MIAMI — After more than a week with Brightline offering 15 round trips between Miami and Orlando, certain runs show fares are creeping up to sellout levels, while bargains are still available for travelers who book in advance.
A Trains News Wire analysis of available fares since Saturday, Oct. 7, shows that wide variations continue to exist, depending upon the day and departure time. With near-hourly service, this is likely because each train operates with only three “Smart” class coaches and one “Premium” car, in which food and beverages are included in the price of a ticket.
Tracking the Friday, Oct. 13, to Sunday, Oct. 15, weekend from early last week, Miami-Orlando Smart fares increased during the week from the $79-$99 range to one departure Friday at $144, eight trips at $119, and six trips split evenly between $79 and $99. For Premium seats, fares originally ranged from $149 to $229, but the Premium fare on four trains rose to $269 on the day prior to departure.
In the Orlando-Miami direction, the busiest day was Sunday, Oct. 15, when 6 trains showed $79-$99 Smart fares, eight were priced at $119 or $144, and one train was sold out in both Smart and Premium class. Premium fares on the other 14 Orlando-Miami trips throughout the day were evenly split between $149, $189, $229, and $269 prices.
The same demand patterns appear to be holding for the upcoming weekend (Oct. 20-22). When sellouts occur, they are most likely in the busy Miami-West Palm Beach segment. As more booking experience takes place, expect company strategists to raise or lower fares in advance to match anticipated patronage.
As of Oct. 17, Brightline had yet to revise the initially announced 16-round-trip schedule published on a separate link, so the best way to plan a trip with accurate departure times is to go directly to the booking page, available on the general Brightline website.
Since the company unveiled a 90-day bulk purchase plan offering 12 rides in 90 days [see “Brightline introduces new All-Station Shared Pass …,” News Wire, Oct. 16, 2023], only $99 fares are offered up to three days in advance. That’s the average price of 12 Miami-Orlando Smart trips under the bulk plan, assuming all trips are taken.
Upcoming adjustments
Ongoing signal and highway crossing FRA certification is expected to continue into November on the route’s West Palm Beach-Cocoa double-track segment. When the work is completed, current maximum speed limits of 90 mph will be raised to 110 mph. The temporary restriction does not affect the east-west Cocoa-Orlando sealed corridor, where Brightline trains can attain 125 mph on more than 21 mostly single-track route-miles paralleling the Beachline Expressway.
Advertising wraps applied to the outside of a few trainsets can prevent a clear view of scenery if bathed in sunlight. A Brightline spokeswoman tells News Wire, “We are aware that the train wrap does block some of the view and we are adjusting plans for wrapping trains to not affect the view out of the windows.”
While advertising wrap arounds might be novel and colorful and a new gimmick to garner and make money for the transit operators to didplay the various products and services on their equipment, in reality it is a garish and cheap form of what they used to call the term “huckerism an advertising term used to push and promote the product in whatever way necessary to make the public buy or use something they really don’t need or want but the colorful graphics and design catches the eye. We are seeing this disturbing trend not only on train cars but buses and subway cars and who knows whats next Perhaps we will see buildings and homes in these wrap arounds and maybe even private automobiles. People are being used as tools and advertising billboards when they buy jackets, tee shirts, sneakers and caps with the advertiser and manufacturer displaying their company logo on their products and we as consumers buy this merchandise without getting some form of pay or compenation for helping these companies promote and display their product. Its a world of corporate greed and where the almighty dollar reigns sumpreme and whatever means companies including transit operators and consumers are being used as pawns to fill the coffers of these ccorporations and whatever method it takes without regard to good taste and decency . To me it seeing all these ad wraparounds on trains and buses just looks hideous and takes away the natural and graceful look of a train or bus and it is difficult to look out the window in a natural way without having this covering and screen effect over the windows
Joseph C. Markfelder
Sounds like a pretty successful service, even at those rather high prices. I remember when Brightline was under construction all the wise guys said “no one will ride it.”
As for train wraps, I have found most of them gaudy and ugly. Reminds me of all the “custom painted” freight cars I see rolling around. Passenger rolling stock should have an interesting and colorful scheme, but something dignified and and not messy or gaudy. And please don’t block the windows. I shouldn’t even have to say that – just use common sense.
Would be interested in seeing the patterns around Miami Dolphins home games. A lot of season ticket holders in and around Orlando used to drive down.
Also of note is to watch Orlando Magic and Miami Heat basketball games. Brightline at one time was discussing offering a “Heat Express” using the FEC Port of Miami spur.
When the Tampa line opens, it will be interesting to see how sports will drive ridership due to them having a football and baseball team.
As for Jacksonville, they have a whole freaking rail yard next to the sports district (football, baseball and arena) but as far as I can tell not one soul has tried to take advantage of it.
I foresee Amtrak being inspired by Brightline to adopt advertising wraps on its trains to offset operating expenses; although in Brightline’s case, it is only self promotion.
Advertising wraps are already on many urban transit vehicles. (A disturbing trend, I know.)
Dial back 20 or 25 years ago, the Hiawatha was wrapped. It was a disaster. Can’t see out the window.
Twenty more coaches are on order, half next year and the rest in 2025. The thing to watch is if this order is altered: either more coaches or an expedited delivery schedule.