# How many $/1,000 points do you try to get?



## RRrich (Jan 27, 2009)

I am new to AGR and I am wondering how many $ per point do you try to get?

I recently booked a trip - 2 zones, Bedroom - cost me 30,000 points - would have cost me $1600, so I got $53/1000 points.

I guess I did OK since if I buy points, they will cost me $27.50/1000 with the current promotion.


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## Upstate (Jan 27, 2009)

I have only taken one reward trip so far. 1000 pt Downeaster ticket. I think it would have cost me 22 bucks.


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## the_traveler (Jan 27, 2009)

I compute mine the other way - $/point. I try to get above 4¢/point. Last October, I think I averaged 8-9¢/point - including one segment that yielded over 12¢/point!  In March, my trip will yield about 5¢/point.


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## HP_Lovecraft (Jan 27, 2009)

But do you calculate in the cost to get to your starting point?

The Slidell loophole gets you a very high value, but many users here will FLY to the nearest airport, then FLY back home. Or, book a standard ticket to get to the proper zone. Seems you probobly need to factor in all the "side costs" to get an accurate number.

We were thinking of using a 2-zone to go from Portland, Me to El Paso. Thats about ¢60/point, but the cost to fly back is about $400, making that rate closer to ¢40/point. Still pretty good though.


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## the_traveler (Jan 27, 2009)

My figure did not include the 4 mile drive from my home to the KIN station, but it did include the 5,500 points I did spend to get a 1 zone coach award for KIN-ATL. It also did not include the $29 I spent for a ATL-BHM ticket (which I earned 100 more AGR points for  ). And it was a 3 hour turnaround in BHM, so there was no overnight needed. And I planned to go to LAX and PDX anyway, so I didn't consider those expenses. (I visited friends in PDX, so there was no expense, and I went to LA for the Gathering, which I planned to do anyway!  )

Besides getting the "loophole" route, it allowed me to go cross country for *35,500 points* instead of for *50,000 points*!  And that 50K award would have been *MUCH* shorter!


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## RRrich (Jan 27, 2009)

I guess that I am just not much of a RAILFAN - I use Amtrak to get from Point A to Point B in the most pleasureable way possible. Remember the Cunard slogan _Getting There is Half the Fun _? Thats my motto too.

I use my AGR points to get me where I am going anyway - and I would like to spend as little money as possible.

By the way, 5 cents/point is the same as $50/1000 points


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## soitgoes (Jan 27, 2009)

HP_Lovecraft said:


> We were thinking of using a 2-zone to go from Portland, Me to El Paso. Thats about ¢60/point, but the cost to fly back is about $400, making that rate closer to ¢40/point. Still pretty good though.


Do you mean 6¢ and 4¢ per point?


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## RRrich (Jan 27, 2009)

HP_Lovecraft said:


> But do you calculate in the cost to get to your starting point?


Personally, I don't - I start at my local station



> The Slidell loophole gets you a very high value, but many users here will FLY to the nearest airport, then FLY back home. Or, book a standard ticket to get to the proper zone. Seems you probobly need to factor in all the "side costs" to get an accurate number.


Since I don't do that, I don't have to.



> We were thinking of using a 2-zone to go from Portland, Me to El Paso. Thats about ¢60/point, but the cost to fly back is about $400, making that rate closer to ¢40/point. Still pretty good though.


OK, lets assume you and your SO leave Maine on 28-MAR-09 - your trip in coach for 2 pax will cost $434 OR 2 times 8,000 points = 16,000 points - $27/1000 points OR 2.7 cents/point.

If you use a roomette, it will cost $1,005 or 20,000 points. making it $50/kilopoint or 5.0cents/point

If you use a bedroom, then it will cost $1,497 or 30,000Pts This comes to $50/kPts or 5.0 cents/point.

By my analysis, you get the most for your points with a roomette OR sleeper.

Food is another factor - but I don't want to go there. This type analysis is good enough to tell me what what I want to know.

Something to keep in mind is that the price of the trip increases as the time gets shorter and that makes a difference too.


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## The Metropolitan (Jan 27, 2009)

RRrich said:


> I am new to AGR and I am wondering how many $ per point do you try to get?
> I recently booked a trip - 2 zones, Bedroom - cost me 30,000 points - would have cost me $1600, so I got $53/1000 points.
> 
> I guess I did OK since if I buy points, they will cost me $27.50/1000 with the current promotion.


I'd say you did very well. Only AGR redemption I've done was for a pair of 3000 point NEC Reward tickets which were about $96 in value, so $32 per 1000 points redeemed.

I'm with you, I'm not going to travel to great lengths to cash in my points to get the most yield.


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## Ispolkom (Jan 28, 2009)

The Metropolitan said:


> RRrich said:
> 
> 
> > I am new to AGR and I am wondering how many $ per point do you try to get?
> ...


I calculate the low-bucket cost of the trip and only use points if my yield is at least $30/1000 points. While I'm no artist like The Traveler, I will try to stack trips to multiply value.

An example: we're traveling from St. Paul to Washington in May. On the way back we're booked to Minot, since it costs 20k points to travel in roomette from Washington to either Minot or St. Paul. That way we get a visit to my family for only the return ticket from Minot to St. Paul, and it pushes the low bucket price from $512 to $629, or $31/1000 pts.

The best use of AGR points, of course, is for last-minute travel. Snagging that last bedroom on the California Zephyr, for instance.


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