posted
I like it! Seems much cleaner, keeps the reservation area on the left on the other screens.
Oops. I tried to put in a trip and save it for later. Can find no way to do it although the help menu tells me there is a method. Unfortunately that method seems to be referring to the old screens; go to the bottom of the page to select "modify", give your trip a name and select "save". Those items are not present. Hope they add them, I liked saving some proposed future trips to compare.
Sent them a message about this situation.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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There is no longer the means to order a print edition System Timetable through the website. The next effective date of such is tomorrow October 26. Print timetables apparently will be available at stations and supposedly will be offered for download through the new site.
But there is NO PATH printed on the News and Media page.
Now that it has been established that it is stil Amtrak's intent to circulate printed publications by means of on-line ordering, I presume that this is still a bug to be worked out.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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I suppose there are lots of bugs to be worked out. I can seem to get the multi-city booking option to work either.
Posts: 139 | From: myrtle creek oregon | Registered: Jul 2006
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I'll have to play with it some before rendering a final decision BUT on the surface it looks much cleaner. I have thought that the Amtrak website has needed a makeover for a couple of years now so I'm encouraged.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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I tried to order the autumn timetable and other brochures using the link supplied above by Mr Norman and was informed "OOPs, this link appears to broken" etc. No doubt the problem will soon be fixed.
Posts: 168 | From: uk. northumberland | Registered: Jun 2007
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I notice there is no link for the Springfield, MA to Washington, DC timetable.
-------------------- Everybody has to believe in something. I believe I'll take the train! Posts: 230 | From: Ithaca, New York | Registered: May 2009
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It is improved. One curiosity - I was looking at the USA Rail Pass. I may have imagined this, but I thought you bought a pass and got unlimited travel for x days.
It now shows you get a certain number of segments with a segment defined as one train. So a trip from Florence, SC to Milwaukee would require 3 segments - the Meteor, Capitol, Hiawatha train. I hope they don't get any ideas of trying that with AGR.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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quote:Originally posted by palmland: I hope they don't get any ideas of trying that with AGR.
Unfortunately Mr. Palmland, if Amtrak is to take a page from the airline's playbook, such will be the case. When the airline plans started circa 1980, it was simple and straight forward; so many miles for an upgrade, so many for a discount, so many for a freebie.
I'm an AGR member simply for no reason other than "to be one of the boys'. Who knows when or if I'll ever receive any benefit from the 7742 points I now have. I do belong to three hotel plans - Hyatt, ICH (Holiday Inn), and Marriott. Marriott seems to "pay off the best' as I come up with a Courtyard freebie most every year. ICH gets me an Express freebie about every other year, and Hyatt I have yet to see anything from. I "joined 'em all' about five years ago when I for one still made reservations by phone and the reservationist wouldn't let you go until you had signed up.
No secret; here is my 2009 'tally' (stays/nights) arising from eight "away from home overnight" trips:
ICH/Holiday Inn 3/7 Marriott 9/11 Hyatt 1/3
Additionally one night was on Auto Train and two others were "houseguest" (something I had not done in ten years).
One Marriott night was a freebie; I guess my "national chain of choice" is evident. Possibly that choice is influenced by that my Father ended his days in a Marriott managed nursing home; my Sister has always held he received excellent care, and I note they honored any financial commitments (return of endowment) to a tee. But "Point Chaser" in this life is something I'm not; maybe next life.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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OK we are making progress, the System Timetable is now available for download (14MB) through the Timetables tab.
Ordering a Print publication still remains in "limbo".
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Thanks Gil. And finding the page to order the print copy, which URL you have noted above, is totally impossible. I looked everywhere on the Amtrak site and tried the search function (such as it is) and never found it.
I always order it by mail and will keep looking for it to become available. At least they now have a message that they are working on that link.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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If you don't get it, Vicki, you can phone USA-RAIL and ask someone to have Amtrak mail you a copy. They will take your address.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Addendum: I've ordered my copy through that site; "let y'all know".
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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I'll probably just go down to the Winter Park station and get my new timetable -- I assume they are available at stations now.
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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It looks like more than the website has been redesigned. Granted, I haven't take much interest in travelling by Amtrak lately, but is it my imagination or: Has a new system been instituted for rail passes?
By Jove, those rail passes actually make sense for once! They are reasonably priced and don't favor international travellers!
-------------------- Please visit "Chucksville" at http://www.chucksville.com and sign my guestbook! Posts: 324 | From: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
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It also appears that the guaranteed connection between #1 and #14 has been reestablished.
Posts: 326 | From: San Antonio Texas USA | Registered: Dec 2003
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Good to learn that On-time performance has improved to such extent that 1-LAX-14 is again a guaranteed connection.
However 30(110P)-WAS-91(300P) remains "illegal'; ironically with the improved (for the moment) OTP, I would think a passenger traveling to, say, Florida points would be 'exasperated" to see an earlier train arrive and depart and he could not be accommodated account a 'technicality'.
Possibly for a passenger traveling Coach, a change could be made without penalty; Sleeper likely a 'sorry bout that'. A review of www.amtrakdelays.com shows that for the past week other than Oct 31 where obviously 'something happened', 30 'made it in time'.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: Good to learn that On-time performance has improved to such extent that 1-LAX-14 is again a guaranteed connection.
However 30(110P)-WAS-91(300P) remains "illegal'; ironically with the improved (for the moment) OTP, I would think a passenger traveling to, say, Florida points would be 'exasperated" to see an earlier train arrive and depart and he could not be accommodated account a 'technicality'.
Possibly for a passenger traveling Coach, a change could be made without penalty; Sleeper likely a 'sorry bout that'. A review of www.amtrakdelays.com shows that for the past week other than Oct 31 where obviously 'something happened', 30 'made it in time'.
I had a similar situation a couple of years ago when #92 was scheduld into Raleigh, NC before 6am. I was en route from Winter Park to Greensboro and ticketed to connect to #79 departing Raleigh at 4:30 something pm.
Instead, following an on-time arrival on 92, those few of us ticketed to make the connection were accomodated on #73 departing at 7:05am.
I was prepared to purchase a new ticket for #73 upon arrival if neccessary to avoid a 10.5 hour layover
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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I just had reason to use the new website (checking on a possible quick RT SBA/VEC/SBA (You all know I hate those LONG drives!) and was pleased to see that "Trip Alerts" now come up prominently on the schedule. This particular one was for one Surfliner on two Saturdays this month (the 7th and 14th) but it was nice to see if so clearly present.
Frank in cool and clear SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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Am I missing something? Has the feature that allowed you to "Save" a planned trip without actually purchasing it disappeared? I was doing some planning for two December trips and I wasn't offered that option.
Frank in sunny but cool SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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At a separate topic, Mr. Presley noted he has had communication with Amtrak Customer Service in which they have advised him the "ordering publications feature has been temporarily removed".
But lo and behold, guess what showed up today Nov 17 - a System Timetable and Amtrak Vacation Planner from the same outfit in Itasca IL as in the past. Again I ordered such through:
posted
Thanks, Mr. Norman, for the link. I just now ordered a hard copy time table..fantastic!
In the future, how do you go about finding the site for getting a hard copy? If you go to the Amtrak home page, I can't find anything apparent..seems like another Amtrak labyrinth.
Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
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Like Ms. Vicki, I received a System Timetable in the mail on Friday and another today.
To be honest, I had been accustomed to more timely arrivals with the timetable and had nearly given up seeing as how my contact with customer service was three weeks ago.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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