# How many AGR points for a trip?



## Tumbleweed (Jul 16, 2010)

I have never used AGR points, so I have zero knowledge about it. How do I determine how many points I need to book a trip, including a sleeper of some kind. And could I include my wife for extra points? Any info or tips appreciated. Thanks! :help:


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## JayPea (Jul 16, 2010)

Here's a chart from Amtrak Guest Rewards regarding points info: Amtrak points info

Your wife is included in your reward. No extra points required for her in sleeper travel.


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## Tumbleweed (Jul 16, 2010)

JayPea said:


> Here's a chart from Amtrak Guest Rewards regarding points info for trips:Amtrak reward points
> 
> And on sleeper trips, you can include your wife for free. Your wife is included in your reward trip.
> 
> Have fun!


Excellent! Thanks!


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## Tumbleweed (Jul 16, 2010)

OK....another question if you don't mind.....If we were to use a two zone reward, would we have to travel outbound to one point and then return via reverse route? Or could we make several stops on a circuitous route as long as we stayed within the two zones? My wife is getting quite interested in this.......


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## JayPea (Jul 16, 2010)

If you were to use a two-zone reward, keep in mind that if you traveled from one zone to another, that's one two-zone reward. And to travel back, that would require another two-zone reward. And you can't overnight anywhere unless there's no other way to route the trains and connections you want.


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## Tumbleweed (Jul 16, 2010)

So a two zone roomette round trip would require 20,000 points each way, for a total of 40,000 points? But we could go for example, FAR-SEA-LAX outbound, then LAX-CHI-FAR returning?


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## JayPea (Jul 16, 2010)

In your case, you'd have to go Fargo-Portland-Los Angeles as the Coast Starlight leaves Seattle before the Empire Builder arrives. To do what you suggest, that would require THREE zones: a two-zone trip Fargo-Seattle, overnight in Seattle, and a 1 zone, Seattle to Los Angeles. Similarly, your return trip would also require three zones: 2 zones from LA to Chicago, and one zone Chicago-Fargo, as you'd have to overnight in Chicago. The 2-zone, Fargo-Los Angeles and Los Angeles-Fargo trips only work if you don't have to overnight anywhere. But, theoretically, you don't have to go and come back the same way if you can find two different routes that will work for you.

Hope that's not clear as mud now!!!! :giggle:


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## Tumbleweed (Jul 16, 2010)

Thank you very much JayPea....I'm beginning to learn!


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## JayPea (Jul 16, 2010)

That's why I'm glad I found this forum. It makes it so much easier when people have been there and done that. And I still consider myself a bit of a novice; there are some here that have forgotten more about the ins and outs of AGR that I've learned!!! I only wish that I'd A) learned about AGR a lot sooner and B) figured out a lot sooner that I could get points a lot quicker by putting everything possible on the Chase AGR Mastercard. If only I could get my landlord to accept credit cards, I'd really be in the points!


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## Tumbleweed (Jul 16, 2010)

Fer sure! I have applied for the Chase AGR card and I have over 33000 Delta Skymiles that I may try to convert to Continental, then to AGR points.....


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## Guest (Jul 16, 2010)

Regarding the sleeper travel, obviously it's one room charge per room.

However, if I book 2 people in a roomette, do I need 2 railfares+1 roomette, or 1 railfare+1 roomette, or just 1 roomette?

Also, if overnighting isn't an option, then why does Amtrak let you book NYP-LAX via NOL on Arrow provided that 1/2 runs on the day you want? There are other ways to go from NYP to LAX without an overnight.


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## Ispolkom (Jul 16, 2010)

Guest said:


> Regarding the sleeper travel, obviously it's one room charge per room.
> 
> However, if I book 2 people in a roomette, do I need 2 railfares+1 roomette, or 1 railfare+1 roomette, or just 1 roomette?
> 
> Also, if overnighting isn't an option, then why does Amtrak let you book NYP-LAX via NOL on Arrow provided that 1/2 runs on the day you want? There are other ways to go from NYP to LAX without an overnight.


The roomette charge covers both persons, so a 2-zone roomette award costs 20,000 points for one person, and it also costs 20,000 points for two people. Meals included.

The rules for awards on long-distance trains are simple and not entirely rational. The big rule is that if you can find a trip at amtrak.com, you can book it. NYP-NOL-LAX is an allowable route for a 3-zone AGR award only because you can find it on amtrak.com. LAX-CHI-FAR is not an acceptable 2-zone award, because you can't find it on amtrak.com. It's not rational, but I have never been able to book an award involving two western trains with a forced layover in Chicago. (MSP-CHI-ABQ was my last failure.)

The joker, though, is that these rules aren't actually written down (or at least they aren't published), they can change, and some agents can be sweet-talked into booking trips we think aren't legal. So nothing's written in stone. I find that it makes the program more amusing.


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## the_traveler (Jul 17, 2010)

Ispolkom said:


> Guest said:
> 
> 
> > Regarding the sleeper travel, obviously it's one room charge per room.
> ...


A small explanation about the meals included. It does include 3 meals a day for all passengers listed on the reservation of the room - but *ONLY IN THE DINING CAR*! (For example - If you decide to get something from the cafe for lunch, you must pay for that yourself - even it's a burger and chips for lunch! Only meals in the Dining Car are included!)


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## the_traveler (Jul 17, 2010)

Tumbleweed said:


> OK....another question if you don't mind.....If we were to use a two zone reward, would we have to travel outbound to one point and then return via reverse route? Or could we make several stops on a circuitous route as long as we stayed within the two zones? My wife is getting quite interested in this.......


No! I know this is not where you want to go, but of you were going from CHI to SEA, you would not have to go on the EB both ways. For example, you could go CHI-SAC-SEA westbound, and take the EB eastbound!






Also, be aware that the point values needed for an award are only for ONE WAY! Thus, for a 2 zone roomette you need 20K out and another 20K back!


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