# New AGR Program Mailer with a nice luggage tag



## SubwayNut (Sep 6, 2015)

I got home and checked my mail yesterday to find a big envelope from AGR informing me about 2016 Amtrak Guest Rewards. Inside is a note from Vicky Radke, explaining that "What's not changing? Your tier benefits and the tier qualifying points (TQPs) you need to requalify." NOTHING about the fact that the 100 base points on every trip is gone that will remove me from the Select+ ranks.

There is also a nice personalized luggage tag with my name and address on it that I'll probably use As a Token of our Appreciation.

If your select plus look for it in the mail. I'm attaching a photo of the quite well put together mailing (the specs of white paper cover my address (the only portion of identity on the luggage tags. Not that it makes me less dissapointing on the changes, particularly the earnings side.


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## BCL (Sep 6, 2015)

I mentioned it a few days ago. Look like iggy even tweeted about it almost a week ago.


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## TinCan782 (Sep 6, 2015)

(snark on)

Makes me feel better about the new program and future trips costing a lot more in points. :angry:

(snark off)


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## chrsjrcj (Sep 6, 2015)

I have yet to receive that, and I've been an AGR member for 4 years now with the AGR Mastercard. Of course, it could be because I've never had status, but that's impossible to do when Amtrak treats there Florida (and LD trains in general) like dirt *cough* *cough* *Silver Star*.


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## iggy (Sep 6, 2015)

Nice photo - I tweeted the front of package - took video of rest. Left town two days after I got it - so didn't do anything with video. I did add tag to my main bag for Amtrak trip that day. I'm not sure tag will hold up well after multiple trips.

I'm pleased that someone at Amtrak obviously listened to passenger suggestions. If I remember from previous threads - this may have been something Amtrak had done in past and stopped doing. I know a few members here suggested this minimal "perk".

Status in many areas is not easy to reach - even for loyal customers who ride often. I had to go all the way out East to earn enough TQP to get SELECT+ last year. Most likely get just a bit above SELECT this year.

Twitter 8:32 PM Sept 1 2015

https://twitter.com/Iggy/status/638887289503019008

I think I received it that day.


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## BCL (Sep 7, 2015)

chrsjrcj said:


> I have yet to receive that, and I've been an AGR member for 4 years now with the AGR Mastercard. Of course, it could be because I've never had status, but that's impossible to do when Amtrak treats there Florida (and LD trains in general) like dirt *cough* *cough* *Silver Star*.


I think the packages only went out to S+ and SE members.



iggy said:


> Status in many areas is not easy to reach - even for loyal customers who ride often. I had to go all the way out East to earn enough TQP to get SELECT+ last year. Most likely get just a bit above SELECT this year.



It basically required 50 round-trip commutes for me, or a combination of 10-rides and creative use of individual tickets. I could have done that for $1800, although I think I spent less than that. I put in a lot of trips during Double Days and then as I got close I figures a few 10-rides would be enough to finish it.

Under the new rules none of this would make any sense in terms of AGR. So I guess I was gaming the system, but it's not as if Amtrak didn't know it was happening. Right now I'm probably not even going to do anything more than get to the soft landing to Select, unless they got rid of that.


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## willem (Sep 7, 2015)

It is hard to tell from the picture, but I think I prefer the tag that Amtrak sent to Select members several years ago. Wait, I'm sure I prefer that older tag--it went to Select members!


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## siberianmo (Sep 7, 2015)

I just returned from a most enjoyable rail adventure - San Diego to Los Angeles aboard the Pacific Surfliner in Business Class with a change of trains to the Sunset Ltd/Texas

Eagle from LA to St. Louis via San Antonio in a Superliner bedroom; all "paid" by Amtrak's Guest Rewards Program.

While sorting through the accumulated mail (been gone for awhile on other rail trips) I came across my Luggage Tag which is every bit as nice looking as shown in the

opening thread of this topic. My cover letter indicated the tags were sent to Select Plus members. * Happy face! *

Then came the jaw dropper. In the same stack of mail was a letter from Chase Bank telling me that my Guest Rewards MasterCard was being replaced by Chase's Freedom

Visa Signature card, "the credit card relationship between Amtrak and Chase Bank USA, N.A., will end September 30, 2015." _*Sad face!*_ Much more about this in another topic

with all sorts of information and chagrin being exchanged.

