Traveling can be difficult, especially when you cannot make it to the trip. Whether you are planning your first trip or traveling often, this blog will help you understand the cancellation fees, steps to cancel your reservations, and ways to get a refund from Amtrack. In this guide, we will walk you through the Amtrak cancellation policy.
Amtrak runs intercity rail service in 46 out of the 48 neighboring U.S. states and three Canadian regions. It also allows customers to choose the best type of fare that suits them. It provides a flexible cancellation policy to travelers with easy refunds. That’s the reason canceling with Amtrak becomes hassle-free. However, it depends on what type of tickets you purchase.
So stay with us till the end of this guide we will try to solve all your queries about Amtrak’s cancellation policy.
What is the Amtrak Cancellation Policy?
- Amtrak’s cancellation policy charges a minimum of $5 and a maximum of $250 per transaction. However, for multi-ride tickets, a maximum of $250 is not applicable.
- Amtrak tickets are nonrefundable and cannot be exchanged after a year of purchase from the date of making the purchase.
- Other exchanges or eVouchers are valid for one year after the initial ticket was issued.
- If paper value tickets haven’t been printed, eTickets and tickets purchased through other prepaid programs are regarded as “paid for” and are subject to the refund and cancelation procedure of any component rail fare, customer type, and any promotional discount.
- If a passenger asks to change or cancel their trip due to sickness provide a doctor’s note. Amtrak will adjust or waive fare change and refund policies that apply to that change.
Amtrak 24 Hour Cancellation Policy
If you cancel a ticket within 24 hours of purchasing and before departing the train, a full refund will be provided in the original form of payment. For all reserved fares that are purchased through Amtrak using cash, credit card, and debit card. After an hour of purchase, tickets for unreserved services will be canceled. Please refer to the terms and conditions of the applicable third-party vendor for tickets bought and/or supplied through them. A check for the refund will be provided if the original transaction was made with cash and the cancellation is approved.
Amtrak Cancellation Policy by Fare Class
Now we will go through different types of fares and their cancellation policy.
Amtrak Cancellation Policy for Saver Fares
- With Amtrak Saver Fares, a full refund will be issued to the passengers in the original payment if they have changed or canceled within 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, a ticket will be nonrefundable. But they are still entitled to receive a 75% nonrefundable eVoucher.
Value Fares on Amtrak
- With Amtrak Value Fares, a full refund will be provided to passengers if they cancel 15 days or more before departing.
- A 25% fee will be charged if they cancel less than 14 days before departure.
Amtrak Cancellation Rules for Flexible Fares
If you have booked Flexible Fares there is nothing to worry about. You are entitled to a full refund if canceled before departure.
Amtrak for First Class Fares
Passengers traveling in First Class Fares are eligible for a full refund in the original form of payment. However, they need to cancel the train booking before departure time.
Amtrak Cancellation Policy for Business Fares
With Amtrak Business Fares, you are eligible to receive 100% refunds if canceled before departure.
Amtrak Cancellation Policy for Multi-Ride Tickets
- In a Ten-Ride and Six-Ride Ticket Refund Policy, if zero rides are taken, then you can cancel within 0 to 1 hour after purchase. You will be entitled to a full refund of the original form of payment.
- After 1+ hours of purchase, 25% of the total fare will be forfeited, of which 75% will returned to the original form of payment.
- In the Monthly Ticket Refund Policy, if the Refund is before the valid month and zero rides taken. You can cancel 0 to 1 hour after purchase and you will get a full refund to the original form of payment.
- After 1+ hours of making a purchase 25% of the total fare is waived and 75% is returned in the original form of payment.
- If you want to refund between 1-10 of the valid month. 50% of the total fare is waived, and 50% is returned to the original form of payment.
- Refund after 11 of the valid months is not allowed.
Steps to Cancel Amtrak Tickets
After understanding the different fares and their policies, we will proceed to the steps to cancel Amtrak tickets. If you have purchased it online or from elsewhere, below are the steps to canceling it either way.
Canceling Reservations Purchased Online
- You can easily cancel your reservation online if you have booked it through the official website.
- Visit Amtrak.
- Log in to your account.
- Tap on the ‘My Account’ link at the top of the page.
- The ‘View/Edit’ button will redirect you to your reservations.
- Click on the ‘Cancel Trip’ option.
- Follow the steps for cancellation.
- If you have bought your tickets online as a guest you can cancel your reservation by
- Tapping on ‘My Trip’ at the top of the page.
