Amtrak marketing forgets the LD trains -- again

[Sam Damon]

Currently, on the Amtrak.com index page, one of the small promotional boxes advertises a contest for Big East conference basketball tickets.

If you're from Amtrak management reading this, will someone mention to the marketing folks that the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA), Notre Dame (South Bend, IN), and West Virginia (Morgantown, WV) are also part of the Big East? Perhaps some of them might like to score those tickets as well? Better still, ride Amtrak?

Until I see otherwise, I have to regard this as yet another example of how Amtrak management ignores the LD trains, then wonders why they do not recover more of their costs.

 

[Rex]

Currently, on the Amtrak.com index page, one of the small promotional boxes advertises a contest for Big East conference basketball tickets.
If you're from Amtrak management reading this, will someone mention to the marketing folks that the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA), Notre Dame (South Bend, IN), and West Virginia (Morgantown, WV) are also part of the Big East? Perhaps some of them might like to score those tickets as well? Better still, ride Amtrak?

Until I see otherwise, I have to regard this as yet another example of how Amtrak management ignores the LD trains, then wonders why they do not recover more of their costs.

Actually I think Amtrak Management is ignoring other conferences. What about ACC games?

 

[yarrow]

i have noticed that amtrak promotions favor the east. i guess that is where the people are. california has permanent promotions like the california rail pass(i guess mostly supported by the state)but in the vast empty spaces of the midwest and west there aren't many people and there isn't much amtrak advertising.

 

[Guest]

Currently, on the Amtrak.com index page, one of the small promotional boxes advertises a contest for Big East conference basketball tickets.
If you're from Amtrak management reading this, will someone mention to the marketing folks that the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA), Notre Dame (South Bend, IN), and West Virginia (Morgantown, WV) are also part of the Big East? Perhaps some of them might like to score those tickets as well? Better still, ride Amtrak?

Until I see otherwise, I have to regard this as yet another example of how Amtrak management ignores the LD trains, then wonders why they do not recover more of their costs.

It seems like they do not ignore the LD trains but rather do seperate promotions for NEC and LD trains, such as the current AAA companion and accommodation discounts also listed on the amtrak.com which exclude Acela and Regional trains.

 

[Sam Damon]

It seems like they do not ignore the LD trains but rather do seperate promotions for NEC and LD trains, such as the current AAA companion and accommodation discounts also listed on the amtrak.com which exclude Acela and Regional trains.

To an extent, you've missed the point.

I grant that in some cases Amtrak marketing may do well to do a separate promotion for, say, Acela in the NEC. The problem comes when someone from say, Pittsburgh comes across the Amtrak website and wonders just what sort of promotion is going on. What's crazier are the residency restrictions: as a Pennsylvania resident, all I need to do is make an Acela trip with an AGR number for eligibility, but if I ride from South Bend, IN on #30, then over on #42 to Philadelphia, and ride an Acela trip, I'm not.

Anyway, that's my $0.02. YMMV. After all, it is their contest, even if it's my tax money helping to underwrite it.

 

[Guest]

They are clearly looking to increase their share of the Northeast Corridor market with this promotion and are trying to promote South Bend to New York travel with the AAA discount promotion.

 

[Bigval109]

Is there a reason the EB has been excluded from the various promotions? Or am I in error.

 

[AlanB]

Is there a reason the EB has been excluded from the various promotions? Or am I in error.

You're not in error, and there is a reason that the EB hasn't been included in most of the promos. It's doing so well that Amtrak has no need to discount things on the EB most of the time.

Who gives away the store if things are selling like hotcakes? :unsure:

 

[The Metropolitan]

One idea which came up on another board that seemed to make perfect sense for Amtrak Marketing would be take 2 pages of ARRIVE magazine (Amtrak's NEC based and distributed magazine) and spotlight a destination or two on the LD network, complete with fun tips on things to do there, places to visit, and of course, the experience of taking an Amtrak LD train to get there.

The magazine is reaching its existing customers, who certainly don't have reservations about riding the rails, BUT likely never thought to use Amtrak to journey further than their Northeast destination.

