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There was a topic on here about travel agents that will do Amtrak ticketing. What happened to it?
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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I posted asking if the problem was posting of information about businesses. My suggestion was that it would be more honest to say that was the reason instead of saying it was because the post had served its purpose. That posting was not answered.
I find that very often I go back to threads that "died" some time ago. It's too bad that this one is no longer there for people other than the original poster looking for information on travel agents who handle Amtrak reservations.
How many other topics have been removed like this? I honestly can't remember any.
Frank in warm and clear SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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I agree with you Frank. The purpose of the thread was to provide information about help arranging Amtrak travel. That is pertinent to our interests here.
Removing the thread makes it no longer available for anyone who would search on such a topic. Therefore it had not served its purpose.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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The absence of the thread in question puzzles me, too, and I hope the moderator favors us with an explanation.
It might have something to do with the negative message posted about one of the travel agencies discussed -- a travel agency that is an advertiser on TrainWeb. Maybe it's TrainWeb policy not to allow advertisers to be dissed.
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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While I was unaware of anything negative being posted at the deleted topic, "the following is a paid commercial announcement" represents justification for the Moderator's action in this matter:
posted
The laudatory messages on the removed thread seem to have been about a travel agent who is not an advertiser on Trainweb and the one negative message was about an advertiser.
Yanking the thread perhaps was a business decision.
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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When I wrote that it had served its purpose I meant for Mary_29, the thread originator, who had asked for information about travel agents. There were no more names put forth, but what followed was a discourse of pros' and cons' about each agent. Perfectly acceptable!!
The boundary that was overstepped, the unperceptive statement that changed the spirit of this thread was the mention of one agent "only" charging twenty dollars over the actual cost of the ticket because that agent wanted to promote rail travel. When stating that "fact?" it was soundly implied that the other travel agent was not promoting rail travel nor, for that matter, were any other travel agents in the Country.
Trainweb does not have a policy set in stone: it allows me wide parameters to make my own calls.
This was one of them!!
Posts: 169 | From: Northwest Wisconsin | Registered: Dec 2003
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I found the comment about the amount charged more informative than anything else. I don't see the implications of which you speak but do appreciate your response to our questions.
Frank in unusually warm SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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There were at least three objections to the thread being removed before it was done so. I appreciate the Moderator giving the thoughts behind its removal but I'm afraid I don't agree with them. Perhaps the Moderator would care to get the PMS notification working which would be more productive and useful than culling entire threads at whim? That action appears to have caused more consternation than the original "offending" implicit remark itself did.
-------------------- Geoff M. Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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My first instance of looking into train travel as an adult (I had taken short distance trips as a child)was in order to attend parents weekend at Fort Benning, GA. The Army actually had included a suggestion of train combined with bus in the info sent to parents. (Along with other travel suggestions.) I went to my local travel agency. Three women there spent an incredible amount of time figuring out schedules connecting bus etc. All admitted they had never booked a train trip for anyone except a couple of Hartford to NYC show trips (Christmas at Rockafeller Center). They called Amtrak and worked with them (and Greyhound).It was a new experience for them and me.
My point is that for most Travel Agents -- Planes, Cruise ships and Hotel Accomodations are their field of expertise. Those few that do have knowledge of and are willing to book train travel should be noted on this forum.
These days I am comfortable being my own "Amtrak travel agent" --- but not everyone is. (Especialy new train travelers).
Dee
Posts: 460 | From: North Central CT | Registered: May 2004
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Wow...lots of responses. This is the first chance I've had to sit down and browse the web since I asked the question yesterday.
I did not read the link that GBN posted, but I will assume it's the usual stuff about webmasters basically getting to do whatever they want to with their website. I understand that perfectly well. I guess the thing that bothers me (and this is just my own personal opinion...nothing more than that), is that as more and more websites are created, more and more frustrations are created by webmasters/moderators and their decisions to yank something. I have abandoned several websites (not just rail related) or have been kicked off simply because I said something that the webmaster did not like. Now if I am name-calling, or stirring the pot, or making references to illegal activity, of course I understand that a post would be deleted---that makes perfect sense to me.
