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Amtrak's Service Guarantee

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On my recent cross-country trip between Boston and San Francisco there were significant delays, due to severe thunder storms in the midwest. During our first night on the California Zephyr the train was forced to make an emergency stop, resulting in major damage to the dining car, which subsequently had to be removed. We thus continued on without hot meals (free hot meals, for those of us traveling in a sleeping car). We did not starve, since box lunches were brought in the for the remaining six meals. Obviously, our arrival in San Francisco was quite late.

My journey home was less dramatic but, due to flooding in Chicago, we arrived late to Boston, thereby causing a few of us to miss the last bus to Maine. This was the cause of the previously mentioned stint in South Station's Metropolitan Lounge - I slept there. Amtrak did try to find us hotel rooms, but it was a Friday night in Boston in August, so that attempt unsuccessful.

My point here is not to complain. The Amtrak staff did all they could for us, considering the very challenging circumstances. Rather my point is to tell you that if something happens on you trip that causes you dissatisfaction - even if it was weather related and not the fault of the Amtrak staff - contact Amtrak and request a Service Guarantee Certificate. Call Amtrak's main phone number and a ticket agent will ask you to briefly describe what happened. The agent will then connect you to a customer service representative who will ask for more detailed information as well as your ticket number and the date and route of your travel. So, save those ticket stubs, since you may need them. After getting all the details from you, the agent will calculate a monetary value for your Service Guarantee Certificate.

I don't know how the calculation is done but, at least in my case, it seems more than fair. For example, my Boston-San Francisco fare, for one adult and one child in a sleeper, was $954.00. My return trip to Boston, for which I traveled alone and in coach, was $274.00. The problems that I listed to the agent included 6 missed hot meals for the two of us; an eleven hour delay arriving in San Francisco, although the hotel did hold my room and I did not lose any deposit; and, a four hour delay arriving in Boston and the resulting overnight stay in the Metropolitan Lounge.