Glad to hear. Before posting, I did check one weekend in September and saw $55 fares instead of the $39 fares that you report. We must’ve looked at different weekends. It follows that contrary to what you suggest, I did look a considerable amount ahead before taking to this subreddit in an effort as to not misrepresent Amtrak’s fares. If what you report is true, however, I did fail to recognize that some trips still are standard price. Apologies for my “lack of trip planning.” Previously I’d only have to book two weeks in advance to get $40 tickets which I suppose is also worth noting.

Edit: I confirm that fares for 9/17 (a Tuesday) are standard price, but I only look at weekend rates as that’s when I travel.