I suppose what's rolling through my mind right now is that I am not quite grasping the stated reason as to why the entire thread was yanked. I never knew how much a travel agent charges for Amtrak reservations, and actually, I didn't know that a travel agent could set their own fee. In my ignorance, I thought that the business (such as Amtrak, VIA, United Airlines, Princess Cruise Lines, etc, etc) set the fee that the travel agent receives. So this was all new information to me, and I found it helpful (which is why I went to the trouble of contacting the travel agent to ask her how this works).
Now I'm hesitant to do research to answer someone's question in the future because I don't know what the mood-o-meter will be of the moderator/webmaster on that particular day. Why should I take the time to answer someone's question if I know that it could be deleted? Am I making sense? As I said, I'm sort of typing this as I think ("typing out loud"???) because I'm in a hurry as I'm packing to leave for a trip in the morning. I'm afraid to say where I'm going, how I'm getting there, and a tip that I learned about this particular mode of travel that saves a bundle of money and gives you a really neat perk. Before, I would not have hesitated to let you guys and gals know what I found out because I consider you all friends, even though we have our disagreements at times (doesn't everybody??). This is more of a tight-knit group than most websites that I frequent, and now I'm wondering if I should contribute any more. The deletion is really bothering me the more I sit here and think about it.
If it was for business reasons and we were told, "The business that was mentioned is a paid advertiser of this forum, therefore, we have to delete any comments about them as it is part of our contract".....then I would say, "Gotcha...no problelm". (By the way, I didn't know they were a paid advertiser. I see them in a printed publication that I'm afraid to name, and that's how I knew about them. And I simply relayed my experience that I had with them.
Anyway, I'm off to an unknown destination in the morning and we will have FUN. I hope the moderator reconsiders the reason for this forum existing, and that without people like me and the other posters, it would be dead....thus, nobody to advertise to....thus, no $$$$$.....thus, the moderator has no job.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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Now I can't find the link to Anton's video. Anyone make a note of that before the thread was nuked?
Posts: 218 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Smitty, relax, enjoy your trip and tell us all about it when you return. We are all friends here and this issue is not a reason to lose those relationships.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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I'm with Vicki. Relax and enjoy the trip. But I still want to know about it when you return. And the tip that can save us money and give us a nice perk! I DO love my perks!
Vicki--
Congrats on a close one for "your" Clippers!
Frank in way too warm and windy SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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I am here in Las Vegas, but we just got in the room and now we're heading right back out because it's beautiful here. We want to hit the Strip before sunset.
I have additional information on the other travel agent and how much they charge for an Amtrak ticket. I'm talking about the travel agents whom I believe are a husband/wife couple that advertise in a major "TRAINS' type of magazine. Should I post their fees? I don't think it's any secret since anyone can pick up the phone and ask them, but before I say what they charge, I am asking first. MODERATOR: Can I say what it costs to buy an Amtrak ticket through the travel agent?
Regarding the travel trick, I will share later when there's more time. It's a pretty neat way to go First Class on an airplane if anyone has interest in doing so at a cheap price (Frank----I think you guys fly for free, so this probably would not apply to you).
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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Travel agents seem to be a dying breed, thanks to the internet and reduced payments by the carriers. But there is clearly a place for them in specialized areas, like rail and cruise travel.
Seems to me this is a perfect internet topic - who are the travel agents that cater to rail travel and what do they offer. I know in my small town there is one travel agent who charges $35 for an airline reservation while none for cruises since they get a percentage. Don't know the fee for rail (didn't feel the need to use them for that!), but were helpful for a package honeymoon vacation for my son.
I don't think this merits a lot of consternation about the moderator deletion of the topic, but I would like to see it continued as information for all of us.
