# Zone question...



## Jim G. (Jan 2, 2011)

If the departing and arriving station are in the same zone but the train goes into an adjoining zone and trains are changed does AGR consider it a 1 or 2 zone

points cost.


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## Long Train Runnin' (Jan 2, 2011)

These days I believe its a 2 zone reward.


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## Shanghai (Jan 2, 2011)

I concur with Stephen. I recall reading if one crosses zones in either direction it counts

as a zone.


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## Steve4031 (Jan 2, 2011)

For miami to Atlanta, agent was going to charge me 20,000 for a 2 zone trip. I informed her this was a one zone trip, and she changed it. She stated that atl was on the border of 1 zones and that this could be priced to different ways. I dud not argue since she agreed to the 15,000 points.


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## Ispolkom (Jan 2, 2011)

As of April 1, 2010, what the OP wants is charged as a 2-zone award. Before that date you could book a trip ATL-WAS-CHI-MOT as a one-zone award, even though WAS-CHI-MOT was a two-zone award. Now the longer trip is also a two-zone award.


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## FlyingBoat (Apr 22, 2011)

Shoot,

I just called to check a booking and the rep told me Den to MSP is only one zone, even going through Portland. I asked him if he was sure and he said yes, that he hasn't been working there only a week and is sure it is only one zone. Unfortunately, I won't have my miles until Monday, or I would have had him book it. He said something to the affect he can do it both ways, one or two zones, it depends on how he sets it up and that the key is the pair cities as to what zone they are in.

I asked if I could call him back when I get the miles, but he said any agent can do it, and I should just tell them I want this booked as a one zone trip.

Sounds like it is just a change he isn't aware of yet. Doesn't look promising based on this forum.


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## VrmlBasic (Apr 24, 2011)

On zones, am I understanding the system correctly? It takes 3,000 points to go from Baltimore, MD to Washington, DC (30 miles or so). It takes 1,000 points to go from Washington, DC to Montreal, QB (hundreds of miles) or from Washington to Boston, MA (Ditto)

Yet it takes 5,500 points to go from Washington, DC to Columbus, OH or Raleigh, NC or even Toronto, ON? What gives? Philadelphia and Harrisburg PA are in the NE zone, but Pittsburgh is not?! Isn't the train that you'd have to take to get to Harrisburg the same train that runs all the way across PA to Pittsburgh? That makes little sense.

It's great that I live in the northeast, the best & apparently cheapest area for Amtrak--as well as the area least friendly for driving--but sometimes I'd like to leave it by train. Costing 5x as much is prohibitive to that.

Also, what is a "coach class special route", as it only costs 1000. The Guest Rewards site isn't very forthcoming with what constitutes a "special" route. I've got 10,000+ AMTRAK points burning a hole in my account, and I'd like to use them. (Luckily amtrak tells me that because I have a severely underused AGR card, my points never expire.)


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## PRR 60 (Apr 25, 2011)

VrmlBasic said:


> On zones, am I understanding the system correctly? It takes 3,000 points to go from Baltimore, MD to Washington, DC (30 miles or so). It takes 1,000 points to go from Washington, DC to Montreal, QB (hundreds of miles) or from Washington to Boston, MA (Ditto)
> 
> Yet it takes 5,500 points to go from Washington, DC to Columbus, OH or Raleigh, NC or even Toronto, ON? What gives? Philadelphia and Harrisburg PA are in the NE zone, but Pittsburgh is not?! Isn't the train that you'd have to take to get to Harrisburg the same train that runs all the way across PA to Pittsburgh? That makes little sense.
> 
> ...


Coach travel in the "Northeast Zone", roughly Virginia to New England, is 3000 points. That is true of Washington to Baltimore or Newport News to Boston. Both those trips, and all the trips in between, are 3000 points each way in coach.

Travel from the Northeast Zone to points outside the Northeast Zone but still within the Eastern Region is 5500 points. Cross any of the two major region boundaries (East to Central or Central to West) will then trigger the two zone award requirements - 8000 points for coach. It does not matter of the trip is 200 miles or 2000 miles, if you cross a boundary, you pay two zones.

The "Special Route" awards are for travel on designated routes, and connecting bus travel for that route only. The Special Routes are:

- Blue Water

- Wolverine

- Cascades

- Pacific Surfliner

- Capitol Corridor

- San Joaquin

- Hiawatha

- Downeaster

- The Lincoln Service

- Illini Service

- The Carl Sandburg

- Missouri River Runner

- The Illinois Zephyr

- The Saluki

- The Hoosier State

- The Pere Marquette

- The Piedmont

- The Heartland Flyer

On those routes, one train ride and connecting bus travel costs 1000 points for coach.


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## VrmlBasic (Apr 25, 2011)

PRR 60 said:


> VrmlBasic said:
> 
> 
> > On zones, am I understanding the system correctly? It takes 3,000 points to go from Baltimore, MD to Washington, DC (30 miles or so). It takes 1,000 points to go from Washington, DC to Montreal, QB (hundreds of miles) or from Washington to Boston, MA (Ditto)
> ...


Why would one need connecting bus service? I'm confused, though I do remember that when I tried to use the Amtrak Cascades, they had put the train on hiatus and instead used buses for over a month 

I don't see why you'd need a connecting bus as routes like the Hoosier State and Cascades don't (ideally) employ them, IIRC.


