Amtrak embraces airline style fares
Rail operator Amtrak plans to follow the airline revenue management playbook.
It is adding airline-style restrictions like fees to change tickets less than 14 days before departure and non-refundable fares.
A new fare structure comes in on March 1.
It is unsurprising given Amtrak’s CEO is ex-Delta Air Lines chief executive Richard Anderson.
The rail operator says the restrictions allow it to offer cheaper ‘Saver’ fares but has no immediate plans to start charging for bags.
Customers wishing to cancel a ‘Value’ fare face paying a 25% penalty or a 15% for changes made within two weeks of the departure.
The fare structure change will make ‘the very lowest fares even lower’ says Amtrak’s chief marketing and revenue officer Roger Harris.
"In other words, once you buy it, you use it or you lose it," Harris said.
The company says it expects the new change and cancellation fees to bring in about $10 million a year.
Flexible, business and Acela First-Class Premium ticket holders will continue to get full refunds and can make changes free of charge.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
AirlineRatings reveals world's safest airline rankings for 2026
Vietnam warns airlines of possible flight reductions amid jet fuel shortages
Fliggy opens AI-powered travel bookings and developer tools