# Bonus Points Now On Sale



## Everydaymatters

I just bought mine. An extra 3000 points for the purchase of 10,000.


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## Railroad Bill

Good news Betty. Time to go get some more points.


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## Lakeshore

Not showing up for me yet. I have been waiting for them to offer it again. Hopefully I can see it soon.


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## JayPea

The E-mail I received this morning indicated a 50% bonus for points, meaning 5,000 extra if your purchase 10,000. Looks like it's time to buy those points!


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## Tumbleweed

JayPea said:


> The E-mail I received this morning indicated a 50% bonus for points, meaning 5,000 extra if your purchase 10,000. Looks like it's time to buy those points!


Wow! Hope I get that e-mail....I'd be all over that one!


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## the_traveler

This must be targeted. I have not received either the 30% or 50% emails - nor is is on my "buy points" screen or elsewhere on my AGR account.


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## chrsjrcj

I received the 50% one! I'm pretty excited. Normally I can only do 30%.


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## Railroad Bill

Railroad Bill said:


> Good news Betty. Time to go get some more points.


I was only offered the 30% bonus but we took it before they change their mind.


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## Devil's Advocate

Here's what it says when I login...



> *Special offer: 30% more points*
> 
> Now there are even more reasons to fill up your Amtrak Guest Rewards account balance. Buy Amtrak Guest Rewards points between ​January​ ​31​st and ​March​ ​15​th, 201​4​ and automatically receive a ​30​% bonus on the number of points purchased.


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## OlympianHiawatha

I can confirm this looks to be target. No news on my screen and when I did a "dry run" buy no Bonus was offered; they might be hitting people who don't Buy or Redeem that often.


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## tonys96

No bonus for me either.


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## SP&S

Definitely targeted. I just bought 10000 and got 5000 as a bonus. That's a roomette for us on the Starlight for cheap!

My wife, however, only got an email encouraging her to buy points -_* no bonus*_! We'll hold off on buying any on her account for now.


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## Railroad Bill

SP&S said:


> Definitely targeted. I just bought 10000 and got 5000 as a bonus. That's a roomette for us on the Starlight for cheap!
> 
> My wife, however, only got an email encouraging her to buy points -_* no bonus*_! We'll hold off on buying any on her account for now.


You might try gifting 10000 to your wife, which I did for mine and received the 30% bonus. The 50% might work for you if you gift her points instead of her buying them directly. Just a thought


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## oregon pioneer

I got the 10-30% offer, and Hubby got the 50% offer. Can we buy the max on his account, and THEN gift more to me at 50%?? Or is the 10,000 per account, per year, point restriction for total points purchase for anyone?

I guess I could buy his points on the 50% offer first, and then see if it will allow a gift purchase as well...


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## Devil's Advocate

Just another reason to make sure everyone in your family has an AGR account and that you have access to it. When everyone has their own account it's a lot easier to earn points, buy points, and spend points efficiently. Especially when targeted opportunies like this one appear. Not to mention that the more people who have AGR accounts the easier it is for Amtrak to make the case that they're a major playor in the transportation business.


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## SarahZ

I got the 50% promotion, but Brent didn't. He didn't even get the 30% bonus.

It's possible he didn't get the bonus since I _just _bought points under his account the week of Christmas, whereas I haven't purchased points with my account since spring 2012. I usually buy some every year, but tuition came first last year.

Woot. I have about 6500 points in my account, so 15,000 will give me enough to book a roomette either to or from the Gathering.


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## pennyk

I received the email encouraging me to buy points, but with NO bonus. I guess they think I have enough points.


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## Shanghai

I received the email offering a *30%* bonus.


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## Unhappy

pennyk said:


> I received the email encouraging me to buy points, but with NO bonus. I guess they think I have enough points.


Same here. I guess I'll wait and hope a general 30% offer comes up, or I get one of the targeted emails at some point.


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## Rail Freak

30% here!


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## rtabern

I got the 50% bonus through March... will hop on it. $275 for 15,000 points... cant beat it!


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## AmtrakBlue

Didn't get an email.  AGR Insider said he "fixed" my eamil problem. Maybe I'll check with him again.


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## Ryan

No email here either, and nothing when I log in. Have to check to see what the wife and kids got.


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## Devil's Advocate

AmtrakBlue said:


> Didn't get an email.  AGR Insider said he "fixed" my eamil problem. Maybe I'll check with him again.


Or maybe you're simply not targeted. Do you want him to "fix" that as well?


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## jimhudson

I got the 50% Bonus Offer so I'm sure it's Targeted to When you Last Purchased Points!(I bought Early Last Jan.) Last years offer was Tiered in that the More you Bought, the Higher the Bonus up to 50%! (ie 10,000 Purchased = 5,000 Bonus Points)This Years is a Straight 50% No Matter How Many you buy up to 10,000! Hopefully all our Members will get this Offer! I'm All Over this, 15,000 Points for $275 is a Deal!


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## jimhudson

pennyk said:


> I received the email encouraging me to buy points, but with NO bonus. I guess they think I have enough points.


This offer must only be Targeted to Poor Folks who Don't live in Resort Areas!


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## Railroad Bill

jimhudson said:


> pennyk said:
> 
> 
> 
> I received the email encouraging me to buy points, but with NO bonus. I guess they think I have enough points.
> 
> 
> 
> This offer must only be Targeted to Poor Folks who Don't live in Resort Areas!
Click to expand...

Apparently, those of us who only received 30% offers are "middle of the nation" snow shovelers.  If we would have kept our walks clean we might have received the 50% offer. :giggle: But honestly, we bought our last points early in 2013 too, so not sure what the computer is looking for to offer the big time offer.


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## Misty.

They must have forgotten about me, then, since according to my email receipts, the last time I purchased points was in late July of 2012, and I've never bought more than half the yearly maximum in one transaction (though I have bought 6000 base points in one day during a promo before, it was split 4000/2000 between two credit cards). Would be nice if I were targeted for any bonus points by the time my tax money gets in, though, since I'm planning on buying my limit this year to help me get out to California for my pre Gathering additional coverage


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## AmtrakBlue

Devil's Advocate said:


> AmtrakBlue said:
> 
> 
> 
> Didn't get an email.  AGR Insider said he "fixed" my eamil problem. Maybe I'll check with him again.
> 
> 
> 
> Or maybe you're simply not targeted. Do you want him to "fix" that as well?
Click to expand...

NO! It's just that I recently contacted him because I have gotten NO emails from AGR since I signed up back in 2011. He said my email address was flagged as being not valid and he unflagged it. I'm not asking for favoritism, Mr, Cynical.


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## benale

I got the 30 percent E Mail. Why did some people get 50? However, it is still better than the last couple of AGR promotions when you could receive UP to 30 percent off when buying points, so this is not bad. I usually wait for double days and take an $11.05 round trip on the Keystones and get $400. With the bonus,this is slightly better.

