# Planning for Fall 2012 SPK-MIA AGR Trip



## jmbgeg (Dec 13, 2011)

I have a conference to attend in Miami in the Fall of 2012. SPK-MIA round trip in a bedroom is an expensive ticket. As an AGR award, it requires 100,000 points. I currently have 60,000 headed towards 70,000 by year end. January 1, I can buy points again from AGR and Starwood, which will get me closer. In any event, I should be able to get to 100,000 with earned 2012 Amtrak miles and transferred SPG points. Still, I hope to tie down the space ASAP.

I have looked at a worst case scenario (not getting to 100,000). I could take a roomette instead of a bedroom. That's low on my preferences. I am large enough that a roomette bed is a tight fit, especially on a long trip. I could redeem two zone bedroom awards SPK-CHI and CHI-SPK or CHI-MIA and MIA-CHI, and buy CHI-MIA and MIA-SPK tickets or SPK-CHI and CHI-SPK. That would cost me about $2,350-2,450. (The company would reimburse me for coach airfare equivalent fares). I would rather avoid that outlay. Also, I am not sure that a two zone award reservation connecting to a two zone paid ticket would be a guaranteed connection.

I am confident that I can earn/buy the 40,000 points I need before the trip. That makes the options immediately above moot, in my opinion. I think the right move would be for me to redeem 50,000 points now to make a reservation one way for SPK-MIA or MIA-SPK, whichever is currently priced higher, and grab that space, and then; wait until I accumulate the remainder to reach another 50,000 points and make the second reservation. Does that make sense?


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## PRR 60 (Dec 13, 2011)

Since you want a bedroom (and I agree), the Silver Service trains between Washington and Miami which use Viewliner sleepers are the tightest inventory for your trip. The Silver Star only has four bedrooms. The Silver Meteor only has six. What I would do right now is make a one-zone round trip booking for just the Silver Service trains from Washington to Miami and back. This will cost you 40,000 points. This booking is just to hold the bedrooms in your name. Needless to say, do not get tickets printed. Next year, when you have enough points for the rest of the trip, you can call AGR and add the trains from and to Spokane. AGR will add the new trains and convert the 40,000 point one-zone round trip into a 100,000 point three-zone round trip and charge you the extra 60,000 points. Meanwhile, your bedrooms on the Silver Service trains were safely in your hands.


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## jmbgeg (Dec 13, 2011)

PRR 60 said:


> Since you want a bedroom (and I agree), the Silver Service trains between Washington and Miami which use Viewliner sleepers are the tightest inventory for your trip. The Silver Star only has four bedrooms. The Silver Meteor only has six. What I would do right now is make a one-zone round trip booking for just the Silver Service trains from Washington to Miami and back. This will cost you 40,000 points. This booking is just to hold the bedrooms in your name. Needless to say, do not get tickets printed. Next year, when you have enough points for the rest of the trip, you can call AGR and add the trains from and to Spokane. AGR will add the new trains and convert the 40,000 point one-zone round trip into a 100,000 point three-zone round trip and charge you the extra 60,000 points. Meanwhile, your bedrooms on the Silver Service trains were safely in your hands.


Excellent analysis. Glad I posted.


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## Bob Dylan (Dec 13, 2011)

John: Excellent suggestion re booking the Eastern Trains! (ie Silver Trains, I suggest going on the Meteor one way and the Star the other since they run slightly different routes)I would add the following: Book from WolfPoint to MIA both ways, 2 Two Zone Bedroom Awards for a total of 60,000 Points! This would assure you of a bedroom on the Empire Builder, and either or the Cap Ltd./Cardinal.You can go via WAS (Cap Ltd) or take the bus bridge from Charlottesville to Richmond (Cardinal). Personally Id say take the Card going East from CHI to Charlottesville, do the bus bridge and then take the Meteor to Florida. ON the return you could take the Cap Ltd. out of WAS to CHI. When you get the other 40,000 Points you could book the Roundtrip from Wolf Point to SPK, costing you a total of 100,000 Points for the trip! You could also Pay for (Dave has a Heart attack! :lol: )the rez from SPK-WPT to lock in a Bedroom, change it to AGR when you get the other 40,000 Points! Something for thought, depends on how many Trains and Routes you want to take but this is how I would do it!


