Washington, D.C. – Based on extensive customer research, and in an effort to better meet customer needs, Amtrak has introduced a new, simplified fare structure with more flexible and affordable options. The simpler fare structure launched this week and builds on other recent improvements Amtrak has made to the booking experience.
The new fare structure reduces fare types from three categories to two and serves to provide a more consistent booking experience with fare types that are clearly differentiated and easy-to-understand:
Flex: For customers who want a more flexible travel option, these tickets are fully refundable if canceled, and can be changed without fees before departure[1].
Value: For customers who know their travel plans and want a more affordable option, these tickets are at a lower price than Flex tickets, non-changeable and receive a 75% refund if canceled.
In addition to simplifying the fare structure, benefits of the new approach also include:
Flex fares will often be available starting at lower prices than previously offered.
Occasional sale fares at an even deeper discount (these will be non-changeable and receive a 50% refund if canceled).
Any refunds of credit card purchases will be made to the original form of payment, rather than as an eVoucher.[2]
These changes to Coach and Acela Business tickets make it easier for Amtrak customers to choose the ticket type that best fits their travel needs. Non-Acela Business and First Class tickets were already fully refundable and changeable with no additional fees. Tickets purchased prior to the launch of the new simplified fare structure remain subject to the fare rules and conditions that were in effect when the ticket was purchased.
New York, NY, October 25, 2023, Business Wire – JetBlue Airways Corporation (Nasdaq: JBLU) today announced entrance to two new transatlantic destinations – Dublin, Ireland and Edinburgh, Scotland – with flights on sale starting today. Daily seasonal service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Dublin Airport (DUB) will begin March 13, 2024, and continue through September 30, 2024. Daily seasonal service from New York’s JFK to Edinburgh Airport (EDI) will begin May 22, 2024, and is scheduled through September 30, 2024. These mark JetBlue’s fourth and fifth transatlantic markets. The award-winning carrier currently offers daily nonstop service to London, Paris and Amsterdam from New York and London and Amsterdam from Boston.
Entry into Dublin and Edinburgh
With these new destinations, JetBlue is once again elevating service across the Atlantic. The airline’s premium Mint experience features fully lie-flat private suites with a sliding door and innovative design elements allowing customers to feel at home in the air. Restaurant-style meals are curated by Delicious Hospitality Group’s (DHG) popular New York City restaurants Charlie Bird, Pasquale Jones and Legacy Records. Core customers enjoy a boutique-style experience with the most legroom in coach as well as fresh meals created by NYC-based restaurant DIG. All customers can stay connected with fast, free and unlimited high-speed Fly-Fi. Plus, they have access to a wide selection of entertainment, including exclusive content from Peacock.
Flights to Dublin and Edinburgh will operate daily on JetBlue’s Airbus A321neo with Mint® aircraft with 16 redesigned Mint Suite® seats, 144 core seats and the sleek and spacious Airspace cabin interior. The A321neo with Mint features a 20 percent increase in fuel efficiency and up to 500 nautical miles in additional range.
Washington, D.C. – Amtrak executed a contract option to order 10 additional Amtrak Airo trainsets as demand for passenger rail travel exceeds expectations. This brings the total contract order to 83 trainsets. The first Amtrak Airo trainset is scheduled to debut in 2026 and these new trains will operate on routes throughout the country. The Amtrak Airo trainsets are being manufactured in California by Siemens (OTC: SIEGY) A.G. of Germany.
Currently in production, the new trains will elevate the customer journey. Features include:
💺 Spacious, Comfortable Seats: Loaded with features and improvements:
Dedicated power, USB-C ports, seatback tablet and phone holders, bigger and sturdier tray tables and adjustable cup holders.
Contoured seat cushions, enhanced leg room, individual arm rests and adjustable headrests – all with a focus on ergonomics.
🗺 Trip and Train Navigation: Bolder, color-coded signage to identify amenities and differentiate classes of service, both on board and on the platform.
🌍 Greener Impact:
More fuel efficient, producing 90% less particulate emissions in diesel operations.
Dedicated water stations on each trainset, providing chilled and filtered hydration, while reducing the need for disposable plastic bottles.
🤳 ModernTech: New 5G Wi-Fi and digital information systems.