I can get $200 points for riding ten miles during double days. I just rode FTL-WAS and I received 212 points. Of course, during double days it would be 424,but riding from ELT-HAR or LNC and return during double days gets me 400 points for $11 instead of $110.


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## JayPea

jimhudson said:


> pennyk said:
> 
> 
> 
> I received the email encouraging me to buy points, but with NO bonus. I guess they think I have enough points.
> 
> 
> 
> This offer must only be Targeted to Poor Folks who Don't live in Resort Areas!
Click to expand...


Well, that description applies to me on both counts. :lol:

I'm thinking it must have to do with when you last bought points, too. I usually buy mine right at the beginning of the new year, as I did last year. So it had been a year since I'd last bought points. More than makes up for some recent purchases I've made in the Points For Shopping portal that never did show up and wasn't worth pursuing the matter further.


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## trainman74

I've never bought points, and I got the 30% offer.


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## tonys96

jimhudson said:


> pennyk said:
> 
> 
> 
> I received the email encouraging me to buy points, but with NO bonus. I guess they think I have enough points.
> 
> 
> 
> This offer must only be Targeted to Poor Folks who Don't live in Resort Areas!
Click to expand...

I'm poor (you know that) and you live in more of a resort area than I do...........


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## oregon pioneer

I bought points last year for both me and Hubby ON THE SAME DAY (for me with my Chase card through my AGR account, for him with his Chase card through his AGR account). We used both our points on the same trip in December (a two-zone trip east bound, and a two-zone trip west bound 10 days later). I got the "10-30%" offer today, and he got the 50% offer. Go figure.


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## Meat Puppet

To the ones who received the 50% offer what is your current points total? Mine is 62,000 and havent received any of the offers. Just trying to figure out the criteria for the 50% offer.


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## hessjm

AmtrakBlue said:


> Didn't get an email.  AGR Insider said he "fixed" my eamil problem. Maybe I'll check with him again.


I have not gotten AGR emails for a couple of years either and they don't seem to be able to fix it. They have removed the email association from my Amtrak account and "fixed" some invalid flag too. I just check my AGR account every week or so to see if there is anything new.


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## oregon pioneer

oregon pioneer said:


> I bought points last year for both me and Hubby ON THE SAME DAY (for me with my Chase card through my AGR account, for him with his Chase card through his AGR account). We used both our points on the same trip in December (a two-zone trip east bound, and a two-zone trip west bound 10 days later). I got the "10-30%" offer today, and he got the 50% offer. Go figure.





Meat Puppet said:


> To the ones who received the 50% offer what is your current points total? Mine is 62,000 and havent received any of the offers. Just trying to figure out the criteria for the 50% offer.


I have 18,000+ points, and Hubby has 17,000+ points. Not much difference. And we got different offers. Do they have criteria, or is this random??


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## JayPea

Meat Puppet said:


> To the ones who received the 50% offer what is your current points total? Mine is 62,000 and havent received any of the offers. Just trying to figure out the criteria for the 50% offer.


I recently redeemed an award and had 9,040 points remaining. With the 15,000 I now have 24,040 points  
When I saw some folks got the 30% offer and some folks got no offer at all, I jumped on the 50% offer in case AGR changed their minds. :lol:


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## yarrow

i got the 50% offer. don't know how they target it as i have bought the max the past few years and use points pretty often for amtrak travel


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## chrsjrcj

Meat Puppet said:


> To the ones who received the 50% offer what is your current points total? Mine is 62,000 and havent received any of the offers. Just trying to figure out the criteria for the 50% offer.


Was around 35k. Bought 10k (plus 3k bonus) in June 2013 and December 2012. Haven't spent any yet.


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## SarahZ

Meat Puppet said:


> To the ones who received the 50% offer what is your current points total? Mine is 62,000 and havent received any of the offers. Just trying to figure out the criteria for the 50% offer.


I forgot I bought points last year, so now I'm really confused about the timing and who they're targeting.

My account: 6500

Bought points: September 2013 (and then used them to book a roomette right away)

50% offer

Brent's account: 15,000-ish points

Bought points: December 2013

No offer

Brent only rides Amtrak to/from ABQ each year and then maybe one round-trip to Chicago, so I'm surprised they gave me the bonus and not him. Maybe it's based on points balance?


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## Devil's Advocate

I would like to take a moment to advise folks to reconsider posting specific points balances. We live in an era when too much information shared online can be detrimental to your account. You may be surprised what bored people on the internet are capable of, but once you find out the hard way you'll never forget it.


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## pennyk

Devil's Advocate said:


> I would like to take a moment to advise folks to reconsider posting specific points balances. We live in an era when too much information shared online can be detrimental to your account. You may be surprised what bored people on the internet are capable of, but once you find out the hard way you'll never forget it.


I agree.


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## winterskigirl

I got the 30% bonus offer. I haven't seen 50% in quite awhile.


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## Meat Puppet

Devil's Advocate said:


> I would like to take a moment to advise folks to reconsider posting specific points balances. We live in an era when too much information shared online can be detrimental to your account. You may be surprised what bored people on the internet are capable of, but once you find out the hard way you'll never forget it.


I don't think 62,000, 6500 & 15,000sih are very specific.

I'm just trying to figure out who they are targeting. Its not random. Maybe low points balance, high points balance. Infrequent card users or very frequent card users. I have 62K and never carry a balance so just trying to figure out how I can get in that 50% email loop.


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## Devil's Advocate

Meat Puppet said:


> Devil's Advocate said:
> 
> 
> 
> I would like to take a moment to advise folks to reconsider posting specific points balances. We live in an era when too much information shared online can be detrimental to your account. You may be surprised what bored people on the internet are capable of, but once you find out the hard way you'll never forget it.
> 
> 
> 
> I don't think 62,000, 6500 & 15,000sih are very specific.
Click to expand...

Maybe that's because the post has already been edited?



Meat Puppet said:


> I'm just trying to figure out who they are targeting. Its not random. Maybe low points balance, high points balance. Infrequent card users or very frequent card users. I have 62K and never carry a balance so just trying to figure out how I can get in that 50% email loop.


As someone who has researched and participated in the points game for several years I doubt we'll be able to figure out the algorithm from a sample size this small. Even if we did figure it out what would you do with that information? While you're busy chasing the previous algorithm Amtrak will be busy creating a new one. Some of the qualifying criteria are likely to be historical or otherwise unchangeable by the account holder anyhow.


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## SarahZ

DA is correct. I edited my post as soon as I saw his advice.


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## the_traveler

Devil's Advocate said:


> I would like to take a moment to advise folks to reconsider posting specific points balances. We live in an era when too much information shared online can be detrimental to your account. You may be surprised what bored people on the internet are capable of, but once you find out the hard way you'll never forget it.


Although I do agree, even if someone said 56,137 points, it wouldn't really matter. Unless you know the person's AGR account number and password (if redeeming online) or the person'a real full name, AGR account number, full address, etc... (if redeeming over the phone), it won't do much good. You can't just say "I've got 87,459 AGR points and I want to redeem 75,000 points!"


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## VentureForth

I have between 16,127 and 16,129 points. I was sent an email with NO offer. If the offer is geographic, I wonder if in this day and age of eticketing and emarketing if it really matters what physical address I have on file. Last time I got anything in the mail was a companion voucher when I joined and nothing since.

Interestingly. It seems like the Midwest gets a good chunk of incentives - from better fares to begin with to frequent weekly specials. And now perhaps AGR?

This may sound like sour grapes, but I was under the impression that it is OK to target a demographic group in marketing, but if others got wind of it, they could take advantage. But then again, there are advertised senior rates and I don't get to qualify for those. However, there are published rules for those rates. I can't determine if there are published or unpublished rules on AGR bonus points.

Sounds like it could spawn one those postcards that says you are included in a class action lawsuit and entitled to your share of $15 Bil, your cut being $21.14.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3 using the Android Amtrak Forums mobile app


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## montezume

I bought 15 000 points with the bonus in November, and I got the email a few days ago offering me a 50% bonus once again. I haven't redeemed any points yet though, maybe that's why?


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## TinCan782

My wife and I each got the 30% email this week as we did last fall. We each purchased 10,000+3,000 at that time. That 50% bonus would sure be nice to get!


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## mom_of_many

I received the 50%, one daughter received 30% (8 yrs. old) and another daughter didn't receive one (10 yrs. old). I purchased my limit last year and have quite a few in my account now, so I don't know how they chose.


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## guest

pennyk said:


> Devil's Advocate said:
> 
> 
> 
> I would like to take a moment to advise folks to reconsider posting specific points balances. We live in an era when too much information shared online can be detrimental to your account. You may be surprised what bored people on the internet are capable of, but once you find out the hard way you'll never forget it.
> 
> 
> 
> I agree.
Click to expand...

Yeah... just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're _not _out to get you.


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## saturn04

I got the 30% too, I have the Amtrak select could that be the difference?

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum


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## SarahZ

saturn04 said:


> I got the 30% too, I have the Amtrak select could that be the difference?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum


I'm not Select status, so probably not.


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## Ryan

the_traveler said:


> Devil's Advocate said:
> 
> 
> 
> I would like to take a moment to advise folks to reconsider posting specific points balances. We live in an era when too much information shared online can be detrimental to your account. You may be surprised what bored people on the internet are capable of, but once you find out the hard way you'll never forget it.
> 
> 
> 
> Although I do agree, even if someone said 56,137 points, it wouldn't really matter. Unless you know the person's AGR account number and password (if redeeming online) or the person'a real full name, AGR account number, full address, etc... (if redeeming over the phone), it won't do much good. You can't just say "I've got 87,459 AGR points and I want to redeem 75,000 points!"
Click to expand...

Every piece of data someone can collect on you can help you call up an agent and get them to do something that they shouldn't:
http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/01/how-i-almost-lost-my-500000-twitter-username-jb-and-my-startup/



> He then called Amazon with what little information he had gained and complained that he had lost his password and didn’t have access to that e-mail address anymore. The representative eventually caved and reset the password over the phone, giving him full access to my Amazon account. His plan was to then gain as much information as he could with Amazon (the last four numbers of credit cards, current and previous addresses, etc.) and to use that as ammunition to do the same thing with Apple. And it almost worked. He had an e-mail in his Gmail inbox with instructions on how to reset my iCloud account.





> So what did I learn?
> 
> 1. Even though Amazon encourages you to only have one identity, don’t. Use completely separate accounts for your AWS services and your Amazon.com shopping account.
> 
> 2. Always use a private WHOIS service with domains that you own.
> 
> 3. Naoki’s thesis is that you shouldn’t use personally owned domain-based e-mail addresses for your logins to these services. Unfortunately, this isn’t a guarantee of safety. The problem is that e-mail providers like Gmail and iCloud are so big that they deal with thousands of requests on a daily basis from people who have genuinely forgotten their password, and the only way they have to grant them access again is by “verifying” their identity over the phone. *If someone can fake being “you” over the phone, they’re even more likely to succeed with these large providers.*
> 
> 4. Some of the biggest companies in the world have security that is only as good as a minimum-wage phone support worker who has the power to reset your account. And the companies have valid business reasons for giving the support workers this power.


http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/01/how-i-lost-my-50000-twitter-username/



> - I called paypal and used some very simple engineering tactics to obtain the last four of your card (avoid this by calling paypal and asking the agent to add a note to your account to not release any details via phone)
> 
> - I called godaddy and told them I had lost the card but I remembered the last four, the agent then allowed me to try a range of numbers (00-09 in your case)


http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/08/apple-amazon-mat-honan-hacking/



> But what happened to me exposes vital security flaws in several customer service systems, most notably Apple’s and Amazon’s. Apple tech support gave the hackers access to my iCloud account. Amazon tech support gave them the ability to see a piece of information — a partial credit card number — that Apple used to release information. In short, the very four digits that Amazon considers unimportant enough to display in the clear on the web are precisely the same ones that Apple considers secure enough to perform identity verification. The disconnect exposes flaws in data management policies endemic to the entire technology industry, and points to a looming nightmare as we enter the era of cloud computing and connected devices.





> At 4:33 p.m., according to Apple’s tech support records, someone called AppleCare claiming to be me. Apple says the caller reported that he couldn’t get into his Me.com e-mail — which, of course was my Me.com e-mail.
> 
> In response, Apple issued a temporary password. It did this despite the caller’s inability to answer security questions I had set up. And it did this after the hacker supplied only two pieces of information that anyone with an internet connection and a phone can discover.





> By wiping my MacBook and deleting my Google account, they now not only had the ability to control my account, but were able to prevent me from regaining access. And crazily, in ways that I don’t and never will understand, those deletions were just collateral damage. My MacBook data — including those irreplaceable pictures of my family, of my child’s first year and relatives who have now passed from this life — weren’t the target. Nor were the eight years of messages in my Gmail account. The target was always Twitter. My MacBook data was torched simply to prevent me from getting back in.
> 
> Lulz.


3 separate, high profile incidents. True, an exact point balance alone isn't going to give away the farm, but put together a few of those "innocent" pieces of data and you're screwed.


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## DennisInGeorgia

Now I'm really bummed. Reading all these offers of bonus AGR points, and I didn't even get an email of any sort. Does that mean something is wrong with my account?

I'm not feeling the love, here (sniff!).  And we use our AGR MC for every expense, too.


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## jis

I got an offer for some percentage which I exercised on one of my several accounts.


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## Devil's Advocate

RyanS said:


> 3 separate, high profile incidents. True, an exact point balance alone isn't going to give away the farm, but put together a few of those "innocent" pieces of data and you're screwed.


Thanks Ryan.

