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#1 KevinKorell

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Posted 31 December 2010 - 02:09 PM

We have been very lucky over the past 10 years with our Fests in January. Probably the worst conditions we faced were extreme cold and wind. Only 2 years in my memory did we have measurable snow (2002 when we did Bronx & upper Manhattan subways, and 2004 in Philadelphia).

And we can deal with all that. But what if we had a catastrophic blizzard as was experienced this past weekend? There is no doubt it would affect our plans, especially with Amtrak shutting down and the commuter railroads either following suit or experiencing severe delays.

Some questions arise:
  • Would you still make the trip if you're coming from far away?
  • Should we still meet and have a Snow Fest, that is, keep our activities to underground subways?
  • Can the hotel and travel plans you've made be cancelled or postponed without penalty?
I'm sure that there are more issues as well. But it is necessary to remember that what happened in this area on December 26-27 can just as easily happen on January 15-16.


Kevin Korell


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#2 steve4031

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Posted 31 December 2010 - 03:59 PM

I'm not even thinking about that!! It's 50 and raining and the snow is gone. In 2 weeks it might be 50 like it was a few years ago. In any event, I'll go if the flights go. If they don't I think the airline would allow me to cancel with no penalty.

#3 AlanB

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Posted 31 December 2010 - 09:24 PM

Steve, I can't recall if I heard that one could cancel without penalty, but I think that I did hear that. I know for sure that I heard that the airlines were allowing everyone to reschedule flights without penalty.
Alan,

Take care and take trains!

#4 AlanB

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Posted 31 December 2010 - 09:27 PM

Kevin, For obvious reasons, I won't vote/speak one way or the other on two of your questions. But with regard to the subway's question, I'd still be more than willing to do that, were such an activity to happen.
Alan,

Take care and take trains!

#5 jis

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Posted 01 January 2011 - 12:39 AM

Steve,

I can't recall if I heard that one could cancel without penalty, but I think that I did hear that. I know for sure that I heard that the airlines were allowing everyone to reschedule flights without penalty.

It varies from airline to airline, but typically, if there are significant flight cancellations the airlines will allow at least rescheduling to another date within a given period of time without penalty. It takes much less than the recent mongo blizzard for such to take place too.

#6 KevinKorell

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Posted 01 January 2011 - 12:51 AM

Next question then: Does Amtrak fully refund or allow us to exchange without penalty the tickets some of us may already have in their hands?


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#7 AlanB

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Posted 01 January 2011 - 01:07 AM

Next question then: Does Amtrak fully refund or allow us to exchange without penalty the tickets some of us may already have in their hands?


If you landed the low bucket tickets, then you will not be able to get a refund for bailing on the trip. That assumes that Amtrak doesn't cancel the service entirely. If they do that, then I suspect that you may well be able to obtain a refund.

You can however exchange the tickets for a future trip without penalty, assuming that you do so within a year. I rather doubt that last bit will be a problem for any of us. :)

If you didn't land the low bucket fares, then you can cancel without penalty, assuming that the tickets have not been printed. If printed, then you either lose the 10% or you must take it in the form of a voucher to get all 100% back.
Alan,

Take care and take trains!

#8 steve4031

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Posted 01 January 2011 - 09:55 AM

Once my dad and I canceled because of weather on ua. We used the credit for a trip to a different city. One of my flights involves miles. That might be differnt.

#9 KevinKorell

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Posted 12 January 2011 - 02:07 AM

What is happening tonight on the East Coast, and the cause of my white knuckles from just driving through it, is exactly what I fear. Glad it's getting overwith now, and hopefully we don't have more coming.


Kevin Korell


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#10 AlanB

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Posted 12 January 2011 - 02:19 AM

Alas Kevin, there is the possibility of another storm on Sunday. Timing is very uncertain at this point in time. Last night, Monday, they were talking about a possible ice storm. That would be the worst of all possible weather events. As of Tuesday night, they had move to 36 as a high and a rain event. But the early morning temps and late evening temps could still spell trouble for the fest. And again, they're not saying at one point in the day things are expected either. So we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed for Sunday. Saturday should be just fine, if a bit on the cool side.
Alan,

Take care and take trains!




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