♿ Enhanced Accessibility:
Spacious and accessible restrooms, vestibules and Café cars with integrated boarding equipment for customers with reduced mobility.
Inductive hearing technology to assist with onboard announcements.
🍽 Café Car: Contemporary food service allows for a grab-and-go experience.
🚽 Restrooms: Touchless with spacious, accessible interiors.
💻 Business Class: Increased space between customers, offering double and single seats, wider arm rests, additional outlets, footrests and improved ambiance.
💡 Lighting: Enhanced lighting provides a softer yet functional interior with individual reading lights at each seat.
🧳 Luggage: Access to ample storage space for baggage.
August 9, 2023 – Alstom (OTC: ALSMY)and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) confirmed an order for 60 single-level rail coach cars valued at approximately€285 million (approximately USD $315 million) with options to build an additional 313 cars, as part of CTDOT’s coach renewal program for its statewide rail system. Delivery is scheduled to begin in 2026.
The agreement calls for the delivery of fully customised, sustainable, next-generation commuter rail cars specifically designed for North America, providing riders with safe, comfortable, 125 mph commuter rail service. The new vehicles will all be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and American Public Transportation Association (APTA) requirements.
The vehicles will have a convenient two-by-two seating configuration with foldable tables and easy access for wheelchair passengers. The new cars will also provide an enhanced passenger experience with convenient overhead luggage racks, workstation tables and a bicycle storage area, safe and reliable wi-fi access, real time information on upcoming stops, conveniently located power and USB access, and the most current cybersecurity safety features. In addition, passengers will enjoy panoramic balcony-style windows at wheeled mobility spaces, allowing for the flow of natural sunlight through the car’s interior, giving riders great views.
WASHINGTON – Amtrak is launching a limited-time fare sale for travelers to skip I-95 and travel nonstop from the Northeast to Florida onboard the Amtrak Auto Train. Tickets are available for purchase between March 2 – March 12 for travel to Sanford, Fla., in Coach for as low as $9 or in a private room for as low as $109 each way, plus the cost of your vehicle.
Customers traveling in Coach will enjoy wide, reclining seats with ample legroom, no middle seat and a big picture window to enjoy the view. Prior to arrival, a complimentary continental breakfast is served.
A Roomette features comfortable seating, newly-upgraded bedding, pillows, towels and linens, and a dedicated attendant. An upgrade to a Bedroom offers a trip with twice the space as a Roomette as well as other added amenities. Customers in private rooms can enjoy a complimentary dinner and continental breakfast onboard.
These limited-time one-way fares are as low as:
Limited Time Fares*
One traveler
Two travelers^
Coach
$9
$18
Roomette
$109
$159
Bedroom
$249
$299
*Plus the cost of your vehicle ^Double occupancy required for Roomettes and Bedrooms.
The offer is valid for sale March 2 – March 12, 2021 for southbound travel from Lorton, Va., to Sanford, Fla. Travel dates are March 15 – June 30, 2021.Blackout dates are April 2 and April 5, 2021. This offer is available on Amtrak.com and the Amtrak app. Other terms and conditions apply. To learn more, visit:
The Amtrak Auto Train offers daily, non-stop service between Lorton, Va. (near Washington, D.C.), and Sanford, Fla. (near Orlando). Customers can skip I-95 and travel with their vehicles, including cars, vans, SUVs, motorcycles and even small boats or jet-skis. This is the only such service in the U.S. and eliminates nearly 900 miles of driving between the Northeast and all points in Florida.
On March 1, 2020, Amtrak is launching a series of updates to provide customers more options for savings. Amtrak is offering deeply discounted tickets and reduced fares. Keep an eye out for a variety of new, ultra-low Saver Fares in cities including Orlando, Tampa and South Florida —making travel a breeze in the Sunshine State. Discounted Coach fares start at just $9 – a savings of up to 50% off the base fare. Look for more of these offers on March 2!
To make these lowered fares feasible, Amtrak is implementing a few more restrictions on tickets. In an effort to better fit each customer’s need, Amtrak is revising the following:
Saver Fares: Our most discounted fares offered with the most restrictions – including no changes, upgrades or cancelations 24 hours after purchase.
Value Fares: Our standard fare offered with some restrictions – a fee may apply for cancelations or changes made within 14 days of departure.*
Flexible Fares: Our fare with the most flexibility built-in – including the ability to make no-fee changes and receive a full refund up to the moment of departure.