Exactly as you said it's not any one bit of data that's the problem. It's the ease of finding a few seemingly irrelevant pieces and then cobbling together a story. It only has to sound believable to one person for one single moment and the cat is out of the bag. I guess this may be one of those issues that some folks have to see to believe but by then it's too late.


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## Meat Puppet

I think the points bonus goes by your mothers maiden name. Can you all please PM me your mothers maiden name?


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## Blackwolf

I got the 30% bonus offer. Mrs. Blackwolf got the 50% offer.

Hmm... Need to look into saving up $550 before the offer expires, because between the two of us, that's just shy of a 3-zone roomette redemption for one heck of a low price!


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## montezume

So just to confirm, there's nothing stopping me from purchasing 10k + 5k bonus for mile self, and then purchasing 10k + 5k for my girlfriend through my account, as she hasn't been offered the bonus?


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## PJnVA

I received the 30% offer and the email link does not work. I will wait a couple days and try again. I need the points as I am panning a 3 zone trip to see my sister on the left coast


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## PJnVA

I received the 30% offer and the email link does not work. I will wait a couple days and try again. I need the points as I am panning a 3 zone trip to see my sister on the left coast


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## oregon pioneer

PJnVA said:


> I received the 30% offer and the email link does not work. I will wait a couple days and try again. I need the points as I am panning a 3 zone trip to see my sister on the left coast


You should be able to log into your account and see the offer there, regardless of how you get there.

Just for giggles, when I went to buy my points, I used my husband's 50% link, and then logged into _*MY *_account. Only saw my 30% offer (same as in the email *I *received). I concluded that the offer for me remains the same regardless of how I get into my account. Yes, I was disappointed not to "get away with" something, but I also learned something.


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## SarahZ

montezume said:


> So just to confirm, there's nothing stopping me from purchasing 10k + 5k bonus for mile self, and then purchasing 10k + 5k for my girlfriend through my account, as she hasn't been offered the bonus?


I'm not sure. This is from the Terms & Conditions:

"Members may buy or receive up to a total of 10,000 points in a calendar year (Select Executive members have no annual buy points limit)."

You can *share* up to 100,000 points per year, but it looks like they're capping the "buy points for others" at 10,000. I think that's new, because I don't remember there being a limit before.


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## montezume

SarahZ said:


> montezume said:
> 
> 
> 
> So just to confirm, there's nothing stopping me from purchasing 10k + 5k bonus for mile self, and then purchasing 10k + 5k for my girlfriend through my account, as she hasn't been offered the bonus?
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not sure. This is from the Terms & Conditions:
> 
> "Members may buy or receive up to a total of 10,000 points in a calendar year (Select Executive members have no annual buy points limit)."
> 
> You can *share* up to 100,000 points per year, but it looks like they're capping the "buy points for others" at 10,000. I think that's new, because I don't remember there being a limit before.
Click to expand...

Yeah you're right



> You can purchase up to 10,000 points per calendar year for yourself or as a gift for someone else.


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## PJnVA

oregon pioneer said:


> PJnVA said:
> 
> 
> 
> I received the 30% offer and the email link does not work. I will wait a couple days and try again. I need the points as I am panning a 3 zone trip to see my sister on the left coast
> 
> 
> 
> You should be able to log into your account and see the offer there, regardless of how you get there.
> 
> Just for giggles, when I went to buy my points, I used my husband's 50% link, and then logged into _*MY *_account. Only saw my 30% offer (same as in the email *I *received). I concluded that the offer for me remains the same regardless of how I get into my account. Yes, I was disappointed not to "get away with" something, but I also learned something.
Click to expand...

this is what I get when I click the buy points link in my email. The offer does not show up on my promotions page. The fine print in the email says it is ettective 1/31/14 12:01 am through 3/15/14 11:59 pm. I am wondering if maybe someone forgot to make this active Friday. I received the email Friday.


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## SarahZ

It won't show up on your Promotions page. If you go to the "Buy Points" page, you'll see the offer in red text, and the amounts in the drop-down boxes will show things like "10,000 (+3000)".


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## PJnVA

SarahZ said:


> It won't show up on your Promotions page. If you go to the "Buy Points" page, you'll see the offer in red text, and the amounts in the drop-down boxes will show things like "10,000 (+3000)".


I appeciate the hlp but when I click the Buy poits it never takes me to the actual page. I het the above HTTPS status erroe. I am sure it is just a clich on the web site. I'll try tomorrow once the business week starts.


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## rrdude

Yippy-GD-Skippy. I logged into AGR, and was offered the 50%.

Have, 'round 19K now, buy and redeem each year, live in Mid-Atlantic. Select only. (Was just 1,500 short last year til PLUS, but couldn't swing it.....)


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## AlanB

SarahZ said:


> You can *share* up to 100,000 points per year, but it looks like they're capping the "buy points for others" at 10,000. I think that's new, because I don't remember there being a limit before.


There has always been a limit of 10,000 points being brought for any one account within a year. You can buy 10,000 for your account and then you are done. You cannot buy anymore points for your account, nor could Brent buy you points starting from his account.

Now provided that Brent didn't buy himself any points this year, you could buy him 10K if you wanted to do so; and without regard to whether or not you had already brought yourself 10K. And if you were feeling really generous you could buy me 10K too, without regard to the fact that you'd already brought Brent 10K.

The only exception to all of this is for Select Exec members, who can buy as many points they like or have gifted to them as many points as they can talk people into buying for them.


----------



## SarahZ

AlanB said:


> SarahZ said:
> 
> 
> 
> You can *share* up to 100,000 points per year, but it looks like they're capping the "buy points for others" at 10,000. I think that's new, because I don't remember there being a limit before.
> 
> 
> 
> There has always been a limit of 10,000 points being brought for any one account within a year. You can buy 10,000 for your account and then you are done. You cannot buy anymore points for your account, nor could Brent buy you points starting from his account.
> 
> Now provided that Brent didn't buy himself any points this year, you could buy him 10K if you wanted to do so; and without regard to whether or not you had already brought yourself 10K. And if you were feeling really generous you could buy me 10K too, without regard to the fact that you'd already brought Brent 10K.
> 
> The only exception to all of this is for Select Exec members, who can buy as many points they like or have gifted to them as many points as they can talk people into buying for them.
Click to expand...

Okay, then I was probably thinking of the 100,000 Share cap that entire time. Thanks. 

PJnVA - I'm also getting an error page when I try to Buy points. It wasn't there earlier. It's a different page than the one you have, but it might be a browser difference. I'm using Chrome. Hopefully, they'll fix whatever made it crash and get it back up later today.


----------



## Ryan

Working here (Safari), still no bonus.


----------



## nferr

Got no email, logged into the website and went to the buy points section. No mention of bonus but in the drop down menu I have the 13,000 points available. So 30%for me if buy the max.


----------



## TraneMan

I've gotten the 50% email, was going to buy it tonight, but will hold off after our trip to CHI this weekend.

-Sent from my iPad using Amtrak Forum App.


----------



## hessjm

Good luck in figuring out the logic applied to those that get 30% and those that get 50% bonus points. I am eligible to receive 30% and JoeG gets the 50% bonus. The only difference we can see is that he only bought 13,000 points while I bought 26,000 during the last bonus offering.


----------



## AG1

Neither my wife nor myself have ever bought points. I received 30% offer and the wife didn't receive any offer. No logic there.


----------



## AlanB

hessjm said:


> Good luck in figuring out the logic applied to those that get 30% and those that get 50% bonus points. I am eligible to receive 30% and JoeG gets the 50% bonus. The only difference we can see is that he only bought 13,000 points while I bought 26,000 during the last bonus offering.


Mom & I both brought 10K last year, with the 3K bonus. I'm Select Exec, mom is Select Plus. She got the 50  ; and I got nothing.


----------



## June the Coach Rider

DennisInGeorgia said:


> Now I'm really bummed. Reading all these offers of bonus AGR points, and I didn't even get an email of any sort. Does that mean something is wrong with my account?
> 
> I'm not feeling the love, here (sniff!).  And we use our AGR MC for every expense, too.


I did not receive any offer either, and when I was on the phone with AGR on Sunday, she told me that there was no offer going on right now. I told her that other members received them, she said well they do that randomly. So I wish I would get an offer before my trip in April.


----------



## hessjm

June the Coach Rider said:


> DennisInGeorgia said:
> 
> 
> 
> Now I'm really bummed. Reading all these offers of bonus AGR points, and I didn't even get an email of any sort. Does that mean something is wrong with my account?
> 
> I'm not feeling the love, here (sniff!).  And we use our AGR MC for every expense, too.
> 
> 
> 
> I did not receive any offer either, and when I was on the phone with AGR on Sunday, she told me that there was no offer going on right now. I told her that other members received them, she said well they do that randomly. So I wish I would get an offer before my trip in April.
Click to expand...

June/Dennis, go to the transfer/buy point tab of your AGR page and go through the motions of buying points. After you enter first and last name along your AGR number the next page will show any bonus points, you can also scroll down in the drop down window to see any bonus amounts. Hopefully you just did not get an email!


----------



## Bob Dylan

AlanB said:


> hessjm said:
> 
> 
> 
> Good luck in figuring out the logic applied to those that get 30% and those that get 50% bonus points. I am eligible to receive 30% and JoeG gets the 50% bonus. The only difference we can see is that he only bought 13,000 points while I bought 26,000 during the last bonus offering.
> 
> 
> 
> Mom & I both brought 10K last year, with the 3K bonus. I'm Select Exec, mom is Select Plus. She got the 50  ; and I got nothing.
Click to expand...

Maybe AGR/Amtrak figures that you Select Exec High Rollers that ride FC Acela all the time don't need any Bonus Points since you Rack up so many on the NEC! ^_^ Grace doesnt ride as much so she got the 50% offer!

(Of course Joe Hess is Select Exec also and he only go the 30% Offer while the Colonel got the 50% Offer! Amtrak Logic in Action!!  )


----------



## pennyk

jimhudson said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> hessjm said:
> 
> 
> 
> Good luck in figuring out the logic applied to those that get 30% and those that get 50% bonus points. I am eligible to receive 30% and JoeG gets the 50% bonus. The only difference we can see is that he only bought 13,000 points while I bought 26,000 during the last bonus offering.
> 
> 
> 
> Mom & I both brought 10K last year, with the 3K bonus. I'm Select Exec, mom is Select Plus. She got the 50  ; and I got nothing.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Maybe AGR/Amtrak figures that you Select Exec High Rollers that ride FC Acela all the time don't need any Bonus Points since you Rack up so many on the NEC! Grace doesnt ride as much so she got the 50% offer!
> 
> (Of course Joe Hess is Select Exec also and he only go the 30% Offer while the Colonel got the 50% Offer! Amtrak Logic in Action!!  )
Click to expand...

I am select plus and did not get a bonus offer - just an email encouraging me to buy points.


----------



## I always rode the Southern

Both my husband and I got the 30% email, my daughter did not get an email. Last night I logged in to her account and went through the steps for buying and when I got to the drop down page the 30% bonus was there. So go through the steps if you didn't get the email, you may find a pleasant surprise!


----------



## AmtrakBlue

hessjm said:


> June the Coach Rider said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> DennisInGeorgia said:
> 
> 
> 
> Now I'm really bummed. Reading all these offers of bonus AGR points, and I didn't even get an email of any sort. Does that mean something is wrong with my account?
> 
> I'm not feeling the love, here (sniff!).  And we use our AGR MC for every expense, too.
> 
> 
> 
> I did not receive any offer either, and when I was on the phone with AGR on Sunday, she told me that there was no offer going on right now. I told her that other members received them, she said well they do that randomly. So I wish I would get an offer before my trip in April.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> June/Dennis, go to the transfer/buy point tab of your AGR page and go through the motions of buying points. After you enter first and last name along your AGR number the next page will show any bonus points, you can also scroll down in the drop down window to see any bonus amounts. Hopefully you just did not get an email!
Click to expand...

I tried that this weekend - no bonus points.


----------



## June the Coach Rider

hessjm said:


> June the Coach Rider said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> DennisInGeorgia said:
> 
> 
> 
> Now I'm really bummed. Reading all these offers of bonus AGR points, and I didn't even get an email of any sort. Does that mean something is wrong with my account?
> 
> I'm not feeling the love, here (sniff!).  And we use our AGR MC for every expense, too.
> 
> 
> 
> I did not receive any offer either, and when I was on the phone with AGR on Sunday, she told me that there was no offer going on right now. I told her that other members received them, she said well they do that randomly. So I wish I would get an offer before my trip in April.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> June/Dennis, go to the transfer/buy point tab of your AGR page and go through the motions of buying points. After you enter first and last name along your AGR number the next page will show any bonus points, you can also scroll down in the drop down window to see any bonus amounts. Hopefully you just did not get an email!
Click to expand...

Thanks, that worked. I can get 50% more when I purchase. Now do I purchase only enough for business class on the NEC part of my trip or get the whole 10,000. It won't be enough to get a roomette. hmmm.

AmtrakBlue, it was not there for me this past weekend either. But it is today.


----------



## tomfuller

My wife and I were both lucky enough to get the 50% bonus. I bought 10000 + 5000 bonus and my wife bought 9000 plus the bonus 4500.

I'm still waiting for the 800+ points for the pair of boots I got from shoebuy at 12 points per dollar.

If you need more points for a roomette, buy something through the shopping portal.


----------



## AmtrakBlue

Still no bonus for me. I'm not ready to buy anyway (waiting for my tax refund and my AGR CC which I recently applied for).


----------



## Michigan Mom

I got the 50% offer. No idea why. It's good for a while so I'm holding off on buying. They must not know what a troublemaker I am.


----------



## jerichowhiskey

I did not receive an email, but I do have the 30% offer. I will probably hold off until I receive the 50% offer though. Once I get my points for joining NARP, I am set for a two-zone roomette!


----------



## NAVYBLUE

When I use Firefox browser(my browser of choice) to check for bonus points for wife and I, I get an error message. When I use Internet Explorer, I can see they would sell either of us 10,000 points with no bonus.

Has anyone else had problems with using Firefox to see/buy bonus points offer.

Thanks/NAVYBLUE


----------



## oregon pioneer

NAVYBLUE said:


> When I use Firefox browser(my browser of choice) to check for bonus points for wife and I, I get an error message. When I use Internet Explorer, I can see they would sell either of us 10,000 points with no bonus.
> 
> Has anyone else had problems with using Firefox to see/buy bonus points offer.
> 
> Thanks/NAVYBLUE


I use Firefox and had no problems buying points (_with _the bonuses offered us in emails from AGR). Can't say why it's not working for you, but I'd guess it's not the browser.


----------



## Ryan

Yep. No issues here using Firefox... 27.0...


----------



## SP&S

No problems with FF here, you might try clearing your browser cache first and if that doesn't work what is the error message?


----------



## Lakeshore

NAVYBLUE said:


> When I use Firefox browser(my browser of choice) to check for bonus points for wife and I, I get an error message. When I use Internet Explorer, I can see they would sell either of us 10,000 points with no bonus.
> 
> Has anyone else had problems with using Firefox to see/buy bonus points offer.
> 
> Thanks/NAVYBLUE


I have seen the error a few times as I have been checking to see if I will get a bonus (none yet  ). There are just some lines of text saying Apache error or something, I don't remember. It seems to be very intermittent, so it will probably work if you try again some time later.


----------



## Bob Dylan

NAVYBLUE said:


> When I use Firefox browser(my browser of choice) to check for bonus points for wife and I, I get an error message. When I use Internet Explorer, I can see they would sell either of us 10,000 points with no bonus.
> 
> Has anyone else had problems with using Firefox to see/buy bonus points offer.
> 
> Thanks/NAVYBLUE


Mike: I haven't had any problems using Firefox and I got the 50% Bonus!  I used to get many Error Messages when using IE!!! (I've also used Google Chrome, no problems to speak of using that either!)


----------



## JayPea

No problems with Firefox either; got the 50% bonus also.


----------



## NAVYBLUE

Thanks all. I get the "Apache error" all the time with FF. I am a "computer semi-geek" but not yet a "full geek" I have "Ghostery" a FF add on that blocks trackers. I have options/security set to never accept third party cookies.

Last year I bought 13,000 points witth the same settings for wife and I so I am baffled. I think I am not getting the bonus because just last month I used Points.com to transfer US Air miles to AGR points (9,300/4,500) for wife and I. I also clear Firefox every day and when I shut down for the night.

Any ideas are appreciated in advance.

NAVYBLUE


----------



## Ryan

The obvious thing is to try it without Ghostery. They've redone the website since then, so it's not out of the question that it would cause a problem where last year it didn't.


----------



## saturn04

I used Firefox too got my extra 30% I just closed out and went back in and got my points and my roomette!


----------



## markwo

No email, no bonus, and I need to buy 7000 points now!


----------



## pooh2

I purchased the 10,000 points plus 5,000 bonus points. The purchase showed up immediately under "My recent transactions", but not at the top in the total of points next to my name. How long does the total take to show on my page?


----------



## SarahZ

I usually see it there within 15-30 minutes. Try logging out and back in again.


----------



## pooh2

SarahZ said:


> I usually see it there within 15-30 minutes. Try logging out and back in again.


Thanks!


----------



## Lazy Z

AmtrakBlue said:


> Devil said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> AmtrakBlue said:
> 
> 
> 
> Didn't get an email.  AGR Insider said he "fixed" my eamil problem. Maybe I'll check with him again.
> 
> 
> 
> Or maybe you're simply not targeted. Do you want him to "fix" that as well?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> NO! It's just that I recently contacted him because I have gotten NO emails from AGR since I signed up back in 2011. He said my email address was flagged as being not valid and he unflagged it. I'm not asking for favoritism, Mr, Cynical.
Click to expand...

Funny, I was told the same thing about my email address!


----------



## AmtrakBlue

Lazy Z said:


> AmtrakBlue said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Devil said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> AmtrakBlue said:
> 
> 
> 
> Didn't get an email.  AGR Insider said he "fixed" my eamil problem. Maybe I'll check with him again.
> 
> 
> 
> Or maybe you're simply not targeted. Do you want him to "fix" that as well?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> NO! It's just that I recently contacted him because I have gotten NO emails from AGR since I signed up back in 2011. He said my email address was flagged as being not valid and he unflagged it. I'm not asking for favoritism, Mr, Cynical.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Funny, I was told the same thing about my email address!
Click to expand...

He asked if I had another email address I could try, and luckily I did have one that I have not used in a few years. That one seems to be working as I have gotten two promos since he changed the email address over the weekend.


----------



## Claire4

Am I the only one who thinks it's blatantly unfair for Amtrak to offer "special" 30-50% bonus points deals to some AGR members and not to everyone? The AGR Service Agreement doesn't mention special privileges for anyone other than the three Select Member levels, and AGR telephone reps can't explain why most regular members have been excluded from the current, early 2014 bonus points offer. I don't just think it's unfair, I think it's probably illegal for a government-funded agency to bestow special financial benefits to some and deny the same to others. Five thousand free bonus points times our three family members with AGR accounts is worth a $500-$600 Florida to NY trip in a roomette. What makes some members deserving of a $600 free benefit that the rest of us chumps can't have???


----------



## JayPea

Whether or not it's unfair, AGR is a private company and not controlled by Amtrak.


----------



## Bob Dylan

JayPea said:


> Whether or not it's unfair, AGR is a private company and not controlled by Amtrak.


This isn't Correct Jeff, AGR IS Part of Amtrak! It's buypoints.com that is the Private for Profit Company!


----------



## JayPea

Oops!


----------



## Claire Zaiser

jimhudson said:


> JayPea said:
> 
> 
> 
> Whether or not it's unfair, AGR is a private company and not controlled by Amtrak.
> 
> 
> 
> This isn't Correct Jeff, AGR IS Part of Amtrak! It's buypoints.com that is the Private for Profit Company!
Click to expand...

Thanks, Jim! Your info led me to Points.com, a publicly traded Canadian company that manages the Buy/Redeem/Share points programs for 45 large corporations, including Amtrak. NOW I understand why my bonus points for car rentals, luggage purchases, etc. always seem to get "lost", requiring me to call AGR for assistance. They always refer my inquiry to "another department" for resolution -- which I'm now sure is Points.com. The "Marketing Department" to which AGR has recently referred my complaint regarding the 30-50% bonus for bought points is undoubtedly also Points.com. Looking through the list of 45 Points corporate customers, I believe that Amtrak is the only federally funded one (to the tune of over 1 billion $/ year) and the only one that should not be practicing discriminatory bonus offers (in the form of test marketing) to Amtrak's single class of Members. I'm very glad to have this information for my future communications with Mr. Boardman and the Amtrak Board of Directors. It will focus on who's to blame and get the problem corrected sooner rather than later. I love Amtrak and I've loved train travel all of my 65 years, which is one of the reasons I don't hesitate to find solutions to problems rather than just sit around and complain about them.


----------



## AlanB

Claire4 said:


> Am I the only one who thinks it's blatantly unfair for Amtrak to offer "special" 30-50% bonus points deals to some AGR members and not to everyone? The AGR Service Agreement doesn't mention special privileges for anyone other than the three Select Member levels, and AGR telephone reps can't explain why most regular members have been excluded from the current, early 2014 bonus points offer. I don't just think it's unfair, I think it's probably illegal for a government-funded agency to bestow special financial benefits to some and deny the same to others. Five thousand free bonus points times our three family members with AGR accounts is worth a $500-$600 Florida to NY trip in a roomette. What makes some members deserving of a $600 free benefit that the rest of us chumps can't have???


AGR has run lots of targeted promotions over the years; nothing illegal in that at all. Sometimes I can figure out who the target is; sometimes not. This was one of those times I couldn't figure it out. I'm Select Exec, the highest level; and I didn't get the 50% bonus. My mom on the other hand is Select Plus, the second level; she got the bonus offer.


----------



## pennyk

AlanB said:


> Claire4 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Am I the only one who thinks it's blatantly unfair for Amtrak to offer "special" 30-50% bonus points deals to some AGR members and not to everyone? The AGR Service Agreement doesn't mention special privileges for anyone other than the three Select Member levels, and AGR telephone reps can't explain why most regular members have been excluded from the current, early 2014 bonus points offer. I don't just think it's unfair, I think it's probably illegal for a government-funded agency to bestow special financial benefits to some and deny the same to others. Five thousand free bonus points times our three family members with AGR accounts is worth a $500-$600 Florida to NY trip in a roomette. What makes some members deserving of a $600 free benefit that the rest of us chumps can't have???
> 
> 
> 
> AGR has run lots of targeted promotions over the years; nothing illegal in that at all. Sometimes I can figure out who the target is; sometimes not. This was one of those times I couldn't figure it out. I'm Select Exec, the highest level; and I didn't get the 50% bonus. My mom on the other hand is Select Plus, the second level; she got the bonus offer.
Click to expand...

I am select plus and did not get any bonus offer. I am not happy about it, but I do not think it is anyway illegal.


----------



## Ispolkom

I'm dirt to AGR (always have been), and I got the 50% offer. Since it's become harder for me to earn AGR points through credit card manipulation, I actually bit on this lure.


----------



## AmtrakBlue

And I'm still hopeful that I'll get it before I need to buy my points this year, which I plan to do either way.


----------



## Ryan

Claire4 said:


> Am I the only one who thinks it's blatantly unfair for Amtrak to offer "special" 30-50% bonus points deals to some AGR members and not to everyone?


Probably.

(never had status, didn't get this offer)


----------



## jis

For whatever it is worth, I discovered purely by accident that I had a 30% offer. I don't recall ever having received any email. But then again some email that I had received may have automagically been confined to the circular file. Who knows?

Anyway, with that purchase now almost the entire lot of my travels for the OTOL Fest and the AU Gathering looks like will be on AGR points.


----------



## Bigval109

I don't seem to get any of these offers. Is there anything I can do to get

on the list?


----------



## Bigval109

I'm in the same boat. I don't seem to get any of these offers.


----------



## SarahZ

Bigval109 said:


> I don't seem to get any of these offers. Is there anything I can do to get
> 
> on the list?


Under your AGR profile, go to "Contact Preferences" and make sure you check the boxes next to AGR Program Offers and Information and AGR Partner Offers. 

These will give you not just the AGR promotions, but also alerts when vendors like Hertz have bonus point offers.

Then, make sure [email protected] is added to your "okay" list, or whatever will keep it out of your spam folder.


----------



## pennyk

I just received the 30% bonus offer (through the end of April) this morning my email.


----------



## AmtrakBlue

pennyk said:


> I just received the 30% bonus offer (through the end of April) this morning my email.


Me too! Me too!


----------



## Ryan

No email, no bonus when I go to buy points.

I must be on AGRs bad side for some reason.


----------



## AmtrakBlue

RyanS said:


> No email, no bonus when I go to buy points.
> 
> I must be on AGRs bad side for some reason.


Maybe your twin will share.


----------



## CaliforniaMom

I received the email but am bummed because I bought 10K miles just last month (after I didn't receive the February bonus email).

Can I buy the bonus points for my husband's account, then he can give the points back to me (I know there is a fee with transferring)?


----------



## Ryan

You can do that.

Or your husband can just keep the points and redeem them for you.

It's never a good idea to buy tickets without a bonus unless you need them Right Now (or it's Dec 31st).


----------



## CaliforniaMom

RyanS said:


> You can do that.
> 
> Or your husband can just keep the points and redeem them for you.
> 
> It's never a good idea to buy tickets without a bonus unless you need them Right Now (or it's Dec 31st).


Thanks! Long story long: We want to do a 3-zone rewards trip (to a convention in Wash DC) so I had enough in March after I purchased 10K and booked a roomette; I intended to upgrade to a bedroom as soon as I got 25K more.

Last minute, a friend and her son are planning to go to the same convention, so to help her out, I want to get them a roomette as well. Trying to get enough points now to get THEM a roomette and still upgrade us to a bedroom.

So now am applying for card for my husband (he's not listed on my card - read others' advice to keep it separate for extra rewards) and figure that between the 12K sign on bonus and the 13K (10 + 3) I can gift to his account, we should be close to another roomette in a couple of months, and hopefully they're still available!

Thanks again.


----------



## the_traveler

CaliforniaMom said:


> Last minute, a friend and her son are planning to go to the same convention, so to help her out, I want to get them a roomette as well. Trying to get enough points now to get THEM a roomette and still upgrade us to a bedroom.
> 
> So now am applying for card for my husband (he's not listed on my card - read others' advice to keep it separate for extra rewards) and figure that between the 12K sign on bonus and the 13K (10 + 3) I can gift to his account, we should be close to another roomette in a couple of months, and hopefully they're still available!


I am not positive, but I think that there is an annual transfer limit. The points plus bonus can exceed the 10,000 annual points purchase limit, but a transfer annual limit (I think it's 10,000 points) can not be exceeded.


RyanS said:


> No email, no bonus when I go to buy points.I must be on AGRs bad side for some reason.


Me too!


----------



## guest

I got the 30 percent offer in this morning's email. I wonder if they're going to send them out on a quarterly basis all year. I've got 30 days to buy them. I just this morning returned home from a trip so I am motivated to buy them for the next one.