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## the_traveler (Apr 25, 2011)

VrmlBasic said:


> PRR 60 said:
> 
> 
> > The "Special Route" awards are for travel on designated routes, and connecting bus travel for that route only. The Special Routes are:
> ...


Examples


If you go from Portland to Vancouver, BC. You take a Cascade from PDX to SEA and then a Thruway bus to Vancouver.
If you go from Sacramento to Santa Barbara. You take a CC to (now) EMY and a Thruway bus to Santa Barbara. (You could take the CS, but that would cost 5,500 in coach!)
You go from Oakland to LA. You take the SJ to BFD and then a Thruway bus to LAX. (See #2 if you take the CS.)
If you go from Bakersfield to San Diego. You take a Thruway bus between BFD and LAX and a Surfliner from LAX to SAN.


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## FlyingBoat (Apr 26, 2011)

FYI, tried to call in on Monday to book an ABQ to MSP res and was told it needed to be two zones. I told them what the other rep told me, that there was a way to book it as one zone, but she couldn't do it. She went to talk to Sup and came and said there was no way to book it as one zone. I took the two zone booking and will probably call in later and see if I can get someone to book it as one. Its interesting that someone else in this thread had the rep use the same words that there are two ways to book it and they were able to get their trip as one zone. So it sure looks like there is a way to do it and some reps know how.


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## Ispolkom (Apr 26, 2011)

Good luck on getting Albuquerque-St. Paul as a one-zone award. Even when it was a one-zone trip, I had difficulty convincing an agent to book it that way, and when one did, she managed to put us in family bedrooms almost the whole way.

Since April 1, 2010, AGR's official interpretation of its zone rules makes that trip a two-zoner, though you might find an agent who will mistakenly book it as a one-zone trip. Do a search on "loophole trips" and you can probably find the whole saga of the change.

FWIW, even as a two-zone trip, it's a pretty good value.

EDIT: One of AGR's more charming features is that interpretations about zones and such aren't written down, and can change without warning. So YMMV.


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## FlyingBoat (Apr 26, 2011)

Called up a few minutes ago and used my own versus wife's AGR account to book another room with the same itinerary.

Got this one for 20K miles! 

Rep started saying there is an issue with the route because there would be a layover in CHI, etc.

I said that's OK, I want to go through LA anyway. She asked what the route was and said something about it doesn't come up on her system. I told her the route on SW Chief, up to Portland on Coast, etc.,

She asked if I had talked to someone else about this trip, and I said I had over the weekend and was told this would be 20K miles since I don't want to do a layover in Chicago.

She said OK, as long as you realize this will be 4 nights going this way, it will be a one zone trip. I got the reservation and see that 20K is deducted from my account for the BR with bathroom etc.


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## Ispolkom (Apr 26, 2011)

FlyingBoat said:


> Got this one for 20K miles!


Congratulations!


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## boxcar479 (Apr 26, 2011)

I second that. Way to go! I guess what they say"if you don't like one agent says, hang up and talk to another" Good going and enjoy your trip!


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## guest (Apr 26, 2011)

My guess is they'll catch up to this kind of booking - not that I don't think it's cool, but it will show up as inconsistent and costing them money if it keeps up -


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## Vrml_Basic (Apr 29, 2011)

> If you go from Portland to Vancouver, BC. You take a Cascade from PDX to SEA and then a Thruway bus to Vancouver.


Wait a second, you mean Amtrak discontinued the Cascades train service to Vancouver?!! That's news to me, now I'll never get to ride it. Brutal--I was _there_, with ticket in hand, but due to inclement weather they shot down my hopes. That train was supposed to have the real-time GPS tracker IIRC. (Yes, I could bring my own, but that's not as cool.)

Though bus service, when it isn't crowded, isn't bad at all. On my SEA-VAC bus trip, there were only 10 people on the whole bus. Very nice, and the bus even had a section with a small table.

(But when I remember back to the crowded buses that I was "bustituted" onto, I suddenly feel the urge to drive.)

First I missed the Toronto <-> Rochester ferry, and now the Cascades.

If the train just goes from Seattle to Portland now, does it at least run regularly? (ie more than once a day, 3 days a week, per direction)


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## AlanB (Apr 29, 2011)

Vrml_Basic said:


> > If you go from Portland to Vancouver, BC. You take a Cascade from PDX to SEA and then a Thruway bus to Vancouver.
> 
> 
> Wait a second, you mean Amtrak discontinued the Cascades train service to Vancouver?!! That's news to me, now I'll never get to ride it. Brutal--I was _there_, with ticket in hand, but due to inclement weather they shot down my hopes. That train was supposed to have the real-time GPS tracker IIRC. (Yes, I could bring my own, but that's not as cool.)


No, the trains still run between Seattle & Vancouver, one in the morning and one in the evening.


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## JayPea (Apr 29, 2011)

Vrml_Basic said:


> > If you go from Portland to Vancouver, BC. You take a Cascade from PDX to SEA and then a Thruway bus to Vancouver.
> 
> 
> Wait a second, you mean Amtrak discontinued the Cascades train service to Vancouver?!! That's news to me, now I'll never get to ride it. Brutal--I was _there_, with ticket in hand, but due to inclement weather they shot down my hopes. That train was supposed to have the real-time GPS tracker IIRC. (Yes, I could bring my own, but that's not as cool.)
> ...


In addition to the two trains per direction daily between Seattle and Vancouver BC, the _Cascades_ run four trains per direction per day between Seattle and Portland.


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