Amtrak announces Simplified Fares coming soon

[TinCan782]

Changes build on earlier improvements to Amtrak’s fare structure
https://media.amtrak.com/2023/10/amtrak-announces-simplified-fares-coming-soon/

 

[jebr]

I'm a bit surprised eVouchers are going away, though that certainly does simplify things for Amtrak as eVouchers no longer need to be tracked.

Annoyingly, they're going to have two fare structures under the "Value" class; those that are from a sale (with only a 50% refund) and those not from a sale (with a 75% refund.) I wish they'd either just keep the Saver class as sale-only to make it clear that they have different rules, or make sales 75% refundable like other Value fares.

Otherwise, my opinion will depend on what happens in practice. If Flex fares are available and in the same range as Value fares are today (or a few bucks more,) then I'm okay with it. But if Flex fares are still a lot higher than Value fares are today, this is a definite downgrade.

 

[rs9]

I'm a bit surprised eVouchers are going away, though that certainly does simplify things for Amtrak as eVouchers no longer need to be tracked.

Annoyingly, they're going to have two fare structures under the "Value" class; those that are from a sale (with only a 50% refund) and those not from a sale (with a 75% refund.) I wish they'd either just keep the Saver class as sale-only to make it clear that they have different rules, or make sales 75% refundable like other Value fares.

Otherwise, my opinion will depend on what happens in practice. If Flex fares are available and in the same range as Value fares are today (or a few bucks more,) then I'm okay with it. But if Flex fares are still a lot higher than Value fares are today, this is a definite downgrade.

One of the more baffling practices of Amtrak is that non-Acela business class fares are seemingly always cheaper than flex coach fares.

 

[joelkfla]

I'm a bit surprised eVouchers are going away, though that certainly does simplify things for Amtrak as eVouchers no longer need to be tracked.

They'll still need to track them for sleeper fares. That's a mystery.

 

[jis]

I'm a bit surprised eVouchers are going away,

I wonder what happens when you purchase a ticket many months in advance on a credit card and then cancel the card, and then cancel the ticket. I guess we will have to wait until the actual policy comes out in its full glory.

 

[GAT]

I wonder what happens when you purchase a ticket many months in advance on a credit card and then cancel the card, and then cancel the ticket. I guess we will have to wait until the actual policy comes out in its full glory.

Yes, it could present a problem. But in any event, it's probably not wise to cancel a credit card before all refundable purchases on it have been used or have expired. Of course, this rule only works if you have the option not to cancel the card.

 

[daybeers]

So...are Saver fares going away?

This is just putting lipstick on a pig; I'd rather they replace the ancient ARROW reservation system.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Lipstick is cheaper.

Also they have the stated goal of double ridership, so…

 

[caravanman]

Isn't it annoying and sad, how the corporate self image of Amtrak, as shown in the "About Amtrak" section of the above item, is at such variance with the reality of the Amtrak american train experience in recent times?

Quote: "For more than 50 years, Amtrak has connected America and modernized train travel. Offering a safe, environmentally efficient way to reach more than 500 destinations across 46 states and parts of Canada, Amtrak provides travelers with an experience that sets a new standard."

 

[BlackDiamond]

Yes, it could present a problem. But in any event, it's probably not wise to cancel a credit card before all refundable purchases on it have been used or have expired. Of course, this rule only works if you have the option not to cancel the card.

Sometimes you have to cancel a card because the number has been hacked or stolen. That happened to us recently. Fortunately I did not have any refundable purchases that mattered.

 

[Trogdor]

Sometimes you have to cancel a card because the number has been hacked or stolen. That happened to us recently. Fortunately I did not have any refundable purchases that mattered.

That shouldn’t require cancelling the card. The bank would just issue a new account number. They should still have a link between the old and new number on the back end to reconcile any issues like this that may arise.

 

[jebr]

Amtrak provides travelers with an experience that sets a new standard.

To be fair, they didn't say they were setting a higher standard, just that it was a new standard.

 

[SecondChildhood]

I wonder what happens when you purchase a ticket many months in advance on a credit card and then cancel the card, and then cancel the ticket. I guess we will have to wait until the actual policy comes out in its full glory.

To my knowledge, canceling a card account does not mean if a previous charge is reversed, the card company doesn’t still have the responsibility to return those funds to you. They would have to issue a check to do so, but still.

I worked in online retail, and this question would occasionally come up. We were told to inform the customer that the card issuer should automatically send a check to the billing address on record. But I have no personal knowledge that this is correct.

 

[eldomtom2]

Isn't it annoying and sad, how the corporate self image of Amtrak, as shown in the "About Amtrak" section of the above item, is at such variance with the reality of the Amtrak american train experience in recent times?

Quote: "For more than 50 years, Amtrak has connected America and modernized train travel. Offering a safe, environmentally efficient way to reach more than 500 destinations across 46 states and parts of Canada, Amtrak provides travelers with an experience that sets a new standard."

Well, you do want to sound confident in your product. Something like British Rail's old "We're Getting There" slogan is perhaps going too far in the opposite direction.

