# Fast Track to Status Promotion (Porbably Targeted)



## SubwayNut (Oct 15, 2014)

I'm currently Select+ (and have been for the past two years).

I have 7,252 TQPs this year (2,748 points to go). In past half-hour I got an e-mail about this promotion (minimum spend for double points is $35 so points runs don't qualify):




> EARN DOUBLE Tier Qualifying POINTSWant to experience the benefits of status for the 2015 membership year? This is your opportunity to get there on the double. Now you can earn double Tier Qualifying Points, up to 1,000 points, through December 31 toward next year's status. But hurry, the window for earning status is closing fast.
> 
> NOW THROUGH December 31, 2014	Terms & ConditionsEarn double Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs), up to 1,000 bonus Tier Qualifying Points, per qualifying Amtrak trip from October 15 12:00:00am CT through December 31, 2014 11:59:59pm CT. Minimum spend of $35 per one-way segment is required for travel to qualify. Limit of two qualifying one-way segments per day. Travel with a monthly pass or using multi-ride tickets does not qualify for this promotion. A maximum of 1,000 bonus Tier Qualifying Points may be earned through this promotion. This offer is not transferable, and only eligible members may participate. Must be an Amtrak Guest Rewards member and register for this offer online at AmtrakGuestRewards.com/FastTrack to participate. Members must include their membership number when making reservations for travel to qualify. Other terms and conditions may apply.


I have very little travel scheduled before the end of the year, although I might just have to work out the time to spend the ~$230 to do an Acela Express day-trip to Boston (with upgrade, coupons petty First Class now only earns you 500 points when you use a coupon) before Double Days is over, and nearly re-qualify for S+.

I believe a one way trip on Acela would give me before double-days ends:

500 Base Points

500 TQP Bonus Points

500 Double Days Bonus Points

250 S+ Bonus Points

That's 1,750 points for $113 (with the recent Acela Express Fare Hike), and more importantly 1,000 TQPs.


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## jacorbett70 (Oct 15, 2014)

Same email here and a similar level of TQP for 2014.


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## Ryan (Oct 15, 2014)

No email here.

Amtrak must concur that my whopping total of 0,000 TQP is hopeless this year.


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## jis (Oct 15, 2014)

I got it too. Alas Select Exec may be a bridge too far even with this. I am Select+ already by a long shot, sitting at around 15000 points after the AU Gathering. The only way I can make it perhaps is by doing two Acela roundtrips over a long weekend in the NYC area one weekend in Nov/Dec. We'll see.


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## BCL (Oct 15, 2014)

Doesn't seem like that great a deal if you've got to spend at least $35 to just double the minimum 100 points. Might make sense if you're already above the minimum. Last year I pulled off a few 400 point runs for $12 and was back home on a weekend before my wife got out of bed.

I didn't get this offer. I made Select renewal (hasn't posted but it should in a few days) and then some. However, I'm trying to make Select Plus. I'm hoping the 50% Capitol Corridor weekend special is back. With the Oakland A's and Levi's Stadium 25% off promotions, I've been buying single tickets rather than 10-rides.


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## jis (Oct 15, 2014)

IMHO 200 TQP for $35 ain't bad at all if you do not have infinite time to do a zillion point runs. What is even better is 1000TQP on Acela for around $200 usually. I might even consider making a quick trip upto the NEC over a weekend to rake in a few thousand TQPs.


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## benale (Oct 15, 2014)

I got the E Mail. Six round trips should put me over the top for next year. However, this is not cost effective for me. I use The Keystones to accumulate points,especially during Double Days. One way ticket is only $5.52. It will be more economical to just keep riding during the double days promotion to renew Select. If i had a major trip planned, that would be different. Can't see spending $70 R/T for what I need.


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## BCL (Oct 15, 2014)

Not that I've qualified for this, but apparently I could reach the $35 threshold by picking a "flexible fare" (i.e. pay double the price) on Capitol Corridor. Also - it appears that it's only possible to book flexible fare for trips where both end stations are staffed.


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## Orie (Oct 15, 2014)

What happens when the year is over? For example, does someone with select executive status revert back to having nothing on Jan 1 or is there a way to maintain it if you earn a certain number of qualifying points? Not that I have select executive, I was just curious.


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## amamba (Oct 15, 2014)

Interesting. My H is actually only 2500 points down from S+ for this year but when they pulled the info for the email he was like 3,500 points down. He got a different email that said "You're close to renewing S+ status." NO bonus for him. He will only be 232 points down when I add in his monthly passes for the rest of the year so he is going to get 3 one way tickets to Boston to put him over the threshold.


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## BCL (Oct 15, 2014)

Orie said:


> What happens when the year is over? For example, does someone with select executive status revert back to having nothing on Jan 1 or is there a way to maintain it if you earn a certain number of qualifying points? Not that I have select executive, I was just curious.


There are claims that you'll simply get docked down a level if you don't have enough TQPs to renew. Of course Select would still need 5000 to renew, but it sounds like someone at Select Plus would be renewed at Select even if barely collecting TQPs for the entire calendar year.

In your hypothetical case I think the member would be renewed at Select Plus even if that member didn't travel on Amtrak for the entire year.

As for me - I'm fully aware that I'm spending more on tickets in my quest for Select Plus status. However, it's not like I trying to reach an airline frequent flyer tier. That costs real money. If I wanted to make Select Plus earlier this year, I figured I could so it in the stretch of about three months for the grand total of $300. It was $12 round trip for RIC-EMY-SFC during the 50% weekend special. So that was 400 points for two train and two bus segments. That was also a good time for the San Francisco Ferry Building farmers' market on Saturdays.

As it stands now, I'm trying all the little tricks. Thrown in a stopover and have breakfast. Maybe toss in a stopover on the way home. That's the difference between 200 points round-trip on my commute and 300 points. Once I know I'm close I'm probably going to just buy a 10-ride to put me over the top.

I do actually like that I'm not driving all the way to work. There always this choke point that just drives me insane. It's not even a matter of how long it takes, but that I'm just going to go bonkers because traffic isn't moving or other drivers are cutting me off.


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## Ryan (Oct 15, 2014)

Orie said:


> What happens when the year is over? For example, does someone with select executive status revert back to having nothing on Jan 1 or is there a way to maintain it if you earn a certain number of qualifying points? Not that I have select executive, I was just curious.


Statu is earned for the remainder of this year and all of next year.


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## William W. (Oct 15, 2014)

Select w/ 7070 TQPs. I didn't get an email, so maybe I'm not in the crowd that they are targeting? I've considered trying to do some points runs to get Select Plus, but I'm not sure that it would be worth it. I usually travel by sleeper, so the complimentary access to the lounges doesn't really help. I like the idea of United Club access, but my dad usually has passes to give me, so the value of that benefit is negated a bit. The only other thing that stands out is the rule busting ability, but the blackouts haven't been a huge problem so far.


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## diesteldorf (Oct 20, 2014)

jis said:


> I got it too. Alas Select Exec may be a bridge too far even with this. I am Select+ already by a long shot, sitting at around 15000 points after the AU Gathering. The only way I can make it perhaps is by doing two Acela roundtrips over a long weekend in the NYC area one weekend in Nov/Dec. We'll see.


Just saw the promo appears to have a 1000 TQP Bonus cap, so it would work for 1 RT from BOS-NYP and earn 1000 TQP + a bonus 1000 TQP, but any future round trips would not be eligible for any bonus.


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## jis (Oct 20, 2014)

diesteldorf said:


> jis said:
> 
> 
> > I got it too. Alas Select Exec may be a bridge too far even with this. I am Select+ already by a long shot, sitting at around 15000 points after the AU Gathering. The only way I can make it perhaps is by doing two Acela roundtrips over a long weekend in the NYC area one weekend in Nov/Dec. We'll see.
> ...


Ah, in that case I can simply ignore the whole thing.  Not even worth a try since it will be impractical.


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## iggy (Oct 23, 2014)

_I'd like to see this offer show up for me this week - would definitely make earning Select Plus much easier for me. Worse case scenario I'd have to do 15 to 18 regional round trips at $15 each way to get there now. _


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## William W. (Oct 23, 2014)

The airlines (Delta in particular) sometimes allow you to purchase TQPs at the end of the year if you're short. Maybe Amtrak should consider something like this?


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## jis (Oct 23, 2014)

United offers to sell you EQMs when you checkin for any flight. The price is pretty steep though. But it does potentially help to fill in small gaps to get status upto Platinum. There ar some restrictions to using purchased EQMs to reach the 1K status though.


