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Steve's pre-fest adventure


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#11 AlanB

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Posted 11 July 2011 - 01:20 PM

Lol.
I successfully switched to 2170, 3 pm acela for boston. Agent processed the ticket and instantly saw it was an upgrade. Transaction was pleasantly simple. Cost another 26 dollars. Now Ill get to Boston an hour earlier.


You didn't get a nice agent, Steve.
Alan,

Take care and take trains!

#12 steve4031

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Posted 11 July 2011 - 01:56 PM

26 dollars was not the end if the world. I thought they would be Chicago stupid and refund the old ticket and make me buy a new ticket. Paying the difference was no big deal. AC is blasting. Feels good. Got a single seat on right side. Love the acela

#13 AlanB

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Posted 11 July 2011 - 02:57 PM

Yes, but the coupon allows the agent to override the normal jump to the current price bucket routine of ARROW. Normally, if one were paying fully for things, what the agent did is normal. The rider must pay the difference between booked bucket and the current bucket when changing trains. However, the coupon gives the agent the ability to justify overriding the normal bucket jumps when making a change to the reservation. Officially that means that the normal bucket jump that would occur when upgrading from BC to FC is overridden by the agent. Nice agents also use that same feature to override any price increase when changing trains. I've had that happen more than once in Boston. Your agent, while following the rules, chose not be nice if you will. Yes, not a big deal at only $26, but still she could have done better.
Alan,

Take care and take trains!

#14 steve4031

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Posted 11 July 2011 - 03:05 PM

I agree she wasn't in that context. There isn't much I could do without a hassle. I'm enjoying the ride on acela. The menu with the ribs is being used. So I'll have ribs. I wonder if I'll gave the same breakfast menu tomorrow?

#15 BillMagee

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Posted 11 July 2011 - 05:19 PM

Yes, but the coupon allows the agent to override the normal jump to the current price bucket routine of ARROW. Normally, if one were paying fully for things, what the agent did is normal. The rider must pay the difference between booked bucket and the current bucket when changing trains.

However, the coupon gives the agent the ability to justify overriding the normal bucket jumps when making a change to the reservation. Officially that means that the normal bucket jump that would occur when upgrading from BC to FC is overridden by the agent.

Nice agents also use that same feature to override any price increase when changing trains. I've had that happen more than once in Boston. Your agent, while following the rules, chose not be nice if you will.

Yes, not a big deal at only $26, but still she could have done better.

Since Steve was also rebooking to to earlier train (2170 from 2172), I think that part of the transaction would trigger the change in bucket, not the upgrade.

#16 steve4031

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Posted 11 July 2011 - 06:06 PM

Some slow running on metro north. I think were running on track 2 if 1 is the northern most track and 4 is the southern most track. Dinner was good dessert was the highlight. Attendants have been attentive. Ive had 3 pepsi and a cup of coffee. This sure beats the heck out of work. Now I'm listening to Motown on my iPod.

#17 steve4031

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Posted 11 July 2011 - 07:02 PM

Very slow running around old saybrook. About 8 miles of 30 mph running.

#18 steve4031

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Posted 11 July 2011 - 08:31 PM

Arriving back bay soon. Will probably be on time. I think we got stuck behind a regional. We eventually switched tracks to overtake it.

#19 BillMagee

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Posted 11 July 2011 - 09:40 PM

Nice trip! This is a great time of year for a later in the day ride to Boston. Acela 2170 in winter would be a nighttime ride from New York to Boston.

#20 AlanB

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Posted 11 July 2011 - 10:06 PM


Yes, but the coupon allows the agent to override the normal jump to the current price bucket routine of ARROW. Normally, if one were paying fully for things, what the agent did is normal. The rider must pay the difference between booked bucket and the current bucket when changing trains.

However, the coupon gives the agent the ability to justify overriding the normal bucket jumps when making a change to the reservation. Officially that means that the normal bucket jump that would occur when upgrading from BC to FC is overridden by the agent.

Nice agents also use that same feature to override any price increase when changing trains. I've had that happen more than once in Boston. Your agent, while following the rules, chose not be nice if you will.

Yes, not a big deal at only $26, but still she could have done better.


Since Steve was also rebooking to to earlier train (2170 from 2172), I think that part of the transaction would trigger the change in bucket, not the upgrade.


That is correct Bill, changing the train would normally trigger a change in bucket unless the original reservation was booked within a day or two of traveling.

However, what I'm saying is that in my experience most agents use the excuse of the coupon as the reason to push the bucket back to what was originally booked despite the change in trains, even though that rule AFAIK is only supposed to apply to the originally booked. I've walked into the CA in Boston holding a reservation for the 4:10 PM Acela at 2:30 PM only to have the agent offer to put me on the 3:10 PM Acela and with no change in price. I'm not sure that they're supposed to be doing that, it may actually be permitted but I don't think that they're supposed to do it. But again, I've done it. And they offered, I didn't even ask.
Alan,

Take care and take trains!




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