(The following report appeared on the San Jose Mercury News website on October 31.)
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Amtrak, drawing a sharp contrast with its airline competitors, is rolling out a new ticket policy that eliminates change fees for travelers who revise their plans.
Starting Monday, the railroad plans to eliminate its existing change fees as long as the customer purchases another Amtrak ticket of equal or greater value or takes a credit toward future travel. The existing change fees are $30 for an adult ticket and $15 for a child’s ticket.
Also, Amtrak will begin strictly enforcing baggage guidelines that limit passengers to two carry-ons and three pieces of checked luggage. Amtrak officials say their decision to crack down on excessive luggage is intended to provide safer, more comfortable travel, prevent overcrowding of the baggage areas and reduce injuries.
“The amount of baggage people take with them, especially the huge, wheeled bags, is mind-blowing,” said Marc Magliari, a spokesman for Amtrak.
The two-piece limit on carry-on baggage does not include such personal items as briefcases, purses, laptop computers and baby strollers. Passengers who want to check more than three bags can do so for $10 for each additional piece.
Each bag, whether carry-on or checked, may not weigh more than 50 pounds. Travelers carrying luggage in excess of the limits will not be allowed to board Amtrak trains.
With its new ticket policy, Amtrak is seeking to separate itself from the rest of the travel industry, which is increasingly moving toward more, not fewer, fees.
“This is certainly a more customer-friendly approach than other carriers,” Magliari said. “We think it’ll be simpler for our customers to understand.”
The only time a change fee would apply is if the traveler asks for his money back. In those instances, there will be a service charge equal to 10 percent of the ticket’s value, up to a maximum of $100.
The same service charge would apply to refunds for onboard accommodations as long as the reservation is canceled at least one hour before departure. If the reservation is not canceled within that time frame, the cost of the onboard accommodations still could be credited toward future travel within a year.
Most airlines charge change fees whenever a non-refundable ticket has to be changed, and most carriers also offer no refund at all if a passenger fails to notify the airline that he will not be showing up for a flight before it departs.