Last night I learned that Amtrak cannot discount it's fares, due to some sort of congressional act about ten years ago. I'd like to know more about this bit of information.
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OK, why would you WANT a discounted fare? Do seniors, veterans, disabled, or politicians deserve a "discount"?
Amtrak prices change depending how far in advance you book. There are AAA & other discounts, applicable only to basic seat fare.
when I booked in april ,I got a senior discount,,,,its in the drop down box on the booking page they have veterans also
Only 40 bucks for my son and I to take the Vermonter from Springfield mass to White River junction, VT to visit my daughter. About a three hour ride. Can't complain about that price.
Wife & I took the Autotrain many times with AAA discounts. Last time in 2013.
We use the senior discount, which is normally 15%.
I was employed by Santa Fe before Amtrak took over the trains, so I have pass privileges under the old Home Road Pass Plan*. To use the pass, however, I have to wait until 24 hours before the train is to depart the station at which I will board it, before I can reserve transportation. Thus, I have only used it on short-haul trains in California and New England. When we travel a distance that involves overnight travel, we want a bedroom, and those are usually not available in the time window required by the pass. So we pay the senior fare and accrue Amtrak rewards.
* As I only had one year of Santa Fe service before Amtrak Day, I do not get unlimited free transportation. Privileges would have been better with 10 or with 20 years of pre-amtrak service. Here's what I receive if I wait until 24 hours before departure:
- 12 free home road trips each year (over former ATSF track).
- Half fare on foreign road trips (anything other than former ATSF track).
- Half fare on sleeping car space.
- My wife receives half fare on all Amtrak trains and half fare on sleeping car space.
My question, to the party I was speaking to last night, was about Amtrak fares compared to airline fares. That's when he told me that Amtrak was prohibited by congress to offer less than full bars to the general public. Something to do with subsidies. Don't airlines receive some federal help ?
I've been on Amtrak's site and also have spoken with reps in ticketing. They know less than what the site shows. This subject has come up before. I have tried numerous times to use the train for small trips. Scheduling and connections seem to be a stumbling block for some trip itineraries.
There have been two times when the train was worth taking. Once in 1978 on our trip to Williamsburg and the second time in 2014 when we went down to Washington for a Seabee reunion. Other than the Northeast corridor, trying to schedule a trip by train, at a reasonable cost, is nearly impossible.
Some congressman got a limit put on Amtrak "sale" discounts to about 25% off full coach fare.
"Amtrak losses too much money on theses fares" he claimed.
But Amtrak makes nothing on an empty seat...
The discount for slow periods was "sale" priced much lower before.
I use to take "joy ride" trips to Reno when sale fares were very low.
not sure if this is still true, but if you don't use an Amtrak ticket, you pay no penalty if you need to reschedule as long as the same fare is available. airlines will charge you $50 and still fill the seat with a standby passenger.
and yes, airlines get federal subsidies... they're called runways, navigational aids & air traffic controllers.
...gary
Retired airline captain here - I have lifetime travel for free on AA. I would far rather take Amtrak. We charge everything on an Amtrak credit card, then climb on board first class, sit back, and enjoy the ride. No TSA hassle.
Speaking of TSA - they have just discovered that fuelers and caterers are not screened - we have been screening flight crews for decades, because we consider our pilots and flight attendants untrustworthy, but we have never, ever done the same for minimum wage fuelers and caterers. This has been true for almost four decades! Congress, after cutting the TSA budget, is outraged.
I take Amtrak Downeaster that runs from Portland Main now Freeport to Boston MA . I get on in NH, I typically get 25% discount at times, sometimes 10-15% discount with AAA card. It beats driving and my round trip costs less then parking garage fee in Boston.
I have no idea what OP means by discounted fares. Amtrak, like the airlines, offers specials on different routes. Unlike airlines, it doesn't make this up with added fees for seats, baggage, air to breath.
If one compares an Amtrak first class (sleeper) fare with airlines first class, the Amtrak is better, and you get treated well. Long distance trains are pretty well booked in the sleepers. Wife and I recently went from D.C. to L.A. and back aboard Amtrak. Superb service! Excellent food. And the staff made us feel wanted.
Yes, I believe the rule is they are not allowed to deep-discount their fares (more then 25%). Silly since as someone said above, an empty seat makes no money and no sense.
bob2 posted:Retired airline captain here - I have lifetime travel for free on AA. I would far rather take Amtrak. We charge everything on an Amtrak credit card, then climb on board first class, sit back, and enjoy the ride. No TSA hassle.
Speaking of TSA - they have just discovered that fuelers and caterers are not screened - we have been screening flight crews for decades, because we consider our pilots and flight attendants untrustworthy, but we have never, ever done the same for minimum wage fuelers and caterers. This has been true for almost four decades! Congress, after cutting the TSA budget, is outraged.
retired airline caterer here, when I worked for sky chef at san francisco from 1997 to 1999. I had to go through a CHP and airport back round check before I could even set foot on the tarmac before I got my level 4 clearance badge. Level 5 was the highest at that time. I could go anywhere on the tarmac at SFO, I was at the AA superbay at 2am when Airforce 1 landed and parked in front of it. I was 100 feet from the president when he came off, he even came over to us and shook our hands for making us wait 40 minutes until he left the tarmac.
Yes. When pressed on PBS as to why caterers and fuelers would not have to go through security every day, James Hall, then NTSB Chairman, said they all went through extensive background checks, unlike, say, pilots and flight attendants. That was four decades ago on the Mac Neil Lehrer report. Congress just discovered it last week.
bob2 posted:Retired airline captain here - I have lifetime travel for free on AA. I would far rather take Amtrak. We charge everything on an Amtrak credit card, then climb on board first class, sit back, and enjoy the ride. No TSA hassle.
Speaking of TSA - they have just discovered that fuelers and caterers are not screened - we have been screening flight crews for decades, because we consider our pilots and flight attendants untrustworthy, but we have never, ever done the same for minimum wage fuelers and caterers. This has been true for almost four decades! Congress, after cutting the TSA budget, is outraged.
Why should we be surprised. The airlines want low paid employees to do these jobs, including the TSA screening positions. I guess the airlines feel if they screened candidates for these positions, then people would not apply for them. Raising the minimum wage to a livable level is far overdue.
overlandflyer posted:not sure if this is still true, but if you don't use an Amtrak ticket, you pay no penalty if you need to reschedule as long as the same fare is available. airlines will charge you $50 and still fill the seat with a standby passenger.
and yes, airlines get federal subsidies... they're called runways, navigational aids & air traffic controllers.
...gary
And who paid for building the rails, bridges, hell, the entire infrastructure of the railroads ? The railroads were taken for granted after the war. Even the interstate highways were funded by money from the railroads.
Dan Padova posted:overlandflyer posted:not sure if this is still true, but if you don't use an Amtrak ticket, you pay no penalty if you need to reschedule as long as the same fare is available. airlines will charge you $50 and still fill the seat with a standby passenger.
and yes, airlines get federal subsidies... they're called runways, navigational aids & air traffic controllers.
...garyAnd who paid for building the rails, bridges, hell, the entire infrastructure of the railroads ? The railroads were taken for granted after the war. Even the interstate highways were funded by money from the railroads.
Indeed. We the Tax payers have been footng the bill in $$ billions for the federal highway system for decades. Every time you fill you cars gas tank it's going to the Feds to improve our roads, LOL! Railroads get a pittance of the monies airports and highways get!
Dan Padova wrote:
Raising the minimum wage to a livable level is far overdue.
The minimum wage is NOT meant to be a liveable wage. NOT ALL jobs are meant to be Family wage jobs where a person can support a family of four, with a single income and the other spouse staying home with the kids.
Should a high school kid working at McDonalds earn enough to support a family? There NEEDS to be jobs that are not Family wage income. If EVERY job is required to pay a "Liveable" wage, there soon wont be ANY jobs for students and retired people trying to SUPPLEMENT their income.
Out here on the West Coast Oregon and Washington have been trying (Successfully) to raise the minimum wage to $15.00/hour, and I hear California is following suit as well. My teenage Step-Daughter works at a movie theater concession stand, do you think that is a $15.00/hour job? At $9.75/hour, it is more than current minimum wage, if increased by more than 50%, how many do you think will LOSE their jobs? what do you think is going to happen to the prices of all kinds of products and services? Obviously, those prices will go UP, and by increasing the wages, the tax rates will go up, resulting in a DECREASE in the buying power of those minimum wage earners that you are trying to help, those that still HAVE jobs any ways.
So, if minimum wage goes up by more than 50%, as Oregon and Washington are pushing, should ALL wages go up by at least 50%, I would LOVE that, but realistically doubt that I would have a job much longer, if that happened.
Rediculous increases in minimum wage will only hurt a struggling economy, NOT help it.
Sorry to go off topic.
Doug
