Amtrak, whose CEO is a former CEO of Delta Airlines, is about to get more airline-like in its ticket policies, with changes in both discounting and refundability.
The new policies take effect today, with the introduction of ‘saver’ fares that cannot be canceled or modified after a 24-hour grace period after purchase. ‘Value’ fares will now also have restrictions, with a 25% cancellation penalty and a 15% change charge unless the change is an upgrade on the same day or train. More expensive tickets, including Acela, will still have no penalties.
Richard Anderson, the head of Amtrak since 2017, has slowly been pushing the railroad into a number of policies more closely matching not only U.S. airlines but also many European rail operators who have similar restrictions.