----------



## CaliforniaMom

the_traveler said:


> I am not positive, but I think that there is an annual transfer limit. The points plus bonus can exceed the 10,000 annual points purchase limit, but a transfer annual limit (I think it's 10,000 points) can not be exceeded.


Ah, you're probably right. I will have to check - it's 7-10 days till hubby gets card, then I need to figure out all the rigamarole. Thanks!


----------



## Ryan

From the T's and C's:



> H. Buy/Gift Points
> 
> 
> To purchase points, you must have your Amtrak Guest Rewards member number, the recipient's Amtrak Guest Rewards member number, and a valid credit card accepted by Points.com.
> Amtrak Guest Rewards Buy/Gift Points can be purchased in increments of 500 points, and *each Member may buy or receive up to a total of 10,000 points in a calendar year.* Select Executive Members are not subject to limits on the number of points they may Buy/Gift/Share.
> The Amtrak Guest Rewards Buy/Gift Points will be posted to your account within 72 hours.
> Buy/Gift Points do not count toward Select, Select Plus or Select Executive status.
> GST/HST and/or other applicable taxes apply to residents in Canada. Buy/Gift Points purchases are sold in U.S. Dollars. Amtrak Guest Rewards Buy/Gift Points are not refundable, not transferable, and not exchangeable. Other terms may apply.
> Buy/Gift Points are issued by Points.com.
> I. Share Points
> To share points, you must have your Amtrak Guest Rewards member number and the recipient's Amtrak Guest Rewards member number.
> *Amtrak Guest Rewards Share Points can be purchased in increments of 1,000 points with a total of 100,000 points per account in a calendar year. Select Executive Members are not subject to limits on the number of points they may Buy/Gift/Share.*
> The Amtrak Guest Rewards Share Points will be posted to the recipient's Amtrak Guest Rewards account within 72 hours.
> Share Points do not count toward Select, Select Plus or Select Executive status.
> You will be charged $0.01 USD per point. GST/HST and/or other applicable taxes apply to residents in Canada. Share Points are sold in U.S. Dollars.
> Amtrak Guest Rewards retains the right to transfer points back to the original account if the payment is not received.
> All Share Points transactions are final. Once a transaction is complete and payment is received, the points will not be re-deposited to the original account under any circumstance.
> Any points transferred through this agreement may not be conveyed to persons engaged in the sale, direct or indirect of points or arranging for the sale of such points. Any improper usage of points pursuant to this Agreement and the Share Points program, or any other misuse of points, shall be grounds for immediate confiscation and forfeiture of such points, and may be grounds for the forfeiture of all points in the Member's account and the Member's ejection from the Amtrak Guest Rewards Program.
> Share Points are issued by Points.com.
> Amtrak Guest Rewards Share Points are not refundable, not transferable, and not exchangeable. Other terms may apply.


I am unsure if the 10,000 point gift limit applies to incoming shared points. It doesn't appear to, so you should be able to share as many points as you want with your husband. You may want to look into that, though.


----------



## I always rode the Southern

I don't understand why anyone would want to gift or transfer points to a spouse. I buy points for myself and my spouse buys points-using the same credit card.

If there are not enough points in one account the return trip is booked on the other account. If I am going to transfer points it is only going to be from Chase Sapphire to AGR where it is 1/1 and there are no fees involved. Before I got the Sapphire Card i would plan very carefully which AGR credit card(mine or hubby's)to use on a purchase so that points were balanced as needed for any particuar trip.


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## Ryan

If I have 10,000 points and my wife has 10,000 points and I want a 2-zone roomette (20,000 points), a transfer is the cheapest and easiest way to do that. Combine the points into one account and book it.


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## I always rode the Southern

I understand what you are saying Ryan. To avoid that situation and the need to transfer is why I established our strategy. Getting the Sapphire Card gave us a 40,000 point base(and now we use it for most purchases since points are transferred free). I also buy points for both of us every year,trying to hit a 30% bonus if I can. This last year I bought the last bonus in december and the first after the new year, so we both got 26,000 extra points under our belt for this year already-not including the ultimate reward points. Granted we usually only take about 4/5 round trips a year, but still have points for carryover. I do pay for trips when using points doesn't make sense, but this enables us to take many more trips by train than otherwise, unfortunately the drawback is I will probably never get status....but I can live with that.


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## me_little_me

I always rode the Southern said:


> I don't understand why anyone would want to gift or transfer points to a spouse. I buy points for myself and my spouse buys points-using the same credit card.
> 
> If there are not enough points in one account the return trip is booked on the other account. If I am going to transfer points it is only going to be from Chase Sapphire to AGR where it is 1/1 and there are no fees involved. Before I got the Sapphire Card i would plan very carefully which AGR credit card(mine or hubby's)to use on a purchase so that points were balanced as needed for any particuar trip.


She didn't get bonus offer but I did so I bought 10K for myself with bonus and 10K for her with bonus. She also had only 23.9K points and needed 25K for 1 one BR. Won't have opportunity to gain points on her account as only planned trip is AGR.

I don't know if there will be a problem because even after I bought the 10K for me, I tried doing it again for myself (did not complete it) and it still offered me the bonus.

UPDATE:

Wow! 24 hours and both the 10K points I bought for myself and the ones I bought for her show the 3K bonus.


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## Bigval109

I went to Amtrak insider as asked what can be done to get those bonus emails. While

I didn't get a response, I did get an email the next day with a bonus offer 30%.


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## printman2000

My wife did not get the 30 bonus and even though I did, it would not allow me to buy her some from my account with the bonus.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum


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## Gunnie

I recently received the 50% bonus points email offer when buying points and this might be a dumb question, but I rather ask and be certain. Is it worth it to buy 10K points for $275 and get the bonus 50% points for a total of 15K points? I know that the cost of a one zone sleeper is 15K points so this does sound like a good deal.


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## SarahZ

Gunnie said:


> I recently received the 50% bonus points email offer when buying points and this might be a dumb question, but I rather ask and be certain. Is it worth it to buy 10K points for $275 and get the bonus 50% points for a total of 15K points? I know that the cost of a one zone sleeper is 15K points so this does sound like a good deal.


I think it is, depending on the route you want to take. For example, my roomette from Chicago to San Francisco this fall was around $800. A roomette from Chicago to ABQ during Christmas is $650 if we buy it at the right time.

Plus, those points cover the connecting train as well. We get business class from Kalamazoo to Chicago and then a roomette to wherever we're heading.

So, yes, in those cases, it's _definitely_ worth it, as we're saving anywhere from $500 - $700 (approximately).

For some trains, roomettes are around $250, so you'd want to pay cash for those trips and then save your points for the more expensive ones.


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## DennisInGA

My wife and I both got a 50% bonus offer via email this morning around 6am. Finally feeling the love from AGR !!

Either there's a new wave of offers or they finally got down to our end of the alphabet. Whichever - SOLD!


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