Looks like Renfe has updated it's website and appears to have eliminated some, but not all, of the discount fares. You can also now book your international trains through Petrabax (New York and LA) instead of having to go through Rail Europe.

I am confident that they created new and innovative obstacles to offset any thing helpful they have done.

I just had a look at the new web site - from what I saw, all the discounted fares are still there (web, estrella, carnet joven, tarjeta dorada, etc.) You do have to go a little deeper in the purchasing process in order to see them, but they do indeed appear.

kanadajin

yes,

Ida y vuelta
Niños / Familia numerosa
Tarjeta Dorada
Carnet joven
Tarifa web
Tarifa Estrella
Descuentos para grupos
Empresas y Congresos

Still awful, Robert.
I bought tickets last Tuesday morning for Bilbao, a weekend in July and a return from Bilbao to Madrid at the end of August. No web fares or estrella fares for any of the trains going up north. A friend bought tickets for Cadiz in August, also not a single discount fare. We only found web or estrella fares for the Ave to Sevilla or Barcelona.
Skip a couple of days ... my train from Bilbao to Madrid on the 29th of August has disappeared. But I have the ticket ... will I travel or not?

Bye, Cova