Netherlands-Belgium €19 "Fall Special"

[LNW-GW Joint]

While trying to book an Amsterdam (Schiphol)-Luxembourg ticket on the NS International site, I discovered this excellent offer.
Any station in the Netherlands to any station in Belgium, €19 single.
Until November 3, valid after 0900 Monday-Thursday. Any train on the route (not Thalys).
https://www.nsinternational.nl/en/promotions/fallspecial/to-antwerp

The ordinary single price for my route was €66 (on classic services to Brussels). Even Schiphol-Roosendaal was €19.70.
I can now book Schiphol-Arlon for €19, with just the Arlon-Luxembourg cross-border leg to pay on top (an exorbitant €10.20).
I don't even have to buy an SNCB Senior ticket Roosendaal-Arlon (an off-peak day return for €9.20), which was my default option to cross Belgium).

During August, I noticed this fare was available as a "Shopping Special" or some such, but it has come back for the autumn under a different name.
The "Intercity Brussel" trains evidently need filling up off-peak.
It's odd that the offers do not extend to Luxembourg.
I had always thought "Benelux" was an integrated region, but when it comes to rail, it doesn't seem to work like that.

 

[Greenback]

I don't like Thalys, and so in my opinion this is an excellent deal!

 

[dutchflyer]

Alas, as always: booking via NSinternational often leads to payment problems for those without Dutch bank-accounts. BUT the belgians: b-rail.be can offer the help needed-can book the very same (but with up to 3 days advance needed). Also note that only larger stations can be sought-find the next larger one if wanting some minor halt-the whole trip has to be done in 1 day, but breaks en-route are allowed. And yes-also possible via the Maastricht-Liege link-and then again it may work out cheaper as a normal fare Dutch domestic ticket. Thats no sweat really: NS offers special priced (mostly around 16/17 eur) cheap daytickets nearly all year-but via various shops and in limited nrs.
Serious competition from coaches (though Megabus from Stagecoach has given up) for AMS-BRU-nearly also every hour, in shorter time as trains-mostly non or 1 stop only and for 8-10 eur/single-try flixbus or ouibus.com (this one is French railways).

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Alas, as always: booking via NSinternational often leads to payment problems for those without Dutch bank-accounts. BUT the belgians: b-rail.be can offer the help needed-can book the very same (but with up to 3 days advance needed). Also note that only larger stations can be sought-find the next larger one if wanting some minor halt-the whole trip has to be done in 1 day, but breaks en-route are allowed. And yes-also possible via the Maastricht-Liege link-and then again it may work out cheaper as a normal fare Dutch domestic ticket. Thats no sweat really: NS offers special priced (mostly around 16/17 eur) cheap daytickets nearly all year-but via various shops and in limited nrs.
Serious competition from coaches (though Megabus from Stagecoach has given up) for AMS-BRU-nearly also every hour, in shorter time as trains-mostly non or 1 stop only and for 8-10 eur/single-try flixbus or ouibus.com (this one is French railways).

I was amused to find that the through IC Amsterdam to Brussels ran via Den Haag and Zaventam, so that it was quicker to change at Rotterdam and Antwerp for a faster trip to Brussels Midi (still avoiding Thalys).
I booked on NS without trouble with a UK credit card, although they charged me a €0.35 credit card fee.
I did see the Liege route option (sometimes faster), but I want to go via Antwerp and Namur this time.