Acela150
Super Buff
Was notified at work today that AAA will no longer be accepted for 10% off of fares effective next Sunday 2/18/18.
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AAA Discontinued Effective 2/18/18
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Well that kinda stinks. Oh well...............
I have heard that the NARP discount will remain.
Ryan
Court Jester
Rewarding people for membership in an organization with a history of opposing transit and focuses on driver convenience always seemed odd to me.
Acela150
Super Buff
Not really. Many people don’t even use it.
I think if the NARP discount goes away that the NARP May give Amtrak some trouble of it.
Rewarding people for membership in an organization with a history of opposing transit and focuses on driver convenience always seemed odd to me.
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Philly Amtrak Fan
Engineer
I have in the past.
Acela150
Super Buff
In the past week or so I have been taking phone calls at the call center. In the 50 or so reservations I've made or modified or even looked at for a passenger only 2 of those had a AAA discount. Both of those Passengers were unaware of the AAA discount.
Green Maned Lion
Engineer
Aaa is the automotive lobby. Its exist on transit is absurd
ChuckL
Service Attendant
I always used the AAA discount for my tickets. AAA is a travel agency as well. Maybe AAA should stop it’s sales of Amtrak tickets and vacations.
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inspiration100
Lead Service Attendant
Agree! Amtrak has been making a lot of bad decisions lately, and this goes on my list also.
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I was just about to say the same thing.......I'll wager that the AAA travel organization, one of the largest, if not the largest, contributes a heck of a lot more business (and support, if you read their travel magazine) to Amtrak, then all of the rail lobbying organizations do, combined....
Agreed!
Edit: at least to the contributing business part, as there are a lot of AAA members nationwide.
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Devil's Advocate
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What kind of irrational wager is this? Rail lobbying organizations are trying to influence public policy. They are not trying to function as Amtrak's marketing department. AAA has a history of attacking basic environmental protections like the Clean Air Act, lobbying for zoning restrictions that create extended commutes while also fighting against public transportation and pollution reduction initiatives, and looking for ways to pave over or around as much natural land as possible. Maybe those actions mirror your own views and positions, but they do not help or support Amtrak in any meaningful way. If AAA loves passenger rail so much I'm sure Amtrak would be happy to allow AAA to cover the cost of any future discounts out of their own pocket.
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Maverickstation
Lead Service Attendant
Well said, at least here in the Northeast and New England the AAA newsletters mailed to all members always speak of the importance of transit balance, and they often promote the heck out of Amtrak and to a far wider audience than NARP. To say anything to the contrary is stupidity, plain and simple.
Ken
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KnightRail
Lead Service Attendant
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Book more than two weeks out and get the Saver Fare. Its better than any other discounts. The cleaning up of this and all of the other excessive discounting is long over due. Sure, the lack of discounts may stop some from traveling, but its nothing compared to the millions of dollars left on the table over the years that was discounted when it didnt have to be. These moves are smart business as they will substantially increase revenue without increasing costs.
HP_Lovecraft
Service Attendant
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I always assumed that AAA subsidized some of that discount? Since the purpose is cross-marketing.
I suspect that AAA was no longer able to fund it. AAA membership has been dropping over the years- Probobly because its 2 main services: Travel Agency, and Towing Service, are usually offered elsewhere (ie your car insurance usually offers cheaper roadside towing, and the internet has made traditional travel agencies pointless).
That said, I discovered many years ago that if I sent the local AAA a request for information, they sent me a free trial membership, good for any discounts within the trial period. So I'd used that for whatever big trip I was taking that year. Sounds like I've lost that little loophole.
I suspect that AAA was no longer able to fund it. AAA membership has been dropping over the years- Probobly because its 2 main services: Travel Agency, and Towing Service, are usually offered elsewhere (ie your car insurance usually offers cheaper roadside towing, and the internet has made traditional travel agencies pointless).
That said, I discovered many years ago that if I sent the local AAA a request for information, they sent me a free trial membership, good for any discounts within the trial period. So I'd used that for whatever big trip I was taking that year. Sounds like I've lost that little loophole.
the_traveler
Engineer
I have to agree with DA on this.
jis
Permanent Way Inspector
Staff member
Administator
Moderator
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Likewise.
AAA has its uses, but supporting passenger rail in the policy arena is not one of them, irrespective of what they occasionally write in the rags. We have enough experience countering AAA advocacy against passenger rail where it matters, in the halls of Congress.
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What AAA fight's against, is the unfair practice of making motorists carry public transit rider's on their backs, not Amtrak....in other word's, subway, commuter rail, and local bus, and not Amtrak.
For example...bridge's and tunnel's have been paid for many times over by toll's--both original cost as well as operating cost, yet the tolls keep on increasing to stratospheric level's to subsidize transit rider's relatively low cost fares that don't even begin to pay their way. And highways and bridges have been long neglected since road use and fuel tax revenue surpluses were long siphoned off by government's to balance their general budget. AAA does however recognize the need for public transportation, and even acknowledges the benfit to motorist's due to reduced congestion....they just think that the benefit should come from the general fund, more, and not disproportionately from motorists....
And AAA does not pay any portion of the discount offered to its members...the discounts all come from the merchant's offering them, and they do so for the tremendous amount of additional business they receive as a result.
I agree that you can get lower rates for road service from your insurance company, and more and more people book their travel online directly. I still belong to AAA, because they are the only agency fighting for the rights of motorists, whether it is for infrastructure funding, unfair taxes, fighting speed traps and red light camera's that have been proven to be used not for safety, but to raise revenue, even causing rear-ender accidents...
AAA has indeed featured and promoted Amtrak and other rail travel in their magazines....not many other travel organization's do....
For example...bridge's and tunnel's have been paid for many times over by toll's--both original cost as well as operating cost, yet the tolls keep on increasing to stratospheric level's to subsidize transit rider's relatively low cost fares that don't even begin to pay their way. And highways and bridges have been long neglected since road use and fuel tax revenue surpluses were long siphoned off by government's to balance their general budget. AAA does however recognize the need for public transportation, and even acknowledges the benfit to motorist's due to reduced congestion....they just think that the benefit should come from the general fund, more, and not disproportionately from motorists....
And AAA does not pay any portion of the discount offered to its members...the discounts all come from the merchant's offering them, and they do so for the tremendous amount of additional business they receive as a result.
I agree that you can get lower rates for road service from your insurance company, and more and more people book their travel online directly. I still belong to AAA, because they are the only agency fighting for the rights of motorists, whether it is for infrastructure funding, unfair taxes, fighting speed traps and red light camera's that have been proven to be used not for safety, but to raise revenue, even causing rear-ender accidents...
AAA has indeed featured and promoted Amtrak and other rail travel in their magazines....not many other travel organization's do....
Ryan
Court Jester
Wonder how those motorists would fare if all those transit riders appeared on the roads during rush hour.
Around here, AAA is most notable for whinging about speed cameras (while ignoring the fact that it's a simple remedy to avoid a ticket from one).
Green Maned Lion
Engineer
Speed cameras should be illegal. And I hate AAA.
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AAA was big before GPS mapping was available, before your new car with road service, your car insurance offered road service, and before on line booking became available. Growing up most everyone in the family was a AAA member and I remember going to AAA offices for the trip flip maps.
With the membership dropping every year, I imagine our new Amtrak CEO saw little benefit in the expense, especially since Delta didn't offer such discounts.
With the membership dropping every year, I imagine our new Amtrak CEO saw little benefit in the expense, especially since Delta didn't offer such discounts.
The saver fare has been available less and less for trains I take. So I've been using the AAA discount more and this is a real bummer.
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