We are taking a cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale in April and I have been watching the train fares for quite sometime now as I do not fly. I was prepared to buy my tickets the first part of December but saw on a forum that Amtrak would be having a "two for one" sale starting today (Jan. 7th). Since we live on the West Coast the fare is considerable, especially having a deluxe room, so I decided I would save some money and waited until today. Guess what? The prices are now higher than they were, even with the sale. I am highly disappointed. Would it make a difference if I took my printouts of the fare with the lower price to an agent and ask for that price? There seem to be some extremely knowledgeable folks on this board, any suggestions beside pay up?
Posted by dilly (Member # 1427) on :
Sorry you missed the lower price. I'm certain that you won't be able to negotiate with a ticket agent, just as you wouldn't be able to negotiate with an airline. That lower fare was valid in early December. Since sleeper prices are based on how many rooms are available at any given moment, the rate has now gone up. The old saying definitely applies here: "You snooze, you lose."
There's always the chance that the fare will go down slightly. But the trains start getting busy again in the springtime, so I wouldn't count on it.
However, Amtrak has apparantly just started running a 25% discount. Like most Amtrak discounts, it only applies to the "rail fare" part of the ticket price. The sleeper room is a separate charge.
If you haven't already done so, try a "test booking" on the Amtrak web site again, using the new discount. Good luck.
Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :
There are some "blackout" dates when the discount fares do not apply, mostly around holidays and other peak travel periods.
If you plan to travel during any of those dates you won't get the two for one deal, which probably accounts for the higher fares you were qouted. Here's the link to the rest of fine print (scroll to the bottom of the page): http://www.amtrak.com/savings/bogo.html
Last night I priced three possible trips outside those blackout dates and was astonished at how low they were. Even sleeper prices have been lowered a bit.
Amtrak has also been doing some radio spots to promote the fares. They are quite original and catch your attention before you realize they are Amtrak ads. Somebody did an excellent job on them. It comes at a critical time when Amtrak needs to be in the public eye.
------------------ Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth. -Mr. Toy
I think I jumped the gun, I believe Amtrak didn't have the new "two for one" fares in their computer early yesterday morning and I didn't go back and check fares until this morning, thanks to you Mr. Toy! I went back and plugged my trip in and came up with a terrific price, I am buying my tickets today. Our ship comes back into San Diego so we will get to ride the Coast Starlight too. I love the train, I just take my books on tape, watch the world go by and don't get too excited if things don't go exactly right. I took my first train trip in 1954 from Oregon to Kentucky to marry my soldier boyfriend. I'm still married to the same man, still love the train, and will travel whenever I can afford both the time and money. Thanks for your help.
Posted by tubaallen (Member # 2057) on :
Another option, that Amtrak has just recently started, is bidding on tickets at EBay. Some of them go for very cheap. Check it out: http://www.stores.ebay.com/amtrakauctions Posted by Kairho (Member # 1567) on :
This sale is a great deal between the promotion and the lowered fares. My trip next week went from $75 to $43. And the June trip for my wife and I went from $702 to $390. Even with the penalties it still saves me $252. Yay!