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## jmbgeg (Dec 13, 2011)

jimhudson said:


> John: Excellent suggestion re booking the Eastern Trains! (ie Silver Trains, I suggest going on the Meteor one way and the Star the other since they run slightly different routes)I would add the following: Book from WolfPoint to MIA both ways, 2 Two Zone Bedroom Awards for a total of 60,000 Points! This would assure you of a bedroom on the Empire Builder, and either or the Cap Ltd./Cardinal.You can go via WAS (Cap Ltd) or take the bus bridge from Charlottesville to Richmond (Cardinal). Personally Id say take the Card going East from CHI to Charlottesville, do the bus bridge and then take the Meteor to Florida. ON the return you could take the Cap Ltd. out of WAS to CHI. When you get the other 40,000 Points you could book the Roundtrip from Wolf Point to SPK, costing you a total of 100,000 Points for the trip! You could also Pay for (Dave has a Heart attack! :lol: )the rez from SPK-WPT to lock in a Bedroom, change it to AGR when you get the other 40,000 Points! Something for thought, depends on how many Trains and Routes you want to take but this is how I would do it!


Thanks, Jim.


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## jmbgeg (Dec 13, 2011)

jimhudson said:


> John: Excellent suggestion re booking the Eastern Trains! (ie Silver Trains, I suggest going on the Meteor one way and the Star the other since they run slightly different routes)I would add the following: Book from WolfPoint to MIA both ways, 2 Two Zone Bedroom Awards for a total of 60,000 Points! This would assure you of a bedroom on the Empire Builder, and either or the Cap Ltd./Cardinal.You can go via WAS (Cap Ltd) or take the bus bridge from Charlottesville to Richmond (Cardinal). Personally Id say take the Card going East from CHI to Charlottesville, do the bus bridge and then take the Meteor to Florida. ON the return you could take the Cap Ltd. out of WAS to CHI. When you get the other 40,000 Points you could book the Roundtrip from Wolf Point to SPK, costing you a total of 100,000 Points for the trip! You could also Pay for (Dave has a Heart attack! :lol: )the rez from SPK-WPT to lock in a Bedroom, change it to AGR when you get the other 40,000 Points! Something for thought, depends on how many Trains and Routes you want to take but this is how I would do it!


Jim,

I followed your suggestion. I pulled points and booked WPT-MIA ands MIA-WPT next September. I have secured the space for the long legs. I can figure out what to do with SPK-WPT and WPT-SPK late. I checked the fare for those segments and it is not too bad. I may just buy the room for those legs, as that fare is a lot less costly than the value of a SPK-LAX trip in a bedroom. On the way back, I am catching the Cardinal in DC instead of the Capitol Limied. I have never taken the Cardinal.

Thanks everyone for the superb counsel.


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## AlanB (Dec 13, 2011)

John,

While overall I agree with the strategy you've currently employed, let me caution you a bit. If you do decide to eventually use points to extend things west of Wolf Point, I recommend checking to see how many Bedrooms are still left for the entire trip on the Builder before you call AGR. If there is only 1 room left, or even zero left, do NOT alter the existing reservation! Make a separate reservation and try to get the same room & car. The reason for this caution is the fact that in order to change the destination on the existing reservation, the agent must release the current room dropping in back into inventory. Then that agent must quickly try to recapture the room for the new destination.

And during that few seconds that it will take the agent to move screens, there is a slight chance that someone else comes along and grabs the room out from under you.

Of course if there are more Bedrooms open, then there is no danger and you can modify the existing reservation. But again, if there is only 1 or zero, don't modify. Book separately.


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## Ispolkom (Dec 13, 2011)

If you wanted to maximize time on the train on your return, had the points for another 1-zone award, and to take a different route, you could book:

(1) Miami-Washington-Chicago-El Paso on 98 - 29 - 421, or

(2) Miami - Richmond - Charlottesville - Chicago - San Antonio - El Paso (if you wanted to take the westbound Cardinal)

as a 2-zone award.

El Paso - Los Angeles - Portland - Spokane would, of course be a one-zone award.

Alternately, you could route via the California Zephyr or the Southwest Chief, where the scenery might be better.


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## jmbgeg (Dec 14, 2011)

AlanB said:


> John,
> 
> While overall I agree with the strategy you've currently employed, let me caution you a bit. If you do decide to eventually use points to extend things west of Wolf Point, I recommend checking to see how many Bedrooms are still left for the entire trip on the Builder before you call AGR. If there is only 1 room left, or even zero left, do NOT alter the existing reservation! Make a separate reservation and try to get the same room & car. The reason for this caution is the fact that in order to change the destination on the existing reservation, the agent must release the current room dropping in back into inventory. Then that agent must quickly try to recapture the room for the new destination.
> 
> ...


I am almost certain that I am going to make a paid reservation tomorrow for the SPK-WPT round trip. As of tonight, a bedroom in 830 would be $508 SPK-WPT. For 730 on the return it would be $408. Both prices include rail fare. At a total of 40,000 points round trip to add SPK-WPT on an award, it makes no sense to use that many points to cover a $916 round trip fare when I can get use it for a high bucket trip to LAX, etc. with a value over $3,000 round trip. I'll try to get the same bedrooms as my AGR reservation, but in any event, the same car where I can make an easy room transfer.


