Amtrak Vs Flying: The Ultimate Guide From An Experienced Traveler (2024)

In general, train tickets will be less expensive than airline tickets.

But, how much less expensive?"

For price and every factor going forward, I will select Delta Airlines when comparing flying to Amtrak. When critiquing the price, the route and dates selected for Delta and Amtrak will, of course, be the same. To illustrate my points, I will use screenshots from the Delta and Amtrak mobile apps.

Let's start our price comparison with a shorter trip. How am I defining 'shorter'? I am factoring in how long it would take from you to drive from one city to another, assuming no stops. From Detroit to Chicago, that time is about 4 hours.

What is the price comparison when traveling from Detroit to Chicago roundtrip? I've selected the dates June 7-9, 2024.

See that $50? This is one thing I don't like about Amtrak's app. That $50 is not your final price-- it is only the cost to go from Detroit to Chicago.

Here's the price for your return trip from Chicago to Detroit.

That $43 will be added to your final price, which would then make your final price for your Detroit/Chicago Amtrak roundtrip to $93. Still, when compared to Delta's $283 price, you are saving $190 by taking Amtrak!

Let's do a trip that's a little longer. We'll start again in Detroit and go to Milwaukee, which by car is about 5.5 hours. First up, let's see what the price is on Delta...

We see $69 for Amtrak. Remember-- this the first half, not the final price. To spare me from inserting more screenshots, we'll assume the trip from Milwaukee to Detroit is the same price. This means Amtrak's total is $138-- a savings of $261 instead of flying.

Let's do a longer trip-- this time, from Detroit to Minneapolis, which by car is about 10 hours. Let's first look at Delta...

We have $100 for the first half of the Amtrak ride from Detroit to Minneapolis. Assuming the trip from Minneapolis to Detroit is the same price, our final price is $200-- a $97 save by taking the train instead of flying.

For this next example, we're going to do a really long trip-- from Detroit to Seattle, which by car would take about 34 hours!

First, the price on Delta...

We see $201 for Amtrak and assuming the same price from Seattle to Detroit, the final price is $402-- a savings of $260 by taking the train instead of flying!

However, for the fifth and final example, I am going to show you an instance of a long trip where flying would be much cheaper! We're going to select the route Detroit to Miami, which by car is about 19.5 hours.

First, let's look at the price on Delta.

Whoa!! $335!? And that's just for the first half! Assuming the same price from Miami to Detroit, this means your Amtrak roundtrip would cost you $660. By flying, you would save $353.

Why is it cheaper to go from Detroit to Seattle than it is to go from Detroit to Miami when Miami is noticeably shorter? I will explain why later in this article when I talk about system maps but if you want to jump to it now, you can click here!

But, in several cases, Amtrak will be cheaper than flying.

For the average passenger, I have to say that train rides are noticeably more comfortable.

Legroom is more spacious on Amtrak trains. The distance between the seats in each row is wider so you don't feel as if you're sitting too close to the passenger next to you. The leather seats are a little more comfortable. Reclining your seat on the train isn't disruptive.

Here's a big one: on Amtrak, you can get up from your seat and walk around. You can even walk into different train cars!

Two more variables that can determine comfort are noise level and how much you can feel the vehicle move. Amtrak is definitely quieter than being on a plane. If you sit on the upper level of Amtrak, there will be a little more sway when the train is in motion, which could make more sensitive passengers woozy.

However, one scenario where a plane wins on comfort is exposure to the weather. A train route has multiple stops to make and when it stops, the doors open. If you're traveling to Minneapolis in January or Phoenix in July, you may suddenly get hit with a blast of really cold or hot air.

What about the difference in comfort for the luxury classes on a flight and on an Amtrak train?

Here is where Amtrak starts to lose its advantage in comfort. The difference in comfort between a regular class seat vs business class or first class is hardly noticeable. In fact, I'd argue on comfort alone that a business class seat and first class seat is hardly even worth it.

