PHILADELPHIA — Add Amtrak tickets to the long list of travel-related goods and services you can bid for on eBay, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The railroad announced early this month that it would make a limited number of tickets available on the online auction site as part of a three-month trial. Adult coach-class round-trip and one-way tickets are being offered between a variety of cities. Each posting notes the train route, dates available (usually a range), links to schedules, and the latest bid. Payment is by credit card.
The site for bidding is www.stores.ebay.com/amtrakauctions.
Among early postings was a round trip between Washington and Pittsburgh (or any cities in between) from mid-December through February, with two weeks of blacked-out dates around the holidays. A check of Amtrak’s regular reservation site showed the fare for such a trip in late January at $89 round trip. With a few hours left in the bidding, the high bid was $42, about half price.
More than 30 other pairs of cities were offered, including Philadelphia-Chicago, Memphis-New Orleans, Seattle-Vancouver, Albuquerque-Los Angeles, and a 30-day Chicago-Milwaukee rail pass.
“We hope to persuade travelers who may not be regular Amtrak riders to give the train a try,” marketing vice president Barbara Richardson said in a news release.
Experienced or not, bidders should begin their eBay efforts by going to www.amtrak.com or calling Amtrak at 1-800-872-7245 to check the regular price for the route they want to take, taking into account any discounts such as AAA or AARP they are eligible for, as well as any online specials or seasonal specials already being offered by Amtrak.
As with any auction site, users risk paying more than the standard rate if they have not done any research. The eBay listing offers a “range” of regular fares for each trip, but it often is broad ($94 to $172 is posted for the Washington-Chicago ticket) and may not reflect specials or discounts.
Winning bidders are charged a $4.95 service fee that includes first-class mail delivery; overnight delivery costs $9 more. Check with Amtrak for restrictions.