Track Friday: Up to 30% off

I got an email from Amtrak a few hours ago announcing a four-day sale:

Stretch your legs, not your budget, and save up to 30% on select travel Amtrak's Track Friday is back and we're celebrating with a 4-day sale, now through Monday. Save up to 30% on most Amtrak® routes when you travel between December 2017 and March 2018. Go on a weekend getaway or enjoy a day trip downtown for less when you book today. When you ride with Amtrak, you'll enjoy amenities without paying extra: • Up to two personal items and two bags for free • No middle seats and plenty of legroom • No airplane mode means you can stay connected the entire trip • Free Wi-Fi on most trains
And here's the fine print:

Terms and conditions:
Offer is exclusively available at www.Amtrak.com. Valid for sale November 24 – 27, 2017. Valid for travel December 11, 2017 – March 25, 2018 for all service except Acela Express, Northeast Regional Train Service, Pennsylvanian, Keystone Service, Vermonter, Capitol Corridor, Pacific Surfliner, Hiawatha and 7000 – 8999. Valid for travel December 27, 2017 – March 25, 2018for the following trains: Northeast Regional Train Service, Pennsylvanian, Keystone Service (except locally between PHL-HAR) and Vermonter. Blackout dates apply: December 20 – 26, 2017, January 2, February 16 and 19, 2018. Offer is valid for discounted one-way coach rail fares based on the regular (full) adult rail fare. Offer is valid for coach seats only; no accommodation upgrades permitted. Seating is limited; seats may not be available on all trains at all times. Fares are subject to availability. Up to 2 children ages 2 – 12 may accompany each adult at half fare. Once purchased, tickets are non-refundable; exchanges are permitted within the ticket validity period. Offer is not valid for onboard ticket purchase. In addition to the discount restrictions, this offer is also subject to any restrictions, blackouts and refund rules that apply to the type of fare purchased. Offer is not combinable with any other discount offer. Fares, routes and schedules are subject to change without notice. Once travel has begun, no changes to the itinerary are permitted. Other restrictions may apply.

(Does that imply that upgrade coupons aren't valid on these tickets, unlike standard Saver tickets?)

That is correct.

You can not use a discount on a discount. This fare is 30% off (a discount) and an upgrade coupon (a discount) would be another. Much like you can not upgrade if you bought a AAA fare, not a full fare. And you can not upgrade on a Saver fare - another discount!

So this is related to a post I made earlier. If I book a round ticket I can't change my plans. But if I book two different tickets I can change the return trip right?

the_traveler said:

That is correct.

You can not use a discount on a discount. This fare is 30% off (a discount) and an upgrade coupon (a discount) would be another. Much like you can not upgrade if you bought a AAA fare, not a full fare. And you can not upgrade on a Saver fare - another discount!

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Not true - I've never done it myself, but others have reported that upgrade coupons are valid on regular Saver fares.

So, I ask again: Are they valid on these special Saver fares, or not?

Philly Amtrak Fan said:

So this is related to a post I made earlier. If I book a round ticket I can't change my plans. But if I book two different tickets I can change the return trip right?

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You can change your plans either way, but if you book a round-trip ticket, the change you make on one leg may trigger a repricing of the other leg if the agent doesn't know exactly what he or she is doing. There's no such risk if you buy two separate tickets. There's also no risk of your second leg being automatically canceled if you miss the first leg or if your ticket on the first leg isn't lifted. With only a few exceptions, such as companion coupons, there's no advantage to booking round-trip - so don't, unless you have a good reason.

You can change your plans on either. The only thing is with a round trip reservation, there is always a chance that the agent may accidentally cancel or change your return reservation - maybe you won’t notice it was cancelled until you show up at the station for your return trip!

the_traveler said:

That is correct.

You can not use a discount on a discount. This fare is 30% off (a discount) and an upgrade coupon (a discount) would be another. Much like you can not upgrade if you bought a AAA fare, not a full fare. And you can not upgrade on a Saver fare - another discount!

Click to expand...

Saver fares are upgradeable with AGR coupons. Not all phone agents know this (even after all these years), and when the system says that repricing is required, they insist they have to do that. However, the prior AGR Insider on Flyertalk confirmed that Saver fares can be used in this post:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/25247761-post11.html

The agent has to override the computer to process the upgrade.

Note that the ability to upgrade a discount fare such as AAA and senior depends on the coupon. The anniversary coupons provided to credit card holders are applicable to AAA and other membership and senior discounted fares. The coupons provided to elite members or purchased with points are not.

DoB said:

...

So, I ask again: Are they valid on these special Saver fares, or not?

...

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For what it's worth, I would say yes. It is tagged a "Saver Fare," and Saver Fares can be upgraded. However, my opinion does not count at Amtrak. Someone in authority at Amtrak has to say yes. Too bad AGR does not have a social media presence so that a real answer could be given. Calling AGR and finding someone who knows is a crap shoot.

PRR 60 said:

For what it's worth, I would say yes. It is tagged a "Saver Fare," and Saver Fares can be upgraded. However, my opinion does not count at Amtrak. Someone in authority at Amtrak has to say yes. Too bad AGR does not have a social media presence so that a real answer could be given. Calling AGR and finding someone who knows is a crap shoot.

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That's my guess as well. If not, will the upgrade not go through at all, or will it still be available with the payment up to an upgradeable fare? And, if the latter, would that be the regular (upgradeable) Saver fare or the prevailing price at the time of upgrade?

I just spoke to an AGR Select Executive agent who told me that the Track Friday "saver" fares are not upgradeable with coupons. I made a reservation using a Track Friday fare, then changed my mind to upgrade to Business Class, using my senior fare. I was unable to do so on the website or on the app. I phoned and the agent was able to upgrade to BC (using $$ not coupons) and taking advantage of the senior fare. However, I did not get the benefit of the "saver" Track Friday fare.

I'm looking at a sleeper on the Meteor in March but I assume this discount doesn't apply, right, i.e. the price will not necessarily go up Tuesday? In the Saver column it says 'web only'. Is this new? I've not noticed it before? Just curious. Or is it associated with Track Friday?

I used an upgrade coupon on a Track Friday fare I bought last year with no problem.

Note that the list of exclusions isn't entirely correct, either - I was able to buy a $43 NYP-WAS on a Regional yesterday for travel in January (normal fare doesn't go below $49 except during the 3 day sales)

I found out the saver fares weren't available on most of the dates I wanted and AAA discount + value was almost as cheap without the restrictions of saver.