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## Bob Dylan (Dec 14, 2011)

jmbgeg said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> > John,
> ...


:hi: John: Excellent choice! Soon youll be giving us advice on AGR and complicated bookings, Dave will be hurt! :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## jmbgeg (Dec 14, 2011)

jimhudson said:


> jmbgeg said:
> 
> 
> > AlanB said:
> ...


:giggle: Well, the trip is now fully booked. I got the SPK-WPT paid reservation in a bedroom booked for $917 RT, which I am combining with a two zone AGR award in a bedroom WPT-MIA RT, and I was able to get the same rooms for the paid and award legs. :lol: In other words, I got a SPK-MIA trip that prices this morning at $5,710 for $917 plus 60,000 points. I don't have to wait until I earn another 40,000 points for a three zone award, and as I opined, above, I can use the next 40,000 points I earn for a trip a lot more valuable than $917. This only goes to show the value of this board. Thanks again, Jim for the WPT reminder.


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## amamba (Dec 14, 2011)

Enjoy the trip! It sounds wonderful.


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## jmbgeg (Dec 16, 2011)

jmbgeg said:


> I have a conference to attend in Miami in the Fall of 2012. SPK-MIA round trip in a bedroom is an expensive ticket. As an AGR award, it requires 100,000 points. I currently have 60,000 headed towards 70,000 by year end. January 1, I can buy points again from AGR and Starwood, which will get me closer. In any event, I should be able to get to 100,000 with earned 2012 Amtrak miles and transferred SPG points. Still, I hope to tie down the space ASAP.
> 
> I have looked at a worst case scenario (not getting to 100,000). I could take a roomette instead of a bedroom. That's low on my preferences. I am large enough that a roomette bed is a tight fit, especially on a long trip. I could redeem two zone bedroom awards SPK-CHI and CHI-SPK or CHI-MIA and MIA-CHI, and buy CHI-MIA and MIA-SPK tickets or SPK-CHI and CHI-SPK. That would cost me about $2,350-2,450. (The company would reimburse me for coach airfare equivalent fares). I would rather avoid that outlay. Also, I am not sure that a two zone award reservation connecting to a two zone paid ticket would be a guaranteed connection.
> 
> I am confident that I can earn/buy the 40,000 points I need before the trip. That makes the options immediately above moot, in my opinion. I think the right move would be for me to redeem 50,000 points now to make a reservation one way for SPK-MIA or MIA-SPK, whichever is currently priced higher, and grab that space, and then; wait until I accumulate the remainder to reach another 50,000 points and make the second reservation. Does that make sense?


On a long term basis, how is the on time performance of the Silvers to Miami and to D.C.?


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## Bob Dylan (Dec 16, 2011)

jmbgeg said:


> jmbgeg said:
> 
> 
> > I have a conference to attend in Miami in the Fall of 2012. SPK-MIA round trip in a bedroom is an expensive ticket. As an AGR award, it requires 100,000 points. I currently have 60,000 headed towards 70,000 by year end. January 1, I can buy points again from AGR and Starwood, which will get me closer. In any event, I should be able to get to 100,000 with earned 2012 Amtrak miles and transferred SPG points. Still, I hope to tie down the space ASAP.
> ...


John: Checking on AmtrakTrainStatus History for the past Month shows #91 on the Average -45 minutes Late into MIA, #97 averages -47 minutes down which isnt bad for an overnite trip! of course there are a few days, as with all Trains, where there are long delays, service disruptions etc. but on the whole they seem to be very dependable with their OTPs!

In the other direrction the Meteor seems to be pretty consistently Early into WAS, which means you have to eat breakfast Early and in a hurry if you want it before arrival into WAS!!


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## pennyk (Dec 16, 2011)

Congratulations - sounds like a great trip for a great price!!

The few times I have been on 97 southbound from Orlando to South Florida, it has been pretty much on time. A couple of times a bit early and a couple of times a bit late.

(I try to stay away from South Florida as much as I can - even though that is where I grew up :lol: )


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## jmbgeg (Dec 16, 2011)

pennyk said:


> Congratulations - sounds like a great trip for a great price!!
> 
> The few times I have been on 97 southbound from Orlando to South Florida, it has been pretty much on time. A couple of times a bit early and a couple of times a bit late.
> 
> (I try to stay away from South Florida as much as I can - even though that is where I grew up :lol: )


I used to fly ( :wacko: ) a couple times per year to South Florida for vacation. I alternated between Miami at Ft. Lauderdale. I enjoy FTL a lot more. More relaxed, nicer people. Unfortunately, my meeting is in Miami, though tough duty, it is not. :lol:


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