# 1,133 points short of a two zone bedroom reward



## jmbgeg (Mar 15, 2010)

I have a SPK-Cleveland reservation that I have to ticket by Friday. The $2,300 cash price is no small deal and I am thinking about using points instead. The problem is that I am 1,133 points short of 80,000. I do not have an AGR credit card. I have purchased my maximum 10,000 points for the year (unfortnately before the 30% bonuses promotion).

Any ideas on quick points? Samsonite offers 1,000 points on purchases above $100, but that is still 133 short, and I don't know how fast they would post.

I have a month end round trip SPK-SEA on the EB. That would get me there with double points, but not by this Friday. I suppose I could by the Cleveland ticket but not pull the paper ticket; then cancel, get a refund and switch to an AGR ticket after my Seattle points post, but I don't like that approach or it's logistics.

Anybody have any bright ideas?


----------



## the_traveler (Mar 15, 2010)

Unless I'm missing something, I don't understand why you need 80,000 points? :blink: A 2 zone roomette award is 20K each way or 40K for both ways. Unless you need 2 roomettes. And why redeem an extra 15K for 1 stop from TOL to CLE, I would just buy a coach ticket for that short stretch! And don't forget that the award covers 1 or 2 passengers in each roomette. Even if you get a 2 zone bedroom, thats 30K one way or 60K round trip. So as I say, I'm :blink: about the 80K.


----------



## jmbgeg (Mar 15, 2010)

the_traveler said:


> Unless I'm missing something, I don't understand why you need 80,000 points? :blink: A 2 zone roomette award is 20K each way or 40K for both ways. Unless you need 2 roomettes. And why redeem an extra 15K for 1 stop from TOL to CLE, I would just buy a coach ticket for that short stretch! And don't forget that the award covers 1 or 2 passengers in each roomette. Even if you get a 2 zone bedroom, thats 30K one way or 60K round trip. So as I say, I'm :blink: about the 80K.


You are exactly right. I easily have enough points for a 60,000 point round trip two-zone bedroom award. I don't know where I came up with 80,000. :blink: One would think I was an AGR rookie.

The reason I want the bedroom from in the second zone is that the CL arrives/departs well after midnight. I have a meeting on the day of arrival and want to be well rested. On the return, I have a long layover in Chicago before catching the EB and likewise, want to be rested.

I would have felt awful stupid had I purchased points or merchandise to get to 80k and then only needed 60k to get the award.

:lol:


----------



## Bob Dylan (Mar 15, 2010)

the_traveler said:


> Unless I'm missing something, I don't understand why you need 80,000 points? :blink: A 2 zone roomette award is 20K each way or 40K for both ways. Unless you need 2 roomettes. And why redeem an extra 15K for 1 stop from TOL to CLE, I would just buy a coach ticket for that short stretch! And don't forget that the award covers 1 or 2 passengers in each roomette. Even if you get a 2 zone bedroom, thats 30K one way or 60K round trip. So as I say, I'm :blink: about the 80K.


Dave: I know he likes to ride in bedrooms whenever possible, plus it's a THREE ZONE award from SPK-Clevland! Dont know when he plans the trip so cant comment on the prices for rail fare and sleepers (bedrooms or roomettes?) but knowing this route would venture to say they will be pricey IF the train runs since it might be flooding on the EB route for awhile according to posts/weather forecasts! You and I would probably do what you suggest but based on meeting him on the CS and reading his posts I think a bedroom is what he really wants! I have no solution to getting "quick" points (by Friday),

all the specials (Enterprise/refer new members for AGR etc. take awhile to post!) This one stumps me but it's not unusual I guess! :blink: :lol:

Just spit balling as they used to say, but perhaps buy a 15 day/8 segment Rail Pass, upgrade to a sleepr to get enough points, then an AGR award! It's a long way from Wolf Point to CHI, as you say the Toledo-Cleveland coach segment isnt that bad, perhaps as weve discussed before the SCA/conductor would even let hiom stay in his room since it's the middle of the night and no meals are served between Toledo and Cleveland??????Good night and Good Luck!

