# Benefit of Referrals?



## Devil's Advocate (May 28, 2010)

I'm about to sign up for AGR and I was wondering if a referral helps increase my initial allotment of miles.

The site asks me to login before giving details on how the additional miles are alloted, which I can't do yet.

If it does then I'd be willing to put whatever codes are necessary into the sign-up form.


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## the_traveler (May 28, 2010)

If you were referred by someone, you *MUST* register for AGR *VIA THE LINK IN THE EMAIL THAT AGR WILL SEND YOU*! This way your sign up bonus is 1,500 points. (Otherwise, it would only be 500 points!) You must also travel on Amtrak within 90 days of registering. And even a short trip (like SAS-AUS) would qualify! 

If you need a referral, just send me a PM with your email address.


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## Bob Dylan (May 28, 2010)

the_traveler said:


> If you were referred by someone, you *MUST* register for AGR *VIA THE LINK IN THE EMAIL THAT AGR WILL SEND YOU*! This way your sign up bonus is 1,500 points. (Otherwise, it would only be 500 points!) You must also travel on Amtrak within 90 days of registering. And even a short trip (like SAS-AUS) would qualify!
> If you need a referral, just send me a PM with your email address.


Beat me again on my home turf!! :lol: He could also ride SAS-SMC (my old hometown) but Ill admit Austin has a little more to do!  (Seriously though Ive been fortunate enough to get my 2,500 AGR points Max already so Ill leave the new fish to you Your Highness! :lol: )


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## GG-1 (May 28, 2010)

jimhudson said:


> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> > If you were referred by someone, you *MUST* register for AGR *VIA THE LINK IN THE EMAIL THAT AGR WILL SEND YOU*! This way your sign up bonus is 1,500 points. (Otherwise, it would only be 500 points!) You must also travel on Amtrak within 90 days of registering. And even a short trip (like SAS-AUS) would qualify!
> ...


Remember it takes extra points to get into the penthouse   

Aloha


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## the_traveler (May 28, 2010)

GG-1 said:


> jimhudson said:
> 
> 
> > the_traveler said:
> ...


And it takes even more points to get out of the penthouse! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Oh, but what a ride - it's worth it!


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## Devil's Advocate (May 28, 2010)

Done and done!

I'll be riding SAS to ELP first week of June, hopefully. I'm also going to be staying at a Hilton property IIRC, so maybe I can get some points there as well. I also have a few thousand orphaned miles sitting in a OnePass account. Is it worth it to bring those over to Amtrak now that CO is being combined with UA? Thanks to everyone who offered assistance and to _the traveler_ for the code.


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## the_traveler (May 28, 2010)

daxomni said:


> Done and done!
> I'll be riding SAS to ELP first week of June, hopefully. I'm also going to be staying at a Hilton property IIRC, so maybe I can get some points there as well. I also have a few thousand orphaned miles sitting in a OnePass account. Is it worth it to bring those over to Amtrak now that CO is being combined with UA? Thanks to everyone who offered assistance and to _the traveler_ for the code.


.Hilton is a hotel partner with Amtrak. Be sure you are a member of HHonors, and you will earn HHonor points *AND* 400 AGR points for the stay (if you make AGR your preferred partner). Hilton is the only hotel that allows you to earn hotel points *AND* AGR points for the same stay. (All other hotels allow one or the other!)

As far as converting your OnePass Miles, they *MUST* be converted in 5,000 mile blocks only! So, personally, if you have at least 5,000 OnePass Miles, I'd say do it!  I don't trust UA for dropping out without notice. (They did it once before!) I just transferred 30K, and a friend just transferred 50K!

To Jim and Eric - Whenever I see that big A light up the sky, I'm right there! :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Bob Dylan (May 28, 2010)

Commissioner to The_traveler! Trouble in Gotham City! AGR is charging way to many points for award trips!  Urgent!

We need you to handle this before Special Routes cost 10,000 and BP takes over Amtrak and really jacks up the rates! :angry:

Next thing you know bedrooms will be really expensive on all trains! Opps, never mind, they are!  (Who, us pay for our messes, that's what the suckers, er tax payers are for! British Transportation,BT formerly known as Amtrak!)) :lol: :lol: :lol:

Seriously, I agree with Dave, dont trust airlines for anything, transfer your points ASAP to AGR!


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## Devil's Advocate (May 28, 2010)

I just checked and there's around 9,000 miles still in there. Amazing they're still around. I've lost around 70,000 miles/points on various plans over the years because I don't read their emails telling me that the expiration schedule has changed yet again. You read that it's once every three years and put that into your scheduler and assume that's it. But then they decide that's too long and they want to kill off your points *this* year. By the time you think you're even in trouble you're already a few months late. Ugg!


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## AlanB (May 28, 2010)

the_traveler said:


> Hilton is a hotel partner with Amtrak. Be sure you are a member of HHonors, and you will earn HHonor points *AND* 400 AGR points for the stay (if you make AGR your preferred partner).


I hate to have to tell you this but he won't be earning 400 AGR points from Hilton. 

He'll be earning 500 AGR points from a stay at a Hilton!  That assumes that he joins Hilton Honors and sets his profile to "HH points and fixed miles." This is also true for DoubleTree's, Embassy Suites, and Hilton Garden Inn's.  Hampton Inns & Homewood Suites only earn 100 AGR points per stay on fixed miles. 

If your stay is going to be for several days Daxomni, and you expect that the total bill with resturant charges & other items will be more than $500, then set your profile to "HH points & variable miles" as you'll get 1 AGR point for every pre-tax dollar on your hotel bill. Note: taxes on a resturant bill do count for points as they don't separate that.

And now by my recollection, this makes twice in one week that the_Traveler was wrong.


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## Devil's Advocate (May 28, 2010)

I'm slowly getting things ready. The June trip is already linked to my account by phone (couldn't figure out how to do it by web). I also looked over the retroactive rules and it looks like I can apply my credit from my previous trip to Austin last weekend through the website if I want to. It can't be worth much in points but at least it should solidify my sign-up bonus. The Hilton Garden Inn came in under $400 and I'm unlikely to eat much at the hotel so I'll probably stick with the fixed award. I'd rather eat at actual restaurants whose only purpose is making food and drinks anyway.

Still, THANKS for the continued assistance getting my account topped up to the point it might actually be usable some day. As you can imagine AGR tends to get short shrift from conventional reward forums since it's a rather niche offering. Most of the time it only came up as a way to launder one program's points into another's.


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## GG-1 (May 28, 2010)

AlanB said:


> And now by my recollection, this makes twice in one week that the_Traveler was wrong.


So that's why we had a small Earthquake on the Big Island :lol:

Aloha


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## the_traveler (May 28, 2010)

GG-1 said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> > And now by my recollection, this makes twice in one week that the_Traveler was wrong.
> ...


That means I've been off a train *WAY, WAY, WAY* to long (almost 3 weeks  )! I need to find a train to ride ASAP!


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