# LCH/MIA routing



## margo (Sep 12, 2012)

Is there any way that I can take a different route going to MIA and coming home from MIA to LCH? I called AGR. They want me to take the Crescent both ways. I would rather take the Capitol LTD from WAS to CHI, then CHI to NOL (the CONO)either going or coming home. Thank you.


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## Bob Dylan (Sep 12, 2012)

margo said:


> Is there any way that I can take a different route going to MIA and coming home from MIA to LCH? I called AGR. They want me to take the Crescent both ways. I would rather take the Capitol LTD from WAS to CHI, then CHI to NOL (the CONO)either going or coming home. Thank you.


Margo: Are you talking about an AGR or Paid Trip? If its AGR they will Route you by the most "Direct" Route that shows up on Arrow! (ie NOL-WAS/WAS-NOL)If its Paid you can use Multi-City to create a Custom Route! If AGR Award, Do a Paid Trip from LCH-NOL, spend the Night in NOL,buy a Coach Ticket NOL-HMD, then a 2 Zone Award from HMD-CHI-WAS-MIA! As to MIA, take the Silver Meteor from WAS-MIA, then ride back to WAS on the Silver Star, this gives you some different Mileage since the Meteor skips Tampa and uses some different Trackage and skips some Stops through the Carolinas!

This routing would cost you Coach tickets from LCH-NOL/NOL-HMD and two nights in NOL! The AGR Cost in Points would be 40,000! (minus 5% if you have the AGR MC): SDL-CHI-WAS-MIA(2 Zones)/MIA-WAS-NOL.(2 Zones) This would give you the Sunset, the CONO, the Cap Ltd., the Meteor, the Star and the Crescent!


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## margo (Sep 12, 2012)

Hurrah! Thanks to JIM, I got our trip booked the way I wanted it. We're paying for coach LCH to NOL and NOL to HMD, then starting our AGR on the CONO to CHI, the Cap. LTD to WAS, the SM to MIA. Then returning MIA/WAS, the Crescent to NOL, then paying for coach NOL/LCH. This way we get to ride 6 different trains! YEA! My reservation agent was Craig. He was very nice and patient. He did ask why the HMD connection, but I explained that I wanted to ride the CONO one way. Thanks again JIM.


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## Bob Dylan (Sep 12, 2012)

margo said:


> Hurrah! Thanks to JIM, I got our trip booked the way I wanted it. We're paying for coach LCH to NOL and NOL to HMD, then starting our AGR on the CONO to CHI, the Cap. LTD to WAS, the SM to MIA. Then returning MIA/WAS, the Crescent to NOL, then paying for coach NOL/LCH. This way we get to ride 6 different trains! YEA! My reservation agent was Craig. He was very nice and patient. He did ask why the HMD connection, but I explained that I wanted to ride the CONO one way. Thanks again JIM.


:hi: My pleasure, surprised I beat the AGR Master, the_traveler, to it! :lol:


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## Ashland Train Enthusiast (Sep 12, 2012)

jimhudson said:


> If its AGR they will Route you by the most "Direct" Route that shows up on Arrow! (ie NOL-WAS/WAS-NOL


Just to provide a different opinion here, I actually got a different resolution to a trip I'm taking next January. I'm going WAS - NOL paid, and then had enough points to get an AGR trip back to WAS; I called them up and was very direct that I wanted to go NOL -> CHI -> WAS, and the agent was very helpful to get me booked that exact route, so I don't think that AGR _always_ has to take the most direct route in Arrow.

~ DCTE


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## Anderson (Sep 13, 2012)

DC Train Enthusiast said:


> jimhudson said:
> 
> 
> > If its AGR they will Route you by the most "Direct" Route that shows up on Arrow! (ie NOL-WAS/WAS-NOL
> ...


My experience, at least, is that (for a quick example) you can book a WB trip using either the Cap or the LSL. Even though the Cap is both more direct and "cheaper", I've never been refused such a request.


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## Bob Dylan (Sep 13, 2012)

:hi: As I said, Some of us have been able to book our Desired Routings on Award Trips but others have had AGR Agents that work strictly by the Book! In the case of New Orleans, since an Overnight @ your own expense is involved, AGR will almost always want to book you on the Crescent to get to anywhere in the EAST! It's a little different in CHI where there are Three East Bound Trains a day with Guaranteed Connections! (Cardinal, Capitol Ltd. and the Lake Shore) In Two cases I remember, a couple of our members were even able to do Overnights in CHI and LAX on their own nickel before continuing on their Award Trips!(don't think you can do this anymore!  )

The way AGR is now structered, if we dont want to accept the Routing that AGR gives us on first call, we have to use creativity in mapping out our desired routeings on Award trips! (ie, if I want to ride from the Eastern Zone to say PDX or SEA and use the TE instead of the EB from CHI, I book a Two Zone award from say NYP-CHI/TE #421 CHI-ELP. Then a One Zone Award from ELP=LAX-PDX or SEA (or even WPT!!)on #421/#14(and #28 if going to WPT!)If I just called AGR to book this trip they would book me via the LSL NYP-CHI/EB #8 or #28 CHI-SEA or PDX on a Three Zone Award! Hope this clarifies what Im trying to say? YMMV


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