I understand that companies must have rules and policies, but just a warning to anyone buying tickets for the Polar Express - this company is unreasonably inflexible!!
I made a reservation for the Polar Express, and my son was over the moon to ride the train and see Santa. Unfortunately, my work schedule was changed the day after the reservation was made. Obviously, this is not something the Grand Canyon Railway was responsible for - so I started looking for solutions. Before calling, I checked to see if there were other open dates to move the reservation or any alternatives for my work schedule. Sadly, the few open dates left coincided with days I am scheduled to work. I called the reservation desk to see what we could do about the situation.
There were absolutely no reasonable options offered. I asked if we could be on a list for other cancellations (on a day that I wasn't working). NO.
I asked if I could send a family member in my place (since I was the one who purchased the tickets). NO (they wouldn't even let my husband pick them up - photo ID required must match the reservations).
I asked if I could put the funds on a gift card for a Grand Canyon train ride later in the season or next year. NO.
I asked if the tickets could be put back up for sale, and if they were bought by others, I receive a refund?? (If they weren't purchased, I was fine with not receiving a refund). NO...Buuuuttttt if I canceled, our seats would be put back up for sale...I just wouldn't receive a refund if they were sold. Nice.
I asked if we could apply the funds for tickets for next year's Polar Express. NO.
I'm a problem-solver, but at that point, I was out of ideas, and the ticket agent had not offered any alternatives.
I knew when I purchased them, the tickets were not refundable. So that is on me...but I checked today, and that day is now sold out! Which means that they took my $175 AND someone else's!
In hindsight, I should have at least kept the reservation so they couldn't make money twice on the same tickets. But I was feeling defeated at that point - thinking how sad my son would be that we weren't going, and coming up with all sorts of potential solutions and having them all turned down.
The Grand Canyon Railway is obviously not focused on client satisfaction. I guess the ride is popular enough, they don't have to be.