Have they upped the Seniors' age?

[mcropod]

I've just checked out a potential booking change and see that the "Senior" concession is now listed as being for 65+.

I thought when I did some bookings a few months ago the Senior classification was 62+, and when I check my tix for those bookings, I can see that's indeed what it says.

I'm I misreading things? Or has that age recently increased?

I'm over 62 but not over 65.

 

[Lonestar648]

Yes they changed the age:

From Amtrak:

Seniors Save 10%

Amtrak travelers 65 years of age and over are eligible to receive a 10% discount on most rail fares on most Amtrak trains. On cross-border services operated jointly by Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada, a 10% Senior discount is applicable to travelers aged 60 and over.

Discount Limitations

• The senior discount is not valid with Saver or Flexible Fares.
• The senior discount is not valid on the Auto Train or Acela Express.
• The senior discount does not apply to Business class, First class or sleeping accommodation. These upgrades are permitted upon payment of the full accommodation charges.
• The senior discount is not valid for travel on certain Amtrak Thruway connecting services.
• The senior discount may not be combinable with other discount offers; refer to the terms and conditions for each offer.
• Additional restrictions may apply.

 

[TiBike]

California kept it at 62 for the trains it subsidises – Pacific Surfliner, Capitol Corridor and San Joaquins. Over in the United States, some other state subsidised trains might have done so as well, but I'm not sure – I don't follow foreign news that much

.

 

[mcropod]

Many thanks for those replies. It turns out it was a good thing I bought my tix (in October last year for travel in April and May this year) when the cut-off age was 62! I hope when I show my tickets and age ID they won’t try to tell me I’m no longer eligible and throw me off the trains

 

[Lonestar648]

You bought the tickets under the existing rules at that time, so no one will challenge you. That filter is handled at the time of purchase not when you board.

 

[the_traveler]

The raise in the age just occurred with a number of changes over the past few weeks. Because you purchased you tickets under the old rules, you will be fine.

 

[me_little_me]

I'm 71. They can raise it to 70 now - but only if they restore the discount to 15%

 

[dlagrua]

So they raised the senior age discount eligibility to 65? I'm sure that's going to bring in a ton of extra revenue. .

 

[JoeBas]

Welcome to the airline model!

 

[KmH]

And lowered the Senior discount from 15% to 10%.

But that discount always only applied to the rail fare and not the cost of a sleeper or business class seat.

I booked my upcoming trip from Ottumwa to Sacramento months before the change in discounts. I am a Senior.

At 15% off the rail fare I saved $19.38 on the cost of a low bucket rail fare portion of my sleeper cost - one way.

If the new Senior discount had been in effect I would have only saved $14.85 - a difference of $4.35 one way.

Not a lot, but now one has to be 65 to get the 10% discount instead of 62.

And that's just one of the discounts that have been lowered or changed so Amtrak makes a bit more revenue.

It all adds up.

 

[Lonestar648]

Amtrak can advertise they offer seniors a discount, then in the fine print find that premium services like BC, SC, Acela, etc. are not included, thus the discount is minimal. Most seniors can not travel over night in Coach and must choose the SC. If you were really trying to benefit the seniors, the discount would cover the whole fare.

 

[KmH]

I would suggest that most seniors can indeed travel overnight in coach, but many if not most simply choose not to and book a sleeper berth.

 

[JRR]

As a “Senior”, my age keeps getting “upped” every day, and I hope that it continues to do so, at least for a while!

[emoji3][emoji3][emoji3]

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[cpotisch]

Did they ditch the student discount altogether? They had said it’d only apply to state-supported services going into 2018, but it’s not showing up as an option at all for any trains.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[jis]

Interestingly, Indian Railways just did away with the Senior Discount for all AC Upper Class accommodation based on the premise that if someone has enough money to be able to afford AC Upper Class tickets they have enough money to not require a discount! An interesting approach to what amounts to means tested discount. The discounts in Lower Classes is quite substantial.

 

[Rover]

It seems about right, now that the bulk of the "bay-boomers" are approaching retirement age, that the "Senior" Discounts I have seen advertised, and have seen seniors cashing in on for the last 25-3o years, would now, start being reduced by changing the senior age, and the amount of the discount. America's "Greatest Generation" certainly has cashed in on everything "Senior"... but the quality of senior discounts will not be as good for the baby-boomer generation. Tough Sh*t, I guess...

 

[JoeBas]

Considering the way Baby Boomers have told the following generations "Tough Sh*t" for the entire time they've been in ascendancy, on everything from the environment to the national debt to the employment sector to the student aid crisis, I'd say a little of their own medicine might serve them well. Just MHO, of course.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

The last people on earth who should ever complain about generational adversity or entitlements are the Baby Boomers.

 

[KmH]

Considering the way Baby Boomers have told the following generations "Tough Sh*t" for the entire time they've been in ascendancy, on everything from the environment to the national debt to the employment sector to the student aid crisis, I'd say a little of their own medicine might serve them well. Just MHO, of course.

The last people on earth who should ever complain about generational adversity or entitlements are the Baby Boomers.

Got some news for ya guys.Not all baby boomers are the same.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Considering the way Baby Boomers have told the following generations "Tough Sh*t" for the entire time they've been in ascendancy, on everything from the environment to the national debt to the employment sector to the student aid crisis, I'd say a little of their own medicine might serve them well. Just MHO, of course.

The last people on earth who should ever complain about generational adversity or entitlements are the Baby Boomers.

Got some news for ya guys. Not all baby boomers are the same.

Nobody said all Baby Boomers were the same or that all Baby Boomers were treated equally. The issue is that crying over generational mistreatment because you're a Baby Boomer is laughably ignorant and blatantly hypocritical. There is no group in recorded human history that has enjoyed more generational advantages or suffered fewer generational hardships than Baby Boomers. If Baby Boomers think they have it too hard then I'd love to hear which other generation they wish they could have joined instead.

 

[bratkinson]

I've been fortunate to be able to legitimately use the senior discount for the last 8 years. At 70 now, I'm good to go on the discounts everywhere.

But Amtrak has a 'gotcha' in store for unwary seniors. I'm finding that most of my NEC trips get a lower price as 'adult' than as 'senior'. I check both ways. Perhaps it's because the senior discount doesn't apply to 'saver' fares, or, maybe it's because I usually ride in Business Class. The rules state that senior doesn't apply to business class, but then it should be the same as adult fare. Maybe it's that their computers are screwed up for the past 6 months or so I've noticed these differences. Regardless, it pays to check both ways before booking it. Sometimes the savings is over $10 each way. That IS a big deal to those of us with limited incomes.