Originally Posted by
boswash52
I don't think this is true for Amtrak in theory or in practice.
Advance bookings that have high prices typically do so because the low-price tickets have sold out even farther in advance.
Tickets are sold a maximum of 11 months in advance, and so while 3 months may seem like far-in-advance, it's not for the trains that sell out (try Thanksgiving and Christmas).
This has been true until recently but now I find that far in advance is the absolute priciest and things start to come down a few months in advance. I used to book 6-11 months before my trips and I can no longer do so at the prices that exist. I wait and check weekly. Eventually, they do drop. But, as you say, you can buy flex and simply exchange; I just have too many trips to make this feasible.