Demystifying Amtrak's fares

摘要

Yield management pricing can be a frustration to last-minute air and rail travelers stuck paying the highest fares, but a boon to those who book months ahead at low fares. At one time, ticket agents consulted thick tariff books showing the fares for every origin and destination combination. Today, Amtrak still operates three state-supported routes with unreserved trains and fixed pricing (Chicago-Milwaukee, San Jose to Auburn, Calif., and Phila-delphia-Harrisburg, Pa.), but they are the glaring exception in the current intercity rail, air, and bus transportation landscape, where a seemingly infinite array of fares vary based on demand.