I was very interested to hear about Smitty's agent. While I know the Blishak's (Accent on Travel) charge more than the figure quoted for Smitty's travel agent, it may be a case of you get what you pay for. I know they do pay attention to details, like making sure you get a compartment on the Canadian's sleepers, even though they are all listed as the slightly smaller bedrooms. They also handle handle the paperwork for reimbursement on Canadian taxes.
So, I would be interested in hearing about any other travel agents that provide that extra service to make it worth paying a fee.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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I am at a loss how to reply. I do not understand why you would want to put one person in a bad light, just to put the other, in a good light. I have posed the question to Steve Grande. I will wait for, and post, his reply.
Posts: 169 | From: Northwest Wisconsin | Registered: Dec 2003
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I don't think it's a question of putting someone in a bad light. Rather, the point is to get information on value added services travel agents provide so we can make an informed decision on using one. They are a business (not an individual), like an airline or cruise line. We don't hesitate to point out their differences.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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We try to avoid deleting any legitimate and relevant posts but we also have a problem with posts that could cause harm to businesses that have been so suportive to TrainWeb for so many years and make this forum possible.
TrainWeb works extensively with BOTH Carole and the Blishaks. If you call the toll free number on any of our websites or national ads promoting Silver Rails Country or the Depot Inn & Suites, that rings right at Carole's desk. So Carole certainly does a lot to help us with our rail ventures and we try to help Carole.
TrainWeb also works extensively with the Blishaks. They were one of our very first sponsors and have been a supporter of our efforts for more than a decade. They published an article about our rail ventures in both Trains Magazine and Rail Passenger Journal. We are currently working with them in encouraging members of a travel writer's association, in which they belong, to visit our ventures.
If you wish to mention a travel agent that you like to work with and why, whether a sponsor or not, please feel free to do so. We just get a bit uncomfortable where opinions are posted that can be damaging to a specific business, especially one that has greatly helped to make this forum possible.
Steve Grande
Posts: 169 | From: Northwest Wisconsin | Registered: Dec 2003
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Thanks for finally giving us a response that makes sense.
Smitty--
We rarely see First Class domestically, even with 40 years of seniority. There are just too many complimentary "Elite" upgrades and the computers now make it virtually impossible to "jump the line".
Internationally things are a bit different but we have seen the trend to the complimentary upgrades slowly eating into that perk as well in certain markets.
Frank in warm and clear SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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quote:Originally posted by chrisg: I was very sad to see that post deleted after I had said nice things about Carole Walker.
Chris
Don't feel bad, Chris- my response vanished too in that earlier thread. Sometimes the babies have to go out with the bathwater, I guess! Not a huge deal IMO; we are a pretty civil bunch here. Of all the Net Boards I read or post at, this is the kindest and gentlest of them all. But I do see where the Moderator was coming from; I realize we are all here due to their hard work keeping this interesting Board going. So let's just carry on, eh?
Bob in sunny San Diego
Posts: 588 | From: East San Diego County, CA | Registered: Oct 2004
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Ah, it looks like the forum is back up and running!
My last post probably didn't make it into the system as I think my last comment was written right as the systems were going down. I can't remember most of what I wrote, other than I agree with you (Frank) about upgrading on airlines. I have a friend who is a flight attendant, and her husband and three pre-teen kids have tried to get the upgrades but it's just impossible---they have literally given up. It was a hassle to dress up 3 kids (who don't want to be dressed that way to begin with!) and sit there at the gate hoping to get in (5 total seats). No way....it just won't work any more.
