Amtrak is a passenger railroad service that offers medium and long distance intercity services in the United States and some parts of Canada. There are three options in Amtrak Fares: Saver, Value and Flexible. The difference between them lies in the refund rules and restrictions that apply to them. It is important to know the difference between these different options in order to select the best fare option that suits you. This article examines the difference between Amtrak Saver, Value and Flexible. The key difference between Amtrak Saver, Value and Flexible is their refund rules: Amtrak Flexible is fully refundable regardless of the cancellation date, but Amtrak Value has several restrictions regarding the refund whereas Amtrak Saver is non-refundable.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Amtrak Saver
3. What is Amtrak Value
4. What is the difference between Amtrak Saver and Value
5. What is Amtrak Flexible
6. What is the difference between Amtrak Value and Flexible
7. Side by Side Comparison – Amtrak Value vs Saver vs Flexible
8. Summary
What is Amtrak Saver?
Amtrak Saver fares are the lowest fares among all three options and include many discounted offers. However, they are not available on all trains and buses, and even the number of seats available is limited. Furthermore, Amtrak Saver is non-refundable; however, the ticket can be cancelled, and the ticket value can be stored as credit in an e-voucher which can be used for future travel using Amtrak.
What is Amtrak Value?
Amtrak value is one of the refundable fare options offered by Amtrak. This fare offers several refund options.
- Fully refundable if cancelled within 48 hours or more before the departure.
- 20% fee will be charged if cancelled less than 48 hours before the departure.
- Value ticket can be cancelled, and ticket value can be stored as a credit in an e-voucher that can be used for future Amtrak travel.
However, if the ticket is not cancelled and the passenger doesn’t show up, the entire amount will be forfeited. This amount cannot be applied to future travel as well.
The Amtrak Value fare is available on all trains and buses; however, the number of seats is limited.
What is the difference between Amtrak Saver and Value?
Amtrak Saver Fare is cheaper than Amtrak Value. However, there are some disadvantages of Amtrak Saver when compared with Amtrak Value. Amtrak Saver is not refundable whereas Value has several refunding options. Amtrak Value is also available on all trains and buses whereas Saver option is not available on all trains or buses.
Figure_1: Amtrak logo
What is Amtrak Flexible?
Amtrak Flexible fares are available on most trains and buses although the number of seats in each service is limited. Flexible fare is fully refundable and does not even need any refund fee. There are two methods of cancelling and obtaining the refund:
- Ticket can be cancelled for a full refund.
- Ticket value can be saved as an e-voucher for future travel.
What is the difference between Amtrak Value and Flexible?
The main difference between Amtrak Value and Flexible is their refunding options. Amtrak Value has several refunding options, but if the passenger fails to cancel the ticket 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure. Amtrak Flexible has no such restrictions – the Flexible fare is fully refundable. However, Amtrak Value is available for all trains and buses whereas Flexible may not be available on some buses and trains.
What is the difference between Amtrak Saver Value and Flexible?
Amtrak Saver vs Value vs Flexible |
|
| Refundability | |
| Amtrak Saver | Non- refundable |
| Amtrak Value | Fully refundable if cancelled 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure |
| Amtrak Flexible | Fully refundable irrespective of the cancellation date |
| Availability | |
| Amtrak Saver | Not available on all trains and buses |
| Amtrak Value | Found in all Amtrak trains and buses |
| Amtrak Flexible | Found on most Amtrak trains and buses |
Summary – Amtrak Saver vs Value vs Flexible
Value, Saver and Flexible are the three fare options available in Amtrak Fare. The main difference between Saver Value and Flexible lies in their refundability. Amtrak value is fully refundable if cancelled within 48 hours or more before the departure; however, 20% fee will be charged if cancelled less than 48 hours before the departure. Amtrak value, being the lowest fare, is nonrefundable whereas Amtrak flexible is fully refundable regardless of the cancellation date.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Amtrak logo 2” By Unknown – PDF (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia