Governor criticizes Amtrak ski fee

A $10 ski handling fee that Amtrak plans to begin charging this ski season is being criticized by local tourism officials and Gov. Brian Schweitzer.

Schweitzer made a stop at the Whitefish historic train depot on Friday to talk about the importance of winter tourism in the Flathead Valley, and said he’s sent a letter to Amtrak President Joseph Boardman, asking that the passenger rail company reconsider the special fee for handling skis.

“It’s a knuckle-headed idea. It sends all the wrong signals to our visitors,” the governor told a crowd gathered at the depot.

Schweitzer pointed out that families traveling to Whitefish to ski will be even harder hit by the $10-per-person fee, which would add up depending on the number of skiers in a family. The fee will be charged each time a passenger checks ski equipment.

In the letter, Schweitzer said he believes the fee is “counterproductive and damaging to the good partnership shared by Amtrak and Whitefish and its skier passengers/visitors.”

He also noted the fee would negate one of the best selling points Amtrak has — no luggage charges.

Whitefish is the busiest station on Amtrak’s Empire Builder route from Chicago to Seattle, with more than 65,000 arrivals and departures each year. Whitefish also is one of only two train stops in the country — the other being in Winter Park, Colo. — where the train stops at a ski resort community.

“This is a national policy singling out Whitefish,” he added.

Whitefish Convention and Visitor Bureau Director Jan Metzmaker announced a 20 percent Amtrak discount that began Friday and continues through Feb. 28, 2013, with travel occurring between Dec. 1 and March 31.

But the new ski handling fee would negate that discount for skiers and snowboarders, she said.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.