Regarding the topic of this thread, I think the only additional thing I mentioned is that, like any purchase you make which requires a hefty amount of money (vacations usually fall into that category), "caveat emptor". Do your research on travel agents and you will find that some are much cheaper than others (and some are more knowledgeable than others). I didn't even know that travel agents still did Amtrak ticketing....I just assumed that it ended long ago since everything can be done online now and you can be your own travel agent at home. But apparently not---they're still out there ticketing for Amtrak. But if you do what I did and just do some basic research, you can find out their fees simply by asking. I'm still not sure I understand why I can't post their fees since it's public information, but I'll respect that and will not post it.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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nothing to say just happy to be back in after being locked out for a long time. thanks moderator
Posts: 175 | From: FENCE WI USA | Registered: Oct 2000
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Frank---Right you are! Thank you for reminding me.
As you and others may know, I am a HUGE fan of Virgin America Airlines (VA). They are exceptional, and traveling with them is so relaxing and nice. It is a different mood and experience than any other airline I've flown. Everything is different--from the aircraft itself (the interior), to the flight deck crew, the flight attendants, and gate agents. They really have their act together, and they offer very competitive fares with SWA and Jet Blue. And since VA just formally made the announcement that they placed an order with Airbus for 60 more A320's (half of which will be a new eco-friendly long-range model), we know that VA will continue expanding. If they are not serving an airport near you now, they soon will be.
With that said, let me explain how their cabin is setup on every single airplane that they fly. There are three classes of service:
1) First Class (8 seats in the front of the plane, two rows of 2X2 seating)
2) Main Cabin Select (Coach seats, but with more leg room because they are either an emergency exit row, or Row 3 which is directly behind the purple/opaque bulkhead wall to First Class
3) Coach
No matter what seat you're in in any class, you have a regular electrical outlet at your seat (just like at home--no converter needed) as well as a USB powered outlet to charge your iPhone, mp3 player, or whatever. You also have your own touch-screen TV (they call it "RED"). With RED, you can watch live TV, pay per view movies, pay per view TV shows, build your own list of music from a library of thousands of songs, enter a "chat room" where you can text back and forth with others on your flight, look at Google Maps to see exactly where you are flying at the moment (including ground speed, altitude, outside temp, miles to destination), and you also order your food here. The in-flight team (they are NOT called flight attendants) does not come through the cabin like on other airlines to bring you food and drinks in the traditional style of a cart being rolled down the aisle (and blocking it for people who need to use the restroom). Instead, you touch the button on the screen that says "Eat", and a menu pops up where you can select from all sorts of things. Snacks, sandwiches, meals, candy, etc....It is not "airline food" (even though it IS airline food)---it's really good food. You touch what you want to eat/drink, and it gets beamed to a device that an in-flight team member has with them at all times. When they receive your order, they just go back to the galley and grab it, and then carry it to you. You can keep a "tab" so that you don't have to pay every time you want something. This comes in handy on long flights. And also, they do not accept cash----you slide your credit or debit card through a slot on the TV (or on the hand controller which also has a full QWERTY keyboard for typing or playing games).
Now that I've given you a basic rundown of how things are setup, let me get into the area of upgrades.......
Main Cabin Select is IDENTICAL to first class, with one exception---the seat. You are in a coach leather seat, but you have more legroom. This means that in Main Cabin Select (MCS), you get priority boarding, a dedicated overhead luggage bin, anything "pay" on RED is free (movies, TV shows, games, food, drinks, etc).
In First Class, it is the same as MCS except for the seat. You have a HUGE white leather recliner with electronic seat controls that recline, bring out a footrest, and operate a back massager. It is the most comfortable seat in the sky! (Except for long-haul first class "pods" on airlines such as Singapore, Virgin Atlantic, etc).
Here is the trick to upgrading to either FC or MCS:
For MCS: Exactly 24 hours prior to your flight, DO NOT check-in online----yet. First, bring up your reservation on your computer screen. Where you see your seat assignment in Coach (assuming you booked a Coach seat), just below that you can click on "Change Seats". At this point, a seating chart of the airplane appears. It will show you what seats are open and what seats are already taken. If an MCS seat is open and available, click on it. A window will pop up confirming that you want to upgrade to MCS for only $35, and you click "Yes". Then just follow the instructions for paying for it (it's self-explanatory). Voila---you now have an MCS seat for only 35 bucks! You could EASILY drink, eat, and watch $35 worth of stuff to make up for that...so it's a fantastic bargain. If you were to have booked an MCS seat originally, then the cost would have been significantly higher than your Coach seat.