 

[Septa9739]

SEPTA tried that slogan too. The signs were still up in places in the 2010’s. Once Somebody graffitied “WHEN?” after the sign with the slogan at City Hall.

 

[niemi24s]

At present, one-third of the LD trains with sleepers have eight fare buckets. Would like to see them go back to five buckets for all and reassign the maroon that came up with the eight bucket idea as the station manager at Sanderson TX!

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

My initial reactions are will it truly apply to Sleepers or mainly just coach? Amtrak very rarely has a sleeper sale that isn’t just a gimmick with the typical “sale” being one passenger in the room gets rail fare free, equaling 5-8 percent off plus or minus. I honestly don’t see sleeper fares going down, I hope Im wrong. Also note the word “seats” used in the RPA release.

Secondly how in the world is this simpler if they want to make up to 15 fare buckets? I’m probably reading this wrong but where’s the 15 number coming from?

RPA hotline on Friday..

“Right now, across the country you’ll see anything from one single flat price (on a state-supported route where the state has not considered a complex pricing model) to five prices – “buckets,” for those in the know – in some states and on the long-distance services, and then a maximum of eight buckets on the Northeast Corridor, on some state services, and on some long-distance trains. The objective is to get to as many as fifteen buckets in the two new fare families, and that gives you the room to offer more seats at the lower fare levels needed to spur demand and get people out of their cars and on to trains.”

 

[Anderson]

Yes, it could present a problem. But in any event, it's probably not wise to cancel a credit card before all refundable purchases on it have been used or have expired. Of course, this rule only works if you have the option not to cancel the card.

The issue is if it's either a high(er) fee card or the card gets trashed/discontinued (hi, Delta? How's it going with your Platinum card?). Even the old AGR cards being force-swapped into Chase Freedom-branded stuff comes to mind.

 

[TheVig]

I would like to see what this new fare scheme will mean for sleepers. Here's looking at you Crescent. I kind of doubt much. As far as coach is concerned, and how it effects me. My beloved Carolinian and NC supported Piedmonts are not exactly hurting for ridership. Ridership is steadily increasing. People seem to be gladly paying whatever the price is at their time of booking.

Wife and I took the Carolinian from CLT to NYP last Saturday. Returned this past Friday. Before applying a companion coupon and some gift cards, the R/T priced out at $600 for business class. I booked three months out. Some how a conversation got started on the way up about Amtrak and pricing. Universally the consensus among the various ages of passengers was, we gladly pay what we have to pay to not have to fly or sit up front in coach.

Hopefully whatever gets rolled out helps some routes that need a boost, and not screw up routes that are holding their own.

 

[rookzie]

They'll still need to track them for sleeper fares. That's a mystery.

It does at least *imply* that elimination of eVouchers won't apply to sleeper accomms, although the wording isn't necessarily unambiguous (as if that's anything not new).

"Any refunds of credit card purchases will be made to the original form of payment, rather than as an eVoucher.[3]
…
…
…

[3] Not applicable to room product types."

 

[trimetbusfan]

My initial reactions are will it truly apply to Sleepers or mainly just coach? Amtrak very rarely has a sleeper sale that isn’t just a gimmick with the typical “sale” being one passenger in the room gets rail fare free, equaling 5-8 percent off plus or minus. I honestly don’t see sleeper fares going down, I hope Im wrong. Also note the word “seats” used in the RPA release.

Secondly how in the world is this simpler if they want to make up to 15 fare buckets? I’m probably reading this wrong but where’s the 15 number coming from?

RPA hotline on Friday..

“Right now, across the country you’ll see anything from one single flat price (on a state-supported route where the state has not considered a complex pricing model) to five prices – “buckets,” for those in the know – in some states and on the long-distance services, and then a maximum of eight buckets on the Northeast Corridor, on some state services, and on some long-distance trains. The objective is to get to as many as fifteen buckets in the two new fare families, and that gives you the room to offer more seats at the lower fare levels needed to spur demand and get people out of their cars and on to trains.”

15 fare buckets? ouch

 

[user 13416]

Yeah, "simplifying" always ends up complicating things even more.

 

[dlagrua]

On the NEC we've seen coach fares on the regional be only $5 more than those on the Acela separated by just an hour on the schedule. We've also seen $10 regional coach fares go as high as $88 depending on time of day. The way I see it there is no rhyme or reason to the existing fare structure.

 

[cirdan]

Yes, it could present a problem. But in any event, it's probably not wise to cancel a credit card before all refundable purchases on it have been used or have expired. Of course, this rule only works if you have the option not to cancel the card.

Just this week I had my card cancelled and a new one with a different number issued in its place because the credit card provider had detected some irregular activity.

 

[Crowbar_k]

I wonder what happens when you purchase a ticket many months in advance on a credit card and then cancel the card, and then cancel the ticket. I guess we will have to wait until the actual policy comes out in its full glory.

I did this once, and then forgot about it. I eventually got a check in the mail.