For YEARS, I would browse the National Timetable, finding it fascinating that Amtrak went to far more places than I had ever taken it to, yet I had the often media tainted picture of LD Amtrak as, quite frankly, a Greyhound on Rails. It was only after I finally took that first trip to PGH that I realized how remarkable and enjoyable a much more significant journey on the train can be.

I'm sure there are lots like I used to be, overly conditioned into thinking that in order to travel significant distances, the only relevant way to get there was to fly, or, lacking funds, bus it. If more people in the NEC could and would visualize using Amtrak for a longer trip, then I'd think LD business would grow.

Keep in mind I'm not saying that Amtrak should ONLY be marketing LD to existing NEC Riders - not at all! I'm just saying one "no-brainer, no-cost" method would be to use media already budgeted for, to get the message out that Amtrak goes to lots of neat places - of course that's assuming that the folks in Marketing are even aware of this.

**EDIT** - Just had me a little fun idea. Last I looked at it, "Arrive" had a contest of some sort in which you get some sort of prize for taking a picture of you holding a copy of Arrive Magazine in some neat place. How's about someone submit a photo of them holding an Arrive Magazine aboard the Zephyr riding through the Rockies??!?

 

[Sam Damon]

They are clearly looking to increase their share of the Northeast Corridor market with this promotion and are trying to promote South Bend to New York travel with the AAA discount promotion.

Okay, fine. Let's look at what services are under the AAA discount:

Valid for travel on the following Amtrak services:Ann Rutledge, Blue Water, California Zephyr, Capitol Limited, Capitols, Cardinal, Cardinal, Carl Sandburg, Carolinian, Cascades, City of New Orleans, Coast Starlight, Crescent, Illini, Illinois Zephyr, Kansas City Mule, St. Louis Mules, Lake Shore Limited, Lincoln Service, Maple Leaf, Pacific Surfliner, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Pere Marquette, Piedmont, Saluki, San Joaquins, Southwest Chief, State House, Sunset Limited, Texas Eagle, Wolverine.

In short, all the LD except the Empire Builder. If I'm wrong, kindly correct me.

The Big East promotion involves the NEC states and their residents, period. I am simply pointing out here the Big East conference has member schools in basketball that are not on the NEC. It seems a bit silly to "a Big East promotion" when you're not running the promotion in all the media markets where the Big East Conference has basketball teams.

By contrast, the AAA promotion by definition means one has to join the organization to obtain the promotion. All of us here in flyover country have to subsidize an organization that wants better highways if we want the Amtrak promotion. As a promotion, I have to say this confuses me.

I'll guess the intent of the deal is to attract AAA members to Amtrak who might not now consider it as a travel alternative. Now it's true that many have a AAA membership out here in flyover country for the towing or map services. But why the heck should I have to drop $56 on a AAA membership to obtain Amtrak discounts? Especially when that organization that wants better highways? Especially when the local AAA travel agency will hit me for $26. per Amtrak ticket if I choose not to have them mailed to me, or pick them up at a staffed Amtrak station? For some, picking the tickets up at a staffed Amtrak station is not a trivial exercise. Policy changes don't help, but I'll stop here. Suffice it to say that I am less than convinced this particular promotion will persuade people to give up their cars for a trip on the train, and long term, may even prove detrimental towards intercity passenger rail travel in the USA.

IMO, Amtrak marketing still neglects the LD trains. You may differ as you like.

BTW, Mr. Metropolitan's idea rocks. Outfits like The Columbus Dispatch have used it for years. In the Dispatch, the idea is to take the Sunday Travel section on trips, and send the travel editor the picture.

 

[PRR 60]

You're not in error, and there is a reason that the EB hasn't been included in most of the promos. It's doing so well that Amtrak has no need to discount things on the EB most of the time.
Who gives away the store if things are selling like hotcakes? :unsure:

Hot cakes are only available on the Empire Builder. No other Amtrak train (SDS) offers hot cakes at breakfast. Stands to reason that the Empire Builder is selling like that!

