New Competition for Acela BOS-WAS?

[Amfleet]

While I was at Boston's South Station today, picking up tickets for my upcomming trip, I noticed several adertisements for Independence Air. Out of all places for this advertisment, but the posters were promoting the airlines new discount service between Boston (Logan, Manchester, and Providence TFG) and Washington Dulles. A one-way ticket, booked one day in advance, costs $59 with frequent departures!

Now out of all places for this kind of advertisment, who the heck decided South Station? I don't see Acela advertisments being posted throughout Logan! As passengers boarded an Acela Express train bound for Washington to walk right past these advertisments! Now Amtrak is not reponsibile since the station is operated by the MBTA. The advirtisements were also evident at varous subway stops.

You can visit Independence Air's website at flyi.com.

 

[PRR 60]

I don't see Acela advertisments being posted throughout Logan!

You have not been to Logan lately. Acela is heaviliy advertised there.

 

[Amfleet]

I don't see Acela advertisments being posted throughout Logan!

You have not been to Logan lately. Acela is heaviliy advertised there.

I was in Logan Terminal B (US Airways) about a week ago and failed to see any advirtisement for Acela. It maybe I was in a rush to catch a bus, but where abouts is this advirtising?

 

[railman]

I just tried booking a 7AM weekday flight on the new airline for travel BOS-WAS. With the fees and taxes the one-way cost came to $67.60. Add in the taxi fares in Boston and Virginia (assuming you want to be in downtown DC) and the cost quickly rises to about $120.00

In comparison, I booked an Acela Express train out of South Station for roughly the same time and date, with the one-way fare totalling $157.00

Now granted that I am making some sweeping assumptions here, but if your goal is to leave Boston and be in the District of Columbia for same-day business, most folks would fly unless the airline security headaches are too much to bear. After all, Amtrak is not really marketing endpoint-to-endpoint travel on Acela Express.

While the total price for the air service is only marginally less than the rail trip, cost alone would not deter someone from considering Acela Express. After all, there are myriad discounts available to the savvy Amtrak customer -- even for Acela Express! One must consider schedule, convenience and the "fear factor" as well.

 

[PRR 60]

I don't see Acela advertisments being posted throughout Logan!

You have not been to Logan lately. Acela is heaviliy advertised there.

I was in Logan Terminal B (US Airways) about a week ago and failed to see any advirtisement for Acela. It maybe I was in a rush to catch a bus, but where abouts is this advirtising?

Jon:

I was there last March and April and there were enough ads In Terminal B that I chuckled to myself. Poor US Airways is getting assaulted from all sides: Southwest in PHL, Amtrak in the Corridor, and now Independance (Atlantic Coast). For what it's worth, Amtrak really has no business market BOS to WAS anyway. Even Acela takes way too long. Air owns that market, and Independance is targeting US and Delta, not Amtrak.

Bill

 

[Amfleet]

I was there last March and April and there were enough ads In Terminal B that I chuckled to myself. Poor US Airways is getting assaulted from all sides: Southwest in PHL, Amtrak in the Corridor, and now Independance (Atlantic Coast). For what it's worth, Amtrak really has no business market BOS to WAS anyway. Even Acela takes way too long. Air owns that market, and Independance is targeting US and Delta, not Amtrak.

Agreed, the BOS-WAS market is not big for Amtrak. When one travels through NYP going to BOS or WAS it is noted that many passengers detrain and then new ones board. I just found it ironic that the advertisement for Indpendence Air was noteable all over South Station that it made me chuckle in the same way when you saw all the Acela ads in Terminal B. I guess they may be gone now or I just didn't notice them.