Autotrain newbie

[katallo]

For someone who has never used AutoTrain…is it best to book early for the best pricing? If fares drop, will you get a credit? Are mid week travel dates less expensive than weekend travel? Thanks!

 

[thepops]

Earlier seems to be better than later for good pricing. However if you book later and the price goes down (due to fares in general or if there is a special) if you call them they will refund (or credit) you. I popped in to check my pricing for the end of June/July and get about $380 back on the 5 of us!

 

[Tink's Pixieduster]

Generally, yes - booking as early as 11 months before your planned trip will get you the lowest fare, but at least once after we booked a trip we found price reductions later, so re-checking fares after you've booked is always a good idea.
The policy can change, but when we found a price drop in the past we've called Amtrak and automatically received refunds back to our credit card if the price goes down. The only thing to be careful of is if you have your tickets sent to you rather than just getting them when you check in at the station. The last I heard, Amtrak charged a 10% fee to change tickets, including fare adjustments, if the ticket has already been issued. If you pick up your tickets at the AT station as most people seem to do, there was no fee. If you call, they will give you the current policy on fare adjustments.
We've taken the train on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday and I can't say I noticed any difference in fare. All our trips were in September or early October.
There's a whole thread on the AT located here http://www.disboards.com/threads/all-about-the-autotrain.402667/ There's a lot of good information and some photos.

 

[katallo]

Thanks. Its nice to know you can get a credit if prices drop. I did sign up for email alerts.