When, at the behest of the state of California, Amtrak increased the frequency of trains between Los Angeles and San Diego from three to six a day, ridership tripled. The approach is neither aggressive nor upbeat. Failure to understand the diverse travel preferences of the public is another marketing weakness. Although people travel for different purposes and come from many socioeconomic and age groups, the assumption is that all can adjust their travel plans to take the one train, fit into the same type of accommodations, and be satisfied with limited food and beverage offerings. The tendency is to fit customers into what is offered, rather than to design an attractive service that meets customer desires.
Pricing is also a part of marketing.
Amtrak marketing policy has been to maximize revenues through keeping fares at a high level, resulting in Amtrak tariffs that are often totally out of line with competitive modes. Little is done in the way of incentive pricing to encourage repeat rides, and fare policies seem incapable of rapid change to meet fluctuating demand. Advertising has been severely limited because of budgetary constraints, but a large share of expenditures have been devoted to national image' building, rather than to identifying how Amtrak might satisfy specific travel desires.