Brightline Saver, Select or Flex? What Miami Riders Get

For a Brightline trip between Miami and Orlando, choose Saver for a fixed plan and the lowest available fare, Select when a partial Brightline credit is enough protection, and Flex when you value a refund to your original payment method, same-day changes, a large tagged bag or an airport transfer.

Brightline introduced Flex on September 9, 2026. Select is the new name for its existing core SMART and PREMIUM fares, rather than an entirely new onboard class. Saver and Flex are offered only on long-haul routes between Orlando and South Florida; Select is also sold for trips within South Florida. That means a Miami–Fort Lauderdale rider cannot buy Flex just to get an airport shuttle (Brightline announcement).

Saver vs Select vs Flex

Fare	Where offered	Cancellation and changes	Seats and bags
SMART Saver	Designated Orlando–South Florida trains	No refund or retained ticket value; no changes	No seat selection; one carry-on and one personal item
SMART or PREMIUM Select	Long-haul and South Florida-only trips	Cancellation returns 75% of the fare as Brightline credit; changes require any fare difference and applicable fee	Two carry-ons and one personal item; seat selection on long-haul trips. PREMIUM Select also includes one standard tagged bag
SMART or PREMIUM Flex	Orlando–South Florida trips	100% refund to the original payment method; changes more than 24 hours ahead require any fare difference, while an available same-calendar-day departure within 24 hours can be selected without a fare difference or change fee	Seat selection, two carry-ons, one personal item and one large tagged bag. PREMIUM Flex also includes one standard tagged bag

SMART and PREMIUM describe the onboard experience; Saver, Select and Flex describe ticket rules. PREMIUM adds its lounge, wider seat, extra legroom, and included food and drinks. Brightline’s fare comparison shows which combinations are sold.

Brightline recommends canceling Select or Flex at least 30 minutes before departure. Its current terms allow Flex cancellation up to five minutes before departure, but a missed train is nonrefundable, so five minutes is not a useful target. The terms also list a $2 voluntary change fee for Select, though assisted changes through the Guest Connections team can carry a separate $25 convenience fee (Brightline terms, updated September 23, 2026).

If you use Flex’s included large tagged bag, take it to Guest Services at least 30 minutes before departure. Checked baggage remains subject to capacity (Brightline Flex help).

When the Flex airport shuttle changes the math

Flex includes one one-way Airport Connector Shuttle transfer on either of these pairs:

• MiamiCentral–Miami International Airport (MIA)
• Brightline Fort Lauderdale Station–Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)

The paid walk-up shuttle currently costs $12 per guest plus a $3 fuel surcharge. Compare SMART Flex with SMART Select—or PREMIUM Flex with PREMIUM Select—for the same train. If Flex is $15 more, the included transfer makes the two options break even before considering Flex’s refund, change and baggage benefits. If the premium is less than $15 and you would otherwise buy the shuttle, Flex can be the cheaper package.

Do not value the shuttle as a private or reserved ride. It is first come, first served. Current service hours are 8 a.m.–7 p.m. daily. Station-to-airport shuttles leave about 10 minutes after train arrivals; airport pickups run approximately twice per hour. MIA pickup and drop-off have temporarily moved to Level 2 Departures during construction. Confirm the day’s details on Brightline’s Airport Connector page.

For an early flight, late arrival or tight connection, treat the shuttle’s value as zero and compare Flex based on its refund, changes and baggage alone.

The practical choice

Choose Saver if the train is fixed, losing the fare would not damage the rest of the trip, and one carry-on plus a personal item is enough.

Choose Select if you want seat selection on the Miami–Orlando route and can accept 75% back as Brightline credit rather than a refund to your card.

Choose Flex if a flight or meeting may move, you need a large tagged bag, or the MIA/FLL shuttle replaces a transfer you would otherwise buy. Its main value is the bundle: refundability, same-day freedom, baggage and the one-way airport link.

Compare final checkout totals because fares vary by train and demand, and promotions do not always apply equally. Brightline’s business-program page advertises up to 35% off Flex fares booked from September 9 through November 1, 2026, but its instructions say corporate rates are applied through a qualifying registered company account (Brightline for Business). Do not assume that discount applies to a regular personal booking.

Traveling only within South Florida? Flex is not available. For the separate eligible weekend promotion, use the $15 Brightline weekend fare guide.