Money

Amtrak Drops Prices to Vancouver to Lure Olympics Fans

By Barbara Hernandez

Updated on: December 17, 2009 / 5:35 PM EST / MoneyWatch

Amtrak is lowering fares by 25 percent on its new Cascades service to Vancouver, British Columbia -- just in time for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. The one-way prices are good:

Portland, OR: $34.50 ($43.13, no discount)
Tacoma, WA: $26.00 ($32.50)
Seattle, WA: $26.00 ($32.50)
Everett, WA: $17.00 ($21.25)
Bellingham, WA: $9.50 ($11.88)

Of course, the lower fares only are available until Jan. 31, 2010 and must be purchased by Dec. 31. That's because the 2010 Olympics begins Feb. 12, 2010 and Amtrak is well aware that route will be a cash cow for its first quarter. This little foray with cheap tickets into Canada is simply to whet the appetites of those visitors who might otherwise rent a car or drive the distance.

I applaud Amtrak for using some business acumen and creating a demand and drawing attention to a service (by offering low prices) that some may have otherwise ignored. It's good to see that businesses haven't forgotten they can still manage to promote something that makes fiscal and common sense to consumers. I have been in bumper-to-bumper Canadian border traffic without an Olympics (just a Saturday,) so I can only imagine how nightmarish it will be once the Olympics are underway. Passing through the border on a train will be a much more pleasant alternative.