia. Too many delays and CANX to list.
It was heavy south and east of the I-95 corridor, and Virginia got socked with up to a foot of snow. AmtrakNECAlerts had a ton of reports of downed trees and a ton of terminations.

As of 2am, for today 1/4:
Canceled: 86, 90, 130, 182, 185, 129, 173, 137
Truncated: 174, 176, 84. 94 joined this list around 8:06am.
 #1588590  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Chief 3(4) and Zephyr 5(4) "alive and well" for today.

"Big Snow" forecasted for Sunday last turned out to be "Big Nothing".
 #1588658  by gprimr1
 
nkloudon wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 5:48 pm If Amtrak cancels a train you are booked on, aren't you entitled to a full refund?

Anyway, IMO all transactions involving refunds or cancellations should be handled in person or by voice!
You are, but here's the problem for some people, they may still want to travel, and in that case, a full refund is a horrible proposition.

Consider my friend. He lives in MD, visiting family in NY. He needs to travel to get back to MD. He buys his tickets 6-8 months in advance, so he gets the best deals on saver seats, sometimes paying only $30 dollars or so for a ticket.

Sure, he gets a full refund of his $30, but he's still stuck in NY and needs to get home so now he has to buy a ticket 24 hours prior to departure. His new ticket cost $120 dollars, 4 times what he paid before.
 #1588663  by electricron
 
gprimr1 wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 1:00 am You are, but here's the problem for some people, they may still want to travel, and in that case, a full refund is a horrible proposition.

Consider my friend. He lives in MD, visiting family in NY. He needs to travel to get back to MD. He buys his tickets 6-8 months in advance, so he gets the best deals on saver seats, sometimes paying only $30 dollars or so for a ticket.

Sure, he gets a full refund of his $30, but he's still stuck in NY and needs to get home so now he has to buy a ticket 24 hours prior to departure. His new ticket cost $120 dollars, 4 times what he paid before.
And, what is so wrong with that?
You book early for a super saving discount fare, you are relying upon Amtrak to run that train.
You could book not as early and pay the regular fare, you are not relying upon Amtrak as much to run that train.
That's the risk you are taking for booking so early.
I believe that is very similar case with all modes of public intercity travel.