# New to AGR



## PupfosterG (Feb 11, 2015)

I joined AGR a number of years ago. Took one trip, got the points, then points expired.

Traveling again next month. I booked travel directly at Amtrak.com.

Should I have opened my AGR account, then booked travel through a link to Amtrak.com or does it matter?

After I booked, I made sure I connected my Amtrak acct. with my AGR account.

On average, how long after a trip does it take for points to post in AGR?

I have a approx. 6 hr layover in CHI, (between #58 and #3). To earn some points, 100 minimum, could I book a quick run out to Joliet and back? Is there a shorter roundtrip? Worth the trouble?


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## TinCan782 (Feb 11, 2015)

You can *call and have your AGR number put on your reservation* after ticket purchase before, or even after you travel. Points posting is usually less than 10 days after travel.


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## the_traveler (Feb 11, 2015)

To keep your points active, you just have to travel on Amtrak once every 3 years (36 months). And it doesn't have to be a big trip either. If you live where it's possible, a $5 one way trip will extend all your points for another 3 years! Another way to keep your points active is to sign up for the AGR MasterCard - then they never expire!

If possible, taking a short trip (such as to Joliet or MKE) would earn you another 200 AGR points.


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## neutralist (Feb 13, 2015)

Sometimes you don't even have to take the trip, you can just go ahead and claim the missing points. If the points does not show up in a couple of weeks, call in and say the conductor may have missed the ticket lifting.


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## Railroad Bill (Feb 13, 2015)

neutralist said:


> Sometimes you don't even have to take the trip, you can just go ahead and claim the missing points. If the points does not show up in a couple of weeks, call in and say the conductor may have missed the ticket lifting.


I think that might be called "fraud" in some circles :unsure:


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## jebr (Feb 13, 2015)

Railroad Bill said:


> neutralist said:
> 
> 
> > Sometimes you don't even have to take the trip, you can just go ahead and claim the missing points. If the points does not show up in a couple of weeks, call in and say the conductor may have missed the ticket lifting.
> ...


Most, in fact.


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## Mystic River Dragon (Feb 13, 2015)

Do tickets still have to be lifted to get points posted? I am finding it harder and harder to get my ticket scanned on long-distance trains, because the conductor is not thinking about my AGR points, just whether I am on board. I have gotten to the point where I just ask them to humor me and scan my ticket, but I feel silly having to do this. Any suggestions?


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## AmtrakBlue (Feb 13, 2015)

Mystic River Dragon said:


> Do tickets still have to be lifted to get points posted? I am finding it harder and harder to get my ticket scanned on long-distance trains, because the conductor is not thinking about my AGR points, just whether I am on board. I have gotten to the point where I just ask them to humor me and scan my ticket, but I feel silly having to do this. Any suggestions?


They may be checking you in on their iPhones w/o scanning your ticket.


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## Mystic River Dragon (Feb 13, 2015)

AmtrakBlue--Yes, that's exactly what they're doing. I'm just not sure if the iPhone will send the points to my AGR account, or if the ticket still has to be scanned for that.


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## AmtrakBlue (Feb 13, 2015)

Mystic River Dragon said:


> AmtrakBlue--Yes, that's exactly what they're doing. I'm just not sure if the iPhone will send the points to my AGR account, or if the ticket still has to be scanned for that.


If you're "checked off" then you should get your points. It's not the iPhone that tells AGR, but Amtrak's reservations system (I'm guessing) that indicates whether you traveled or not.


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## Mystic River Dragon (Feb 13, 2015)

Oh, I see--thanks for explaining this. I will stop following the conductors around the train begging them to scan my ticket and just relax and enjoy the trip!


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## the_traveler (Feb 13, 2015)

I was once in bedroom D, and the conductor was in the hallway (my door was open) and knocked. He asked "David?", and I said yes. Because I had things on my lap, I couldn't get to the door quick enough. When I did, I saw he was walking down the hall.

I got the points - he "lifted" my ticket without scanning my e-ticket!


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## Bob Dylan (Feb 14, 2015)

I ride the Texas Eagle often on point runs and know all the Conductors! When I board in Austin they don't even scan my e-ticket, they just click me aboard and the points show up within a few days!

On LD Trips with connections, I do make sure I've been scanned by the Conductor so any connections or future travel on the rez isn't canceled automatically!