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## Anderson (Oct 23, 2014)

No email on this end. Currently sitting around 15,600 after all of my Gathering/NARP stuff posted. 4,400 to go should be doable in the next 9 weeks...


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## jis (Oct 23, 2014)

I am sitting at about the same place, and I am almost certain that for me 4400 will not be doable in the next nine weeks given the other commitments that I have. 

OTOH, the 27,000 that I need to make Platinum on United will almost certainly happen just in course of fulfilling the commitments that I have for the rest of the calendar year. Of course in my case the Amtrak status problem just became much more severe with the move down to Florida. Probably 2015 will be the last year that I will have any status on Amtrak. Sigh... Well I suppose I could at least make Select by simply flying into IAD or BWI and taking the Acela to NJ and back on the 6 trips that I will make to the Northeast next year. But we'll see. Time is going to be an issue on those trips too.


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## Bob Dylan (Oct 23, 2014)

You could always do point runs on 66/67 and sleep on the train in Biz Class while on the NEC jis! LOL


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## BCL (Nov 11, 2014)

Strangely enough I found that I was selected for this promotion and I registered. Not sure why I was selected, although I registered anyways. My history of riding Amtrak includes a grand total of 1 segment that cost more than $35.


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## iggy (Nov 13, 2014)

If the above is case = that aggravates me. I'll be over 7000 TQP at end of month. I feel that loyalty should be rewarded by making it a bit easier for me to get to SELECT+. This offer would make it much more likely for me to take a long distance trip in next few weeks. Without offer I'm going to have to do a lot more traveling in 30 days to get to next level.


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## Ryan (Nov 13, 2014)

There is a lot more that goes into it than just how many points you have, and there are lots and lots of people in your position. They're not going to target that many people.


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## BCL (Nov 13, 2014)

RyanS said:


> There is a lot more that goes into it than just how many points you have, and there are lots and lots of people in your position. They're not going to target that many people.


In my case I am considering if I want to take a longer trip. However, I have to weight that against the cost of obtaining points by traveling. For less than that $35 I can get 400 points by getting creative with my commute.


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## PaulM (Nov 19, 2014)

To the best of my knowledge, I didn't get an email; and I never registered.

I had pretty much given up making lowly select again. But my wife and I decided to make a spur of the moment visit to chldren in Denver. Low and behold double points for Fast Track to Status brought me over the top.

What with Travel earning, Double days promotion, Select bonus points, Fast track to status, and AGR MC x 2 1442, I earned 6129 points.

Although more relevant to any number of other recent threads, the total price of $896 for two was considerably less that the cheapest air fare I could find (a purely academic excercise, you understand). And it was a very pleasant trip.


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## iggy (Nov 22, 2014)

Currently at 7,270 Tier Qualifying Points. Upcoming travel will have me closer to 8000 in next few weeks. Still no email offering me the goodies others are getting. With matching 1000 TQP offer = I'd very easily make SELECT+ by end of year. Yes I'm aware I only have a month left to do so. In my area you actually have to ride often to get where I am at right now. Not like Acela riders who can easily make status levels in few months time without blinking.

I've more than doubled my earned TQP from last year - yet it would seem Amtrak doesn't want to reward that loyalty.


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## BCL (Nov 27, 2014)

I just got some double TQP points, but it doesn't sound quite right. I thought that I was going to be under 900 points shy of Select Plus after a couple of segments and a 10-ride posted. I checked my status today, and I was under 650 points shy. Apparently the 10-ride points doubled, although the terms say that monthlies and multi-ride tickets don't qualify.


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## BCL (Nov 28, 2014)

I'd also add that it appears as if the double TQPs also count as double points for the regular points total and not simply only added to the TQP total accounted separately from the regular points total. I'm thinking they could have also combined with the Double Points promotion.

I'm just hoping that this wasn't simply an accounting mistake that someone is going to take back later and I find I don't have enough TQPs to make Select Plus.


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## iggy (Dec 17, 2014)

I'm now 90TQP away from SELECT+ never got any of this status promotion love. Exactly opposite - Amtrak Rewards fought tooth and nail over 300TQP and refused - absolutely refused to offer a Goodwill Adjustment - even though I still fully feel we were in the right to expect those TQP be credited. Honestly for a loyalty program = phone representatives and their supervisors did everything in their power to make it so I would want to stop riding Amtrak. I put my rear in a seat and went out of my way to improve my Status Level and basically was given a slap in face. If I had gotten the 300 TQP I'd be SELECT+ already. Traveled out to DC ( Capitol Limited roomette both ways - arrived DC 20 minutes early - yes early ) to do a Washington to New York Acela round trip in 1 night to make sure I would get SELECT+ before end of year. Again - didn't feel my ridership was valued by anyone working for Amtrak. Of course Chicago Union Station customer relations could do nothing = separate entity from Rewards.


