New Excursion Fare Plans ______------, [ Lure Off-Season Travelers
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Vol. 5, No.9 September 1978 New Excursion Fare Plans _________------, [ Lure Off-Season Travelers Sweeping new bargain fare in distance routes, excursion tickets will offers substantial reductions in fares, centives designed to lure more be honored for 35 days after pur the U.S.A. Rail Pass may still be the passengers to rail travel this fall and chase. Excursion travel will be least expensive way to travel for winter went into effect September 6. restricted on these trains November persons taking transcontinental trips A new system-wide excursion plan 22-26, December 21-26, December and for families traveling together. slashing fares by up to 40 per cent for 28-January 2 and April 13-15. Prices of the unlimited-travel round-trip travel became effective U.S.A. Rail Pass will drop from $250 then, along with reductions in the U.S.A. Rail Pass to $169 for 14 days, from $315 to cost of the U.S.A. Rail Pass and a While the new excursion system $21 9 for 21 days and from $385 to less expensive Family Plan. Commissary Worker Finds $175,000 Round-Trip Excursions Under the new excursion systein, to Greg Lynumn, Amtrak commis Robinson. be effective through May 25, 1979, sary worker, Chicago, was lauded At the station Jackson alerted the one-way fares remain the same with recently for a superb display of media and Marina Bank President return trips priced at rates dependant honesty in returning a $175,000 check Joel Shiffrin of the check's discovery. on the cost of the going trip. to its owner. An ABC television crew and • If a one-way fare is under $25, Lynumn found the check on reporters from the Chicago Sun the round trip will cost only $5 more. August 1 while he was shopping along Times accompanied Lynumn and • If $25 to $49.99, only $10 more. Chicago's South Water street. The Jackson to the bank where the two • If $50 to $74.99, only $15 more. gray piece of paper landed face down men met with the relieved president. • If $75 and up, only $20 more. on the sidewalk in front of the 23- Lynumn handed the check over to The special round-trip excursion year-old who said, "I knew it was a (Continued on page 10) rates apply to trips of at least 250 check as soon as I saw it because of miles one-way on the same train. the stripes on the back." Children under 12 pay one-half the Lynumn's first reaction was a special rate. Existing excursion fares predictable one, astonishment as he offering 25 per cent discounts will saw the amount and realized that the remain in effect for many trips under check was negotiable. Unsure as to 250 miles and in the Northeast what he should do, Lynumn stuffed Corridor where the new rates do not the check into his pocket and, for the apply. The special four-day $33 New moment, continued on his way. York-Montreal rate will continue. Drawn on the Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co., New York, the On Amtrak's long-distance trains, 3i the special excursion rate is good for check was payable to Chicago's E 40 days after purchase of tickets with Marina Bank which is located less ~ no restrictions on coach travel during than one block from the point where ~ peak travel periods. However, there Lynumn made his discovery. ~" may be fewer seats available at the A few blocks away, Lynumn met £ discounted price on these all-reserved Reverend Jesse Jackson, the noted ~ trains ~t holiday times. There are civil rights leader, and explained to ~ ~ some restrictions on first-class travel him what had happened. He ac- ~ at the lower rates during holiday companied Jackson, who was on his 5' periods. way to an interview with ABC eC ommissary Worker Greg Lynumn displays On Amtrak's short and medium- Evening News Anchorman Max the check he found. $259 for a 30-day pass., The Family "Public response to the excursion per cent of all intercity travel by U.S.A. Rail Pass will similarly be plans we tested on several routes private automobile, our major target reduced in price. demonstrated such an offer lures continues to be the auto traveler." Under that plan the head of the passengers to the more energy The new Amtrak fare strucmre is household pays full fare while the efficient train," said Al Michaud, also designed to be competitive with accompanying spouse and children, Amtrak's vice president of the sharply reduced airline fares 12 through 21, pay only half fare. marketing. "With an estimated 87 pointed out Michaud. Children between two and 11 pay $50 each, regardless of length of pass. The U.S.A. Rail Pass is good for Riding A Train? Rate It! coach travel on all Amtrak and Beginning September 1, all who is not a