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#1 jis

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Posted 20 April 2005 - 06:21 AM

Looks like the Amtrak web reservation system won't let me book the connection between 95 and Capitol Ltd. If I choose 95 and Capitol Ltd. on the 14th, it tries to place me on the Cardinal on the 15th. OTOH if I choose any train earlier than 95 and Capitol Ltd it is happy to let me book that itinerary. Anyone else face this problem? If so, how did you get around it?

#2 KevinKorell

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Posted 20 April 2005 - 07:20 AM

Jishnu, You're right, I just re-created the problem. I'm not sure how we can get around it, other than booking by phone. The system will book either segment on its own, but somehow if you're connecting from 95, it sees 29 as sold out even though there are plenty of seats on 29 if you book it by itself. I'd say there is a glitch in the reservations system. And try explaining that to anyone at Amtrak, if we even knew who is responsible. :angry:


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#3 jis

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Posted 20 April 2005 - 06:35 PM

I'd say there is a glitch in the reservations system.  And try explaining that to anyone at Amtrak, if we even knew who is responsible. :angry:

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I suspect that they have just added a rule that says that connecting time has to be more than 2 hours. Since 95 arrives at 1400 and 29 leaves at 1555, it gets rejected as a valid connection and the next alternative namely Cardinal the following day gets substituted. Try any train that arrives earlier than 95 and the itinerary works fine.

Anyway, I called up and got the reservation taken care of. So now I am all set for the entire trip. Staying at the Marriott Courtyard Downtown/Magnificent Mile in Chicago and the Hampton Inn in Dallas, both using frequent guest points.

Edited by jis, 20 April 2005 - 07:07 PM.


#4 KevinKorell

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Posted 20 April 2005 - 08:39 PM

I suspect that they have just added a rule that says that connecting time has to be more than 2 hours. Since 95 arrives at 1400 and 29 leaves at 1555, it gets rejected as a valid connection and the next alternative namely Cardinal the following day gets substituted.

I can live with that explanation. So then why are they showing 95-to-29 as a valid connection? If somehow 95 arrives too "late" to make the 2-hour window before 29 leaves, that means they should be showing 141-to-29 as a valid connection, although that means almost THREE hours sitting around Washington. And I don't know what they expect somebody coming from New England to do, since 95 is the first Regional of the day leaving Boston. I'd think maybe Acela Express, but that may very well not be an option either now.


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#5 jis

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Posted 21 April 2005 - 06:42 AM

If somehow 95 arrives too "late" to make the 2-hour window before 29 leaves, that means they should be showing 141-to-29 as a valid connection, although that means almost THREE hours sitting around Washington.  And I don't know what they expect somebody coming from New England to do, since 95 is the first Regional of the day leaving Boston. I'd think maybe Acela Express, but that may very well not be an option either now.

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I did not suggest that the whole thing makes any sense :blink:

The thing is pretty broken for various reasons IMHO. It is obvious that the same rules are not used for selecting possible combinations and for selection of valid combination for fare calculation. One would have thought that thet'd expose only those combinations that would be considered valid for fare calculation.

#6 KevinKorell

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Posted 29 April 2005 - 08:47 PM

Good news! This is possibly a silver lining in the Acela Distress debacle, but one now can make a reservation for 95 on the corridor to Train 29 for Chicago. It seems that Amtrak has slightly rescheduled 95 so that although it leaves New York City at the same 10:35 AM, it is now scheduled to arrive in Washington, DC at 1:48 PM instead of 2:00 PM. That puts it outside the two-hour window before the 3:55 departure of the CAPITOL LIMITED.

I'm going to grab my tickets tonight before they pull another fast one. :)


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