# AGR Issues



## reefgeek (Dec 26, 2014)

Trying to go from SF to NYP without taking the CZ. AGR tells me they can't book an unpublished route. I'm booked on CS--Sunset Limited -- Crescent. I'd like to change it to Texas Eagle (422) to some other train CUS-NYP. They won't do it. I want to skip the hotel overnight in New Orleans.

If I keep calling AGR will I eventually be able to book it? I'already apparently on an unpublished route.


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## Ryan (Dec 26, 2014)

I think you mean CS, not CZ?

11-2-20 is a published route.

Anything involving 422 isn't, so I wouldn't be hopeful of getting it booked.


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## the_traveler (Dec 26, 2014)

If you redeeming for a roomette, a 3 zone award costs the same as a 2 zone and a 1 zone award. To get the TE from SF to NYP, do the following:

Redeem a 1 zone award from SF to El Paso (ELP). Then redeem a 2 zone from ELP to NYP (via the TE and ???). It's the same 35K for a roomette!


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## reefgeek (Dec 27, 2014)

RyanS said:


> I think you mean CS, not CZ?
> 
> 11-2-20 is a published route.
> 
> Anything involving 422 isn't, so I wouldn't be hopeful of getting it booked.


Yes, Thank you (corrected).



the_traveler said:


> If you redeeming for a roomette, a 3 zone award costs the same as a 2 zone and a 1 zone award. To get the TE from SF to NYP, do the following:
> 
> Redeem a 1 zone award from SF to El Paso (ELP). Then redeem a 2 zone from ELP to NYP (via the TE and ???). It's the same 35K for a roomette!


Ah Traveller, you are most wise in the ways of AGR redemption!


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## reefgeek (Dec 31, 2014)

Thwarted by a schedule change: #2 will now leave at 8:00PM, too early for any CS connection and reachable only be a train-and six-hour-busride combo. No thanks.


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## chakk (Jan 1, 2015)

What 6 hour bus ride comnection? The bus from Bakersfield to LA is 3 hours at most (unless snow closes the Grapevine). You might have to sit around LAUPT for awhile, but there are nice resraurants nearby, plus the Amtrak Lounge for first-class passengers.


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## the_traveler (Jan 1, 2015)

I think reefgeek may mean the *COMBINED* time of the train SAC-BFD and the bus BFD-LAX.


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## reefgeek (Jan 3, 2015)

My Bad. I'll have another look.


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## reefgeek (Jan 5, 2015)

No longer allowed. Per AGR you must take a 7-hr bus ride and connect with the San J. That is the published route. My feeling is that the golden age of AGR travel is coming to a close, glad I got in on a little bit of it.


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## Ryan (Jan 5, 2015)

What exactly is no longer allowed?


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## VentureForth (Jan 5, 2015)

There is also the arctic routing - 1 Zone from EMY to Wolf Point, then two zone from Wolf Point to NYP.... Biggest problem at the moment being the trackwork along the Coast Starlight. Availability is extremely limited.

Oh - disregard. I see now you don't want to ride the CS.


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## tomfuller (Jan 5, 2015)

It is the California Zephyr that you don't want to ride. How about the Coast Starlight north overnight arriving in Eugene OR about 12:30PM. Spend a night in Eugene and then take the early morning Cascades (5:30AM) or one of 3 buses to Portland ($20-27). Take the Empire Builder to Chicago. With over 5 hours scheduled layover in Chicago, you should be able to ride the Lake Shore Limited to NYP.


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## reefgeek (Jan 6, 2015)

VentureForth said:


> There is also the arctic routing - 1 Zone from EMY to Wolf Point, then two zone from Wolf Point to NYP.... Biggest problem at the moment being the trackwork along the Coast Starlight. Availability is extremely limited.
> 
> Oh - disregard. I see now you don't want to ride the CS.


Based on my five sessions so far with AGR, I don't think they'll book that. But lemme give it a try!



tomfuller said:


> It is the California Zephyr that you don't want to ride. How about the Coast Starlight north overnight arriving in Eugene OR about 12:30PM. Spend a night in Eugene and then take the early morning Cascades (5:30AM) or one of 3 buses to Portland ($20-27). Take the Empire Builder to Chicago. With over 5 hours scheduled layover in Chicago, you should be able to ride the Lake Shore Limited to NYP.


Also a good idea.


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## VentureForth (Jan 6, 2015)

reefgeek said:


> VentureForth said:
> 
> 
> > There is also the arctic routing - 1 Zone from EMY to Wolf Point, then two zone from Wolf Point to NYP.... Biggest problem at the moment being the trackwork along the Coast Starlight. Availability is extremely limited.
> ...


They shouldn't have any trouble with that as it is a published route. Their only hiccup may be that technically you would have a layover and you wouldn't have a 2 hour layover (but you're on the same train). Worst case is that you may have to switch rooms, but they are pretty good at avoiding that. