Amtrak Announces Changes To Its Refund Policy Beginning March 1, 2014
Amtrak has just announced that they will be changing their refund policy for reservation cancellations. As of March 1, 2014, if you book a Coach class or Acela Express Business class reservation, you must cancel it at least 24 hours prior to the train's scheduled departure in order to be eligible for a full refund.
This means that if you cancel it within 24 hours, you will have to pay a refund fee (this only applies to Value fare tickets as Saver fare tickets are not refundable). If you can't make the reservation at all, be sure to cancel because if you are a "no show" then you will lose the whole fare, whether it is a Value or a Saver ticket.
The ticket value will not be stored in an eVoucher and cannot be applied toward future travel, however flexible fare tickets will remain fully refundable. Most tickets bought online can also be cancelled online, by clicking here.
The prior policy on "no shows" was that you were charged the 10% penalty fee but the rest of the rail fare was refundable. If you canceled within 6 hours after the departure time then credit would be issued to the credit card used for payment (-10%), or if you didn't cancel at all then an eVoucher was e-mailed as refund. Now however, the policy is much stricter.
The refund fee is generally 10% of the total amount refunded, with a minimum amount of $5 and a maximum amount of $100 per refund transaction. Unless stated otherwise, if a ticket is refundable, the passenger may avoid any refund fee by accepting the full refund value of the ticket as an eVoucher or other exchange credit, as long as you use it within one year.
The changes are bad news for many Amtrak passengers who are likely to change their train-related travel plans more often than airline passengers, especially for shorter distance commuter journeys.
I have previously canceled reservations the morning of my trip, such as last April from Philadelphia to New York City when I decided to get an earlier train, and still got the full refund back. However, if you were a total no-show and didn't ever contact Amtrak then you still sacrificed the fare.
The new restrictions by Amtrak follow similar changes at Southwest Airlines, which launched its “no show” policy in September for Wanna Get Away and DING fares, meaning they are no longer as lenient about passengers who simply do not show up for their flights.
Passengers now holding non-refundable Wanna Get Away or DING tickets booked after May 10, 2013, will lose the value of their round-trip ticket if they don’t cancel or change their flight at least 10 minutes before the scheduled departure. Southwest had formerly been known as one of the most lenient and flexible attitudes towards anyone who wanted to change their travel plans last minute, letting them get the entire value of their flight repaid back in credit or Rapid Rewards points (depending on how they paid) if they didn’t show up – without even having to call to request it. That meant that you could oversleep or simply change your mind, and you would not be penalized.
For more information on the other major airlines' cancellation policies, see my post here. See the posts below for more details on maximizing your travel with Amtrak too, and remember to cancel if you can't make your train!
Maximizing Amtrak Guest Rewards Points Redeeming And Partners
Maximizing Amtrak Guest Rewards: Earning Points
Amtrak Guest Rewards World Mastercard Offering 12,000 Bonus Points But Why You Shouldn't Get It
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.