All fares include an array of amenities that come with Amtrak – including downtown-to-downtown service, no middle seat, ample legroom, the ability to earn Amtrak Guest Rewards points and one of the most generous baggage policies in travel. The change fee will not be applied to multiride, Rail Pass, pass riders, group reservations, sleeping accommodations, Acela First Class/non-Acela Business class, Flexible Fares, Unreserved Coach, corporate, Amtrak Guest Rewards Select Executive members, government fare plans and the first change to a reservation made prior to March 1, 2020.
*The change fee will not apply to Value fares if the customer is adding to an existing reservation (booked prior to March 1) or upgrading on the same train and day as the original reservation.
WASHINGTON – Amtrak will introduce a series of enhancements on the Auto Train during the next six months. This train offers daily, non-stop service from Lorton, Va. (near Washington, D.C.), and Sanford, Fla. (near Orlando). Customers can skip I-95 and travel with their vehicles, including cars, vans, SUVs, motorcycles, and even small boats or jet-skis.
Customers in the Sleeping Car will notice enhancements such as upgraded towels and bed linens and other pleasantries in each room. The dining car will feature a new menu and the addition of complimentary wine to the dinner service. This complimentary dinner service will become an exclusive amenity to Sleeping Car customers beginning on Jan. 15, 2020.
Amtrak will also expand the availability of every Sleeping Car accommodation — Roomette, Bedroom, Family Bedroom and Accessible Bedroom — to meet the demand for this class of service.
Coach customers will continue to take advantage of low fares and can choose from new dining options with the debut of the Cross-Country Café. Beginning on Jan. 15, 2020, the new menu will offer more meals, snacks and beverages for sale. At that time, Coach class tickets will no longer include complimentary dinner service. Coach customers will receive a complimentary continental breakfast prior to arrival at the Amtrak stations in Lorton, Va., or Sanford, Fla.
For all customers, food trucks will be on-site in Lorton, Va., and Sanford, Fla., to offer a variety of dining options before their journey begins.
“These upgrades represent an investment in improving the travel experience on this one-of-a-kind train,” Amtrak President and CEO Richard Anderson said. “Our continued success depends on increasing customer satisfaction by upgrading sleeping accommodations, keeping Coach as an affordable option and providing more choice in food options in the station and onboard.”
By the start of 2020, customers can take advantage of additional offers to travel on the Auto Train:
Share Fares will be available for travel with up to three companions. The discount will be up to 70% for a group of four and apply to select departures
The Oversized Vehicles fare will be available for minivans, full-size pick-up trucks and SUVs with three or more rows. This option will allow customers to pack more into their vehicle.
Amtrak Guest Rewards Select Executive members will receive a complimentary priority offload coupon as part of their tier member benefits.
Southbound Auto Train heading over Neabsco Creek in Woodbridge, VA.
Second and Final Phase of Airbus A320 Interior Cabin Restyling Ushers in New Era of Comfort and Connectivity for JetBlue Customers.
The Most Legroom in Coach® Now Features the Widest, Most Comfortable A320 Seats, Larger Seatback TVs with Even More Entertainment, Expanded Gate-to-Gate High-Speed Internet on Nearly Every JetBlue Route—and More!
The restyling effort has been several years in the making, with the latest aircraft marking the first to receive this all-new 2019 design. The aircraft, named “If You Can Read This, You’re Blue Close,” re-joins JetBlue’s fleet today, with roughly a third of JetBlue’s A320 aircraft scheduled for restyling completion by the end of the year.
“JetBlue rocked the airline industry in 2000 with seatback television and all leather seats. In our first makeover since, this incredible new onboard experience represents what the founders would have done if they were launching JetBlue today,” said Marty St. George, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, JetBlue. “The new experience brings together technology, entertainment, and comfort with the great service JetBlue customers love so much.”
For most of the airlines 100+ destinations the A320 restyling will bring the upgraded JetBlue experience to their city for the first time.
A major focus of the restyling is keeping customers connected throughout their flight, including a new inflight entertainment system, high-definition seatback televisions, in-seat power outlets with USB ports and continued free gate-to-gate Fly-Fi high-speed internet with an expanded coverage area – including throughout the Caribbean and Latin America where Fly-Fi had not been available until now.
