Buy 1, get 1 Amtrak ticket free for travel on New York trains in January and February only
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
For January and February only, Amtrak users can buy one ticket and get one free thanks to the train operator's New York Midweek Winter Travel sale. The promotion offers BOGO tickets for travel every Tuesday through Thursday.
This offer is valid for travel on specific trains throughout New York only, including Manhattan, for travel through Feb. 28.
Deal basics
Carrier: Amtrak.
Routes: Valid for travel on the Empire Service, Ethan Allan, Adirondack and Maple Leaf trains.
How to book: Directly through Amtrak's sale page.
Travel dates: Jan. 3-Feb. 28.
Book by: Feb. 27.
Note that a one-day advance purchase is required. This promotion is valid for one free companion rail fare with the purchase of one regular adult coach fare. Amtrak Guest Rewards points bookings are not applicable for this promo.
How to book
To get started, head to the sale page to book online. No promo code is necessary for this sale, so proceed with booking your train as you would any other train — just make sure to select a route that is included in the sale.
For the sake of this story, I searched a route on the Empire Service train. Specifically, I chose a round-trip journey from Syracuse to New York City's Penn Station for next week.
When selecting your train, be sure to choose the Value coach seat because that is the fare type on sale. You can get a refund for Value seat tickets if you cancel at least 15 days before departure; if you cancel within 14 days of departure, you'll have to pay a 25% fee. Alternatively, you can change travel for free. For more information on Value seats, see here.
Maximize your purchase
Don't forget to use a credit card that earns bonus points on travel purchases, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve (3 points per dollar on travel) or the (2 points per dollar on travel).
Bottom line
Though this sale is limited to New York travel, you can buy one ticket, get one free for select Amtrak trains this month and next, including to and from New York City.