# How do you figure if the cost of AGR miles is "worth it"?



## Cascadia (Jan 30, 2008)

The Cascades line has a promotion right now for double miles, and I was thinking of taking a short jaunt just to get the extra miles. Every trip on the Cascades normally earns 100 miles regardless of length of trip, so I figured I would get 200 miles each way on a short round trip, plus the double miles for purchasing it with the Chase AGR credit card.

I was pricing out tickets from BEL to MVW, at ten dollars each way. So the cost would be, 20.00 for 440 AGR miles.

Cascades award tickets fall in the "special line" category and use 1000 miles for an award trip. I priced BEL to PDX (this time of year) at 41.00 one way. Or, a person could use 500 miles for a first class upgrade on the line, but the first class upgrade was only costing 15.00 right now, so that's not very sensible either.

So for using it on the Cascades line, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense does it. Then again in the summer the ticket cost may be substantially more?

The other thing is to think of it differently, as something to do, and an excuse to ride the train, I never go south, only north to Vancouver, so I haven't seen the bit of scenery just south of here, which is supposed to be spectacular, apparently it's kind of a cliff along the water for a ways before you get to the Skagit Valley?

I have over 8000 miles right now and would love to see them pile up more with the Empire Builder in mind, so maybe when you think of putting the miles toward the EB or a sleeper it makes a lot more sense?

related issue: Am I nuts to think I can make this jaunt work out, taking the morning train out of Bellingham to Mount Vernon, then hopping on the northbound one ten minutes later LOL? I guess my logic is, the train is in Bellingham overnight and I can't think why it should leave late here or lose too much time in the half hour trip, then the northbound one is most likely at least ten minutes late into Mount Vernon, giving me a cushion?

I am laughing at myself but could it work? If I get stuck there I could take a Greyhound back, I guess. Or if it was during the week, a county bus.

Sorry my post turned into two questions!


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## the_traveler (Jan 30, 2008)

No, I don't think you're crazy! (If so, most of us on this forum are also!  ) But I myself would consider banking the points you earn for a trip on the EB instead of a trip on the Cascades! The reason is (although it's more points), the Cascades - depending where you go - may cost $25, but a trip on the EB in a sleeper may cost $500 to $1000!

Back before they closed the loophole (that gave 100 points minimum per segment - even for the same train), I took many 4 segment trips for ~$20. And at the time there was a double point promo, a triple point promo and *another* triple point promo running - all at the same time! So my ~$20 trip gave me *2400 points one way* or *4800 points round trip*!


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## Cascadia (Jan 30, 2008)

Hey Traveler, thanks for the reply. You are right, I should just keep banking miles toward a big trip on the Builder (I am getting all intrigued by the California Zephyr these days too!).

I am jealous that you made so many miles in the heyday of piling them up like that with "segments". I will try my little round-trip and see how close I am shaving that connection LOL.


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## sechs (Jan 30, 2008)

The rule of thumb in most programs is to value a point at two cents. AGR, however, makes it pretty easy to four or more cents per point from a redemption.

Personally, I wouldn't go for your plan just as a mileage run. However, if you're like me, you'd pay just to ride the train every once in a while anyway; the promotion is just an excuse.


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## Cascadia (Jan 31, 2008)

sechs said:


> The rule of thumb in most programs is to value a point at two cents. AGR, however, makes it pretty easy to four or more cents per point from a redemption.
> Personally, I wouldn't go for your plan just as a mileage run. However, if you're like me, you'd pay just to ride the train every once in a while anyway; the promotion is just an excuse.


Sechs, I think you nailed it, I am just looking for an excuse to ride the train


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## Green Maned Lion (Jan 31, 2008)

Is the Cascades a nice run? Are the Talgos nice cars?


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## Cascadia (Feb 1, 2008)

Green Maned Lion said:


> Is the Cascades a nice run? Are the Talgos nice cars?


Hi Green Maned Lion, yes, the Cascades is a nice run, although I have only seen the very northern part of it between Bellingham, WA and Vancouver, BC, Canada, which is very nice and the only flaw in it is that it is too short! Not even two hours long.

On "my" part of the run, we go along Bellingham Bay, and then later the route follows the water again, by Boundary Bay, and there are so many shorebirds, and also tons of eagles, I have been in a cloud of eagles going along there before! Literally a hundred eagles that all took off and flew around the train as we passed. Amazing!

In the forest north of the border I have seen a pileated woodpecker, also was happy to see a **** pheasant once as it reminded me of home in Minnesota, lots of pheasants there where I grew up.

I don't remember if I have seen coyotes out the train windows but I have certainly seen them many times out the bus windows on the Greyhound, right in town too.

I have heard the line south of here goes along the water quite a bit, and that especially the part immediately south of me, by Chuckanut Mountain, is supposed to be spectacular as it follows along the side of a cliff on the shore. I am always going north, to Vancouver, and don't get the opportunity to travel to Seattle, which is farther away, as much as I'd like to.

As far as the equipment goes, the Talgos that were on "our" train, the one that goes between Seattle and Vancouver, BC, have been in the yard being refurbished and redecorated for quite a while now, since way last summer, and aren't due back til the end of March, but some are saying that's optimistic. I think the cracks in the undercarriage that you all heard about were discovered while they were refurbishing "our" train, and then the others were all pulled for repairs. The others have been back in service for a while now, since October or something, I think. But "ours" is still being worked on, with a new interior and new seats, etc.

So, I am lucky that we are still running Superliner equipment! I sure like it a lot and feel fortunate that we have been able to ride the Superliner cars all these months while the Talgos are in the shop. I guess these cars that we are using, are the only spare cars in the entire fleet? I guess there's a real shortage of backup equipment to cover any equipment failure, and none for expansion? They had to get these cars from all over, to put this train together for the Vancouver, BC, run. And now there is no spare equipment in the fleet? Did I get that right when I was talking with the crew about it here?

You asked if the Talgos are nice cars, yes, they are, they have quite large windows, as I remember. I kind of like the row of single seats down one side of the car too, as I am always riding alone, you always get a seat to yourself that way, and don't have to step on anyone's toes when you get up. The little "bistro car" is nothing special in my opinion. The Talgos have a dining car which I have only stood at the door and looked into, never ate in it or looked at the menu.

I am trying to think of nice things to say about the Talgos, but they rock terribly from side to side on the tracks that run through White Rock, BC (reason for which was explained wonderfully in a post somewhere on this forum, about the rail length vs the car length, etc) and I admit I like the Superliners so much more, I love sitting up high, and the seats are so huge with so much leg room. We had a "View Car" for a little while at first, which was fantastic, but they took it away and gave us a lounge car, which is okay, but the View Car was great.


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## AlanB (Feb 1, 2008)

Cascadia said:


> So, I am lucky that we are still running Superliner equipment! I sure like it a lot and feel fortunate that we have been able to ride the Superliner cars all these months while the Talgos are in the shop. I guess these cars that we are using, are the only spare cars in the entire fleet? I guess there's a real shortage of backup equipment to cover any equipment failure, and none for expansion? They had to get these cars from all over, to put this train together for the Vancouver, BC, run. And now there is no spare equipment in the fleet? Did I get that right when I was talking with the crew about it here?


Well Amtrak doesn't have a lot of extra equipment just lying around, such that they can start new services or add additional trains to the schedule. But there is some extra equipment around. Amtrak keeps spare cars at many of the major terminals for emergencies and there are always cars in for repairs and overhauls. During peak times Amtrak tries to cut down on the number of overhauls so as to add an extra car here and there to a train so as to sell more seats.


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