**He figured his own mistake out, as RosanneRosannadanna said: "Never mind!" :lol:


----------



## the_traveler (Mar 15, 2010)

You *KNOW* the_traveler *NEVER* makes mistakes!(Most of the time.) :lol:


----------



## jmbgeg (Mar 15, 2010)

jimhudson said:


> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> > Unless I'm missing something, I don't understand why you need 80,000 points? :blink: A 2 zone roomette award is 20K each way or 40K for both ways. Unless you need 2 roomettes. And why redeem an extra 15K for 1 stop from TOL to CLE, I would just buy a coach ticket for that short stretch! And don't forget that the award covers 1 or 2 passengers in each roomette. Even if you get a 2 zone bedroom, thats 30K one way or 60K round trip. So as I say, I'm :blink: about the 80K.
> ...


Well, I really did not figure out all my mistakes. Mistake two, as you point out Jim, is that Cleveland is in the Eastern zone, so it is a three zone award. 100k points round trip, and I am not even close. I think that my best bet is to use a three zone award one direction for 50,000 points and buy a paid ticket the opposite direction. Out of pocket cost wise, that's a little more tolerable. Plus, the trip is during the triple points promo, which does not hurt my feelings. I will still have well over 30k points left after the trip.


----------



## Ispolkom (Mar 15, 2010)

Alternately, you could pay for the leg SPK-WPT, get a one-zone award WPT-TOL, then pay for a bedroom TOL-CLE. Do the reverse on the way back. If you can get the paid and AGR reservations tied together so you had the same bedroom, you'd have bedrooms all the way for 40k AGR points and perhaps $1000 round trip, depending on bucket. I imagine that east-bound you'd prefer the Lake Shore Limited, which arrives in Cleveland at 5 a.m., rather than the Capitol Limited, which arrives at 1:45 a.m. Heading west, neither train leaves CLE at a decent hour. Oh, for the days of set-out sleepers!


----------



## Guest (Mar 15, 2010)

Another option could be taking a two zone award to TOL, get off at midnight on the CL and check into a hotel in Toledo. Rent a car the next day and drive to Cleveland. Return is the reverse but take the LSL for the later boarding time. It sucks to drive two hours each way, but so does getting off and on in the wee hours of the morning.


----------



## jmbgeg (Mar 15, 2010)

Ispolkom said:


> Alternately, you could pay for the leg SPK-WPT, get a one-zone award WPT-TOL, then pay for a bedroom TOL-CLE. Do the reverse on the way back. If you can get the paid and AGR reservations tied together so you had the same bedroom, you'd have bedrooms all the way for 40k AGR points and perhaps $1000 round trip, depending on bucket. I imagine that east-bound you'd prefer the Lake Shore Limited, which arrives in Cleveland at 5 a.m., rather than the Capitol Limited, which arrives at 1:45 a.m. Heading west, neither train leaves CLE at a decent hour. Oh, for the days of set-out sleepers!


I had not even thought about the LSL. I like the thought of being able to sleep later and get off at 5:00 a.m. Is the on time performance of the LSL pretty good?

Other than the later arrival time eastbound, are there any other benefits of the LSL Chicago-Cleveland RT vs. the CL?


----------



## Bob Dylan (Mar 15, 2010)

jmbgeg said:


> Ispolkom said:
> 
> 
> > Alternately, you could pay for the leg SPK-WPT, get a one-zone award WPT-TOL, then pay for a bedroom TOL-CLE. Do the reverse on the way back. If you can get the paid and AGR reservations tied together so you had the same bedroom, you'd have bedrooms all the way for 40k AGR points and perhaps $1000 round trip, depending on bucket. I imagine that east-bound you'd prefer the Lake Shore Limited, which arrives in Cleveland at 5 a.m., rather than the Capitol Limited, which arrives at 1:45 a.m. Heading west, neither train leaves CLE at a decent hour. Oh, for the days of set-out sleepers!
> ...


 For your consideration:CL- Dinner served on train, Leaves CHI @ 6:40PM-Arrives Cleveland @1:45AM!!!  Superliner sleepers!

LSL; No dinner/sort of a wine/cheese reception for sleeper pax-Leaves CHI 9PM-Arrives Cleveland around 5AM! No breakfast on train,get to hotel very early, Rougher ride on the LSL!!

IMO the Cap is a better way to go if you dont want to hang out in CHI so late, the downside is getting to your hotel @ O dark thirty! The LSL is just a train ride as far as I am concerned and it costs More, sometimes much more for the same trip??


