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Act fast: Amtrak Guest Reward members can save up to 40% on award travel

Mike Avila
Contributor
Mike Avila is an Emmy Award-winning TV producer who has worked for NBC, CBS, ABC, to name just a few. He’s a published author of books such as the recent “Wolverine: Creating Marvel’s Legendary Mutant.” He also was executive producer of the SYFY Originals documentary, “Todd McFarlane: Like Hell I Won’t.”
Aug. 21, 2022
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3 min read
Amtrak Coast Starlight (Los Angeles - Seattle) powered by P42DC locomotives at Moorpark, California
Act fast: Amtrak Guest Reward members can save up to 40% on award travel
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Considering how chaotic air travel is, it's a good time to consider making your next getaway by rail instead. Amtrak is making the choice a bit easier with a new flash sale for members of its Guest Rewards program. You can save up to 40% off award tickets for travel between now and the end of September with the Reward Travel Sale.

The only catch is you have to act fast. Travel must be booked by Aug. 25 to take advantage of the sale. The discounts apply for travel across Amtrak's national network through Sept. 30. You don't need a registration or promo code. All you have to do is log into your Guest Rewards account, and the sale prices in points will be automatically displayed when you search for reward travel.

"The Reward Travel Sale allows our Amtrak Guest Rewards Members to travel across the country and experience the summer and fall in a variety of ways, all while spending less on train tickets," an Amtrak representative said in a statement.

Amtrak train along the Hudson River in New York. (Renata Tyburczy/Getty Images)

Related: Your complete guide to the Amtrak Guest Rewards program

We checked for sample fares in the sale and found tickets from Moynihan Train Hall at New York City's Penn Station (NYP) to Washington Union Station (WAS) for as low as 1,896 points ... and that's for a business seat.

(Screenshot courtesy of Amtrak)

Here are options for the return trip with coach seats from 2,450 Guest Rewards points.

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(Screenshot courtesy of Amtrak)

We also checked out options for the West Coast and found that you can book a coach ticket out of Union Station in Los Angeles for the scenic journey to the Santa Barbara Amtrak Station from 660 Guest Rewards points. If you want a private room, you can also splurge on the Coast Starlight train.

(Screenshot courtesy of Amtrak)

The sale is the latest move Amtrak has made to try and capitalize on the resurgence in leisure train travel during the post-pandemic travel boom.

The rail network recently announced it was waiving change fees for all reservations made through the end of October, providing customers with a greater measure of flexibility for their travel plans. Amtrak also just revealed an upgraded menu of food items on its Northeast Corridor and long-distance routes. Customers will now have a bigger variety of choices, including hot meals and even some vegan options.

Featured image by Getty Images/iStockphoto
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.