# Am i reading this right???



## pnkgirl25 (Feb 8, 2008)

I want to make sure I am reading this right before I go crazy trying to earn point to become a "Select" member.

The amtrak rewards website says "Earn 2 points for every dollar spent on Amtrak travel – a 100-point minimum on each trip, no matter the price"

So does this really mean that since I live in California, I can take amtrak from Fullerton to Anaheim for $5.00 one way ($4.50) if I use my AAA card and really earn 100 points (200 points if I go round trip)? This sounds WAY to go to be true, there must be a catch.


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## yarrow (Feb 8, 2008)

if you are a guest rewards member and you give your number when you reserve you get 100 points each way after you travel. by the way, i think you need to reserve 3 days in advance to get the aaa discount


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## AlanB (Feb 8, 2008)

pnkgirl25 said:


> I want to make sure I am reading this right before I go crazy trying to earn point to become a "Select" member.
> The amtrak rewards website says "Earn 2 points for every dollar spent on Amtrak travel – a 100-point minimum on each trip, no matter the price"
> 
> So does this really mean that since I live in California, I can take amtrak from Fullerton to Anaheim for $5.00 one way ($4.50) if I use my AAA card and really earn 100 points (200 points if I go round trip)? This sounds WAY to go to be true, there must be a catch.


Nope, no catch. It's really true.

Just remember that you need 5,000 points to reach Select status. That's 50 one way trips, 25 round trips.


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## pnkgirl25 (Feb 8, 2008)

AlanB said:


> pnkgirl25 said:
> 
> 
> > I want to make sure I am reading this right before I go crazy trying to earn point to become a "Select" member.
> ...


That turns out to be about $225.00 for me which to be honest, is a VERY small price to pay if it bumps me to selects and allows me to swap in and out my Onepass miles.

I feel like a just hit the lottery! LOL

Do you know if these have to be done over a particular time period. or can i just spend the weekend going from Anaheim to Fullerton (which is about 6 minutes for each other and only 1o minutes from my house) or do I have to spread them out say over a few months. Aldo does the one (points earned to become select) run from Jan 1 to Dec 31 or is there another date I need to keep in mind?


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## the_traveler (Feb 8, 2008)

pnkgirl25 said:


> That turns out to be about $225.00 for me which to be honest, is a VERY small price to pay if it bumps me to selects and allows me to swap in and out my Onepass miles.
> I feel like a just hit the lottery! LOL
> 
> Do you know if these have to be done over a particular time period. or can i just spend the weekend going from Anaheim to Fullerton (which is about 6 minutes for each other and only 1o minutes from my house) or do I have to spread them out say over a few months. Aldo does the one (points earned to become select) run from Jan 1 to Dec 31 or is there another date I need to keep in mind?


I'm not sure if there is a maximum times per day, but I recall hearing 2 round trips per day. (That may have been just for a certain promo though.) The Select year runs Jan 1 to Dec 31.

This is good news for some of us, who can get cheap segments. But a trip that costs $5 gets 100 points - but so does one that cost $10, $25 and $49! A trip that costs $51 only gets 102 points!

FYI - You can still transfer OnePass miles *into* AGR - but unless you're Select, Select+ or have the AGR credit card, you can not transfer points *out of* AGR to OnePass!


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## AlanB (Feb 8, 2008)

pnkgirl25 said:


> Do you know if these have to be done over a particular time period. or can i just spend the weekend going from Anaheim to Fullerton (which is about 6 minutes for each other and only 1o minutes from my house) or do I have to spread them out say over a few months. Aldo does the one (points earned to become select) run from Jan 1 to Dec 31 or is there another date I need to keep in mind?


Well since there aren't 25 RT's on one weekend between Fullerton and Anaheim, you'll have to spread them out over a few weekends at least.

The points have to be earned between Jan 1st and Dec 31st in any particular calendar year. However the status runs from March 1st to Feb 28/29th of the following year. Once you reach the 5,000 point this year, you'll also get status for the rest of this calendar year. But otherwise under normal circumstances, status runs from March to Feb.


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## sechs (Feb 9, 2008)

I've certainly gotten 300 points for going from San Jose to San Francisco the long way around....