----------



## jmbgeg (Mar 15, 2010)

jimhudson said:


> jmbgeg said:
> 
> 
> > Ispolkom said:
> ...


Noted. Thanks, Jim.

Dinner on the train may or may not be that important on this trip. If the EB is anywhere near on time I have plenty of time for dinner at CUS before the LSL. I have never traveled on a Viewliner. Sounds like you favor the Superliners. The dates I looked at there was not a substantial delta in the cost for the LSL, FYI. The roughness in the ride is a factor. If I travel on the CL, I most certainly am going to need an overnight hotel upon arrival. That's a cost factor. If I get in at 5:00 on the LSL freshly showered and rested, I may be able to hold off on the hotel until the afternoon hotel check-in. Decisions, decisions.


----------



## saxman (Mar 16, 2010)

Go rent a car from Enterprise. You have to book through the AGR website though. That'll get you 1,000 points. Go stay twice at a Wyndham hotel. I think you need to be a member of both AGR and Wyndham and make sure you're hotel points go toward AGR. They have a 1,000 point bonus as well if you stay twice. That means two separate hotel reservations. So go find a cheap Super 8 and then a Days Inn or something like that.

Note: Its been about 2 to 3 weeks since I rented from Enterprise the points have not shown up yet.


----------



## Bob Dylan (Mar 16, 2010)

After reading your response to my post Ill change my recommendation and say go with the LSL since you havent ridden before and the price is not sig different! Actually a Viewliner sleeper is pretty nice, Ive not been in a bedroom on one but the roomettes are plenty more comfortable than the roomettes on Superliners which I do like! The scenery doesnt matter on this route since its @ night and your point about the rest/refreshed/save on the hotel is smart! With the LSL leaving @ 9PM youd have time for a real dinner outside the station if wanted ,of course depending on the OTP of the Builder! Good plan I think you solved it yourself!


----------



## jmbgeg (Mar 16, 2010)

jimhudson said:


> After reading your response to my post Ill change my recommendation and say go with the LSL since you havent ridden before and the price is not sig different! Actually a Viewliner sleeper is pretty nice, Ive not been in a bedroom on one but the roomettes are plenty more comfortable than the roomettes on Superliners which I do like! The scenery doesnt matter on this route since its @ night and your point about the rest/refreshed/save on the hotel is smart! With the LSL leaving @ 9PM youd have time for a real dinner outside the station if wanted ,of course depending on the OTP of the Builder! Good plan I think you solved it yourself!


I have found the cafe at CUS has good food, and I expect to go out to expensive dinners both nights in Cleveland, so I might dine in at CUS. On the other hand, there is always the pizza option at nearby establishments.


----------



## jmbgeg (Mar 16, 2010)

jimhudson said:


> After reading your response to my post Ill change my recommendation and say go with the LSL since you havent ridden before and the price is not sig different! Actually a Viewliner sleeper is pretty nice, Ive not been in a bedroom on one but the roomettes are plenty more comfortable than the roomettes on Superliners which I do like! The scenery doesnt matter on this route since its @ night and your point about the rest/refreshed/save on the hotel is smart! With the LSL leaving @ 9PM youd have time for a real dinner outside the station if wanted ,of course depending on the OTP of the Builder! Good plan I think you solved it yourself!


FYI, Jim I found the bedroom on the CL at $291 was actually more expensive than the LSL at $243. Apparently that runs counter to normal patterns from what I have read.


----------



## jmbgeg (Mar 16, 2010)

jimhudson said:


> After reading your response to my post Ill change my recommendation and say go with the LSL since you havent ridden before and the price is not sig different! Actually a Viewliner sleeper is pretty nice, Ive not been in a bedroom on one but the roomettes are plenty more comfortable than the roomettes on Superliners which I do like! The scenery doesnt matter on this route since its @ night and your point about the rest/refreshed/save on the hotel is smart! With the LSL leaving @ 9PM youd have time for a real dinner outside the station if wanted ,of course depending on the OTP of the Builder! Good plan I think you solved it yourself!


Here is how I ended up. AGR 50,000 point award for a three zone bedroom on the EB and LSL outbound. $1,152 one way paid on the CL and EB returning; also a deluxe bedroom.


----------

