I also think it has to do with the large Commuting block between PHL and NYP. I noticed Rush-Hour Regionals that depart close to the same time as Keystones in AM from PHL ( trains 170, 180, vs. 640) or PM from NYP (137, 55 vs. 655) are priced significantly higher than Keystones.... Even if...
On the NEC the best time to witness "Overbooking" and Standees is during Holiday Weekends and Thanksgiving and Christmas week between NYP and PHL because of the Monthly/10-Trip (Unreserved) Commuters in the same segment. The lone NYP-bound AM Rush Hour Keystone (Departs Philly @ 7AM) will have...
I'm getting a kick out of all this Cheerleading for "Maximizing-Profits" because its Amtrak. I wonder if the same people champion the Gas Companies, Banks, Airlines (which are NOT public transit) and Insurance companies for what those industries consider "Maximizing Profits", record profits in...
Doesn't mean they need to price gouge us either...Just because a bunch of over-payed CEO can utilize the Acela at an unlimited expense doesn't mean the entire NEC needs to be taken for a ride (pun intended). Amtrak is still a form of PublicTransportation let us not forget.
The fare buckets on the NEC are getting to be unbearable.... commuting between NYP to PHL is becoming ridiculous....Its now 40$ OW, 80$ RT for the 14-day Advanced ticket what used to be 25-30$ back when I started commuting. Monthly Tickets and 10-Trip will probably soon rise in the near term.
Not all are Monthly Pass Holders....You just have to be a frequent commuter throughout the year.....I'm a PHL/NYP commuter who does nothing but book 14-day advance fare for 3-4 days a week commuting and I've made SE for 2013 with ~24K TQP at the end of 2012.
I'm now hearing whispers that...
Yes...I agree...If you're commuting 5 days a week...the Monthly Ticket is the best option...It comes out to be 30$ each way if you use it RT once each business day plus the Monthly will give you Flexibility to take almost any Regional and all Keystone trains without making reservations....But...
Also keep in mind the OP is looking for the most cost-effective way of doing this....so that's signalling to me he want to keep his cost as low as possible.... I used to buy the Monthly for almost a year straight when it was only 1K a month. When it went to 1.2K I started using the Ten Trip...
They can allow them to be only be printed at the Counter, or QT machines...Once a new Pass is printed there should be some type of algorithm in the system that cancels out the previous one so it cannot be accepted by the scanners.
It's a pretty big decision......You're talking about paying 830$ vs 1150$ a month, that's a significant chunk of change to take into consideration...(I'm subtracting the 250$ reimbursement in both cases)...Depends on what's the bigger priority to the OP....
I agree with PRR 60 that if your work...
He won't be able to apply discounts to the Monthly Passes or 10-trip tickets......14-day fares, plus the 250$ reimbursement are his best/cheapest shot.....1080 - 250$ = 830$.....
I read you post just fine, I don't think you read or clearly understood mine.....14-day fares are cheaper than anything one of the Discounts will provide ...and the OP can put that same 250$ towards the 14-day fares as well...I see no reason to buy the Monthly Pass over doing the 14-day fares...
PHL-NYP during the 14-day window is 36$ OW = 72 RT = $1080 for 15day...Monthly Pass is ~1400$.... Monthly Pass is only worth it, if you employer is paying the majority or all of it...or again You Commute all 20 Business days of the Calendar....IMO if you miss even one day Amtrak comes out ahead...
SEPTA/NJT options are the worse IMO because:
1 - If you don't time the Trenton transfer correct, that In-between wait can be a PIA....mostly in the PM Rush when you want to get home..
2 - Slow Slow Slow Slow and Tedious...The NJT leg isn't bad if you get one of the Express Train that only make...