While it is rare for anything in 2023 to get less instead of more expensive, those who frequently travel by Amtrak train may have noticed that ultra-low fares have started appearing on the site much more than in the past.
For those willing to travel very late or very early in the morning, one can buy a train ticket between New York and Philadelphia for just $5 or New York and Boston for $20 — journeys that can cost several hundred dollars during peak travel hours.
Related: This is what it's like to take a 19-hour train from New York to Chicago
Known as "Night Owl Fares," these are part of a wider overhaul of Amtrak's fare structure. After testing such cheap fares earlier in the year, the country's main train network announced that it would be streamlining its fare structure into just two "Value" and "Flex" categories.
Veronika Bondarenko
Here's what you need to know about Amtrak's new 'streamlined fare structure'
While Value fares will now feature more ultra-low prices between additional cities and at different hours (you won't necessarily have to travel at 2 a.m.), this will come at the cost of having to commit. Travelers will not be able to modify the ticket's dates, while canceling will get one 75% of the fare as an e-voucher. Prior to the change, even Value ticketholders were able to modify the travel dates and get a full refund as long as it was done 15 days prior to departure.
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The "Flex" fares, in turn, will cost at least 30% more but will be able to be modified or canceled up until departure while only paying the difference in fare if one picks a more expensive route or if prices rise. The change gets rid of the third "Saver" category that Amtrak formerly used for its lowest ticket prices.
"For customers who know their travel plans and want a more affordable option, these tickets will be a lower price than Flex tickets, non-changeable and receive a 75% refund if canceled," Amtrak said of the revamped Value category.
The new fare structure is expected to come into effect before the end of 2023 while Amtrak is giving a buffer zone to change any existing tickets travelers may have without fees by Dec. 31.
When is taking a train cheaper than flying? It depends
While there has been a push to make train travel the more affordable option in many European cities to bring down the environmental impact of air travel, the large distances between different parts of the U.S. keep railway travel largely in the domain of train enthusiasts rather than a primary mean of transportation.
The exception lies with certain nearby cities such as the East Coast corridor from Boston to Washington, D.C. Some of the routes that Amtrak added to its "Night Owl" network of fares under $20 during off-peak times include Philadelphia to Baltimore, Boston to Providence and Boston to New Haven.
"This streamlined fare structure with more affordable and flexible fares is part of Amtrak’s continued commitment to upgrading the customer experience at every step along their journey," Amtrak President Roger Harris said in a statement on the changes to the fare structure.
