# Understanding Tier Qualifying Points and Select Executive Level



## inspiration100 (Sep 18, 2014)

I really like the idea of being able to purchase a large amount of AGR points by getting to the Select Executive level.

1). Are points earned through retailers considered Tier Qualifying Points?

2). When points are discounted (aka, 30% bonus), can you buy unlimited points using that promotion if you have a Select Executive level?


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## CHamilton (Sep 18, 2014)

inspiration100 said:


> I really like the idea of being able to purchase a large amount of AGR points by getting to the Select Executive level.
> 
> 1). Are points earned through retailers considered Tier Qualifying Points?
> 
> 2). When points are discounted (aka, 30% bonus), can you buy unlimited points using that promotion if you have a Select Executive level?


1. No.

2. Yes.


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## inspiration100 (Sep 19, 2014)

So other than riding the rails, there is essentially no way to get Select Executive level?


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## CHamilton (Sep 19, 2014)

inspiration100 said:


> So other than riding the rails, there is essentially no way to get Select Executive level?


Yes, that's correct. Which makes getting to SE a lot harder for those of us outside the Northeast. I managed it last year, but won't be able to repeat this year.


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## Barciur (Sep 19, 2014)

Well I might as well ask about this here since it seems like a good topic.

I am currently only 876 points to reach Select status. Never had it before. I have a trip to Milwaukee and return in a sleeper both ways, so that will give me a healthy chunk of points, especially with double days!

So my question will be this - currently my plans include trips that will amount to 600 more TQP's - hence, when I hit my trip, I will have 276 left to get select. Would it be beneficial to complete two point runs to get the Select status before I board the Pennsy with Milwaukee in mind? I noticed it says "25% point bonus on every Amtrak trip you take". Will it take effect immediately after I reach the 5000 TQPs this year and therefore give me the extra 25% bonus on my LD?

Also - will those points be doubled with the double points, or are they entered as a separate bonus category and not at all affected by double days?


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## PRR 60 (Sep 20, 2014)

Barciur said:


> Well I might as well ask about this here since it seems like a good topic.
> 
> I am currently only 876 points to reach Select status. Never had it before. I have a trip to Milwaukee and return in a sleeper both ways, so that will give me a healthy chunk of points, especially with double days!
> 
> ...


Whether getting Select is worth making a points run depends on the value you would get from that status level My opinion is that if you're that close, you might as well go for it. You will get some extra points, and a couple of lounge entries and upgrades.

You should get your 25% bonus as soon as you clear 5000 posted TQP's. The 25% tier Select bonus does not get doubled with the double points promo.


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## Bob Dylan (Sep 20, 2014)

Sadly Select doesn't get the Lounge Passes anymore, just two e- coupons for 10% a Discount and 2 Upgrade coupons which are handy for FC Acela if you're on the NEC!!!


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## amamba (Sep 21, 2014)

jimhudson said:


> Sadly Select doesn't get the Lounge Passes anymore, just two e- coupons for 10% a Discount and 2 Upgrade coupons which are handy for FC Acela if you're on the NEC!!!


I got two lounge passes in my 2014 select kit. The difference is that it used to be joint coupons for lounge access OR discounted fare. Once they went to ecoupons they changed it from 3 upgrades and 3 lounge passes/discounts to two of each. A negative change IMO.


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## Bob Dylan (Sep 21, 2014)

amamba said:


> jimhudson said:
> 
> 
> > Sadly Select doesn't get the Lounge Passes anymore, just two e- coupons for 10% a Discount and 2 Upgrade coupons which are handy for FC Acela if you're on the NEC!!!
> ...


You were lucky amamba! My 2 e-coupons are only valid for a 10% discount,( as a Geezer I get the 15% Discount) NOT Lounge access! ( I always used to give these to members that cod use them since I live in Flyover Country and Travel in Roomettes in LD Trips!)

The 2 e-Upgrade Coupons are of value on FC Acela as you know!


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## Barciur (Sep 21, 2014)

Thanks. Given that I would pay ~$11 (5.85 per ticket) for a 400 points run, it seems like a good deal. Is the lounge pass good for Club Acela? Are these the same Lounges?