Now, if you're flying on Delta and you decide to upgrade from an economy seat to a first class seat, the difference in comfort is actually apparent. Flying first class on Delta Airlines grants you a lot of leg room, a little more space between the seat next to you, and a larger seat with better back support.

But wait!! Amtrak has a little trick up their sleeve! Ready for it??

You can actually rent a room with a bed on Amtrak. Seriously! I did not know this was even an option until I started riding Amtrak. Can't do that on Delta! This surely makes up for the business class/first class letdown.

Once you arrive in your destination, you'll likely need to check-in first at a hotel. For comfort, affordability, luxury, and the opportunity to earn points, go with Hilton hotels. I myself stay at Hilton almost exclusively and am a proud member of their Hilton Honors program!

Your train journey may be quite comfy, but for further destinations, it will also a long train ride... compared to flying.

The average speed of a commercial plane ranges from 547-575 miles per hour. The average speed of an Amtrak train ranges from 110 to 145 miles per hour.

Delta offers a lot of nonstop flights. For longer trips, an Amtrak train route has segments, which is Amtrak's way of saying 'transfers'. Take a look again at the screenshot for Detroit to Milwaukee on Amtrak...

The train ride is 7 hours and 8 minutes.

Flying on Delta would only take 1 hour and 12 minutes-- because it's a nonstop flight.

When it comes to travel time, Delta has a tremendous advantage over Amtrak.

It is tougher to assess whether Amtrak or Delta has the advantage when discussing potential for delays. It depends on the type of the delay.

The most common reason for both flight and train delays is bad weather. If we are only looking at weather delays, then Amtrak has the advantage here. Thunderstorms and snowstorms are less likely to delay a train.

However, when we direct our attention over to whether Amtrak or Delta has more on-time arrivals, then Delta boasts the advantage.

From the Air Travel Consumer Report issued by the Department of Transportation, 82.1% of Delta's domestic flights arrived on time.

With Amtrak and on-time arrivals, the issue gets a little more complicated. On their website, Amtrak provides its customers a report card for the year 2021. You can view it here.

According to the Federal Railroad Administration "Metrics and Standards" rule, 80% of Amtrak customers must arrive "on-time". I intentionally put quotes around the phrase 'on-time' because, according to the Bureau of Transportation, Amtrak considers a train on-time if it arrives within a range of minutes after the scheduled endtime.

For instance, if your trip is 250 miles or less, Amtrak will consider the train to have arrived on-time if it shows up no later than 10 minutes after the scheduled endtime. So if you're scheduled to arrive somewhere at 2:36 p.m, you arriving at 2:45 p.m. is considered "on-time" according to Amtrak.

Going back to the report card, even though a law dictates that 80% of Amtrak's train must be timely, most routes fall below the 80% threshold.

The most common reason for Amtrak delays are waiting for freight trains. Even though, by law, Amtrak is supposed to have preference, many freight trains ignore the law.

Amtrak is less likely to be delayed by severe weather but Delta is far more punctual on arrival time.

Regarding the amount of bags you can check for free, Amtrak allows you to check two bags for free whereas Delta lets you check only one for free.

Amtrak allows you two carry on items whereas Delta only allows one.

The fees for excess baggage on Amtrak are lower than on Delta. A $20 fee is charged to each of the additional two bags on Amtrak. Delta's fee for the second checked bag is $40. The third? $150. Fourth and higher? $200.

Amtrak limits each passenger to four checked bags. Delta allows up to 10 (in most cases). However, if I hear you are bringing this much luggage on a plane, I will be very inclined to say that, unless you're moving, you are packing wayyyyy too much!

Finally, what about baggage size and weight?

Size matters (haha). On Delta, your baggage cannot exceed 62 inches (five feet and two inches) when you add together the bag's length, width, and height. (find personal item)

On Amtrak, your carry-on luggage cannot exceed 64 inches (five feet and four inches) when you add together the bag's length, width, and height.

Weight restrictions on carry-on luggage are the same for both Delta and Amtrak: the maximum weight allowed is 50 lbs.

Amtrak wins on luggage storage, but not by much.

Only the smart travelers are reading this section!

The rewards program through Amtrak wins by a small margin compared to Delta. Here is why...

Upon first glance, it looks as if Delta's rewards program is better. After all, you earn more points per $1 spent on Delta than you do on Amtrak. Delta gives you 5 points whereas Amtrak gives 2 points. So, how is Amtrak better if it gives you less points?

The reason why is due to what I am calling the "multiplier". You can use your points sooner on Amtrak than on Delta because the multiplier on Amtrak is smaller. Let me illustrate further.

On the Amtrak website, let's book a trip from Detroit to Pittsburgh. Below, we'll display the cost of the trip if you don't use points (aka, just pay normally).

We see that the cost with points is 4,864. If we divide 4,864 by 137, it gives us roughly "35". This means that whenever you book a trip on Amtrak, you multiply the price you see in dollars by approximately 35 and that will be how much that trip will cost in points.

Of course, you do not need to get out the calculator for every trip you view on Amtrak, as the app easily does the arithmetic for you by simply toggling "points" on/off. I just wanted you to prove to you how the app makes this calculation!

For Delta, let's do the same trip.

Okay, this above screenshot may not be the best because the Delta app applied a special discount for me because of a credit card I carry but look at the price with the gray line through it. It was 32,000.

If we divide 32,000 by 398, we get approximately 80.

Since Amtrak has a smaller "multiplier", this means you can redeem your points faster on Amtrak than with Delta.

The discount you saw on the previous screenshot was actually serendipitous, as it's a perfect segue into travel credit cards. To accelerate the amount of points you earn, you should absolutely get a travel credit card through Delta and/or Amtrak.

When you get the Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard, you will get 20,000 bonus points if you spend only $1000 within the first three "billing cycles". The duration of a billing cycle is usually a month.

You can also two points per $1 spent on select dining. You'll receive 1 point per $1 spent for all other purchases. For instance, paying your monthly Netlix subscription with this card would give you points toward Amtrak!

Delta has a similar offer with their Delta Skymiles® American Express credit card. At the time of this writing, you can earn 50,000 bonus miles if you spend $3,000 within the first six months.

Dining at most restaurants and shopping at the supermarket will earn two miles per $1 spent; everything else will earn you one mile per $1 spent.

To wrap up this longer section, you'll be able to redeem your points sooner on Amtrak than with Delta but Delta's credit card is slightly better.

I learned about system maps after I initially posted this article, so this section was included in my April 2024 update!

Since Delta offers more nonstop routes than Amtrak, I'd say flying has the advantage here.

Earlier, I showed how a trip from Detroit to Miami is far more expensive than a trip from Detroit to Seattle, despite Miami being much closer in distance from Detroit. Why is that?

There are a couple reasons why a shorter Amtrak could cost more than a longer route.

First, Amtrak only owns... get this, just 3% of the railroad tracks it uses. The rest are owned by freight companies, who charge Amtrak to use their tracks. If your route involves tracks where Amtrak has to pay, they'll pass that cost onto you, the rider.

Second, a possible reason for a higher price is because of the higher number of segments and the fact the segments are 'mixed service'-- meaning at least one of the transfers requires getting on a bus.

If you want a visual as a way of predicting how many segments your Amtrak trip will have, look at its system map.

When you look at the system map for Detroit to Seattle vs Detroit to Miami, the path to Seattle is "straighter".

If you want a useful resource to see whether Delta will offer a nonstop flight from one city to another, check out FlightConnections.

Regarding the refreshments served on Amtrak versus Delta, the food & drink served on Amtrak is better than on Delta.

Except for only a few routes, all Amtrak customers are provided a fair variety of breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, alcohol, and non-alcoholic options through Amtrak's Café service. If there is any drawback, you do have to pay for these refreshments.

