# did I mess up?



## sunchaser (Apr 3, 2009)

I think I just messed up with AGR points. I waited to sign up until today for a trip we're taking in June. We have already paid for the trip. I waited because the website said to get 500 pts you had to take a trip w/i 90 days of signing up. After reading thru further on the site, it says you have to give the AGR # when booking. Did I mess up? If I cancel the trip & rebook, it will $200 more. Help!


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## AlanB (Apr 3, 2009)

No, Sunchaser you didn't mess up.

You don't have to rebook your reservation at all. Just call up Amtrak, not AGR, and tell them that you forgot to add your AGR number to the reservation and ask them if they would be so kind as to add your number to the reservation. If you get someone that says no, then hand up, wait a few hours and try again.

If all else fails, visit an agent at the station when you go to pick up your tickets and have them add the number(s). The number just needs to be in the computer before the conductor turns in the tickets and the barcode on them gets scanned. So you could even call Amtrak while on your trip and get the number added.

After all that, if it still doesn't work, you can still get AGR to credit you your points after the fact.

So you're ok!


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## sunchaser (Apr 3, 2009)

AlanB said:


> No, Sunchaser you didn't mess up.
> You don't have to rebook your reservation at all. Just call up Amtrak, not AGR, and tell them that you forgot to add your AGR number to the reservation and ask them if they would be so kind as to add your number to the reservation. If you get someone that says no, then hand up, wait a few hours and try again.
> 
> If all else fails, visit an agent at the station when you go to pick up your tickets and have them add the number(s). The number just needs to be in the computer before the conductor turns in the tickets and the barcode on them gets scanned. So you could even call Amtrak while on your trip and get the number added.
> ...


Whew!!! Thank you so much!!! I really thought I had mangled it good. I was trying to be so careful to get things set up.

I do have one additional question though. I hear the words region, segment, & leg frequently. Can you explain how that applies to AGR points? I tried searching thru their site & here, but didn't get much. Thanks again!!!


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## AlanB (Apr 4, 2009)

There are three regions to consider when you're using points to book a trip. Each time you move into a new region or zone as AGR calls it, you have to use more points to complete your trip. For example, I live in NY City the eastern zone. If I wanted to travel to Florida, also in the eastern zone, I'd need 15,000 points to get a roomette. If I wanted to travel to California, since I'm now crossing two zones that same roomette would now cost me 35,000 points. You can view the map of the zones by clicking here. Note that the NE zone only applies if one is traveling solely within that zone, otherwise just use the eastern zone for all other travel on the east coast, even if you start, end, or pass through the NE zone.

Segment and leg are essentially the same thing, it refers to one train or bus. Returning to the example I used above, if I go from NYC to LA via the LSL and the Chief, I'll have a two segment trip. That being the LSL and the Chief. However, if I were to make that same trip using the Capitol Limited instead of the LSL, I'll now have a three leg or three segment trip. I'll get one ticket to ride a Regional from NY to DC, another ticket to ride the Capitol to Chicago from DC, and a third for the Chief from Chicago to LA.

For each segment or leg that I ride, I get AGR points based upon how much money I spent. If the amount spent was less than $50, then I get 100 AGR points. Thanks to a new rule that AGR just implimented last year, if I have more than 4 segments or tickets valued at less than $50, I don't the minimum 100 points for all segments 5 and above.

Hope this helps.


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## sunchaser (Apr 4, 2009)

AlanB said:


> There are three regions to consider when you're using points to book a trip. Each time you move into a new region or zone as AGR calls it, you have to use more points to complete your trip. For example, I live in NY City the eastern zone. If I wanted to travel to Florida, also in the eastern zone, I'd need 15,000 points to get a roomette. If I wanted to travel to California, since I'm now crossing two zones that same roomette would now cost me 35,000 points. You can view the map of the zones by clicking here. Note that the NE zone only applies if one is traveling solely within that zone, otherwise just use the eastern zone for all other travel on the east coast, even if you start, end, or pass through the NE zone.
> Segment and leg are essentially the same thing, it refers to one train or bus. Returning to the example I used above, if I go from NYC to LA via the LSL and the Chief, I'll have a two segment trip. That being the LSL and the Chief. However, if I were to make that same trip using the Capitol Limited instead of the LSL, I'll now have a three leg or three segment trip. I'll get one ticket to ride a Regional from NY to DC, another ticket to ride the Capitol to Chicago from DC, and a third for the Chief from Chicago to LA.
> 
> For each segment or leg that I ride, I get AGR points based upon how much money I spent. If the amount spent was less than $50, then I get 100 AGR points. Thanks to a new rule that AGR just implimented last year, if I have more than 4 segments or tickets valued at less than $50, I don't the minimum 100 points for all segments 5 and above.
> ...


Yes, it does. That makes more sense. Thanks!


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## rile42 (Apr 4, 2009)

Alan,

I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out how you came to the 35,000 points needed to travel from NYP to LAX in a roomette. I would have thought it was 45,000 points....15,000 for each of the three zones. But as always, I'll defer to you on AGR procedures.


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## sunchaser (Apr 4, 2009)

rile42 said:


> Alan,I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out how you came to the 35,000 points needed to travel from NYP to LAX in a roomette. I would have thought it was 45,000 points....15,000 for each of the three zones. But as always, I'll defer to you on AGR procedures.


One more question-

Do you get points when you pay for bedrooms/roomettes also? Or is it just for seats only? I know, dumb question.


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## PRR 60 (Apr 4, 2009)

rile42 said:


> Alan,I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out how you came to the 35,000 points needed to travel from NYP to LAX in a roomette. I would have thought it was 45,000 points....15,000 for each of the three zones. But as always, I'll defer to you on AGR procedures.


AGR pricing for multi-zone awards is less than the sum of single-zone awards. A one zone roomette award is 15,000 points, but an award for a roomette trip across three zones is 35,000 points. Here is a link to the AGR award chart.

AGR Award Chart


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## PRR 60 (Apr 4, 2009)

sunchaser said:


> rile42 said:
> 
> 
> > Alan,I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out how you came to the 35,000 points needed to travel from NYP to LAX in a roomette. I would have thought it was 45,000 points....15,000 for each of the three zones. But as always, I'll defer to you on AGR procedures.
> ...


Yes, you get points for your total Amtrak travel purchase - both the rail fare portion and the room portion. If two or more passengers are booked in a room, one (the first on the reservation) gets points for their rail fare and the full room charge, the others only get points for their individual rail fare.


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## the_traveler (Apr 4, 2009)

PRR 60 said:


> sunchaser said:
> 
> 
> > One more question-
> ...


That's why when 2 people travel, 1 may earn (say) 600 points and the other earns only 200 points. (The 1st earns points for their rail fare of $100 and the points for the room of $250, while the 2nd person earns points for their rail fare of $100 - since the room costs the same for 1 or 2.)

And when redeeming, a room award includes the rail fare and room for *BOTH*!


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## AlanB (Apr 4, 2009)

the_traveler said:


> PRR 60 said:
> 
> 
> > sunchaser said:
> ...


All of that assumes that both people are AGR members. If only the first person is an AGR member, the points for the second person are lost. No one gets them.


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