Childs fare at age 16?

[caravanman]

Hi,

Just updated my trip report and wondering about the fare charged for my 16 year old.

I assume that Amtrak gives child fares to 15 year olds, and one pays adult fare as a 16 year old?

At Sacramento, we asked for two tickets, gave our passports as ID, and recieved our tickets.. Only after we left the station did I see that one ticket was a Childs Fare.

Was this a simple mistake on the part of the clerk, or do childs fares kick in at a different age in California?

Would I get a cheaper childs fare for a 16 year old booking at LA station to go to Chicago, than on the Amtrak website?

Cheers,

Eddie

 

[Cristobal]

In California we are all "flower children".

Peace, love. and understanding man!

Now...

Where did I put my bong? :wacko:

Sorry. I don't have a real answer for you. Just bumping my post count.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

Was this a simple mistake on the part of the clerk, ...

Yes. Just an honest mistake.

 

[Acela150]

It happens but hey look at it this way. You got some money off your ticket!

Steve

 

[caravanman]

No complaints about the lower fare... just wanted to ensure I wasn't missing out each time I bought a ticket for my son.

Cheers,

Eddie

 

[willyvee]

People 16 and older pay the adult fare.

Now here is something I don't understand:

Amtrak says that you are allowed to travel unaccompanied at age 15, yet, they deem you as a child until age 16. The thing is that they won't let you book children in a roomette without an adult (online at least, try booking 1 adult and 2 children and Amtrak will only let you book 1 roomette), yet they allow 15 and older to travel unaccompanied. Being a 15 year old, would I be allowed to book a roomette for myself if I were to travel alone (not going to actually do it anytime soon, just hypothetically)?

 

[Michael061282]

if my son, who is 10, could travel alone, I would want him in a roomette, you'd think it'd be safer then out in coach. At least he could lock the door to the roomette when he went to sleep and not be out in the open in a coach seat

 

[GG-1]

if my son, who is 10, could travel alone, I would want him in a roomette, you'd think it'd be safer then out in coach. At least he could lock the door to the roomette when he went to sleep and not be out in the open in a coach seat

Aloha

M daughter used to travel (by air) as an unaccompanied child, with full fare charged. One Stewardess was assigned to be within eye contact of the children at all times, I would expect something similar on the train. If the child was in a room then the assigned attendant could not see the child at all times.

 

[Sue in KY]

if my son, who is 10, could travel alone, I would want him in a roomette, you'd think it'd be safer then out in coach. At least he could lock the door to the roomette when he went to sleep and not be out in the open in a coach seat

Aloha

M daughter used to travel (by air) as an unaccompanied child, with full fare charged. One Stewardess was assigned to be within eye contact of the children at all times, I would expect something similar on the train. If the child was in a room then the assigned attendant could not see the child at all times.

I don't know about now, but when I was a child in the late '40s-early '50s, my parents would put me on an overnight sleeper to far West Texas from our hometown in far East Texas, and the porter (yes, that's what they were called back in The Olden Days! :lol: ) always took excellent care of me, making sure I was awake and dressed early enough to escort me to the dining car for breakfast before we arrived at my grandparents' town. No idea what sort of full-fare or child-fare prices this amounted to, but I do remember my dad always tipping the porter as I boarded the train.

I considered it the best every-summer adventure of my childhood!

 

[metrorail]

People 16 and older pay the adult fare.

Now here is something I don't understand:

Amtrak says that you are allowed to travel unaccompanied at age 15, yet, they deem you as a child until age 16. The thing is that they won't let you book children in a roomette without an adult (online at least, try booking 1 adult and 2 children and Amtrak will only let you book 1 roomette), yet they allow 15 and older to travel unaccompanied. Being a 15 year old, would I be allowed to book a roomette for myself if I were to travel alone (not going to actually do it anytime soon, just hypothetically)?

Yes, you are able to book anything from coach to sleepers and you can travel by yourself. The only catch, if you travel by yourself, you have to pay adult fare. If you travel with someone 16 and older, they pay adult fare and you pay the child's fare. Confusing right? You can travel by yourself, just have extra money ready.

I'm 15 too and I've been planning my train rights for a long time now!

 

[willyvee]

People 16 and older pay the adult fare.

Now here is something I don't understand:

Amtrak says that you are allowed to travel unaccompanied at age 15, yet, they deem you as a child until age 16. The thing is that they won't let you book children in a roomette without an adult (online at least, try booking 1 adult and 2 children and Amtrak will only let you book 1 roomette), yet they allow 15 and older to travel unaccompanied. Being a 15 year old, would I be allowed to book a roomette for myself if I were to travel alone (not going to actually do it anytime soon, just hypothetically)?

Yes, you are able to book anything from coach to sleepers and you can travel by yourself. The only catch, if you travel by yourself, you have to pay adult fare. If you travel with someone 16 and older, they pay adult fare and you pay the child's fare. Confusing right? You can travel by yourself, just have extra money ready.

I'm 15 too and I've been planning my train rights for a long time now!

Thanks a lot for the reply. Makes sense to me.

I agree, it's great to get some freedom to travel around by ourselves now!

 

[metrorail]

Glad I could help. See you on the train!