# Chicago to Portland, OR choices



## guest (May 24, 2011)

I'd like to go from Chicago to Portland, Oregon this summer using AGR points, by taking the Texas Eagle to LA and the Coast Starlight north.

That's not an option from the Amtrak website, so I'm not sure if it's a possible AGR routing. I've used points to go via the Southwest Chief and

Coast Starlight before, and that wasn't a problem, but that's a possible routing on the Amtrak webpage.

My general question is: are AGR trips limited to routings offered via the Amtrak web page, or are other (non-circuitous) routings possible?

If the Eagle isn't a possibility, how many points would it cost me to choose that route over one of the accepted routes (Empire Builder, Zephyr or Chief)


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## Ryan (May 24, 2011)

guest said:


> My general question is: are AGR trips limited to routings offered via the Amtrak web page,


Generally, yes.
You don't specify the accommodations that you're looking for, but basically if you're going to do it all on points you're going to want to redeem a 1 zone reward from Chicago to somewhere that will allow a 2 zone award to PDX on your preferred routing.

For example, CHI-LAX via train 421 is a valid routing. Then book a second trip LAX-PDX.


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## JayPea (May 24, 2011)

Last year my uncle and I took a trip from Bloomington, IL to Seattle via the Texas Eagle and Coast Starlight. It wouldn't let me start at Bloomington (or Chicago, as an alternative), and the closest I could get to get that routing was from Walnut Ridge. So I bought coach tickets from Bloomington to Walnut Ridge. We were able to board our sleeper early, just after St. Louis.


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## Ispolkom (May 25, 2011)

I'd call and try to charm the agent into allowing the routing. There's a valid connection between 421 and 14 at Los Angeles, so there's no question of a layover. I think that the problem is that no one has ever programmed this routing into Arrow. If the charm offensive fails, you could book the trip as two one-zone trips: CHI-ELP and ELP-LAX-PDX, or use JayPea's variant.


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## Ryan (May 25, 2011)

That's a really good idea - 2 one zones is cheaper than a 1 zone and then a 2 zone.


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## guest (Sep 21, 2011)

Ispolkom said:


> If the charm offensive fails, you could book the trip as two one-zone trips: CHI-ELP and ELP-LAX-PDX


Just a follow up:

I booked the trip on 421 from Chicago connecting to 14 in LA. Amtrak won't allow this to be booked as

two one-zone trips, however. They claimed that you can't end one trip, and then continue a second one on

the same train on the same day. So, perhaps you could use this routing with a 2 zone reward if you

detrained in El Paso for a day.

Thus, when I booked, it cost me a 2 zone (CHI to LA), plus a one zone (LA to PDX). I did the whole trip in

a bedroom, and had a great time.

Sadly, there was a missing crew member on the Starlight, so there was no Parlor car attendant. The wine

and cheese tasting was cut back to a simple wine tasting, and all meals were done in the dining car.


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## the_traveler (Sep 21, 2011)

guest said:


> Ispolkom said:
> 
> 
> > If the charm offensive fails, you could book the trip as two one-zone trips: CHI-ELP and ELP-LAX-PDX
> ...


That is wrong!






Before I broke my ankle/leg, I had hoped to go to SEA. Since I could not get on #421 from KIN to SEA, I booked KIN-ELP (2 zones) and then the *SAME* train ELP-SEA!



I also tried to book KIN-PDX via #3 to LAX, but it did not give me that option. So I booked KIN-ABQ (2 zones) and then the *SAME* train ABQ-PDX!





BTW, the *SAME* AGR agent made both parts of the reservations - and even included *BOTH* on the *SAME* reservation number and even gave me the *SAME* room on the train!


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## Ryan (Sep 21, 2011)

I think that all you have to do would be to make two separate phone calls, you'd probably have better luck slipping by that way.

If that were truly a constraint, then you could also book an award for CHI-ELP and then a second one zone for Demming-LAX-PDX (Deming is the stop after ELP), and then fill the gap between them with a paid ticket.

More than one way to skin that cat.


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## Rail Freak (Sep 21, 2011)

guest said:


> Ispolkom said:
> 
> 
> > If the charm offensive fails, you could book the trip as two one-zone trips: CHI-ELP and ELP-LAX-PDX
> ...



Is this true?


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## Ryan (Sep 21, 2011)

the_traveler said:


> That is wrong!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


From the other thread where ARG rules are being discussed:



Ryan said:


> Ispolkom said:
> 
> 
> > I don't know that the rules about circuitous routes are actually written down. If the rules are codified, they aren't available to us, and subject to change without notice at any time.
> ...


Who knows if it's wrong or not? When the rules change seemingly from day to day or from agent to agent, it's all up in the air. Looks like the good old days of CSR roulette might be roaring back.


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## Rail Freak (Sep 21, 2011)

> . They claimed that you can't end one trip, and then continue a second one on
> 
> the same train on the same day. .



If I made two phone calls to AGR, call 1. for STP - ELP --- (2 zones) call 2. ELP - WPK (1 zone) how would they know what I was doing?


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## AlanB (Sep 21, 2011)

Rail Freak said:


> > . They claimed that you can't end one trip, and then continue a second one on
> >
> > the same train on the same day. .
> 
> ...


While the agent may not decide to do so, or pay attention, when you call in and provide your AGR number they can see all the current activity on your account. So the second agent can very easily see that you spoke to another agent and got a reservation earlier that day. And they can see what trip you've booked.


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## Ispolkom (Sep 21, 2011)

AlanB said:


> While the agent may not decide to do so, or pay attention, when you call in and provide your AGR number they can see all the current activity on your account. So the second agent can very easily see that you spoke to another agent and got a reservation earlier that day. And they can see what trip you've booked.


That's only an issue if there actually is a rule against back-to-back AGR trips, the agent notices that it's such a situation, and that agent actually cares. That's three hypotheticals, which strikes me as good odds.



> Looks like the good old days of CSR roulette might be roaring back.


They never left!


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