Amtrak review: Split up my family

Here’s a version that is sharp, detailed, and likely to be more effective than simply venting because it focuses on the facts and the impact.

I am extremely disappointed with Amtrak and the way they handled our trip.

The morning of our departure, I received a message informing me that one of the roomettes I had reserved for my family had been downgraded to a coach seat. The “compensation” offered was either a travel voucher for the fare difference or an $11 refund to my credit card.

I immediately called customer service. The representative was polite, but told me nothing could be done. My 16-year-old son would have to sit by himself in coach while the rest of our family remained in the sleeper. I asked a simple question: if someone had already been selected to lose their roomette, could they instead choose another passenger so that a minor would not be separated from his family? I was told I would need to speak with Customer Relations.

After waiting on hold for 2 hours and 12 minutes, I finally reached a representative named Dwight. He informed me that they could not randomly choose another passenger to move to coach. That explanation made no sense—they had obviously already “randomly” chosen us. Instead of acknowledging the problem or offering any meaningful solution, I was told there was nothing they could do.

The final resolution? A $300 travel voucher that I have little interest in using because this experience has destroyed my confidence in Amtrak, an $11 credit card refund, and an 18-hour trip in coach after paying for sleeping accommodations.

Mistakes happen. Equipment problems happen. What disappointed me most was not the downgrade itself, but Amtrak’s complete lack of flexibility, common sense, and concern for keeping a family together. Separating a 16-year-old from his family for an overnight trip, offering inadequate compensation, and requiring customers to spend over two hours on hold just to be told “nothing can be done” is unacceptable.

This experience has convinced me that Amtrak simply does not value its customers. I cannot recommend traveling with them, and I certainly will never book another trip with Amtrak