# Using points or cash



## jayyfree (Feb 4, 2008)

Planning a trip for two from Mia to Newark around the end of Aug. I have 20000 Agr points and another 15000 in onepass. The fares are running 230 for rail and 190 for viewliner both ways. With our AAA discount comes to 797.00 roundtrip. Just asking for sugestions, would u use 30000 in points or pay cash. Thanks in Advance


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## AlanB (Feb 4, 2008)

Jayyfree,

If you're getting a fare for two people in a roomette of $420 one way, then personally I'd pay for the trip and save my points. Of course your decision has to also take into account your financial situation.

Personally I usually try to get a bit more return on my points, by using them for trips where just the sleeper price is $500 or more, before adding in the railfare.


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## Green Maned Lion (Feb 5, 2008)

I'd be using it for something more substantial than that myself. You know, one of those trips where you figure out an itinerary where you can get 3 nights, 4 days, and 11 meals in a roomette for a one zone trip. I can't wait to have enough points to do that


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## the_traveler (Feb 5, 2008)

Am I missing something? You said you are traveling from Miami to Newark.



jayyfree said:


> use 30000 in points


Miami to Newark is a 1 zone award, and the cost of a sleeper award is* the same either for 1 or 2 pax*! The AGR site is down right now, but IIRC the award for a roomette is 15000 points - and it would cost 15000 points *for both of you* to get the award, not 15000 points per person! (Or did you mean that was the total cost for both ways?)

I agree with *GML*. If you want the most "bang for the points", and it will not hurt financially, I would use the points for a longer 1 zone trip. A trip such as Slidell, LA to ABQ or ATL to Dallas are also 1 zone awards, cost the same, but are IMHO a much better value for using those same points!

Later this year, I am going from ABQ (via Los Angeles) to Portland, OR for the same cost of points as Miami to Newark!


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## AlanB (Feb 5, 2008)

the_traveler said:


> Am I missing something? You said you are traveling from Miami to Newark.
> 
> 
> jayyfree said:
> ...


I'm pretty sure he meant 30,000 for a RT, not one way.


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## jayyfree (Feb 5, 2008)

Thanks for the replies. Yes it is roundtrip. I was certainly thinking I could get more value out of my points. The problem is the 800.00 would be a tough swing right now and if I wait a few months prices could go up or sleepers sold out. I've got some thinking to do.


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## the_traveler (Feb 5, 2008)

jayyfree said:


> Yes it is roundtrip. I was certainly thinking I could get more value out of my points. The problem is the 800.00 would be a tough swing right now and if I wait a few months prices could go up or sleepers sold out. I've got some thinking to do.


I don't know the prices, but maybe what you may want to consider is using your AGR points for one way, and using cash for the other way. The price on Amtrak for a round trip is just 2 one way trips combined, so there is no savings like on a plane. So if one way was much more than the other way, maybe you want to use points for that segment and pay cash for the other segment.

Just making up fares, say NB is $500 and SB is $300 (for a total of $800), you may want to use points for the $500 segment, and pay cash for the $300 segment (and also earn more points  ). But again, I don't know your financial picture.


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## Green Maned Lion (Feb 5, 2008)

You could always rough that in coach, also.


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## PRR 60 (Feb 5, 2008)

jayyfree said:


> Thanks for the replies. Yes it is roundtrip. I was certainly thinking I could get more value out of my points. The problem is the 800.00 would be a tough swing right now and if I wait a few months prices could go up or sleepers sold out. I've got some thinking to do.


$800 for 30,000 points is more than the 2 cents a point general guideline for point or mile value. It is a trip you want to take and using the points saves you $800 out of pocket, which is the whole idea.


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## jayyfree (Feb 5, 2008)

Thanks PRR 60, you made look at it like air miles. I would most certainly use 30000 airmiles for a 800.00 flight. Also "the traveler", your advice of using miles for the one way and cash the other made alot of sense. Thankyou all for the great suggestions.


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## wayman (Feb 6, 2008)

PRR 60 said:


> jayyfree said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks for the replies. Yes it is roundtrip. I was certainly thinking I could get more value out of my points. The problem is the 800.00 would be a tough swing right now and if I wait a few months prices could go up or sleepers sold out. I've got some thinking to do.
> ...


But you can do SOOOO much better than 2 cents per point with AGR. Yes, that's the line between "not worth it" and "ok", but it's not hard to get 3, 4, 5, or even 6 cents per point.


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## Guest (Feb 6, 2008)

"_but it's not hard to get 3, 4, 5, or even 6 cents per point_"

Do, please, give up some ideas- especially on the 6c side. I'm thinking of a trip from Atlanta in almost any direction. The following are places on the "must go in the future" list: Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, ride across the Empire on the Builder, San Diego, Worcester(MA), Sacramento, fall leaves in the Northeast, down the California coastline, etc.


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## sechs (Feb 6, 2008)

Slidell to Los Angeles via Portland has been mentioned before. I'm sure it's easily 6+.


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## wayman (Feb 7, 2008)

Guest said:


> "_but it's not hard to get 3, 4, 5, or even 6 cents per point_"
> Do, please, give up some ideas- especially on the 6c side. I'm thinking of a trip from Atlanta in almost any direction. The following are places on the "must go in the future" list: Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, ride across the Empire on the Builder, San Diego, Worcester(MA), Sacramento, fall leaves in the Northeast, down the California coastline, etc.