member of the national Southern Railway trains, except national operations department operations department, would Amtrak's Metroliners. Passengers employees traveling on business by voluntarily Jom the evaluation may upgrade their tickets for travel rail will complete a simple evaluation program. Forms are available from on Metroliners or on club and form that monitors the level of on the forms control department, sleeping cars on a space available board service they experienced on Washington. basis. each train they ride. The completed reports will be at New Bus Link Family Plan tached to the employee's expense Amtrak's regular Family Plan fares report and be submitted to his or her A rail passenger arriving at Boston are also less expensive this fall and supervisor. can make a direct connection at some families may find this offer to Says Bob Herman, vice president Amtrak's South Station to and from be the best travel bargain for trips and general manager, national buses serving nine communities in that do not qualify for the special operations, "We are all aware of the Massachusetts, New Hampshire and excursion. paramount importance that service Maine, as result of a new agreement The ticket cost for spouse and plays in the railroad passenger in with Michaud Bus Lines Inc., of children 12 to 21, will be cut from 75 dustry. Service is the single most Salem, Massachusetts. per cent of the full fare to 50 per cent. important commodity that we have to Three Michaud Bus Line round Children two to 11 wi ll pay just 25 per offer. nips daily, with two on Sundays ana cent of the full fare instead of 37.5 "If Amtrak is to succeed, it is holidays, now link Amtrak's Boston per cent. imperative that all national station to Danvers and Amesbury, Discounts apply to a spouse and operations employees join forces Massachusetts; Exeter, Newmarket, children traveling with a head of toward the common goal of Durham, Dover and Rochester, New household who pays full fare. providing the best service we can." Hampshire; and Sanford and Family Plan travelers must begin The form is a 5-112-by-8-112 inch, Springvale, Maine; none of which are their trips on days other than Fridays pre-addressed card that can be filled directly served by Amtrak. and Sundays, except on trains that in quickly with a series of check An earlier agreement with operate only tri-weekly. The special marks. It grades the service provided Greyhound Lines provides daily family rates do not apply to ac by the conductor and trainmen, by service to and from the station and commodation charges in slumber train and service attendants, quality eight Maine communities-Old coaches, club or sleeping cars, nor do of food and the cleanliness of dining, Orchard Beach, Portland, Brun they apply in conjunction with any seating and toilet areas. Space is also swick, Belfast, Lewiston, Augusta, other special fare. Family Plan fares available for commending ex Bangor and Bar Harbor; plus Port are not good on Metroliners. ceptional employees as well as calling smouth, New Hampshire; and St. attention to those who may need Stephen, New Brunswick, in Canada. New Excursion Is Successful correction. Amtrak ticket and travel agents can The new excursion fares-with Says Rex Holland, assistant vice make reservations and issue tickets fixed return trip costs-were ex president, on board services, "We for the entire rail-bus trip. panded systemwide, excluding the want to provide the best service in the Amtrak now has more than 40 Northeast Corridor, after the concept passenger industry. The few minutes intermodal agreements with bus lines proved overwhelmingly success ful in each of us takes to rate our trips and other surface carriers for ex trials on several individual trains. objectively will give us key in change of passengers. Patronage on Amtrak's Adirondack formation that will help us ac The Michaud family that operates jumped by over 100 per cent when a complish that goal." the bus line is not related to Amtrak's similar excursion plan was im Holland hopes that anyone Marketing Vice President Al plemented on that route during 1977. traveling on business or pleasure, Michaud. 2 Service Begins At Dearborn, ________--. I Train Cuts Official Ribbon Between 150 and 200 persons issue tickets for travel on the and kept that position until coming to showed up at Amtrak's new Dear Canadian system. Dearborn. born, Michigan, station to watch the The Michigan Executive will carry Civic officials were happy with the special ribbon cutting that officially passengers into Dearborn in the new station. Said O 'Reilly, " We have opened the facility on Monday, July morning from Jackson, Chelsea, Ann worked diligently to acquire the 31.