CheapAir.com says it has become the first online travel portal in the US to offer online reservations for Amtrak trains.
Currently, website users can book rail journeys between New York, Boston and Washington DC with plans to expand the network further in the near future.
These routes were rolled out first as they compare favorably in both cost and travel time compared to air travel, said CheapAir.com CEO Jeff Klee.
"For many markets, and these three are the big ones, it does make a lot of sense to consider rail instead of flights, especially when you factor in all the hassles and transport time to and from the airport,” said KIee.
Also, with this winter’s artic storms still fresh in the memory, it offers another outlet when bad weather in the Northeast decimates flight schedules.
Klee also said easy access to rail bookings will attract flyers who would not normally consider train travel.
Rail fares are displayed alongside flights during the availability search and can be mixed and matched within a single transaction.
Amtrak spokesman Craig Schulz said the rail operator is pleased with the partnership with CheapAir.com but are still working on refining the presentation.
"It’s not always easy to communicate all the differences between air and rail travel, so it’s a work in progress," Schulz said.
CheapAir’s price guarantee offering customers up to $100 in credits if the price falls after a flight booking has been made, is also applicable for Amtrak rail bookings.