 

[yarrow]

i assumed that the reason the eb wasn't included in the current aaa promotion was it didn't need the ridership. why then are weekly special seats offered for the eb's entire route from now thorugh mid-february? doesn't quite make sense to me.

also, a big reason we maintain our aaa membership are the amtrak promotions and the always available 10% discount if nothing better is available. we get back much more than the membership fee in a year.

 

[AlanB]

i assumed that the reason the eb wasn't included in the current aaa promotion was it didn't need the ridership. why then are weekly special seats offered for the eb's entire route from now thorugh mid-february? doesn't quite make sense to me.also, a big reason we maintain our aaa membership are the amtrak promotions and the always available 10% discount if nothing better is available. we get back much more than the membership fee in a year.

The AAA discount is not valid becuase of the premium service offered in the sleepers, which are often sold out and I understand most of the time over 75% occupancy.

Coach seats are a different matter, so they'll show up on Railsale. But since the AAA special includes a discount on the sleepers, Amtrak excluded the entire promo for the EB rather than add clauses that state only coach seats get the discount.

It just easier to tell people that the special discount doesn't work at all, than to try and explain why it only works for coach seats and not sleepers.

 

[haolerider]

They are clearly looking to increase their share of the Northeast Corridor market with this promotion and are trying to promote South Bend to New York travel with the AAA discount promotion.

Okay, fine. Let's look at what services are under the AAA discount:

Valid for travel on the following Amtrak services:Ann Rutledge, Blue Water, California Zephyr, Capitol Limited, Capitols, Cardinal, Cardinal, Carl Sandburg, Carolinian, Cascades, City of New Orleans, Coast Starlight, Crescent, Illini, Illinois Zephyr, Kansas City Mule, St. Louis Mules, Lake Shore Limited, Lincoln Service, Maple Leaf, Pacific Surfliner, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Pere Marquette, Piedmont, Saluki, San Joaquins, Southwest Chief, State House, Sunset Limited, Texas Eagle, Wolverine.

In short, all the LD except the Empire Builder. If I'm wrong, kindly correct me.

The Big East promotion involves the NEC states and their residents, period. I am simply pointing out here the Big East conference has member schools in basketball that are not on the NEC. It seems a bit silly to "a Big East promotion" when you're not running the promotion in all the media markets where the Big East Conference has basketball teams.

By contrast, the AAA promotion by definition means one has to join the organization to obtain the promotion. All of us here in flyover country have to subsidize an organization that wants better highways if we want the Amtrak promotion. As a promotion, I have to say this confuses me.

I'll guess the intent of the deal is to attract AAA members to Amtrak who might not now consider it as a travel alternative. Now it's true that many have a AAA membership out here in flyover country for the towing or map services. But why the heck should I have to drop $56 on a AAA membership to obtain Amtrak discounts? Especially when that organization that wants better highways? Especially when the local AAA travel agency will hit me for $26. per Amtrak ticket if I choose not to have them mailed to me, or pick them up at a staffed Amtrak station? For some, picking the tickets up at a staffed Amtrak station is not a trivial exercise. Policy changes don't help, but I'll stop here. Suffice it to say that I am less than convinced this particular promotion will persuade people to give up their cars for a trip on the train, and long term, may even prove detrimental towards intercity passenger rail travel in the USA.

IMO, Amtrak marketing still neglects the LD trains. You may differ as you like.

BTW, Mr. Metropolitan's idea rocks. Outfits like The Columbus Dispatch have used it for years. In the Dispatch, the idea is to take the Sunday Travel section on trips, and send the travel editor the picture.

AAA has a massive travel agency network across the country and this is the target audience. AAA is a National Account with Amtrak.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

In short, all the LD except the Empire Builder. If I'm wrong, kindly correct me.

Actually, I think that AAA discount special also excludes the two NY-Miami trains, Silver Star and Silver Meteor, 91-92, 97-98, AND AutoTrain (which, naturally, are the only trains that come down here to Florida since Sunset no longer goes to Orlando :angry: and they are all LDs).........