- Fill up your reservation number and email address or telephone number
- Click on ‘Find Trip.’
- Tap on the ‘Cancel Trip’ button and
- Follow the steps for cancellation.
Canceling Reservations Made Somewhere Else
If you have purchased tickets for your one-way, round-trip, or multi-ride reservations with a credit card or an e-voucher, then you can cancel the ticket online. Also, if you have purchased the train ticket via the Amtrak reservation phone number, at an Amtrak kiosk, or with the help of a station agent, you can cancel the ticket online. Follow the steps below:
- Tap on the ‘My Trip’ option at the top of the page.
- Fill in your reservation number and email address or telephone number
- Tap on ‘Find Trip.’
- Click the ‘Cancel Trip’ option
- Follow the steps for cancellation.
Canceling Reward Ticket with Amtrak
Travelers can also use the Amtrak Guest reward points to purchase the train ticket. However, the cancellation charges are different for reward points. It is easy to cancel your tickets booked via reward points. By following the below points you will get a clear picture:
One-way, Round Trip, or Multi-Segment Reward Travel
- If you cancel a ticket purchased through reward points, a 10% points penalty will be evaluated for any refund to the Member account.
- However, an additional 10% penalty will be levied by the train services, when you cancel a non-room ticket within 24 hours before departure or cancel a private room ticket within 14 days before departure.
Multi-Ride (Six-Ride, Ten-Ride) Reward Tickets
- If your points are unused and still valid, you can get a refund, but there will be a 10% penalty deducted from the refunded points.
- However, if you’ve already used the points for your first trip or if the ticket has expired, the points are non-refundable.
Monthly Pass Reward Travel
- If you cancel before the first day of the month, you can get a refund, but there will be a 10% penalty deducted from the refunded points.
- However, if you cancel on or after the first day of the valid month, the points used for redemption are non-refundable.
Multi-Ride Tickets
- If you want to cancel a multi-ride ticket, there will be a cancellation fee applied.
- Additionally, if you paid for the multi-ride ticket using a tax-free transit subsidy, there may be restrictions on getting a refund.
Ways to Get Refunds from Amtrak
There are several ways to get refunds from Amtrak. Let’s understand them in the below paragraph:
Visit the Official Website or the Amtrak Mobile App
Tickets purchased online can be canceled through their official website or the app. You can avail your refunds easily by these two methods.
Connect through Phone
You can get your refunds by connecting with their customer care team. Refunds can be processed by reaching them at 1-800-872-7245.
Visit Amtrak Stations
If the above two ways don’t work, you can ask for your refunds at the Amtrak stations. They will help you in every possible way and provide you with the best solution for your refunds.
Connect via Mail
You can write them for refunds by mailing them to the following address:
Amtrak Refunds
Box 70
William H Gray III 30th St. Station
2955 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-2898
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you cancel an Amtrak ticket and get a refund?
If you need to cancel an Amtrak ticket, most tickets are refundable and can be canceled online. Just keep in mind that there might be a cancellation fee depending on the type of fare you bought and how close it is to your departure date. If you do cancel, you’ll get a refund back to your original payment method or in the form of an e-voucher.
Does Amtrak charge you for changing your ticket?
Amtrak doesn’t charge a change fee if you need to modify things like your departure station, destination station, or trip dates. Keep in mind that if the changes you make end up making your trip more expensive, you might have to pay that amount. But don’t worry, it’s not an extra fee just for changing things.
How long do Amtrak refunds take to process?
- When Amtrak refunds your money, they work with your bank to put it back into your account. Different banks have different processes, and there’s no answer to how long it takes. But normally, most people get their money within 5-8 business days.
- If the wait time is longer than 10 business days, it will be a good idea to contact Amtrak and connect with their customer service team.
What is Amtrak’s Auto Train cancellation policy?
If you’ve booked an auto-train ticket, the cancellation fee will be the same as for your normal ticket. The money you spent on adding a vehicle to your journey will be refunded as other types of cancellations.
What is an Amtrak eVoucher?
If you degrade or cancel your trip rather than asking for a refund, you will be entitled to receive all your money back as an e-voucher. You can easily use this voucher for your future use when you will be traveling back again.
How can you receive this Amtrak eVoucher?
You can easily get an eVoucher through a phone number, via the website, or at the Amtrak ticket counter. After receiving the voucher you will receive a confirmation mail and a receipt.
