# S/S+ Bonus Question



## Ashland Train Enthusiast (Oct 9, 2011)

All,

So it looks like this year that I will easily make S and have a shot at S+ depending on how my holiday travels line up, and this being my first time reaching this status it leaves me with a question about how it is treated. I see on the AGR website that these two levels grant bonuses of 25% and 50% on points respectively. My question is do these bonus points count as rail points, i.e. a segment that would normally net me 100 rail points would now net me 125 rail points, or are they treated as any other bonus points, i.e. that same section would now net me 100 rail points and 25 bonus points. Just wondering as I begin to plan my travels for 2012, and I'd like to figure out whether or not I'll have a shot at making/keeping these levels for the next year.

Thanks!

DCTE


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## amamba (Oct 9, 2011)

Bonus points do NOT count as rail points. Sometimes there are promos for this, though.


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## the_traveler (Oct 9, 2011)

No, the bonus 25 points, the current double point bonus or any other bonus do not count towards status! Only the "normal" 100 points (or whatever) count towards status.


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## Jim G. (Oct 11, 2011)

I don't recall seeing a promo for rail points. How often do they offer that.


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## the_traveler (Oct 11, 2011)

On average, a few times a year!






THE CURRENT PROMO!


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## Jim G. (Oct 11, 2011)

Kinda sounded like amamba said promo for rail points. Maybe I read it wrong. Trust me, I'm always looking for promos for points.


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## rrdude (Oct 11, 2011)

Dave, unless I'm badly mis-informed though, you only _rail points_ on the actual travel portion, the doubling is for "points", but not a doubling of the _rail points._

I _know_ you _know_ this, but wanted the poster to _know_ this to.

There, now everyone _knows._

Call me a _know-it-all. _Not.

FROM WEBSITE:

*Take home double points this fall*Make fall twice as nice. With the Double Take promotion from Amtrak Guest Rewards® you'll earn double points the next time you head out to see the seasonal colors. Plus, you'll keep earning through November 23, 2011. All qualifying travel from the start of the promotion will earn double points. That means your points will add up faster to bring you closer to free Amtrak® travel.

 

Take it all in, and take home double points.

 

 

*TERMS & CONDITIONS*

Must be an Amtrak Guest Rewards member and register for this offer online or by calling 1-800-307-5000 to participate. Earn double points on qualifying travel from September 7, 2011 12:00:00am CT through November 23, 2011 11:59:59 CT. Canceled or refunded reservations/tickets will be deemed ineligible. Members must include their membership number when making reservations for travel to qualify. Once registered, all qualifying travel during the promotion period will be awarded* bonus points*. Other terms and conditions may apply.


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## amamba (Oct 11, 2011)

Sometimes there are rail point promos for S and S+ folks. Last year wasn't there a targeted offer to get back to S+ that offered extra rail points? I'm on my phone so I

Can't search for it now.


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## pennyk (Oct 11, 2011)

amamba said:


> Sometimes there are rail point promos for S and S+ folks. Last year wasn't there a targeted offer to get back to S+ that offered extra rail points? I'm on my phone so I
> 
> Can't search for it now.


I believe there was one last fall. I am on the Capitol Limited now.


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## PRR 60 (Oct 11, 2011)

pennyk said:


> amamba said:
> 
> 
> > Sometimes there are rail point promos for S and S+ folks. Last year wasn't there a targeted offer to get back to S+ that offered extra rail points? I'm on my phone so I
> ...


I think it's been a couple of years since there was a promotion that offered bonus points that also counted as rail points. The promotions I remember were targeted promotion. It was not offered to all AGR members.


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## AlanB (Oct 11, 2011)

Hey, I'm on the Empire Builder now. 

But most years, there has been a targeted offer to those who were Select Plus and were close to regaining that status, whereby they would count the fall double points promo towards retaining status. In other words, both the regular points would count towards status, as well as the bonus point from the promo. But that offer has always been targeted to specific members.


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## amamba (Oct 12, 2011)

Aw, now you guys are just making me jealous that you are all on trains!


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## the_traveler (Oct 12, 2011)

I'm not on a train, but "jealous" is not the word I was thinking!


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## JayPea (Oct 12, 2011)

I'm doubly jealous: Not only did my ride on the EB end a day and a half ago (and I've already put in one night at work  ) but I will never be able to get anywhere near select or select plus, unless I retire and retire rich. I'm not so sure even about the retirement part, much less the retire rich part.


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## amamba (Oct 12, 2011)

You West coast folks definitely have a huge disadvantage for achieving S or S+ without th Acela. The only reason I am at Select so far this year is all my acela travel. At 500 or 750 each way the points add up quickly.


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## PRR 60 (Oct 12, 2011)

amamba said:


> You West coast folks definitely have a huge disadvantage for achieving S or S+ without th Acela. The only reason I am at Select so far this year is all my acela travel. At 500 or 750 each way the points add up quickly.


That depends. There was a West Coast member here (not active lately) who took hundreds of short $6 trips on the Pacific Surfliner as a commuter. He flew past S+ in March of the year with minimum expenditure. There is another fellow at OTOL who heads from Stockton to San Francisco once or twice a week at 400 points each. He has 300 trips (30,000 AGR points minimum) so far this year. Someone with access to cheap Amtrak trips and the need or desire to ride over and over can leverage that into lots of AGR points and status.


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## rrdude (Oct 13, 2011)

I agree, can't knock the Cali folks ability to earn points.

SoCal is almost as good as the east coast when it comes to frequencies. ("almost") And the Bay Area is catching up too.

OK, so there IS a HUGE difference is the number of trains, but hey, looking at where SoCal and Bay Area came FROM, it is a great improvement!


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## PRR 60 (Oct 13, 2011)

rrdude said:


> I agree, can't knock the Cali folks ability to earn points.
> 
> SoCal is almost as good as the east coast when it comes to frequencies. ("almost") And the Bay Area is catching up too.
> 
> OK, so there IS a HUGE difference is the number of trains, but hey, looking at where SoCal and Bay Area came FROM, it is a great improvement!


One HUGE improvement for West Coast folks was the 100-point minimum. Initially, it was 2 points per dollar for all trips, so a $6 trip would earn 12 points. When the 100-point minimum came into being, the floodgates opened for frequent users of low fare services.


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