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## Mystic River Dragon (Feb 14, 2015)

Thanks, Dave and Jim, for the extra information. I have never had to do a connection, Jim, but this is good to know for the future.


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## DryCreek (Feb 16, 2015)

Howdy!

Glad I stumbled in on this discussion. I too am new to AGR points. I just booked my wife and I a quickie vacation. We are boarding the TE from CBR on May 28th and stopping at TUS for a couple of nights before returning. We booked a Roomette for the trip.

Well, after thinking about it, I decided to go ahead and sign up for their rewards program. I guess that I should call and get this first trip added here pretty soon. I also signed my wife up too. But, like a dummy I didn't refer her to get those 500 bonus points.

Anyway, here is my question - both my name and my wife's name appear on teh ticket. Who gets the credit? Do we get to split the cost of the booking ($1144.00) or does it get assigned to only one of us. Looking at the e-booking ticket, it has the statement "No member number provided - join at Amtrak.com" beside each of our names.


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## AmtrakBlue (Feb 16, 2015)

Both will get points for the rail (coach) fare(s) and only the first person on the reservation will get points for the room(s)


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## me_little_me (Feb 16, 2015)

The first person gets the points for the roomette. Let's say you wanted to treat your teen son and take him along. You sign him up for AGR and on the same reservation, you book one room for yourself and wife and a second room for him. You list passengers as follows:

You

Wife

Son

Guess what! You get the points for the first roomette. Your wife gets the points for the second roomette, not your son. You all get your individual ticket points.


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## SarahZ (Feb 16, 2015)

Yup.

Let's say the total price is $600.

$100/per person for the rail fare and $400 for the room itself.

Your name is first on the reservation.

You will get the points for the $100 for your rail fare and points for the $400 room.

Your wife will get $100 for her rail fare but nothing for the room.


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## DryCreek (Feb 16, 2015)

SarahZ said:


> Yup.
> 
> Let's say the total price is $600.


Hoo wee. I would love to say that the total fare was only $600. But, thanks for all of the input! I guess that some points are far better than none. And, if we decide this is a great way to take quick getaway vacations - the miles might start racking up.

I wonder if I should refer our mid-twenties son. He would probably never go on vacation with us, his work schedule doesn't really allow it, and he likes the extra money he picks up watching the dogs and cattle while were are gone. But, I am sure he would want one of his parents to have the 500 bonus refferal points - right?


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## SarahZ (Feb 16, 2015)

DryCreek said:


> SarahZ said:
> 
> 
> > Yup.
> ...


It never hurts to refer him. He has to take a trip for you to get the 500 points, but it doesn't have to be a long trip. I've referred local friends, and I get points as soon as they take a trip to Chicago or even Battle Creek (20 minutes away).


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## AmtrakBlue (Feb 17, 2015)

Note that trips have to be taken within 90 days of signing up to get the referral points.

Other ways to get points is to use the shopping portal, get the credit card & you can buy points up to 10,000 each year.


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## DryCreek (Feb 18, 2015)

Thanks for all of the ideaas and suggestions. I'll have to sit down and consider them all. I do know that I am not interested in getting their credit card. We have only one, and it has a pretty good point rewards system (ScoreCard Rewards) that we book our air travel with.


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## iggy (Feb 19, 2015)

"Oh, I see--thanks for explaining this. I will stop following the conductors around the train begging them to scan my ticket and just relax and enjoy the trip!"

As mentioned by one member - you might not want to get to comfortable. Never assume your ticket has been lifted. If traveling to multiple cities - because of Amtrak's bad policy - first portion of trip not scanned - your whole trip may cancel.

Per Amtrak Guest Rewards on phone if your ticket is not lifted within a certain timeframe - even if lifted as you deboard or slightly before - you very well may not get your earned points. I got hosed out of points last year do to this.


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## PupfosterG (Feb 19, 2015)

Is there a process to get points credited if ticket wasn't scanned? But really, ticket was bought and paid for, should it really matter if ticket was actually used, or used but not scanned? Are not points based on $$ spent not miles traveled? I assume that in the small print it says you must actually travel, ok, but if they have personnel to lazy or whatever the excuse is to properly scan ticket, then Amtrak comes out ahead and passenger loses the point battle.

If they cancel any remaining travel if ticket not scanned? Is a voucher/or credit automatically issued on terminated portion of the ticket? Or is it something you have to go after to get? Not a great way to retain a customer, especially a new customer.


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