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## VentureForth (Feb 11, 2008)

AlanB said:


> The points have to be earned between Jan 1st and Dec 31st in any particular calendar year. However the status runs from March 1st to Feb 28/29th of the following year. Once you reach the 5,000 point this year, you'll also get status for the rest of this calendar year. But otherwise under normal circumstances, status runs from March to Feb.


Once you reach Select, you start getting a 25% bonus on your points, so you get 125 points for every $5 leg. Don't know since these are bonus miles if they will accelerate your getting to Select+, but the extra points are always good for everything else at AGR. Once you get S+, then you get a 50% bonus.

If bonus points on rail travel IS counted for your Select Plus, then that just means that you would only need 38 round trips to maintain S+. Heck, if the bonus doesn't count, then if you can muster one round trip a week, you can maintain your + status.


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## AlanB (Feb 11, 2008)

VentureForth said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> > The points have to be earned between Jan 1st and Dec 31st in any particular calendar year. However the status runs from March 1st to Feb 28/29th of the following year. Once you reach the 5,000 point this year, you'll also get status for the rest of this calendar year. But otherwise under normal circumstances, status runs from March to Feb.
> ...


Bonus points never count towards status.


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## rtabern (Feb 11, 2008)

As everyone said, no catch.

I mean to rack up points, I sometimes will go from MKA (Milwaukee Airport) to MKE (Milwaukee downtown). It costs just around $12 for the RT... and I get 300 points for that (200 rail points + 100 AGR Select Plus bonus points)

So, basically for $600, I can get Select Plus.

However, I do a lot of other fun trips on the weekends like CHI-Galesburg, CHI-Springfield, etc.

But still, the 100 point rule is cool -- it helps people who travel VERY FREQUENTLY, but don't necessarily spend a lot.

Without the 100 point minimum deal, there would be no way I'd make Select Plus. (especially since us here in the Midwest really can't take the 500 or 750 deals on the Acelas)


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## the_traveler (Feb 11, 2008)

rtabern said:


> (especially since us here in the Midwest really can't take the 500 or 750 deals on the Acelas)


Me either!  I live about 5 miles from KIN (on the NEC), but the AE goes through KIN at 110-130 MPH and doesn't stop!  (There's no way, I could grab hold - but I've tried! :lol: )


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## mark t diehl (Mar 11, 2008)

pnkgirl25 said:


> I want to make sure I am reading this right before I go crazy trying to earn point to become a "Select" member.
> The amtrak rewards website says "Earn 2 points for every dollar spent on Amtrak travel – a 100-point minimum on each trip, no matter the price"
> 
> So does this really mean that since I live in California, I can take amtrak from Fullerton to Anaheim for $5.00 one way ($4.50) if I use my AAA card and really earn 100 points (200 points if I go round trip)? This sounds WAY to go to be true, there must be a catch.


YES you read it right.


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## Acela150 (Mar 19, 2008)

Amtrak Guest Rewards program members that have the chase card do earn 2 points for every dollars spent on Amtrak Travel. But the minimum 100 point is a lie. I went to Harrisburg, PA and back from Philadelphia 30th Street Station on the keystone service total cost $42.00 Total Points awarded 84. They're pulling your leg when they say 100 point minimum.

Acela150


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## PRR 60 (Mar 19, 2008)

Acela150 said:


> Amtrak Guest Rewards program members that have the chase card do earn 2 points for every dollars spent on Amtrak Travel. But the minimum 100 point is a lie. I went to Harrisburg, PA and back from Philadelphia 30th Street Station on the keystone service total cost $42.00 Total Points awarded 84. They're pulling your leg when they say 100 point minimum.
> Acela150


When did that happen to you? I get 100 points for every Amtrak segment, including two PHL-HAR trips I took a couple of weeks ago. I even got 100 points for the bus from Emeryville to San Francisco which technically costs nothing. I have not heard of anyone not getting 100 points per segment, and believe me if that happened, the Flyertalk Amtrak forum would light up like Times Square.


