# Fall Double Points Promo



## RailFanLNK (Oct 17, 2008)

Ok, I always get real confused about this double points promo. I'm looking to go to Hastings NE on November 15th. It will cost me $28.80 RT. I know that AGR instantly credits your account with 100 points if under $100. So will this be a 400 point total? Or, do I book it one way at $16.40 and then book a seperate ticket coming home at $16.40 and then get 800 points, 400 for the way there and 400 for the way back? Making it 800 points. Will it matter if I book seperately or RT? Thanks!


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## tj722 (Oct 17, 2008)

RailFanLNK said:


> Ok, I always get real confused about this double points promo. I'm looking to go to Hastings NE on November 15th. It will cost me $28.80 RT. I know that AGR instantly credits your account with 100 points if under $100. So will this be a 400 point total? Or, do I book it one way at $16.40 and then book a seperate ticket coming home at $16.40 and then get 800 points, 400 for the way there and 400 for the way back? Making it 800 points. Will it matter if I book seperately or RT? Thanks!


Now you have me confused.  How does 100x2 = 400? If you booked 2 one ways, I'd think you'd get 200(100 base + 100 bonus) points each way, for a total of 400 RT.

I'm not sure how Amtrak allocates points with the legs in a round-trip, but I always book one-ways as it (very rarely) saves money.


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## RailFanLNK (Oct 17, 2008)

I was picked for a double point promo earlier this month and signed up for it. Its good until December 15th. I think I saw something about it at AGR. So this doubles the double points that you recieve at AGR.


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## diesteldorf (Oct 17, 2008)

RailFanLNK said:


> I was picked for a double point promo earlier this month and signed up for it. Its good until December 15th. I think I saw something about it at AGR. So this doubles the double points that you recieve at AGR.



I am typing this from the Naperville Marriott as I wait for my cousin's wedding tomorrow:

The # of tickets issued is the only thing that matters. It should be two regardless of whether you make one or two reservations.

Promos are always seperate and will not double each other. You are registered for two different double point promos:

Since each ticket is under $100, you will receive 100 points per ticket as a base.

You would get 100 for the base for each ticket = 200 points for a round trip

1st Double Points Promo: = 100 points per ticket or 200 per round trip

2nd Double points promo: = 100 points per ticket or 200 per round trip

Total is 600 points.

The promo is only 100 points per ticket since you are already receiving the standard 100 points as a base.

Now if you paid with an AGR card, those points are calculated seperately at 2 points per dollar spent.

Al,

Did you upgrade to sleeper from Gailsberg to Lincoln, NE?


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## RailFanLNK (Oct 17, 2008)

No I didn't, but I sure got spoiled in the sleepers. I walked in, got my seat in coach and went to put in a reservation for dinner. They said that they could "feed me now" which was 5pm since I wasn't in the sleepers. So that kinda knocked out the upgrade since I was already paying for a meal before upgrading. Thanks for the info Chris on the promo run!

Al


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## the_traveler (Oct 18, 2008)

The way the double and triple point bonuses work is that you get the 100 point minimum per segment base payment, then that amount is given again (for double points) or given again twice (for triple points). If you are registered for more than one promotion at the same time (say you registered for a double and triple point bonus running at the same time), you only earn the base points once. Thus you would earn 100 base + 100 double + 200 triple = 400 points total.


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## wayman (Oct 20, 2008)

I haven't spotted any fine print with "blackout dates" around Thanksgiving for the double points promotion. Is it the case that there's no blackout? If so, I think I'm picking up over 7,000 points for under $700 on my upcoming trip, which looks pretty good to me


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## rtabern (Oct 20, 2008)

This deal (and also in part years in the fall too) really lets you rack up some serious points.

Every week I am trying to make 2 round-trips from Milwaukee to Milwaukee Airport.

1,000 points for just spending $28.00... and it only takes 2-3 hours if you time it right.

That's 400 rail points + 400 fall bonus points + 200 select plus bonus

Not bad, huh? I know most of the conductors on the run or else I'd get some weird looks though.

The way I figure it, if I could do that 20 times -- that's 20,000 points for spending $560.

A roomette for 2 people from CHI-LAX via PDX or SAS usually costs around $800-1,000... so I'm coming out ahead.


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## ralfp (Oct 21, 2008)

rtabern said:


> The way I figure it, if I could do that 20 times -- that's 20,000 points for spending $560.


