“What if there was a better way to travel? Where you didn’t have to put up with baggage fees. Wi-Fi fees. Long lines. Cramped seats. Middle seats. Crowded overhead bins. And having to fly in airplane mode.”
Is This Amtrak Advertising Campaign Convincing Enough to Compete With Airlines?
Amtrak has conducted an advertising campaign designed to encourage you to consider cutting your ties with air travel and switch to train travel — railly — by listing the advantages of riding as a passenger on a train in videos such as this one…
…but is the railroad company signaling that it is on track with its goal?
If Richard Anderson has it his way, Amtrak will significantly improve while simultaneously experiencing a spike in increasing its customer base. The former chief executive officer of Delta Air Lines will become the sole president and chief executive officer of Amtrak as of Monday, January 1, 2018; and he has been credited with piloting the airline from its emergence from bankruptcy back in April of 2007 to earning record profits quarter after quarter.
Whether or not he can lead the railroad company through its tunnel towards profitability still remains to be seen.
By the way, if you look carefully in the video, the “passenger” has what appears to be two personal items and two “carry-on” items which can be brought aboard the train at no extra charge, according to the official baggage policy of Amtrak. You can also check four pieces of baggage; but be aware that two of the four bags will cost you $20.00 per bag, which are not to exceed 50 pounds each.
Summary
The double points promotion which Amtrak usually offers is still in effect for another week through Saturday, November 18, 2017; and the railroad company also offers other discounts and promotions throughout the year to sweeten the deal.
Having completed a road trip lasting approximately two weeks recently, having someone else “do the driving” can be tempting — but some of the disadvantages of traveling by train is that travel is confined to the rails and by schedules; and depending on where you travel, it can potentially take more time to complete the journey…
…and train travel will take significantly more time to complete than traveling by airplane on medium to long routes — but you get to see the United States on the ground, which appeals to many people; but shorter routes could actually be faster than air travel.
If you have never traveled on a train operated by Amtrak and are wondering what being a passenger on its trains is like, Charles M. Kunz — a person whom I know and is also known as FlyerTalk member CMK10 — posted this trip report earlier this week documenting traveling with his father on the Empire Builder route from Portland in Oregon to Chicago.
Source: Amtrak.
