# Chicago to Seattle via SWC and CS using AGR



## hankster211 (Jan 27, 2015)

My son is in Seattle and I have visited twice, once on the EB and last summer on the CZ connecting to CS. I would like to take another route this time,

travelling from Chicago on the SWC to LAX then connecting to the CS on up to Seattle. Question is: I have enough AGR points for a 2-zone Roomette. Will I

be able to make this published route as a 2-zone reward trip?

Thanks


----------



## Lakeshore (Jan 27, 2015)

They may try to get you to take a shorter route, but my understanding is that if it is a valid routing (which it is), they should honor that.


----------



## AmtrakBlue (Jan 27, 2015)

I did the SWC-CS as a 2-zone award last fall.


----------



## the_traveler (Jan 27, 2015)

It should be no problem. If you enter "A" to "B" (NOT using a multi-city booking) and a route comes up, ANY of the available routings are bookable by AGR.


----------



## Kenneth (Jan 27, 2015)

I was checking CHI to SEA. It gave me the option to go on TE from CHI to LAX then from LAX up to SEA on CS. From the other replies. This should also be able to be done on 2 zone reward?


----------



## the_traveler (Jan 27, 2015)

Yes! I have done so.


----------



## JayPea (Jan 27, 2015)

I did this routing last year and it was fine then.


----------



## sjgiss (Jan 27, 2015)

Have done this route but be aware if SWC is late like I was (over 8 Hours) they will bus you to Bakersfield then San Jouquine to Sacremento.


----------



## hankster211 (Jan 28, 2015)

Thanks for the info, everyone. Just one more question.

The "Redeem Amtrak Guest Rewards Points" webpage lists only the EB as the route from Chicago to Seattle.

Will I need to call Amtrak in order to book the SWC and CS using AGR points?

Thanks


----------



## Lakeshore (Jan 28, 2015)

You have to call to redeem roomette or bedroom awards. You can only book a coach seat online, I believe.


----------



## Ryan (Jan 28, 2015)

Correct. You can only book a *non-connecting* coach seat online - if there are connections you have to call as well.


----------



## the_traveler (Jan 28, 2015)

As Ryan said, it only shows the EB because that is the only 1 train choice between CHI and SEA. If an AGR redemption involves a connection or a sleeper, you must call AGR to redeem.


----------



## tomfuller (Jan 28, 2015)

I just did a test booking of the trip i"m taking in late March. I now have 3 choices instead of the 2 that I had when I booked from Galesburg to Chemult Oregon. Choice 1 which I did not have before is the Illinois Zephyr to Chicago and the Empire Builder to Portland and a guaranteed connection (4+ hr layover) to the CS arriving about 13 hours earlier than the way that I am arriving.

Choice 2 is the way that I am arriving to Galesburg on the CZ with a lengthy layover in Sacramento.

The route for my return trip is the SWC all the way to Los Angeles and the CS to CMO on the same train that I would have boarded in Sacramento at midnight.


----------



## SteveSFL (Jan 29, 2015)

Until the renovations at the Sacramento station are complete, I would vote for avoiding a long layover there. Yes there are things to do in Sacramento during parts of the layover, but sitting on a couch in the corner of that station even from 9 or 10 until midnight is not fun.


----------



## zephyr17 (Jan 30, 2015)

CHI-SEA via LA is a published route (it'll come up as an option between those two points without going to the multi-city screen) and I've done it.

SEA-CHI via LA, no, that's not a published route.


----------



## Bigval109 (Feb 2, 2015)

I've taken that route before and I used a two zones reward. That is a long an very interesting

routes. You will enjoy it.


----------