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## sechs (Mar 20, 2008)

Acela150 said:


> Amtrak Guest Rewards program members that have the chase card do earn 2 points for every dollars spent on Amtrak Travel. But the minimum 100 point is a lie. I went to Harrisburg, PA and back from Philadelphia 30th Street Station on the keystone service total cost $42.00 Total Points awarded 84. They're pulling your leg when they say 100 point minimum.


You'd get 84 points from the credit card purchase and 100 points for the actual travel. If your points for travel didn't post, you need to contact AGR; there's a form on the website that you can submit.


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## AlanB (Mar 20, 2008)

sechs said:


> Acela150 said:
> 
> 
> > Amtrak Guest Rewards program members that have the chase card do earn 2 points for every dollars spent on Amtrak Travel. But the minimum 100 point is a lie. I went to Harrisburg, PA and back from Philadelphia 30th Street Station on the keystone service total cost $42.00 Total Points awarded 84. They're pulling your leg when they say 100 point minimum.
> ...


No, actually he'd get get 84 points from the Chase credit card purchase and 200 points for the actual travel from Amtrak. Of course he's not old enough to actually have a credit card, so that poses a bit of a problem.

Additionally, the form on the website is only for trips that didn't post at all. If the points posted incorrectly, that form would be of no help to him. The only option would be to call/write/fax/email AGR to get that fixed.


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## sechs (Mar 20, 2008)

You're right; I missed the "and back." The point stands, however.


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## chuljin (May 5, 2008)

pnkgirl25 said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> > pnkgirl25 said:
> ...


The only restriction I've seen (I guess I should say, heard of, but never run afoul of, due to my careful planning) is that it cannot be the same train *number* twice on one day.

I've gotten 100 points for each of as many as 11 one-way trips in one day between ANA or SNA or 6 between LAX and GDL (both pairs $3.00 or $2.70 with AAA or NARP discount), details here.

As a result, I achieved Select on 1/19 and Select+ on 3/13 (but could have done the latter much sooner had I not, at the beginning of February, started working inconveniently far from any station).

As explained over there, it's not all about point-running or point-laundering; I quite enjoy trains and have taken 'real' trips (the san joaquin/coast starlight circle trip is in three weeks' time). I no longer do any of the described craziness, but I do still get 100 points every day on my commute home from LAX to GDL (it's a shame that 566 is not a full-length *766*, or I'd get points on the way *in* too! 

As further proof I take real trips, it cost me about $400 to go from (nothing) to Select, and about $500 more to Select+ (when it could have been as little as $135 for each stage if I always got the AAA discount).


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## the_traveler (May 5, 2008)

chuljin said:


> The only restriction I've seen (I guess I should say, heard of, but never run afoul of, due to my careful planning) is that it cannot be the same train *number* twice on one day.


There was a time (a few years ago) before the loophole was closed that you *COULD* get 100 points minimum per segment *EVEN FOR THE SAME TRAIN*! So at the time, I made my trip have 4 "segments" (between each station about 15 minutes apart :lol: ) - which gave my under $20 (1 hour) trip yield me 400 points! :lol: (Sadly, it was closed!  )


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## the_traveler (May 7, 2008)

Rail Freak said:


> yarrow said:
> 
> 
> > if you are a guest rewards member and you give your number when you reserve you get 100 points each way after you travel. by the way, i think you need to reserve 3 days in advance to get the aaa discount


Remember, it is a 100 point minimum per segment *THAT HAVE A DIFFERENT TRAIN NUMBER*!

Using an extreme (and unlikely) example: Bakersfield, CA to San Francisco, CA:

BFD-SKN (one train number) = 100 points

SKN-SAC (Thruway bus - another number) = 100 points

SAC-EMY (another train number) = 100 points

EMY-SFC (Thruway bus - another number) = 100 points

So using this example, BFD-SFC would yield 400 points!


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## Rail Freak (May 7, 2008)

the_traveler said:


> Rail Freak said:
> 
> 
> > yarrow said:
> ...


An example of how green I am on all this, I was looking at the redeeming partners of the Guest Rewards Brochure. I initially thought I would receive 10,000 pts. for purchasing a $100.00 Home Depot Gift Card. Then, the light came on!!!!


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