# IF LD travel were to disappear



## tonys96 (Oct 8, 2012)

I DO NOT WANT THIS TO BECOME POLITICAL! JUST LOOKING FOR ANSWERS TO A REAL POSSIBILITY!

On the off chance that Amtrak was to disappear, or if just LD travel were to go "poof", what would become of AGR points?

I have about 60K points saved up, the g/f and I want to do the CS hopefully next spring or summer, and would still have 40k left. Bought 20k of that total..........

I would hate to just lose all of those points.......


----------



## Ryan (Oct 8, 2012)

From the terms and conditions (bold mine):



> D. POINT EXPIRATION
> 
> Subject to the terms of this TOC, Points earned under the Program will not expire *as long as the Program continues* and the Member travels on Amtrak using their Membership Number within a 36–month period.





> F. AMTRAK GUEST REWARDS CONDITIONS
> Amtrak may, in its discretion, cancel, modify, restrict, or terminate the Program or any aspects or features of the Program at any time *without prior notice*. Updated Program rules will be available www.AmtrakGuestRewards.com. Any change in the Program will apply to unredeemed Points as well as Points Members may earn in the future.


Amtrak could pull the plug tomorrow and be A-OK legally.

Edit to add (they really want to make this clear):



> All terms and conditions are subject to change. Amtrak reserves the right to alter or cancel the Program at any time.All interpretations of Program terms and conditions shall be at the sole discretion of Amtrak.


----------



## jis (Oct 8, 2012)

Just LD trains disappearing will not cause AGR to disappear. Remember that AGR was originally started to make the NEC service competitive with airlines. That issue will still remain in NEC and other corridors.


----------



## pennyk (Oct 8, 2012)

jis said:


> Just LD trains disappearing will not cause AGR to disappear. Remember that AGR was originally started to make the NEC service competitive with airlines. That issue will still remain in NEC and other corridors.


For those of us with a lot of AGR points and do not live on the NEC, if LD trains disappear, AGR would virtually disappear also. I may need to accelerate my bucket list....just in case.


----------



## tonys96 (Oct 8, 2012)

pennyk said:


> jis said:
> 
> 
> > Just LD trains disappearing will not cause AGR to disappear. Remember that AGR was originally started to make the NEC service competitive with airlines. That issue will still remain in NEC and other corridors.
> ...



That is my point, right there. I am not in NEC either, so if LD trains are severely cut back or eliminated....heck, if the Eagle were eliminated, I the points would be basically useless. I suppose if only the Eagle were cut, we could fly to another departure point, but that would be as inconvenient as possible.

So, if LD travel is severely cut back or eliminated, those points would be basically lost, at least in my case....


----------



## Shortline (Oct 8, 2012)

Well....yes, if Amtrak goes away, there are no trains, therefore no trains to earn or redeem on, and once it gets to that point you can bet the other redemption options would be gone too I would suspect. points are to keep someone loyal, and as a source of revenue-no revenue, no loyalty, no program. AGR points, hotel points, or airline miles is always a gamble. I travel a LOT, but don't let TOO many points/miles pile up. Once I get a comforatable level at one brand, I switch to another and build that up, as I use the other....I currently have all the DL miles I can use in a few years time, so I switched to earning on another carrier. That way, I DL devalues its program (again) I still have the other airline to fall back on. I alternate my hotel program mostly between The Hilton honors and the Intercontinental Priority Club programs. My rail points, well, since there really is no alternative, I'll just slow down my earnings through the credit at and shopping portal. Remember, these points have no real value....if you buy points, better have a plan to use them up, and I don't think I'd hang on to them too long. Programs change, and theoretically can go away entirely. I don't really expect that to happen anytime soon but who knows....congress just might decide its bad business to give away free travel. And if anyone knows free travel, and bad business, it's congress......

Sent from my iPhone


----------



## the_traveler (Oct 8, 2012)

tonys96 said:


> 1349749470[/url]' post='398394']if LD trains are severely cut back or eliminated....heck, if the Eagle were eliminated, I the points would be basically useless. I suppose if only the Eagle were cut, we could fly to another departure point, but that would be as inconvenient as possible.
> 
> So, if LD travel is severely cut back or eliminated, those points would be basically lost, at least in my case....


Although not the same exactly, if I collected Frequent Flyer Miles (FFM) from American Airlines, they once had a large prescence in Providence but have since discontinued all flights to Providence. So if I collected FFMs from them, I would have to drive, fly or take a train to another city to use them!

Personally, I would not be worried about AGR.


----------



## Linda T (Oct 8, 2012)

tonys96 said:


> pennyk said:
> 
> 
> > jis said:
> ...


Sounds like I'll leave my Starwoods points where they are for the time being. I've been transferring them over as fast as they add up, but no more. Never having had to look, is there any way to transfer AGR points OUT of Amtrak? I have about 90,000 points, and right now plan a round trip from CIN to SEA via Card, Eagle, CS, EB, Card that's only 40,000 points. There's only one day that I can do the Eagle with two three day a week trains on either end. So the Card will drop me off in CHI on Monday morning, I'll overnight on my SPG awards, and then take the Eagle on Tuesday, there goes 7,000 points that would have been transferred to AGR! Just got a flash of brilliance and checked the same hotel using AGR points instead -- uh, no way. Points transfer 1:1, IIRC. Doing SPG I get the hotel for 7,000 points, doing AGR the same hotel costs me 22,500 points! Nope, I'll use the SPG and take my chances with AGR. 

Linda


----------



## Blackwolf (Oct 8, 2012)

Call me brave, nieve, or just plain stubborn. But I do not feel that AGR will be going anywhere anytime soon. Neither will Amtrak or the Long Distance network. Will there be changes in the future? Heck yeah, there always are and nothing stays the same! But will Romney succeed in "killing" Amtrak or passenger rail? Not a snowball's chance in hell. ^_^


----------



## Shortline (Oct 8, 2012)

Blackwolf said:


> Call me brave, nieve, or just plain stubborn. But I do not feel that AGR will be going anywhere anytime soon. Neither will Amtrak or the Long Distance network. Will there be changes in the future? Heck yeah, there always are and nothing stays the same! But will Romney succeed in "killing" Amtrak or passenger rail? Not a snowball's chance in hell. ^_^


Exactly. I wouldn't stress over it or transfer points out. Either they will be there or they won't. It's not the end of the world. I'm betting that I can use them for years to come-and should be a while before any further devaluation of the program since it just took a hit this year already.


----------



## the_traveler (Oct 8, 2012)

Linda T - you do realize that AGR awards are one way only and no stopovers are allowed.

Based on your post,, CIN to CHI would be a one zone award, because you would be stopping over in ChI. Then CHI-SAS-LAX-SEA would be 2 zones. And since tee is not a same day connection in SEA between the CS and EB, that would be another stopover. So the total points needed for this trip would be (assuming roomettes) 15,000 + 20,000 + 20,000 = 55,000 AGR points!



(Bedrooms would be more.)


----------



## amamba (Oct 9, 2012)

I'll gladly take all your points off your hands for trips on Acela!


----------



## AmtrakBlue (Oct 9, 2012)

amamba said:


> I'll gladly take all your points off your hands for trips on Acela!


I was thinking the same thing. 

Me thinks there will be a fight on AU from NEC riders for any "lost" AGR points for those who only have access to LD trains IF this happens.


----------



## Linda T (Oct 9, 2012)

the_traveler said:


> Linda T - you do realize that AGR awards are one way only and no stopovers are allowed.
> 
> Based on your post,, CIN to CHI would be a one zone award, because you would be stopping over in ChI. Then CHI-SAS-LAX-SEA would be 2 zones. And since tee is not a same day connection in SEA between the CS and EB, that would be another stopover. So the total points needed for this trip would be (assuming roomettes) 15,000 + 20,000 + 20,000 = 55,000 AGR points!
> 
> ...


Oops, yeah I know. I meant I'd take the Card to CHI *coach* on a Sunday, and stay overnight in CHI, and then begin my redemption trip from CHI to SEA as a two zone roomette, then SEA to CHI to CIN (two zone roomette) home. That's 40,000, but it is tricky working with two three day a week trains. There's been some speculation that the Card may go daily once the Hoosier State is discontinued. I've been wondering if I could alter my ticket without penalty to roomette, if it did. Anyone ever find out about AGR redemptions and cancellations or alterations?

Editted to add that this is becoming a forefront issue for me as I'll be booking in a week or two, just as soon as my return trip becomes available for booking. Thanks! And not that it's any real matter, but in my initial post I forgot that I've decided to layover in TAC (cheaper hotels). I'll take the Cascades 500 to SEA. While it's not technically part of the schedule, but AGR will give it to me as part of my ticket. It gets me to SEA a little over 4 hours before the Builder leaves. Their schedule would have me take a Cascades that will get me there less than an hour before the EB leaves (no thanks!).

Linda T


----------