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## PRR 60 (Dec 17, 2014)

iggy said:


> I'm now 90TQP away from SELECT+ never got any of this status promotion love. Exactly opposite - Amtrak Rewards fought tooth and nail over 300TQP and refused - absolutely refused to offer a Goodwill Adjustment - even though I still fully feel we were in the right to expect those TQP be credited. Honestly for a loyalty program = phone representatives and their supervisors did everything in their power to make it so I would want to stop riding Amtrak. I put my rear in a seat and went out of my way to improve my Status Level and basically was given a slap in face. If I had gotten the 300 TQP I'd be SELECT+ already. Traveled out to DC ( Capitol Limited roomette both ways - arrived DC 20 minutes early - yes early ) to do a Washington to New York Acela round trip in 1 night to make sure I would get SELECT+ before end of year. Again - didn't feel my ridership was valued by anyone working for Amtrak. Of course Chicago Union Station customer relations could do nothing = separate entity from Rewards.


I'm curious about the details of the disputed 300 TQP's.


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## amamba (Dec 19, 2014)

Take one ride for 100 points and there you go.


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## Ryan (Dec 19, 2014)

PRR 60 said:


> iggy said:
> 
> 
> > I'm now 90TQP away from SELECT+ never got any of this status promotion love. Exactly opposite - Amtrak Rewards fought tooth and nail over 300TQP and refused - absolutely refused to offer a Goodwill Adjustment - even though I still fully feel we were in the right to expect those TQP be credited. Honestly for a loyalty program = phone representatives and their supervisors did everything in their power to make it so I would want to stop riding Amtrak. I put my rear in a seat and went out of my way to improve my Status Level and basically was given a slap in face. If I had gotten the 300 TQP I'd be SELECT+ already. Traveled out to DC ( Capitol Limited roomette both ways - arrived DC 20 minutes early - yes early ) to do a Washington to New York Acela round trip in 1 night to make sure I would get SELECT+ before end of year. Again - didn't feel my ridership was valued by anyone working for Amtrak. Of course Chicago Union Station customer relations could do nothing = separate entity from Rewards.
> ...


Concur. The sense of entitlement seems strong with this one.


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## BCL (Dec 19, 2014)

PRR 60 said:


> iggy said:
> 
> 
> > I'm now 90TQP away from SELECT+ never got any of this status promotion love. Exactly opposite - Amtrak Rewards fought tooth and nail over 300TQP and refused - absolutely refused to offer a Goodwill Adjustment - even though I still fully feel we were in the right to expect those TQP be credited. Honestly for a loyalty program = phone representatives and their supervisors did everything in their power to make it so I would want to stop riding Amtrak. I put my rear in a seat and went out of my way to improve my Status Level and basically was given a slap in face. If I had gotten the 300 TQP I'd be SELECT+ already. Traveled out to DC ( Capitol Limited roomette both ways - arrived DC 20 minutes early - yes early ) to do a Washington to New York Acela round trip in 1 night to make sure I would get SELECT+ before end of year. Again - didn't feel my ridership was valued by anyone working for Amtrak. Of course Chicago Union Station customer relations could do nothing = separate entity from Rewards.
> ...


I have no idea. Maybe a conductor didn't pull a ticket?


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## iggy (Dec 20, 2014)

Finally got credits applied - experience has been less than pleasant. At some point when I'm not down with a cold I'll write a full article with details.

Of course I need my temp card for a St Louis trip this week. For some reason - system is not setup to send an email as soon as you achieve your status upgrade. That is just ridiculous in this day in age. St Louis has been decent about lounge coupons surprisingly. But doubt they will accept looking at website on my phone with my ID for lounge access.

Highly doubt that calling in to Rewards would get an email sent ASAP - previous threads seem to show mixed results on that. Rewards phone representatives honestly have been less than pleasant or helpful past few weeks. Obviously do not understand rewarding customer loyalty or basic customer service principles. Then again on certain Amtrak routes same can be said - so I guess no real surprise.


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