In the United States, to travel from one coast to another, you need to take a scenic road trip or you can also hop on a plane for a quick ride. Military folks and veterans might have a hard time going on planes or long road trips due to disabilities or a handful of reasons. Amtrak, the American passenger railroad service, is a great way to experience the journey of a lifetime when traveling on the continental east coast. Let’s know ‘Does Amtrak offer a Military and Veteran Discount?’
Yes! Amtrak does offer alluring military and veteran discounts. On the lowest available rail fare, veterans and military personnel can receive a minimum of 10% discount on most Amtrak trains. One of the is that the discount for the military and the veterans will not be applicable with Saver Fares.
Limitations For The Military And Veteran Discount On Amtrak
To avail of this discount, veterans and military personnel need to have served in either of the defense branches – the army, navy, air force, marine corps, coast guard, NOAA corps, US public health service, and the US merchant marine. For the latter of the three branches, only the commissioned officers can avail of the discount.
All good things must come with several limitations. On upgraded versions of Amtrak such as the non-Acela Business class, first-class, or sleeping class the discount is not valid. To avail of these services, one must pay in full.
The veteran discount is not available for the following – certain Amtrak Thruway connecting services and the Canadian part of the Amtrak. According to the terms and conditions of each ticket, the veteran discount cannot be combined with other discount offers.
Baggage 101
Unlike most other airline companies, Amtrak is generous with its baggage limitations put on board. When military personnel and veterans travel with Amtrak, they can bring two big pieces of luggage that weigh 23 kilos or 50 pounds. The dimensions of the bags need to be 28 x 22 x 14 inches in size. When military personnel and veterans are traveling with infants, they can carry strollers and diaper bags, but this will not count towards their total number of baggage and luggage.
Many airline companies make you pay an arm and a leg when it comes to carrying a musical instrument on board. But the music can keep on playing when you are traveling with Amtrak. They have an open-door policy when it comes to small instruments such as flutes, trumpets, and clarinets that can easily fit in your luggage or bags or can fit in the overhead racks.
Medium-sized instruments like saxophones or guitars can be carried with an additional fee of $10. But when it comes to a full-sized music instrument, you will need to pay for the instrument’s seat at full revenue. In case surf’s up, dude, you can carry your surfboard or a wakeboard in a protective cover or you can check in your boards at a nominal fee of $10.
Discounts For Veterans And Military Personnel With Disabilities
Folks with disabilities do not need to worry since Amtrak offers a 10% discount for you. For military families or veterans who have children with disabilities, they can avail of a 50% travel discount regardless of where they are traveling, and another 10% child discount on the fare.
In case a member of your family or a significant other has a disability, military personnel and veterans can also avail of a 10% discount fee, and you must as a companion be able to provide adequate service to the disabled family member. Just select ‘Passenger with Disability’ or ‘Companion’ for each passenger as appropriate in Fare Finder at the beginning of your search to receive the applicable discounts.
You must carry some documents when it comes to traveling with a disabled person such as a transit system ID card for the person with a disability, membership of a disability organization, a letter from a physician, a medicare card if under 65, a veteran’s administration card with service-connected written on, or a photocopy of disabled or an accessible parking card given by the department of motor vehicles.
Conclusion
Since the United States does not have a well-developed transportation system, many people need to take more commercial and often expensive forms of travel. The thing about Amtrak is that they can offer a lot of services when it comes to protecting the nation’s finest – military personnel and veterans. When it comes to folks with disabilities traveling on a Downeaster train, they can avail of a whopping 50% discount on the same.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How Much Can Military Or Veterans Avail Themselves Of As A Discount?
Military personnel and veterans can avail of a 10% discount for their travels along with their partners or family members.
- Can Children Get A Discount If Their Parents If From The Military?
Yes, kids between the age of 2-12 can get a 10% alongside the normal 50% children’s discount when traveling with their military parents.
- Is The Military Discount Available With Saver Fares?
No, the military discount is not available with the saver fees.
