# question



## amtrakwolverine (Dec 26, 2008)

Ok i booked the first part of the gathering from ROY to BOS. now i used my guest rewards number but sense i don't have a card yet will there be any issues on the train. I have the number written on a piece of paper. should i bring that.


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## AlanB (Dec 26, 2008)

You don't need your card to travel, but I'm sure that you'll have it by the time of the gathering anyhow.


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## amtrakwolverine (Dec 26, 2008)

AlanB said:


> You don't need your card to travel, but I'm sure that you'll have it by the time of the gathering anyhow.


IIFC you get your card *after* your travel. can't find it on the GR website FAQ.


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## the_traveler (Dec 26, 2008)

I have *NEVER* been asked for my AGR card. As long as your AGR number is on the reservation and ticket, that is fine. (How many times have you been asked for your frequent flyer card at the airport or your hotel frequent stay card at a hotel? :huh: )

The only real time you need to carry your AGR card is like if you are Select+, and it allows you to access the Club Acela or Metropolitan Lounge. Otherwise, you do not need to carry it. (Unless you want to know the AGR number in case you want to take a quick trip "today"!)


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## AlanB (Dec 26, 2008)

the_traveler said:


> The only real time you need to carry your AGR card is like if you are Select+, and it allows you to access the Club Acela or Metropolitan Lounge. Otherwise, you do not need to carry it. (Unless you want to know the AGR number in case you want to take a quick trip "today"!)


Actually with the new Quik-Trak machines having your AGR card with you can be a great help, as not only do they activate the machine and bring it to life, but automatically and instantly every reservation you've made using that number is available for printing.


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## RRrich (Dec 26, 2008)

AlanB said:


> Actually with the new Quik-Trak machines having your AGR card with you can be a great help, as not only do they activate the machine and bring it to life, but automatically and instantly every reservation you've made using that number is available for printing.


I got the same result from the Quik-Trak machine just by using a Credit Card - but I may have used my Amtrak Master Card which has my AGR number on it.


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## Long Train Runnin' (Dec 26, 2008)

How long does it take for them to mail you a card its been about 6 weeks and I havent gotten one yet. Any ideas? Do I have to request one or should one be mailed to me since i joined.


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## RRrich (Dec 26, 2008)

Long Train Runnin said:


> How long does it take for them to mail you a card its been about 6 weeks and I havent gotten one yet. Any ideas? Do I have to request one or should one be mailed to me since i joined.


Takes a month OR TWO - but so what? I discarded my Select card - my AGR number is on my Amtrak MasterCard, which is the card I use for ALL Amtrak transactions.


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## AlanB (Dec 26, 2008)

Actually as we approach the end of the AGR year, it's not unusual for AGR to stop mailing out new cards as people join up. They generally wait until February when they mail out new Select & Select Plus cards, since they expire each year.


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## AlanB (Dec 26, 2008)

RRrich said:


> Long Train Runnin said:
> 
> 
> > How long does it take for them to mail you a card its been about 6 weeks and I havent gotten one yet. Any ideas? Do I have to request one or should one be mailed to me since i joined.
> ...


And that's why you see all of your reservations when you insert your Mastercard, because they were all purchased using that card.

I rather doubt that your AGR number is encoded into the card, even though it is imprinted on the card.

PS. I hope that you wrote down the special phone numbers before you threw the card out.


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## the_traveler (Dec 26, 2008)

AlanB said:


> RRrich said:
> 
> 
> > my AGR number is on my Amtrak MasterCard, which is the card I use for ALL Amtrak transactions.
> ...


Maybe it's different now, but before I (*finally*  ) got the AGR MasterCard last year, whenever I inserted my credit card, I saw all of my reservations.


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## PRR 60 (Dec 26, 2008)

the_traveler said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> > RRrich said:
> ...


That is correct.
As I noted on another thread, the QT only reads your name off the swiped credit card and pulls all reservations made under that exact name. It does not matter what card was actually used to pay for the reservation. However, the names must match. My wife had a reservation in her name which was paid with our joint credit card. To pull up the reservation, she had to swipe the card which has her name on it (and coded in the mag stripe). My card, even being the the same card number as hers, would not pull her reservation.

I did try one trick with the QT, and failed. I swiped my US Airways Dividend Miles card (not a credit card, the membership card). I wanted to see if the QT would read my name off the DM card and find my Amtrak reservation. I would have found that amusing. Sadly, it didn't. It came back with "invalid card". It was an interesting experiment.


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## RRrich (Dec 26, 2008)

PRR 60 said:


> As I noted on another thread, the QT only reads your name off the swiped credit card and pulls all reservations made under that exact name. It does not matter what card was actually used to pay for the reservation. However, the names must match. My wife had a reservation in her name which was paid with our joint credit card.


I don't think so - this afternoon I ran a card (NOT my ARG MasterCard) thru the Quik Trak - it got my name - the same one I use for Amtrak reservations, but it did NOT know of any of my rezzies.

If I was to guess, I would guess that the machine reads the credit card number and pulls up all rezzies made with that credit card number.


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