Deal alert: Amtrak early morning and late evening fares starting at $5
Caroline Tanner covers news and travel for TPG. She is a journalism graduate of Mizzou and Northwestern.
March 16, 2023
•
3 min read
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Travelers who frequently ride Amtrak between New York City and Washington, D.C., can save big on early morning and late evening departures with Amtrak's new ultra-low Night Owl Fares, starting at just $5 one-way.
Fares between $5 and $20 are available on select Amtrak Northeast Corridor routes, including those that stop at New York's Penn Station, Philadelphia's 30th Street Station, Baltimore's Penn Station and Washington's Union Station.
Sale fares are for off-peak travel, departing between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., for one-way coach tickets.
Deal basics
Who: Amtrak.
Routes: Northeast Corridor routes.
How to book: Directly with Amtrak.
Blackout dates: Valid for travel between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Sample fares
The below fares are on sale, priced as marked at the time of publication, though we cannot guarantee availability at the time of booking:
- Philadelphia's 30th Street Station (PHL) and Washington's Union Station (WAS) to Baltimore's Penn Station (BAL) and BWI Marshall Airport (BWI), starting at $5.
- New York's Penn Station (NYP) to Newark's Penn Station (NWK)/Liberty International Airport (EWR), starting at $5.
- NYP to PHL, starting at $10.
- WAS and NYP to Wilmington, Delaware (DEL), starting at $10.
- PHL to WAS, starting at $10.
- NYP to BAL, starting at $15.
- WAS to NWK/EWR, starting at $15.
- NYP to WAS, starting at $20.
Seating is limited and may not be available on all trains at all times; fares are subject to availability.
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Based on a test search for this story for a ride from New York to Washington, the earliest availability I found for these fares was one train March 27, though there's wider availability into April.
Maximize your purchase
Be sure to use a credit card that earns bonus points on travel, such as:
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: 2 miles per dollar on everyday spending.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: 2 points per dollar on all travel purchases.
- American Express® Green Card: 3 points per dollar on travel.
- Amtrak Guest Rewards® Mastercard®: 2 points per dollar on Amtrak travel.
- Amtrak Guest Rewards® Preferred Mastercard®: 3 points per dollar on Amtrak travel
The information for the American Express Green, Amtrak Guest Rewards and Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Bottom line
You may have to play around with travel dates to find a fare type on sale for your desired route and dates. Once you find it, book it and don't look back.
Related reading:
Featured image by GABBY JONES/BLOOMBERG/GETTY IMAGES
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Apply for The Platinum Card® from American Express
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
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Rewards Rate
| 5X | Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. |
| 5X | Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. |
Intro Offer
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.Earn 80,000 PointsAnnual Fee
$695Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Excellent/Good
Why We Chose It
Sometimes it's worth a large investment to reap the benefits of a great credit card. That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip.Pros
- The current welcome offer on this card is quite lucrative. TPG values it at $1,600.
- This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, at least $500 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more. (Enrollment required for select benefits.)
- The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway.
Cons
- The high annual fee is only worth it if you’re taking full advantage of the card’s benefits. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost.
- Outside of the current welcome bonus, you’re only earning higher rewards on specific airfare and hotel purchases, so it’s not a great card for other spending categories.
- The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards.
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM, The New York Times, and other participating providers. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax.
- American Express has expanded The Centurion® Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. Now there are even more places your Platinum Card® can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Card.
- $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
- $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back each year on an Equinox+ subscription, or any Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. Enrollment required. Learn more.
- $189 CLEAR® Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR® Plus at 45+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per year on your membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card.
- $695 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees