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Old Nov 18, 2010, 1:11 pm
  #13  
fairviewroad
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: United States
Programs: UA, AA, DL, Amtrak
Posts: 4,647
Originally Posted by dliesse
From my standpoint as a passenger, it's as ethical as charging different prices for exactly the same product based solely on when the ticket is purchased.
Amtrak doesn't do this, however. Amtrak does charge different prices based on remaining availability (i.e. the "bucket" system) but this is different than arbitrarily charging different prices based on time remaining until departure, as you suggest. A train with 20 available seats is a different product, arguably, than a train with 100 available seats.

Originally Posted by guv1976
It's not just that Amtrak can't punish you for getting off the train early because they won't know; it's that -- as far as I know -- nothing in Amtrak's conditions of carriage prohibits use of hidden-city ticketing. This is in distinct contrast of the policies of many (but not all) airlines. If the carrier's policies permit it, what makes it unethical?
Okay, now we're getting somewhere. I can see the logic here, and I think this is a fair take. Amtrak could easily prohibit this, but doesn't.

Originally Posted by Upstate
There are hungry/homeless/sick people all over the world, all over america, and in pretty much every town out there. When all these problems are taken care of then I will worry about whether or not somebody is denied a seat on a train.
Glad to hear your priorities are in order. Are you working to ameliorate these problems or is it just a handy excuse to trot out when you don't want to consider the consequences of your actions? I realize this is not the most pressing matter in the world, but I just wanted to point out that this kind of ticketing practice may inconvenience others. That doesn't mean I'm telling anyone not to do it, or that they're morally flawed if they do. But I think it's worth noting.
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