Ok, Social Media! Time to do your thing! Since I have been on hold with Customer Service on the phone, I will post this and just let it be known: This event occurred yesterday, April 17th during what I thought would be a pleasant trip on the Acela train from New York City to Boston, Mass. #AMTRAK I have pleasant to take take a ride with my two week old son into New York City.
Getting to New York, as it normally is, was simple and pleasant. Leaving New York was a nightmare; Acela's pathetic 'Red Cap' service fell through. Allow me to construe the situation:
My wife and 2 week old son, Alexander arrive two hours early because #AMTRAK'S ticket service printed out an erroneous COACH CLASS ticket when I paid for a FIRST CLASS ticket. Overlooking this FUBAR on their behalf, we proceeded to exchange our tickets and relax in the lounge until our 'Red Cap' porter would take our luggage to our seats. We left our name with the woman working the lounge desk, as she assured us when the time came she would call us by name.
15 minutes before the train was scheduled to depart, my wife approached the woman behind the counter to inquire about the Red Cap service. "Honey, he already left because he had a lot of bags to take down." She had the audacity to say this as I am standing there holding 5 large pieces of luggage, 3 shopping bags and a baby! She proceeded to walkie-talkie 'Red Cap Headquarters' and they assured her that they would return for us since we had 'stroller status'.
Amazingly, nobody came for us. The lady then turned to me and said, "I am so sorry, but you better run to the track or you will miss the train!" [I cannot type the thoughts racing through my head in fear of being committed.]
Determined to make this train after all we had been put through, we sprinted through Penn Station [luckily I am born and raised in NYC, so I knew how to cut through shortcuts!] to catch the train by literally a few seconds as the doors nearly closed on my son's stroller.
"If this is how you get treated in First Class, I'd hate to be in Coach" ...I quietly thought to myself. Now that we were on the train, I thought all was good. It was a serious inconvenience; but life goes on. That was about the moment I was told that the booking system was down and there were no more seats in First Class and that my wife and I would have to stand until at least Stamford, CT.
If not for the gentleman who was tending to the First Class car, I probably would have become sub-nuclear on the spot. Other passengers who saw what had happened to us kindly gave up their seats. However, at no point was I offered ANY form of compensation, and my qualm is this: Why did I pay for a FIRST CLASS seat for my family and Red Cap service when I could have paid for a COACH ticket and carried my bags myself? At least in that situation I would not be expecting anything from them? I have now been on hold with 'Julie' for over 3 hours! I will post this everywhere I need to until I receive a response from customer service.
This situation has put such a bad taste in my mouth; I recommend all friends and family stay away!
Andre S. Friedel
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