Amtrak just eliminated one of its major veterans' discounts | American Military News

I am a fairly dedicated Amtrak Long Distance Rider, at least once a year if not more between Dallas, TX and Milwaukee, WI. Been riding Amtrak since it was founded in 1971. On Amtrak they make you sit in the Dining far with people you never met before in order to get 3 to 4 seats to a table. It's always worked that way on a train so you are forced to meet people over breakfest, lunch or dinner...........otherwise a very ackward meal where everyone is silent. In all that time and all those meals I never ran into a Veteran on a Long Distance Train. On top of that this particular discount was very, very narrow in that it was exclusive to holders of Veterans Advantage Card only. Without that card.......no discount. I am sure, they did the analysis of who was actually using the discount before they dropped it and the numbers probably were not there.

Majority of Amtrak Long Distance riders are either younger people under 30 just starting out in life that want an adventure, retirees sick of flying........and a chunk are tourists from Canada, Austrailia, Europe, AWOL Afghan Soldiers (lmao, yes unfortunately sometimes), etc.........taking advantage of the USA Rail Pass to see the country. Middle Aged folks there are some but usually traveling with kids vs just with couple and usually in the Sleeping cars though some ride in the long distance coach (the seats recline back quite a bit and have foot rests).

Amtrak is horribly under priced with it's Long Distance Services. In some corridors it is underpriced as well but it is reasonably priced in the Northeast Corridor but sadly in the Northeast Corridor the local Commuter train services still do not pay their fair share for using Amtraks infrastructure. Part of the reason Amtraks losses are so large. You can point it out to Amtrak Management and they feel their Long Distance trains are a public service and should be focused on afordabilty to the largest share of the public........I completely disagree and feel they should be focused on recovering costs. Long story there and probably a topic of discussion in a seperate thread.

The new CEO of Amtrak is the ex-CEO from Delta Airlines and he is trying as best he can to raise the cost recovery amount by cutting discounts and other items he thinks are unnecessary. They are making sloe progress which could be a lot faster if they didn't think Long Distance trains were a public service (hot button issue of mine since they are spending taxpayer money).

Regardless of their operating stupidity, I do think Amtrak provides a valuable service and will continue to ride them when I can. One of the least stressful ways to travel.

I would rather walk then board something that turns its back on veterans MSgt (Join to see) MSG Tom Earley SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas