Child Tickets 12yo and Under Effective 3/24/14

[PRR 60]

Effective 3/24/14, the 50% children discount will be applicable to ages 12 and under, reduced from 15 and under now. Existing reservations will be honored, but on 3/24 and after, any new reservations and any changes to existing reservations will have the new policy enforced.

Amtrak

 

[CHamilton]

This policy change, like other recent changes, strikes me as short-sighted. Amtrak seems to be desperately trying to increase its immediate income, while discouraging long-term loyalty. Amtrak's management is, of course, being pushed by the micromanagers on Capitol Hill, but the eventual effects will probably be to make families choose other modes of transportation.

 

[MattW]

And with the change they've now made the unaccompanied minor's policy more reasonable right? NOT! :angry:

 

[Eris]

Whoa, this is disappointing.

 

[SarahZ]

Bright side: This is still much more generous than the airlines' policies. Many airlines now charge the adult fare for children age 2+; the days of discounted fares for children 2-11 are long gone in most cases.

Dark side: This isn't going to draw more families to Amtrak for summer vacations, and it definitely affects families who already use Amtrak frequently.

 

[Crescent ATN & TCL]

Contrary to popular belief Amtrak doesn't exist to please us railfans it is first and foremost a business, anything that closes that 12 percent gap and keeps the company running benefits us all. We may have to give up a little romance such as wine and cheese but for the first time Amtrak seems to be looking much farther into the future. If we have to deal with price increases and minor service cuts I don't care. I may be 24 but I want the luxury of night trains running throughout my lifetime.

 

[Ryan]

Alexander just turned 11 last week, so we'll be staring this one in the face soon enough.

Like Sarah said, it's still much nicer than the full fare that we had to pay for him from IAD-HNL (and the baby, there was no way she was sitting on our laps for 10 hours! Best $1200 I've ever spent!).

Am I disappointed? Sure.

Do I like the direction Amtrak is going? Certainly not.

Do I blame them? Nope, they're making the best of a crap situation. I blame the idiots in Congress. Elections have consequences. Until we decide as a nation to spend money and have nice things, this is the kind of crap we're going to have to put up with.

Is it the end of the world? We'll see.

 

[Crescent ATN & TCL]

Alexander just turned 11 last week, so we'll be staring this one in the face soon enough.

Like Sarah said, it's still much nicer than the full fare that we had to pay for him from IAD-HNL (and the baby, there was no way she was sitting on our laps for 10 hours! Best $1200 I've ever spent!).

Am I disappointed? Sure.

Do I like the direction Amtrak is going? Certainly not.

Do I blame them? Nope, they're making the best of a crap situation. I blame the idiots in Congress. Elections have consequences. Until we decide as a nation to spend money and have nice things, this is the kind of crap we're going to have to put up with.

Is it the end of the world? We'll see.

Thats' what I've been saying, over the last 10-15 years Amtrak has been desperately trying to get away from the constant fight in congress and trying to find a long term sustainable option. Focusing on the NEC, east coast LD's and state corridors are the only option for a healthy Amtrak in the long term without major sustainable government support. As nice as the scenery is on the California Zephyr and the Empire Builder I can sacrifice it for Amtrak's health over my life time. I would much rather experience Amtrak being strong and healthy over a life time than dying in the process of providing us railfans with a trip across the Rockies or Glacier National Park.

I appreciate and love the current Amtrak but over the long term the budget and funding will only get tighter. Amtrak can cut the worst and keep the best. I much prefer that to loosing everything.

 

[SubwayNut]

I wonder if this effects any current state contracts, like the states written directly in that half fares need to be provided for children under 15. I also wonder how precise Amtrak's tickets are with their date of issues (will the conductor know if the ticket was purchased before or after the new changeover?)

It's still better than the Commuter Railroads in NYC (LIRR, NJT, Metro-North) where its only up to 11 and has been as long as I can remember.

 

[ACS-64]

For comparison, what Disney considers a child for pricing purposes is ages 3-9. Anyone age 10+ is a full paying adult. This policy is actually just bringing child pricing closer to the universal 'rule/ norm' rather than the 'exception' that it was at up to age 15. Folks it's about time that Amtrak is run more as a business and less as a charity. As much as these ongoing changes make some cringe, they are for a better future.

 

[Bob Dylan]

While I realize that people with families that travel on Amtrak will be unhappy with this policy, I'm with those who think that making the cutoff 12 for Child tickets is a necessary action due to increasing demand with limited resources! This makes more sense than the nickel and dime cuts in Sleeper and Diner amenities IMHO!

Disclaimer: My train loving Granddaughter turns 12 in June so it will cost me more for our Train rides!

 

[amamba]

Meh. They still take a full seat that a full fare paying adult could occupy so I have no problem with this.

Also as others have said many Kid discounts stop around age 12.

 

[Railroad Bill]

Hope this doesnt start a trend. Moving senior discounts up to 70? If they want to hear some loud voices at Amtrak, all they have to do is mess with us old people

 

[SarahZ]

Hope this doesnt start a trend. Moving senior discounts up to 70? If they want to hear some loud voices at Amtrak, all they have to do is mess with us old people

Eh, I can't really see that happening. Senior discounts are pretty firmly set at age 62 in most places. I think Amtrak is just trying to redefine "child" to match most other areas. I was honestly surprised to learn that someone age 14-15 was still considered a "child", since I don't really pay attention to that portion of the screen when I book. My brother was 5'10" and shaving when he was 15, hardly a child.

 

[battalion51]

I wonder if this effects any current state contracts, like the states written directly in that half fares need to be provided for children under 15. I also wonder how precise Amtrak's tickets are with their date of issues (will the conductor know if the ticket was purchased before or after the new changeover?)

It's still better than the Commuter Railroads in NYC (LIRR, NJT, Metro-North) where its only up to 11 and has been as long as I can remember.

I don't think there will be any visible effect for the Conductors as far as handling these tickets, it's the ticket agents that will have to keep their eyes on this. The Conductor is just going to take the ticket, to a large extent they probably don't even pay attention to how much was paid for the ticket.

And with the change they've now made the unaccompanied minor's policy more reasonable right? NOT! :angry:

IIRC, even under the old policy an Unaccompanied Minor was required to buy an adult ticket, so there really isn't a change as far as that goes.

Overall will this drive some people away? Sure. But, I'd much rather see them cut back on discounts that they offer versus raising fares for all passengers.

 

[tonys96]

And it continues.....

 

[SarahZ]

And it continues.....

I don't see this on the same level as amenities. I can't think of very many businesses that give "child" discounts to teenagers. This was actually a smart move on Amtrak's part.

Will it upset families? Probably, for the meantime. People will get used to it, though, just like they did when the airlines stopped offering discounts to children ages 2-11.

Will it generate more revenue for Amtrak, ensuring service continues? Definitely.

 

[tonys96]

Raising fares for kids and taking flowers off tables will ensure service continues? WOW!

 

[montana mike]

Don't be so sure. There is no such thing as a "sure thing" in business. When you change a paradigm the Law of Unintended Consequences always seems to rear its ugly head......time will tell.

The way to increase revenue is to provide great, on-time service and a travel experience that people both enjoy and can count on!!!!!!

Now, if we only gave a subsidy to Amtrak like we do for the wind power people ($6 BILLION in FY 2014), maybe Amtrak could deliver on the promise!

 

[SarahZ]

Raising fares for kids and taking flowers off tables will ensure service continues? WOW!

I said nothing about the flowers.

Charging adult fares for teenagers will increase revenue, yes. More revenue = more money for operating costs = service continues.

The airlines have been doing this for years, as I mentioned twice already, and they are not suffering one bit. Amtrak is still generous in that they consider someone a child until they are 13. The airlines kick you into the "adult" category as soon as you turn 3.

This is not new. Again, once a child turns 13, they lose their child discount in many businesses. Wedding caterers often charge half-price for kids' meals for ages 2-12, but "kids" age 13+ are charged as a full plate since, honestly, teenagers aren't kids anymore. They are usually the same size as an adult and tend to eat as much as an adult. So, really, calling them a "kid" is a bit of a misnomer.

 

[tonys96]

Again, there were a few here who were like chicken little screaming the sky is falling when the flowers were taken off tables in the diner mentioning that well known slippery slope..............methinks they might have been very premonitory. A little cut here, a little rate hike there, it doesn't affect me personally, why should I care? After all, it is for the common good, right? These nickel and dime cuts and rate hikes on a select few are going to "ensure service continues", correct?

I do not think so.

I suggest a quick reading of "The Hangman" by Maurice Ogden, which contains the line "I did no more than you let me do."

(Just FYI...I think anyone who sits in a seat should pay full fare for that seat, regardless of age, but too many changes in too short a time just advances the slippery slope theory)

 

[tonys96]

Don't be so sure. There is no such thing as a "sure thing" in business. When you change a paradigm the Law of Unintended Consequences always seems to rear its ugly head......time will tell.

The way to increase revenue is to provide great, on-time service and a travel experience that people both enjoy and can count on!!!!!!

THIS.

 

[Guest]

Obviously, all current fare levels are not enough to to cover costs and moving a 1/2 price seat costs the same as a full price seat, so why charge less than someone else would be willing to pay? This will help Amtrak to leverage yield during peak travel times.

Amtrak offers special discounts and sales for periods when they need to stimulate extra business, so the price-sensitive will still be able to find deals. Those "kids ride free" specials will probably still come around from time to time.

 

[ACS-64]

This is not new. Again, once a child turns 13, they lose their child discount in many businesses. Wedding caterers often charge half-price for kids' meals for ages 2-12, but "kids" age 13+ are charged as a full plate since, honestly, teenagers aren't kids anymore. They are usually the same size as an adult and tend to eat as much as an adult. So, really, calling them a "kid" is a bit of a misnomer.

Bingo. Example: a family of four with two adults and a 13-year-old and a 15-year-old "kids" under old policy book a family bedroom that is advertised to accommodate 2 adults and two children. The family boards the train and finds out real fast that they are not all fitting in the family bedroom. This creates a problem because the bedroom is advertised to accommodate 2 adults and two children, but teenagers who were classified as "children" do not fit into the child spaces. The family now has to book additional space. This happens and creates problems. There has to be consistency of what a child is for fare and accommodation purposes.

 

[SarahZ]

And I still maintain that we can't run around like the sky is falling until the ridership numbers come in. The constant continuum fallacies are only supporting my Chicken Little comparison.

By nature, I am not an alarmist. Assuming things are going to get worse and piling on suppositions only adds stress where stress may not be warranted. I prefer to have data/proof before reacting. Hence, I'll wait for the ridership numbers.