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.”