On Delta, you are served very small portions of snacks and hardly any options. Perhaps nuts, cookies, maybe potato chips. Drink sizes are also quite small. However, unlike the Café service on Amtrak, the refreshments on Delta are free.

I have found both modes of transportation to have rather spotty wifi.

That being said, the wifi was slightly more reliable on Amtrak than Delta.

The number of airports in the US is a little over 5,000 whereas Amtrak has about 500 train stations. However, of those 5,000 airports, only 150 of them are international airports.

I personally only use international airports so, given my preference, there are more train stations by Amtrak available than there are airports.

Looks like Amtrak wins here with the higher number of stations.

If you are not enrolled in a trusted traveler program like TSA PreCheck®, then Amtrak wins by a long stretch.

Unlike the TSA security checkpoints you see at airports, most Amtrak stations do not even have a security checkpoint. You can show up to the boarding station mere minutes before the train arrives and hop right on!

If you choose to fly, this is why I am so enthusiastic telling travelers to either enroll in CLEAR and/or TSA PreCheck. I typically get through airport security in 1-2 minutes.

Since airports are, of course, larger, I do have to arrive a little sooner than I would at an Amtrak station. Otherwise, because I have both CLEAR and TSA PreCheck, I'd say the experience between flying and taking the train when it comes to security is hardly any different.

Especially if you take the train through routes on the west coast or through the mountain states like Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, the views from the window on Amtrak far surpass the aerial views from an airplane window.

As mentioned earlier too, you aren't limited to just seeing the views from your seat. You can stand up and admire the incredible scenery as you pass by. On an airplane, you wouldn't be able to enjoy the views from the sky unless you pick a window seat.

This will be the shortest section. I feel both train travel and air travel are very safe. With any airline, customers have to pass going through a security checkpoint first which does provide a layer of safety.

For safety, I'll give this one to Delta... and air travel, in general.

In 2021, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a report on the greenhouse gases emitted in the transportation sector. Airlines contributed to only 8% of the greenhouse gases emitted and rail was even less-- at 2%.

If concern to the impact of environment while traveling is important to you, then Amtrak is slightly preferable in that it emits less greenhouse gases than an airplane.

Of the whopping 15 dimensions we compared and contrasted Amtrak to Delta, Amtrak clearly came out on top when we evaluated comfort, luggage storage, food & drink served onboard, window views, boarding, and environmental impact.

For shorter trips, it is definitely cheaper to take Amtrak than it is to fly. There is also a much smaller chance your Amtrak trip will be negatively impacted by bad weather. Last, you'll be able to redeem your Amtrak points as opposed to your Delta Skymiles sooner.

Of the 15 dimensions we compared Amtrak to flying, comfort may be the one where train travel truly dominates. Even riders in a coach seat on an Amtrak train will experience a level of comfort that even first class fliers on a plane don't receive!

The seats are more comfortable, legroom is more spacious, and you can get up and walk around. If you want to splurge, you can rent a room on an Amtrak that includes a bedroom and a shower.

As stated a few times in this article, train travel is not as expensive as flying when the trip is short. However, if the trip is considerably longer, Amtrak may be pricier.

The reason why is that Amtrak only owns about 3% of the railroads it operates on. The vast majority are owned by freight companies who charge Amtrak to use their railroads. In addition, the government rarely subsidizes passenger rail, which forces Amtrak to charge more for longer routes.

It may have surprised you, as it surely did me, how many advantages train travel has over air travel.

So, that being said, is train travel superior to air travel?

For shorter trips, I feel confident in saying that, yes, train travel is better than air travel. And coming from me, a guy who loves air travel, that means something!

Longer trips? Air travel has a tremendous advantage since you'll arrive at your destination far sooner.

I am greatly appreciative for you reading my article on Amtrak vs flying. I hope you'll take the train sometime during your travels!

Thank you for reading! Like... seriously. So many people just skim sh*t and don't read anything past the headline. You're one of the good ones!

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