That's $0.028/point. Pretty good, but a bit taxing. It seems you could catch every Hiawatha train that way, making 7 round trips per day, or 3 days to get to 20k.

Now fly a CO mileage run.

For example: http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=877086

or http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=876122 (earn CO miles on NW).

Each is over 3cpm, but with elite bonus that goes down (1.4 cpm and two days with Platinum status for the 2nd option). A bit easier than 20 round trips.


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## Ispolkom (Oct 21, 2008)

ralfp said:


> rtabern said:
> 
> 
> > The way I figure it, if I could do that 20 times -- that's 20,000 points for spending $560.
> ...


But with the Continental mileage run you don't get the rail points necessary for Select or Select +. Plus, of course, you're in an airplane.

Here's a question: are the bonus points you get for Select or Select + status just that, bonus points, or are they rail points?


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## the_traveler (Oct 21, 2008)

Ispolkom said:


> Here's a question: are the bonus points you get for Select or Select + status just that, bonus points, or are they rail points?


They are just that - bonus points! And so are the double and or triple points! Only the base points count towards status.

So of the 225 points - only 100 would count as rail points.


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## ralfp (Oct 21, 2008)

Ispolkom said:


> But with the Continental mileage run you don't get the rail points necessary for Select or Select +. Plus, of course, you're in an airplane.


But they do count towards airline status.

Of course status-wise you do better on Amtrak: 20 round trips would be 4000 rail points, almost all the way to select.


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## HP_Lovecraft (Oct 29, 2008)

The answer to the original question seems to be -NO-.

I just took a RT from SAO to BON for $19.5 each way.

Total points were 100 + 100. They were not doubled.

My assumption is that Amtrak doubles the 19.5 points to 39 for each trip, but that is still below 100, so it doesnt actually add any bonus points.

Or is this a mistake?

EDIT: The fine print is it says it make take 8 weeks to post. So, perhaps it will still be doubled someday?


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## PRR 60 (Oct 29, 2008)

HP_Lovecraft said:


> The answer to the original question seems to be -NO-.
> I just took a RT from SAO to BON for $19.5 each way.
> 
> Total points were 100 + 100. They were not doubled.
> ...


The bonus points post later than the base points. Look for the double points bonus in a week, or two, or three.


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## the_traveler (Oct 29, 2008)

PRR 60 said:


> HP_Lovecraft said:
> 
> 
> > The answer to the original question seems to be -NO-.
> ...


I've always found that the double and triple points post after midnight of the following day. (Example: the "regular" 100 points post on the 15th and the "bonus doubled" 100 points will post on the 16th or 17th.)

Are you sure that you registered for the double points promotion? :huh:


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## AlanB (Oct 29, 2008)

the_traveler said:


> PRR 60 said:
> 
> 
> > HP_Lovecraft said:
> ...


Correct, the double points always post after midnight on the day that the trip posts.

If the double points didn't show up, and it's been more than a day since the trip originally posted, then confirm that you did actually register for the double point promo by checking the promotion registraion page on AGR's site. If you didn't register, then it's not too late to do so. The points will show up retroactively, once you do register.


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## HP_Lovecraft (Oct 30, 2008)

AlanB said:


> Correct, the double points always post after midnight on the day that the trip posts.


And to follow up on my original post, that is exactly what happened! 400 points for a very short roundtrip.

It makes we wonder- I get a $75 commuter pass, which I use about 20 days a month.

I would instead buy 20 RT tickets for $275, racking up 8,000 points, plus another 500 from the mastercard. That might make it cost effective


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## Ispolkom (Oct 30, 2008)

HP_Lovecraft said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> > Correct, the double points always post after midnight on the day that the trip posts.
> ...


It would be cost-effective, I'd think, if those 4000 rail points bumped you to select +. At that level you'd get a 50% bonus on any earned rail points for the next year, plus various other benefits (use of Metropolitan Lounges, use of Continental Presidents' Lounges, special offers).

For comparison, my wife and I are paying about $212 for a trip next month, from which we'll only net 424 rail points, 424 bonus points, and 424 extra points from the AGR Mastercard for 1272 total points.


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## the_traveler (Oct 30, 2008)

Actually, with a pass or something like a 10-ticket pass or book, you *ONLY* earn 2 points per $ for the *PURCHASE* -- you *DO NOT* also earn the 100 point minimum per trip! (You do not earn anything extra per trip.) If the pass costs $236, you would earn 472 AGR points total!

If you want to earn the 100 points, you must buy individual tickets.


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