exvalley wrote: ↑Mon Dec 16, 2019 1:47 pmThanks. You're exactly right.SouthernRailway wrote: ↑Mon Dec 16, 2019 11:59 am I can fly from LGA to DCA or BOS on American and get same-day ticket changes for FREE if I'm in paid first class, and if I bought a coach ticket, FREE standby on earlier or later flights. I almost always am able to go standby on whatever flight I want, too.Exactly my point. If you pay for first class on American you can get a same-day ticket change for free. In other words, you get something of value in exchange for paying the higher fare.
As far as standby and coach tickets are concerned, American charges a fee of $75 to fly standby, which is an important detail. Their rules are here: https://www.aa.com/i18n/plan-travel/ext ... travel.jsp
Generally speaking, airline ticketing rules are more strict than Amtrak. So you may not want to cite the airlines as the example for Amtrak to follow if you don't like restrictions.
My take on this is very simple. If you pay more you should get more. Amtrak is trying to add value to the more expensive tickets, which seems more than fair.
American waives standby fees for "elites" (I dislike that word)---people who fly the most.
Amtrak should do the same.