posted
Users on another forum are reporting that Amtrak Status Maps, Amsnag and Railstatus are not working, that Amtrak apparently has blocked their ISPs. (Amtrak's own train status page is working fine.) This is not good. Those were very convenient tools.
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
Amsnag does not offer to sell public transportation; it merely channels data about available choices.
Of course Amtrak holds the right to control data it assembles. But Amtrak also has allowed this kind of use of its online data for a number of years now. The speculation has been that public use of this data does not hinder Amtrak's operation in any way and helps passengers use its data more efficiently.
Why it seems to be disallowing it now, I think, is an issue worthy of exploration. Possibly Amtrak feels that its computers are being overloaded with queries from these data-collecting sites. If this is true then Amtrak can't be faulted.
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
Sure, Amtrak holds that right. I just don't understand why they would want to block that information from being made public. ?? I think it would make great sense for Amtrak to provide a search tool similar to AmSnag on their own website! Can you imagine how many hours an Amtrak agent would spend on the phone with me if I asked her to check the rates on each leg of my trip for fifteen days?? It seems to me they would save agent phone time by making the data available. I've booked all of my trips online; but only after making sure the dates I had chosen were at low bucket prices! Without AmSnag, I will have to spend hours on the phone, as will an agent. Hopefully, we are jumping to conclusions... and the site is only temporarily not working.
The travel agent industry has access to the data in a manner similar to Amsnag.
Possibly the industry doesn't want potential passengers to find out the facts easily and make their own bookings online.
Therefore possibly the industry has pressured Amtrak into blocking public use of the data.
And maybe Train Granny is right. Possibly Amtrak is getting ready to announce its own online bucket tool.
(A few minutes later. On Amtrak Unlimited John Bobinyec, the operator of the Amtrak Status Maps site, has announced, "I've initiated a change which I expect to take place in '24 to 48 hours"' If it works, the maps will be back online. We'll have to wait and see.")
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
FWIW, it appears that Amsnag is owned by someone overseas. I would expect same for Railstatus, as a user is asked to enter a date in European format, i.e. 10 April vice April 10.
At this time, the only airline sites with which I have any familiarity was (former) United and now (former) Continental (now United). There appears to be a "sort by fare" option available. The hotel sites I "know my way around", namely Marriott, InterContinental, and Starwood, all seem to offer a "flexible?" option as well.
I think even our "First Amendmentists" around here, seem to respect that Amtrak does have the right to control information regarding fares, availability, and operational status. I think it is in their interest to control the dissemination of such and constrain outside parties from "mining' and using such information in a manner the outside party, rather than Amtrak, chooses.
But maybe this should be a wake up for Amtrak; outside parties have "mined" (hacked?) your data. Why don't you offer it at your site where it would be under your control, and in the case of a ticket purchase, a unilateral Offer (in the true legal sense of the term) be made whereby a party can choose to Accept (again, true legal sense) resulting in a Contract.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
Amtrak Status Maps seems to be back, but not Amsnag or Railstatus.
Speculation on another forum is that Amtrak's IT people were doing some tweaking or housecleaning and altered the code enough to knock off some piggybackers.
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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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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posted
I just tried it for the first time and I love it. For years I've been doing this on a spreadsheet. But my spreadsheet also had the weather. Can they add that for me? Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
I am not familiar with Amsnag -- what is it? Where do I find it online? (I was out of town last week when this discussion started)
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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It will give you the *current* bucket figures for any departure date plus up to 30 days, so that, for example, you can compare the roomette bucket fare for each of those days. It's a great time-saver for planning a trip in the future.
You need to know the city codes but there is a link to the Amtrak .com page with them.
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
I received a rather "stinging" response from a member of another site who could well be the owner of Amsnag, but who evidently holds different views regarding "freedom of speech" as it pertains to internet dissemination of information than do I. Other than his given name and location that he shared with me, I see nothing private about his thoughts, regarding my immediate posting (#00006), and have chosen to share them here.
quote:I spotted these on another rail forum and thought I would comment privately.
FWIW, it appears that Amsnag is owned by someone overseas. I would expect same for Railstatus, as a user is asked to enter a date in European format, i.e. 10 April vice April 10.
A lot of hair brained theories have been going around, but this is easier than most to refute. Not only was Amsnag hatched right here in Illinois, it would choke on a European formatted date.
I think even our "First Amendmentists" around here, seem to respect that Amtrak does have the right to control information regarding fares, availability, and operational status.
Who was it that said "Rights-speak is the last refuge of scoundrels"? No one is claiming Amtrak doesn't have the right, only whether it makes good business sense. After all, most businesses have to pay to display their wares on a website with a link allowing one to click thru to their own website to complete the sale.
But maybe this should be a wake up for Amtrak; outside parties have "mined" (hacked?) your data. Why don't you offer it at your site where it would be under your control, and in the case of a ticket purchase, a unilateral Offer (in the true legal sense of the term) be made whereby a party can choose to Accept (again, true legal sense) resulting in a Contract.
I didn't follow the legal mumbo-jumbo at the end, but as far as Amtrak doing anything, don't hold your breath. On their own website, they haven't been able to get rid of the bug (design flaw? feature?) that causes a reservation to disappear from one's account if the slightest change is made. Or can't book a sleeping car AGR trip.
Most people think of the multiple date display as valuable. But consider someone looking to go from CLV to MSP. They would have to find and click on 8 buttons to find sleeper fared for each day (2 types - forgetting the family room), 2 segments (CLV to CHI and CHI to MSP) and 2 options per segment (29 vs. 49 and 7 vs. 27). With Amsnag it's all on one line.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
GBN, Thanks for sharing this message! I don't know if this is the owner of AmSnag or not, but if it is, please tell him, THANK YOU!!! When I travel (and have no concrete dates in mind), I can book my entire trip based on the lowest combination of bucket prices available. AmSnag has saved me hundreds of dollars!!
posted
OK; I admit I have little use myself for a site like Amsnag or the "Flexible?" options offered at the house sites of other transportation and lodging concerns. Save the couple of joyrides I've made and reported on in the past, my travels are first dictated by an event (that includes family/friends visits) I desire (summoned at times) to attend, then if rail travel is convenient (fare level a factor considered), it's "hat is in the ring'.
For example, I am starting to "pencil in" a two night late September trip to both Ann Arbor (a visiting Russian orchestra) and Detroit (the DSO that I "crapped out on" last month). At this time I know the dates, but whether it is to be "fly and rent' (including the 40 mile double back to Ann Arbor and taking full collision on the rental auto - somthinng I don't normally do - but then I don't normally drive in Detroit), Amtrak (no auto really needed either place; hopefully NS will have fixed the track by then), or simply drive (least "hassle', but I'd be concerned about making a wrong turn - it can happen even with SAT/NAV - in Detroit with something resembling "Bonfire of the Vanities' consequences or vandalism even in a hotel valet parking lot).
So I'm really not in a position to say "I'll go the days the combination of transportation and lodging are the cheapest"; it is 'this is when you are going or not at all'.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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