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## amamba (Sep 21, 2014)

They sent two paper coupons with the select package in 2014. So select kit included:

2 paper lounge coupons

2 e-coupons for upgrade

2 e-coupons for 10% off (useless as I have AAA)


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## amamba (Sep 21, 2014)

Yes lounge pass is good for club acela.


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## Long Train Runnin' (Sep 21, 2014)

Barciur said:


> Thanks. Given that I would pay ~$11 (5.85 per ticket) for a 400 points run, it seems like a good deal. Is the lounge pass good for Club Acela? Are these the same Lounges?


Just remember double days doesn't double your qualifying points. You get 200 Tier points and 200 bonus points.


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## Bob Dylan (Sep 22, 2014)

amamba said:


> They sent two paper coupons with the select package in 2014. So select kit included:
> 
> 2 paper lounge coupons
> 
> ...


Boy is my face Red amamba! After your post I dug out my Select Packet and much to my mortification , found 2 Paper Passes good for Club Acela or Metro Lounges! That'll teach me to believe what I read on line on the AGR Web site where it shows 2 Discount and 2 Upgrade e- coupons but nothing about the 2 Paper Lounge Passes! 
My bad but good for an AU friend that can use them! Thanks for the reminder!


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## BCL (Sep 22, 2014)

I can't find anything that states whether or not the 2 ClubAcela passes will be sent out if I make Select again. However, it doesn't say anything about the 10% discount codes nor the one-class upgrades.

As for the best way to get TQPs, we've got the corridor services here in California. When Capitol Corridor was running weekend 50% specials, I could get 400 TQPs for $12 for RIC-EMY-SFC-EMY-RIC. I remember doing this last year to finally make Select, and it literally took just a shade over 2 hours. Not only that, but there was plenty of wiggle time built in - enough to go into the Ferry Building and get coffee at Blue Bottle and bread at Acme. It would have been $10.50 for BKY-EMY-SFC-EMY-BKY (literally under 2 hours), but the route is so short between Berkeley and Emeryville that often the conductor won't even see you. Even for RIC-EMY I make sure that I get to a car where a conductor will pass by.


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## BCL (Sep 22, 2014)

inspiration100 said:


> 1). Are points earned through retailers considered Tier Qualifying Points?


Not at all. The basic premise is that you can only get TQPs by earning them yourself riding Amtrak transportation (including buses). Outside or bonus points can be used for benefits, but not to get to a higher tier. Nothing changes the number of TQPs you can get, although sometimes it can be cheaper to get them if you're taking minimum point runs and there's a discount on the tickets.


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## neutralist (Sep 23, 2014)

This kind of sucks. You can get Diamond status on Hilton HHonors without spending a night in their property.


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## BCL (Sep 23, 2014)

neutralist said:


> This kind of sucks. You can get Diamond status on Hilton HHonors without spending a night in their property.


Airline frequent flier tiers are only base on miles or segments. Some even have minimum spending requirements. However, I think it's fair to the people who actually use the service.


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## saxman (Sep 23, 2014)

neutralist said:


> This kind of sucks. You can get Diamond status on Hilton HHonors without spending a night in their property.


Yeah, I don't think it's fair for someone to reach tier status just by putting money on a credit and never stepping foot on a train. I work hard to get to Select Plus, mostly so I can get the United Club access. Even though it would be cheaper to just buy a membership. But I still want access to the lounges for Amtrak too.


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## Ispolkom (Sep 23, 2014)

Hilton is very much an outlier in how easy it is to buy status with credit card use, and if you go to Flyer Talk you'll find any number of Diamonds complaining about how all the credit-card Diamonds dilute their perks. Not that I agree, as I'm a gold thanks to the Surpass credit card, and I figure that Hilton must think that guests who get status by credit card spend are just as valuable as those who do it by renting rooms.

AGR was sort of a pioneer in a rational status system, basing it principally on the amount you spend on the railroad, rather than on the old airline standard of number of miles you travel. I think that it's noteworthy that some airlines are now moving to that basis.

Also, I'm very happy that I can very easily use AGR points earned on credit card spend to book sleepers, without capacity controls. This is worth much more to me than status would be, since I rarely use lounges or travel in the NEC.


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## jis (Sep 23, 2014)

Ispolkom said:


> AGR was sort of a pioneer in a rational status system, basing it principally on the amount you spend on the railroad, rather than on the old airline standard of number of miles you travel. I think that it's noteworthy that some airlines are now moving to that basis.


Except for the fact that when it is possible to get 100 tier qualifying points for mere pittance like $8 over and over and over again, it sort of makes it more like the airline thing. It is like the airlines giving 500 points as the minimum if the distance traveled is less than that.
Indeed Amtrak status is useful primarily to get lounge access and get more bonus points. There are no advantages like premier boarding and premier upgrades as in airlines. So in my mind Amtrak status is worth much less than airline status.


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## BCL (Sep 23, 2014)

jis said:


> Ispolkom said:
> 
> 
> > AGR was sort of a pioneer in a rational status system, basing it principally on the amount you spend on the railroad, rather than on the old airline standard of number of miles you travel. I think that it's noteworthy that some airlines are now moving to that basis.
> ...


However, it doesn't cost as much. And I noted that with fare specials one could theoretically get 400 points in a few hours for $10.50. The main issue would be getting a conductor to scan a ticket for a short segment.


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## jis (Sep 23, 2014)

Yeah. I guess you get what you pay for


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## BCL (Sep 24, 2014)

jis said:


> Yeah. I guess you get what you pay for


Well - "time is money". :giggle:


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## neutralist (Sep 25, 2014)

If it doesn't scan it is a free ride (fare refunded as e-vouchers) unless you use saver fares or sleeping accommodations.....in those cases the fares are forfeited.


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## Barciur (Sep 25, 2014)

Value fare is also forfeited now if it is not cancelled prior to departure.


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## seat38a (Sep 25, 2014)

jimhudson said:


> Sadly Select doesn't get the Lounge Passes anymore, just two e- coupons for 10% a Discount and 2 Upgrade coupons which are handy for FC Acela if you're on the NEC!!!


Really? I got two lounge passes, 2 10% discount and 2 Upgrade when I hit Select in March. BTW, the lounge passes were a surprise for me. Was not expecting them.


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## iggy (Sep 25, 2014)

"I got two lounge passes, 2 10% discount and 2 Upgrade when I hit Select"

Finally received my package a couple of days ago - took almost a month and 1 week.

I confirm receiving what is listed above.

Discount and upgrade coupons are within your Rewards account. Lounge passes come with upgrade packet in snail mail.

New card seems flimsier than my old one. My previous card was so old it was one that still had magnetic strip on it.


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## BCL (Sep 27, 2014)

jis said:


> Except for the fact that when it is possible to get 100 tier qualifying points for mere pittance like $8 over and over and over again, it sort of makes it more like the airline thing. It is like the airlines giving 500 points as the minimum if the distance traveled is less than that.


Started thinking about this, and I remember United used to have something like a 400 mile minimum. The shortest scheduled flight they had was the shortest regularly scheduled flight of any of the major airlines. They had an SFO-OAK flight that was technically 13 miles. It only got a few thousand feet off the ground before it had to start its descent. It was technically an SFO-OAK-DEN flight, but one could book the short segment alone. If you only needed one segment or the 400 miles meets the requirement, it might have been possible to just book that one flight, get to SFO one way or another, and then take BART home (depending on where one lived). Or maybe just have a runner with a car to drop off at SFO and then pick up at OAK.

Of course now they also have a pricing component to reaching tier levels. I think the mileage still is the same, but to reach a tier requires dollars be spent. I suppose the price is on the ticket somewhere, because I've bought packages from travel agents where it was hard to decipher any particular cost basis for each service.


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## jis (Sep 27, 2014)

500 mile minimum. That is also the basis for the Acela 500 point minimum between designated end points that compete with airlines. The fare used for all dollar amount related computations is exclusive of taxes and fees imposed by entities other than the airline itself.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum


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