To upgrade to a First Class seat, you do exactly the same thing that I just described above, however, you have to do it exactly 6 hours prior to your scheduled flight time. (They used to allow you to do it 24 hours prior, but this is a new rule that just recently changed). The reason I am saying "exactly" 6 or 24 hours prior is because you want to beat others and be first so that you can snag the seat before it's gone. The cost of the upgrade from Coach to First Class is only $70. So for me, I fly to Vegas all the time and I usually pay somewhere around $39 each way SFO-LAS and vice versa (for my coach ticket). It's worth every penny....you can stretch back, relax, eat, drink, watch TV.....it's fantastic. They also allow a certain number of bags to be checked for free, but since I always have my one carry-on plus my laptop, I don't pay attention to the checked baggage stuff because I never use it.
Speaking of laptops....I forgot to mention that VA uses "GoGo" in-flight wireless internet. The cost for a short-haul flight is $4.95, and a long-haul is $9.95 (unlimited use). To my pleasant surprise, the internet connection speed is FAST. I would say it's somewhere between DSL and cable. My parents have DSL, and it is definitely faster than that. And I have a blazingly fast cable modem, and it's just a tad slower than that. I don't know how they do it, but they provide an outstanding WiFi service. Thankfully, "Skype" is not allowed! I don't want the person next to me shouting while they have a business meeting online from the airplane!
And lastly, two things I need to mention about the upgrades:
1) If you plan on upgrading to First Class (which is 6 hours prior to flight time), whatever you do, **DO NOT** check-in online 24 hours prior. Do nothing. Just wait until 6 hours prior and you will be fine. If you check-in BEFORE you do the upgrade, oh boy, that takes a lot of work to fix. I won't get into the nitty-gritty of that, but just know that it requires a phone call to VA and a lot of work on your end with your reservation. So DO NOT check-in online until you have done the upgrade. Once your upgrade is done, THEN you can check-in online and print your boarding pass.
2) The upgrade fees ($35 for MCS and $70 for First Class) apply to the short flights that I've been on. Examples would be SFO-LAS, SFO-SEA, SFO-SAN, SFO-LAX, etc....I know that if you are flying transcon (such as SFO-JFK or SFO-IAD), the upgrade charges WILL be higher. But it's still a bargain that you just can't beat. Because once you experience a flight on VA, you'll never want to fly with anyone else again. A good friend of mine just started with VA about 4 weeks ago. She had 10 years in with American, and she said the difference is night and day, and she is so happy with VA. She was taught things at VA that AA never even touched on (such as learning self-defense tactics with VA).
Sorry to be kinda "wordy", but I hope that someone on here is able to take advantage of this and try it out. They are continuously launching new cities, and with 60 new airplanes coming, they'll be hitting your area sooner or later!
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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posted
Great info Smitty. I was looking for my trip to Fort Lauderdale next October and do not find Virgin flying there then. They do fly there in March. Seasonal perhaps?
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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Virgin is going through "growing pains" right now. FLL is not a seasonal destination (I have 2 friends who are VA Captains, and one friend who is an in-flight team member). I am told that they are flying there continuously, with no interruption in service. It's possible that their online reservation system has glitches. I would check again over the next few days, and if it doesn't show up, give an agent a call so that they can access a different system and give you an idea of fares around the time of your trip.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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I couldn't find anything LAX-FLL for October, either. Or September. There are flights in August. I think Virgin America has a similar system to Southwest. The booking window only extends forward a defined number of months -- in this case about six months. That makes it difficult to plan further in advance than that but it also makes it easier for the carrier to manage loads, destinations, schedules, etc.
Frank in cool and clear SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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