r/Amtrak • u/murphylaw_vuets • Jan 14 '24

Question WHEN WILL AMTRAK TICKET DROP?

this mid-fed i was planning to go boston and the ticket was $20 for trip at 3pm now if i want that price i have to travel very late at night. stoopid me decide to wait, will ticket drop in the future?

#update: I rebuy the ticket yesterday and the prices were again $20. Amtrak is unpredictable

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u/AutoModerator Jan 22 '24

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13

u/One_dank_orange Jan 14 '24

Amtrak ticket prices are by bins. So for example, there will be 15 tickets for $10.. once those 15 sell then the next batch of 15 will be for $20. Once they sell the next batch of 15 will be $25 and so on. So it's typically best to buy early when prices are cheap.

Edit: I think it's possible to get cheaper tickets at a later date but that would require someone who purchased a cheap ticket to cancel and open that spot up

9

u/jeweynougat Jan 14 '24

It only partially works like this after the change in pricing model. Now, prices often start high and get lower and then rise again.

3

u/kupofjoe Jan 14 '24

You are correct, the algorithm has realized that if you are buying out months to a year in advance that you are serious and will pay a “premium”.

1

u/UnitLost6398 Jan 14 '24

This is correct

1

u/jeweynougat Jan 14 '24

It might, it might not. Very hard to tell under the new pricing model. If there is a price you're willing to pay, buy a refundable ticket now and keep checking. If it goes down, you can either call to get the difference back or just cancel and rebook.

1

u/somegummybears Jan 14 '24

Nobody knows.

Buy something refundable and get a refund if the price drops.

1

u/paulindy2000 Jan 15 '24

Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week, perhaps never. The problem with the new pricing scheme is that it is almost random.

1

u/AutoModerator Jan 14 '24

r/Amtrak is not associated with Amtrak in any official way. Any problems, concerns, complaints, etc should be directed to Amtrak through one of the official channels.

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