The Widest Seat Available For the A320
In 2019, JetBlue will outfit its A320 aircraft with the Collins Meridian seat, customized for the airline’s needs and featuring a number of design elements with customer comfort in mind:
Expanded seat width of more than 18 inches, the widest available for the A320.
The most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline (a).
Enhanced cushion comfort.
Adjustable headrests, a new feature for JetBlue’s A320.
Contoured seatback design at knee level creating additional living space for every customer.
Redesigned seatback stowage options, including an innovative elastic grid to accommodate a variety of customer items.
At least two easy-to-reach power connections at every seat.
“We are proud to partner with
JetBlue on its A320 restyling project by supplying our Meridian Seat,” said
Cynthia A. Muklevicz, Vice President, Account Management, Interiors for Collins
Aerospace. “Meridian offers passengers industry-leading comfort and living
space through an intense focus on ergonomic design supported by optimization of
the underlying seat structure.”
IFE
Also in 2019, JetBlue will build on
its reputation as an industry leader in inflight entertainment options with
Thales AVANT and ViaSat-2 connectivity. With this system, JetBlue will offer
customers aboard its restyled A320s expanded entertainment choices in nearly
every region the airline flies (b). JetBlue is the only major U.S. airline with
seatback entertainment screens at every seat on every aircraft.
10.1 inch, 1080P high definition screen at every seat.
More than 100 channels of live television with DVR-like pause and rewind functionality.
Expanded collection of on demand movies, TV shows and video content, plus new gaming features.
Destination-specific content allowing customers to enhance their travel experience.
Picture-in-picture function
Enhanced, 3D flight map offering multiple ways to track time to destination.
Personal handheld device pairing capabilities for use as a remote or gaming controller.
Expanded Fly-Fi connectivity, providing coverage to nearly the entire JetBlue network.
“Thales is proud to have been a
business partner with JetBlue since the beginning of their IFE evolution. The
airline has reimagined the flying experience, and with our custom-designed
AVANT IFE solution, we’ve helped JetBlue reimagine their customer experience on
the A320 platform,” said Philippe Carette, Chief Executive Officer, Thales
InFlyt Experience. “We look forward to collaborating with the airline to create
new opportunities that wow their customers with a unique and personalized
inflight experience.”
“Thales is proud to have been a
business partner with JetBlue since the beginning of their IFE evolution. The
airline has reimagined the flying experience, and with our custom-designed
AVANT IFE solution, we’ve helped JetBlue reimagine their customer experience on
the A320 platform,” said Philippe Carette, Chief Executive Officer, Thales
InFlyt Experience. “We look forward to collaborating with the airline to create
new opportunities that wow their customers with a unique and personalized
inflight experience.”
“JetBlue continues to be an
industry leader in its approach to inflight internet—bringing free, high-speed
connectivity to every customer onboard,” said Don Buchman, vice president and
general manager, Commercial Aviation, Viasat. “We’re honored to once again
partner with JetBlue on inflight connectivity, giving them access to ViaSat-2,
the world’s most advanced satellite network, enabling all JetBlue customers to
enjoy fast Fly-Fi service on more routes where JetBlue flies.”
Completing The 2018 Phase
The first phase of JetBlue’s A320
interior cabin restyle began in spring 2018 and modernized the airline’s so-called
“classic interiors” with products that matched those found on the airline’s
newer A321 aircraft – features such as more modern seats and larger seatback
TVs. More than a dozen A320 aircraft have been restyled with these products so
far and several more are scheduled for completion in the coming weeks. This
spring the restyling will fully transition to the 2019 version of onboard
products for all aircraft going forward.
About JetBlue Airways
JetBlue is New York’s Hometown Airline®, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries more than 42 million customers a year to 100+ cities in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America with an average of more than 1,000 daily flights. For more information please visit jetblue.com.
(a) JetBlue offers the most legroom in coach based on average fleet-wide seat pitch for U.S. airlines.
(b) Fly-Fi is available on all JetBlue-operated flights. On ViaSat-2 equipped aircraft, Fly-Fi may not be available on portions of some routes. On all other aircraft Fly-Fi may not be available while operating outside of the contiguous U.S., or until the aircraft returns to the coverage area.
