Weekly specials in the north-east

[jamesontheroad]

With lots of travel plans on the horizon (see my other recent post) I've become a habitual checker of the weekly Amtrak.com specials which update every Friday.

A question for any more experienced bargain hunters: have you ever seen any for routes in the north-east, in particular the Adirondack, Maple Leaf or Vermonter (now cruelly cut off from my city of Montréal without a Thruway bus any more)?

Thanks in advance,

*j* :blink:

 

[battalion51]

They did some years ago, I haven't seen any within at least the past year.

 

[AlanB]

It should also be noted that with the new legislation/budget just passed by Congress, Amtrak can no longer offer discounts less than 50% off of the normal railfare.

So that provision in the funding bill, unless revoked, will curtail the Railsale specials, or at least reduce the discounts currently offered.

 

[cassrr]

When does this take effect? Current weekly specials are 70% off on dozens of trains for travel thru the end of February.

 

[PRR 60]

When does this take effect?  Current weekly specials are 70% off on dozens of trains for travel thru the end of February.

The 70% discount offered on the weekly special may in fact be in compliance with the legislation.

Amtrak prices most routes using a set of fares called "buckets". Each bucket applies to a set number of seats with the fares offered on a given train rising as the lower buckets sell out.

The 50% discount limitation in the funding appropriation legislation applies to the lowest-price regular fare which means the lowest fare bucket. When Amtrak lists the discount offered for the weekly special, that is computed from the highest fare bucket. So, Amtrak can claim a 70% discount for a weekly special, which while 70% off the highest possible fare is still a discount of 50% or less off the lowest possible fare. That is why this particular legislative restriction is not as onerous as has been portrayed.

 

[trainboy325]

It is important that interpretation of the discount clause in the FY06 funding legislation is up to Amtrak to interpret and the Inspector General's office to enforce. If the Secretary of Transportation views the "70% of the full fare bucket" is in violation of the law as listed on the current Railsale listings, Amtrak must discontinue the pricing system that lists fares greater than 50% as stated by law.

Although I agree with your interpretation of the discount clause of the funding legislation, Amtrak will be scrutinized by DOT for providing any discounts to listed to the public greater than 50%, regardless of the fare bucket being discounted. With the Amtrak Board of Directors being the same as last year, I believe we'll see the current Railsale program disappear the last few weeks of February to be compliant with the funding legislation. I don't see management trying to improve ridership with discounts since this board will try to raise fares fees and cut food and beverage service levels to build up the bottom line. This is the traditional method of Big Business board of directors, especially those in the airline industry, in reforming a company's financial troubles. This board has made it clear that increasing ticket fares, cutting food and beverage services, reducing first class emenities like sleepers and entertainment activities, eliminating labor, etc. is their answer for Amtrak. David Gunn believed the opposite and managed the company differently and he got fired!

Just keep on smiling, hope for the best and keep riding the trains.

 

[PRR 60]

It is important that interpretation of the discount clause in the FY06 funding legislation is up to Amtrak to interpret and the Inspector General's office to enforce. If the Secretary of Transportation views the "70% of the full fare bucket" is in violation of the law as listed on the current Railsale listings, Amtrak must discontinue the pricing system that lists fares greater than 50% as stated by law.

You may in fact be correct. In re-reading the actual wording of the legislation, it appears the application of the 50% limitation is to the to the top fare bucket. From the act (PL 109-115):

That none of the funds provided in this Act may be used after March 1, 2006, to support any route on which Amtrak offers a discounted fare of more than 50 percent off the normal, peak fare.

(bold added)So, I would expect that March 1 will be the day when discounts will be limited to 50% and that the top bucket will be the pricing standard for discounting.

 

[Amtrak OBS Gone Freight]

It is important that interpretation of the discount clause in the FY06 funding legislation is up to Amtrak to interpret and the Inspector General's office to enforce. If the Secretary of Transportation views the "70% of the full fare bucket" is in violation of the law as listed on the current Railsale listings, Amtrak must discontinue the pricing system that lists fares greater than 50% as stated by law.
Although I agree with your interpretation of the discount clause of the funding legislation, Amtrak will be scrutinized by DOT for providing any discounts to listed to the public greater than 50%, regardless of the fare bucket being discounted. With the Amtrak Board of Directors being the same as last year, I believe we'll see the current Railsale program disappear the last few weeks of February to be compliant with the funding legislation. I don't see management trying to improve ridership with discounts since this board will try to raise fares fees and cut food and beverage service levels to build up the bottom line. This is the traditional method of Big Business board of directors, especially those in the airline industry, in reforming a company's financial troubles. This board has made it clear that increasing ticket fares, cutting food and beverage services, reducing first class emenities like sleepers and entertainment activities, eliminating labor, etc. is their answer for Amtrak. David Gunn believed the opposite and managed the company differently and he got fired!

Just keep on smiling, hope for the best and keep riding the trains.

This is exactly the truth and nothing but! The agenda in the legislation is clear! We are not going to subsidize tickets anymore! In other words, "we'll run off the business by pricing them out" logic seems to be the attitude here! Cut all the services and charge more! Go figure. OBS...

 

[haolerider]

Rail Sale has always been limited to a small number of seats and should not have any negaitive affect on ridership if it is limited to a 50% discount. This mandate will have very little affect on how pricing is accomplished and will not drive off the business. Most discounts for special groups or special events have generally been limited to 15-20% - with the exception of Buy One Get One Free programs - which are in fact 50% discounts.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

I would have suggested to whoever was writing the legislation that they just say that Amtrak could never offer a >50% dfiscount on more than, say, 2% of the number of seats per day per train. Maybe add an exception for train that ALWAYS sell out. On almost all trains, I would guess, at least that number of seats probably remain unsold anyway, and offering the high discount on that number of seats ought to serve as "chum", or a marketing tool to get first-time riders and word-of-mouth advertising about Amtrak from the folks that managed to get the discount. And get warm bodies to fill otherwise vacant seats. Since there were usually no more than six seats per train per day available at the high railsale discount, it probably wasn't much more than about 2-3% of the seats that were ever actually sold at that high discount.

 

[battalion51]

You're definitely right. Anytime the Rail Sale is put up the train has both traditionally low ridership at that time and low numbers for the days being sold. The cheap fares are put there to put butts in seats and get at least some revenue for what would otherwise be empty seats.