For me? I like the luggage tag. Not that long ago all Rewards members received two of 'em. I always lost mine as the "affixer" did not quite affix! This new one survived

quite well with the handling in the baggage car.

Nice touch, Guest Rewards.


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## yarrow (Sep 7, 2015)

maybe agr will send us non-status dweebs a wallet sized photo of smilin' joe boardman to encourage the rest of us to "ride on"


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## Bob Dylan (Sep 7, 2015)

I still have, and use, the two nice luggage tags AGR sent out when I joined.

Does AGR still send out these tags to new members or have the Bean Counters stopped this nice perk?


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## BCL (Sep 7, 2015)

jimhudson said:


> I still have, and use, the two nice luggage tags AGR sent out when I joined.
> 
> Does AGR still send out these tags to new members or have the Bean Counters stopped this nice perk?


I got absolutely nothing when I joined AGR - not even a card. My first card arrived when I reached Select.


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## TinCan782 (Sep 7, 2015)

BCL said:


> jimhudson said:
> 
> 
> > I still have, and use, the two nice luggage tags AGR sent out when I joined.
> ...


Same here...no membership card, no luggage tags.


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## Devil's Advocate (Sep 8, 2015)

yarrow said:


> maybe agr will send us non-status dweebs a wallet sized photo of smilin' joe boardman to encourage the rest of us to "ride on"


Perhaps with a caption that says "Dream On" or the like?



FrensicPic said:


> BCL said:
> 
> 
> > jimhudson said:
> ...


Same here.


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## Mystic River Dragon (Sep 8, 2015)

Take heart, everyone. As the new rewards program cuts stuff for everyone except the corporate types in the Northeast, the Amtrak Guest Rewards site tells us that the new rewards program is "better engineered to fit your life."

Honestly, even New Jersey Transit, when it raised fares and cut services, didn't have the nerve to say something like that!


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## BCL (Sep 8, 2015)

Mystic River Dragon said:


> Take heart, everyone. As the new rewards program cuts stuff for everyone except the corporate types in the Northeast, the Amtrak Guest Rewards site tells us that the new rewards program is "better engineered to fit your life."


At least for myself it will kill the almost perverse willingness to pay more to travel on individual tickets rather than 10-rides that cost considerably less per ride. I also wasted a lot of time chasing minimum point segments by booking multi-city. However, now that I've built up the points, I suppose I can use them on shorter trips that just wouldn't make sense with the old flat-rate points redemptions.


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## Mystic River Dragon (Sep 8, 2015)

Yes, I too (doing some homework) will be able to find some sweet spots. For example, I could go TRE to FBG in a roomette (about a four-hour trip) on the Silver Meteor, with a nice dinner thrown in, for about the same amount of points as business class on a regional, whereas a roomette with points for four hours would be a ridiculous use of points under the current system. On the other hand, I won't be going cross-country now.)

Sorry, I think I've wandered off onto the topic of another thread. To get back to the original, I never received luggage tags or a nice membership card. But the highest I have ever reached is Select, which may be why.


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## fairviewroad (Sep 8, 2015)

SubwayNut said:


> (the specs of white paper cover my address (the only portion of identity on the luggage tags.


Ha ha, you didn't cover _everything._

Clearly you live in some place called New Y_rk.

I'm guessing it's "New Yerk" or "New Yark" or something like that!


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## rogers55 (Oct 4, 2015)

The mailer arrived but no luggage tags. I feel so rejected!


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## seat38a (Oct 5, 2015)

They sent those tags out earlier in the year and now they are sending it again?? The tags are kind of useless since your info easily rubs off of them. After 1 or 2 times through normal wear and tear, you won't be able to read anything on it.


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## BCL (Oct 5, 2015)

seat38a said:


> They sent those tags out earlier in the year and now they are sending it again?? The tags are kind of useless since your info easily rubs off of them. After 1 or 2 times through normal wear and tear, you won't be able to read anything on it.


I don't think they're sending out luggage tags again. Sounds like a mailer that only includes info about the new AGR rules.


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