# Can you use AGR points to book a family room?



## MJL (Feb 20, 2010)

Or is a regular bedroom the largest you can use your AGR points for?


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## BeckysBarn (Feb 20, 2010)

Yes, you can use your points. I believe the family room has the same point level as a bedroom


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## RRrich (Feb 20, 2010)

BeckysBarn said:


> Yes, you can use your points. I believe the family room has the same point level as a bedroom


Yes, that is exactly correct


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## MJL (Feb 20, 2010)

So, how hard is it in actually to book a family room with AGR points? Are there restrictions as to when they can be used, like only when low bucket prices are in effect? I'm just trying to figure out if I should be aggressively trying to get mega amounts of points to use in a situation like this, like the AGR Mastercard.


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## Guest (Feb 20, 2010)

MJL said:


> So, how hard is it in actually to book a family room with AGR points? Are there restrictions as to when they can be used, like only when low bucket prices are in effect? I'm just trying to figure out if I should be aggressively trying to get mega amounts of points to use in a situation like this, like the AGR Mastercard.


If space is available you can redeem for it. You can even redeem the day you travel. Also remember that Amtrak has very limited sleeping cars and there is only one family bedroom per Superliner sleeping car so they can sell out very quickly so book early. Also AGR redemption are fully refundable up until the train leaves the station so if you need to hold one don't worry.


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## AlanB (Feb 20, 2010)

Well booking the family room is hard only because on most trains there are only 2 of them and they tend to sell out fast. But other than the few blackout dates near the holidays, the rule is if there is a family room available when you call, then it is yours. Even if it's the last family room on the train and even if it's at the highest bucket price.

There are no capacity or price controls on awards. If there's a room available when you call, it's yours.

And yes, it's 20,000 points for a 1 zone family room one way.


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## the_traveler (Feb 21, 2010)

As Alan said, if the family room is available when you call - it's can be your room!

A couple of years, I redeemed for a bedroom. On the CL, all the bedrooms were sold, in fact there was only 1 room left on the train. That room was the family room - and it is the same rate as a bedroom!


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## Shanghai (Feb 21, 2010)

Guest said:


> MJL said:
> 
> 
> > So, how hard is it in actually to book a family room with AGR points? Are there restrictions as to when they can be used, like only when low bucket prices are in effect? I'm just trying to figure out if I should be aggressively trying to get mega amounts of points to use in a situation like this, like the AGR Mastercard.
> ...


I don't believe the above statement is correct. A recent change has said that if you have a sleeper accommodation from AGR points and you do not

show up for the train, the points will NOT be credited back to your AGR account. I know if you have a paid ticket for a sleeper, you must cancel seven

days prior to departure to get a refund. The seven day cancellation for return of AGR points may have the same rule, but I'm not certain.


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## AlanB (Feb 21, 2010)

It used to be that you could cancel even after the train departed and get your points back, the recent rule change stopped only that. As long as you cancel before departure, you'll still get your points back. At least so far there is no 7 day rule for awards.


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## Guest (Feb 21, 2010)

Shanghai said:


> Guest said:
> 
> 
> > MJL said:
> ...


The rules are actually spelled out for this one

From the AGR T&C section E, number 2



> Amtrak travel rewards may be returned to the Amtrak Guest Rewards service center for exchange or a refund of points if applicable. If the ticket has been printed, the unused ticket must be returned to the Amtrak Guest Rewards contact center, P.O. Box 1762, Minneapolis, MN 55440. If the ticket has not been printed, the cancellation may be made by phone with the Amtrak Guest Rewards contact center. Effective March 1, 2010, points will not be refunded for sleeping car accommodation reservations not cancelled before actual departure (“no-show”). All exchanges are subject to availability and Point/monetary penalty. Members may only exchange Program Reward tickets for Amtrak travel of equal or lesser value; Points cannot be combined with cash for an upgrade in service.


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## MJL (Feb 21, 2010)

One more question. I don't have near enough points in the near future to be able to book something like this. Is it possible to book the trip, complete with family bedrooms, the regular way with a credit card, and then transfer to AGR points much closer to the time of travel? Say a week or two ahead of actual travel? Also, what is the penalty for canceling a trip made with a credit card, if I were not able to accrue enough AGR points?


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## AlanB (Feb 21, 2010)

MJL said:


> One more question. I don't have near enough points in the near future to be able to book something like this. Is it possible to book the trip, complete with family bedrooms, the regular way with a credit card, and then transfer to AGR points much closer to the time of travel? Say a week or two ahead of actual travel? Also, what is the penalty for canceling a trip made with a credit card, if I were not able to accrue enough AGR points?


You can't "transfer" the room as it were. The best you can do is to get ready to cancel the reservation on your computer, call AGR and while you've got an agent on the phone, cancel the paid reservation and hope that the AGR agent can grab it before it sells to someone else.

As long as you cancel before the 7 day mark before departure, and have not picked up your tickets, there is no penalty for cancelling.

And if you don't have enough points, you can consider buying points up to 10,000 in one year.


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## Guest (Feb 21, 2010)

You can also get a Continental World Mastercard. The bonus right now is 25,000 and annual fee is $85. Then you can transfer them to AGR at 1:1.


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