Tagged: amtrak

For Better Social Distancing, Amtrak Now Shows How Many Seats Have Been Sold

It's a start. Amtrak's booking engine (Amtrak.com) now lists the percentage of seats that have been sold for each departure. That means that before purchasing a ticket in coach class,…

Limited Sale: 2-for-1 on Roomettes for Socially Distanced Amtrak Travel

Travel with a companion you know is virus-free, and you can go anywhere you want. Amtrak, the USA's national rail carrier, is making it easy and more affordable to get out of the house…

Deal Alert! Amtrak Slashes Fares Deeply for Summer Travel

Though it looks like Amtrak will cut service drastically in October, for now the trains are running as usual—but mostly empty. To better fill them, the railway is throwing a sale, and…

Amtrak Cuts Deep: Over 460 Stations Across the USA Will Lose Daily Service

Reuters has obtained an internal Amtrak memo that says that as of October 1, the national railway is planning to cut roughly a third of its weekly service. It will do that by reducing…

A Guide to Amtrak's Pandemic Policies

MAY 8, 2020 We've heard a lot lately about how the global pandemic is affecting air travel, from plunging passenger demand to mask requirements and social distancing measures. But what…

Amtrak Launches New Ultralow Fares. Is There a Catch?

Amtrak is trying out its own version of a Basic Economy fare. In air travel, that kind of ticket goes for relatively low prices but comes with a number of restrictions. To name a few…

Amtrak Introducing New Nonstop Rail Service Between NYC and DC

Starting on September 23, Amtrak is offering direct rail service between New York City and Washington, D.C., aboard its sleek and speedy Acela trains.That trip currently takes about 3…

Arthur Frommer: Recent Tax Cuts Will Force Reductions in Travel Services

Some commentators have rejoiced over the recent reduction in federal taxes enjoyed by American corporations and the wealthy. Fewer of those pundits have pointed out that those…

An Ignorant Proposed Cut in Amtrak's Budget Would Devastate That Much-Needed Service

JULY 20, 2017Thirteen percent. That’s the proposed cut in appropriations for the Department of Transportation, specifically earmarked for the long-haul services of Amtrak, that…

Amtrak's Winter Park Express Offers Affordable Day Trips Between Denver and Ski Resort

Attention, budget-conscious winter sports enthusiasts: After a seven-year break, Amtrak has brought back the Winter Park Express, which travels between Denver's Union Station and the…

No-Tourist Zone at Rome's Colosseum, No-Frills Basic Economy Fares from American Airlines, and More: Today's Travel Briefing

Good morning, everybody! Here's the latest from the world's planes, trains, and ancient landmarks. * AMERICAN AIRLINES ANNOUNCES NO-FRILLS BASIC ECONOMY FARESJoining other major…

Amtrak Vacations Introduces New Trip Packages

Amtrak Vacations has announced 25 new rail-based vacation packages, bringing the grand total of its itineraries to about 350.The packages can be purchased in a bundle or…

Cliffs of Dover Eroding, Free National Park Admission on Veterans Day, and More: Today's Travel Briefing

Good morning, everybody! Here's the latest from the world's trains, national parks, and eroding coastlines.* WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER AND OTHER SITES FACING EXTINCTION (Daily…

How You Book Rail Is About to Change

Train travel is a $300 billion market. Globally, more than twice as much was invested in high speed rail as it was in air transportation last year. And that’s how it should be.…

Amtrak Passengers Often Forfeit a Great Deal of Money by Failing to Inquire About the Price of Earlier or Later Trains

A rule of train travel, too often overlooked, is that successive Amtrak departures to the same destination are often priced differently. By failing to inquire about the…

Price Hike and Dress Code at Angkor Wat, Bestsellers at Airports, and More: Today's Travel Briefing

Welcome to the working week! Here's what's happening today in the world of travel.* PRICE HIKE AND DRESS CODE ANNOUNCED AT ANGKOR WAT (Condé Nast Traveler). If you plan to visit Angkor…

New Amtrak Locomotives Responsible for Reduction in Delays

We've been saying it for years: Amtrak service will remain disappointing until it receives the necessary funding.That seems so obvious it hardly needs defending, but just in case…

The Hardships Encountered by Passengers at the Nation's Overcrowded Airports Are Because of Congress' Refusal to Properly Fund Amtrak

Photo credit: Jake McGuireWe are now in the full throes of the summer travel season, and the airports are jammed. I use the word "throes" advisedly. The dictionary defines…

Et tu, Amtrak? Baggage Fees Coming to Rail

Amtrak is taking a page from the airlines.No, make that two pages. Starting today it will start charging for bags. And it's telling us this is for our own good.According to the…

The Failure of Congress to Properly Fund Amtrak Was the Clear Cause of Last Month's Derailment, and Condemns Our Rail System to Second-Class Status

Countless articles have discussed the recent tragic derailment of an Amtrak train outside of Philadelphia, and the consequent deaths of eight passengers and severe…

Free Amtrak Train Travel for Writers Through New Program

Last year, Canada's Via Rail kicked off a program to grant free trips to singers and musicians in exchange for on-board performances. Now America's rail system, Amtrak, has started…

A Quick Round of Tips for Travelers Stranded by the Polar Vortex (Or In Any Weather-Related Delay)

Its ugly at the airports of America this week with tens of thousands of travelers stranded. If you're one of them, or are scheduled to travel later today or tomorrow,  here are…

Government Shutdown: What Travelers Can Still Do, and What's Closed

There are lots of long, explaining articles about what's causing the shutdown, but they don't make it easy to figure out what's closed for travelers and what's open. We'll make this…

The New Empire State Building: Faster, Leaner, and Better

If King Kong's great-great-grandson were to visit the place where his late relation made it to the top of the heap (briefly), he would find a modern spin on the Art Deco masterpiece,…

Travel Troubleshooter: A Reservation and a Charge -- But No Room

When Mike Ray checks into a timeshare hotel in Kissimmee, Fla., he's told he has no reservation. He goes to another property, but then finds out that he's been charged for the room…