This summer, I'm planning a 20,000 AGR cash-in for NOL-CHI-PDX-LAX (City, Builder, Starlight). When I priced it out for two people in a roomette a month or two ago, it cost $1,213. That equates to 6.065 cents/point.


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## the_traveler (Feb 7, 2008)

Guest said:


> "_but it's not hard to get 3, 4, 5, or even 6 cents per point_"
> Do, please, give up some ideas- especially on the 6c side. I'm thinking of a trip from Atlanta in almost any direction. The following are places on the "must go in the future" list: Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, ride across the Empire on the Builder, San Diego, Worcester(MA), Sacramento, fall leaves in the Northeast, down the California coastline, etc.


SDL-LAX (via the Crescent, CL, EB and CS) for a random day in March came to $1227. For 20,000 points, that 6.135 cents per point!


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## jayyfree (Feb 7, 2008)

I think i've made up mind about my next move. Transfer my remaining 15000 from Onepass to Agr. I have closed to 4000 shopping mall points yet to post(crossing my fingers). Once i get to 40000 I will booked the roundtrip for the bedroom. I will get more value from my points since the trip will cost me closed to 1500.00 out of pocket


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## the_traveler (Feb 11, 2008)

Guest said:


> "_but it's not hard to get 3, 4, 5, or even 6 cents per point_"
> Do, please, give up some ideas- especially on the 6c side.


I just booked a trip BHM-WAS-CHI-PDX-LAX in a bedroom (except the WAS-CHI segment is in a Family Bedroom - it was the only room available) for 30,000 points, and returning from PDX-SEA (in business class) and SEA-CHI-WAS-BHM in a roomette for 20,000 points.

So for 50,000 points, the trip would "cost" $4,499 for 2 pax! I get 9 nights and (if I counted right) 28 meals per person!

That works out to be *8.998 cents per point*!


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## Guest (Feb 11, 2008)

I KNOW we _love_ train travel, but, doesn't it get a little old spending that much time in one shot on a train? Are there any built in delays of several hours or overnight in that schedule?

...nice value for your miles.


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## the_traveler (Feb 11, 2008)

Train travel never gets old! 

I have padding of 6 hours each in WAS and CHI and 4 hours in PDX (but the EB runs on BNSF, so that is not much of a problem) on the way out. The only "problem" is the CS, being UP - but since LAX is my final destination, it is not a problem. On the return, I have 1 hour in SEA (off a Cascade, but I'm going to try to get on the morning train), 3 hours in CHI and 5 hours in WAS! (I'm not too worried!)

Thanks!

In case you're wondering about how I'm getting from LAX to PDX - I'm debating how to get there. I have 2 choices: LAX-SAC using a "special route" award for 1,000 points + $50 or so for SAC-PDX, or LAX-PDX for 5,500 points. I'm meeting friends in both LA and PDX.

What do you think?


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## AlanB (Feb 11, 2008)

the_traveler said:


> I'm meeting friends in both LA and PDX.
> What do you think?


I think that it's perfectly fine for you to meet friends in LA and PDX. :lol: :lol: :lol: I certainly have no objections.


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## softspokenrob (Mar 22, 2008)

the_traveler said:


> Guest said:
> 
> 
> > "_but it's not hard to get 3, 4, 5, or even 6 cents per point_"
> ...


I found a trip valued at 11-cents per point.

30,000 points for a 2-Zone Bedroom quoted fare of $3300 for 2 passengers.

Seattle to New Orleans

11 Coast Starlight

Seattle, WA (SEA) 9:45 am 30-JUN-08

Sacramento, CA (SAC) 6:15 am 01-JUL-08

6 California Zephyr

Sacramento, CA (SAC) 10:09 am 01-JUL-08

Chicago, IL- Union Station (CHI) 3:50 pm 03-JUL-08

50 Cardinal

Chicago, IL - Union Station(CHI) 5:45 pm 03-JUL-08

Charlottesville, VA (CVS) 2:47 pm 04-JUL-08

19 Crescent

Charlottesville, VA (CVS) 8:52 pm 04-JUL-08

New Orleans, LA (NOL) 7:33 pm 05-JUL-08


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## the_traveler (Mar 22, 2008)

softspokenrob said:


> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> > Guest said:
> ...


Are you sure that is a valid routing? Normally, when you choose NOL, the only option for CHI-NOL is the CONO! That is why it is better to choose SDL (and *pay* the <$10 to stay on the Crescent to NOL) - since the only routing CHI-SDL is via the CL (via WAS) or the Cardinal (via CVS) connecting to the Crescent!


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## Softpokenrob (Mar 29, 2008)

the_traveler said:


> softspokenrob said:
> 
> 
> > I found a trip valued at 11-cents per point. 30,000 points for a 2-Zone Bedroom quoted fare of $3300 for 2 passengers.
> ...


Seattle-New Orleans (Eastbound) is a valid route via trains 11/6/50/19.

Hard part is finding available bedrooms on all segments.

July 21 SEA departure shows bedrooms available on all segments for price of $3460 or 11.53 cents per mile.


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## mark t diehl (Mar 31, 2008)

I would look at paying oneway to earn points and use 15,000 points for the most costly part of the trip,[ coach going ] you are always a little tired going home. You can buy points now for I think .0275 cents a point also I think with out looking it up, again with out doing some research you have a couple of choices. I used one zone twice from TOL. to TAM. which was a night and a half, for two people.


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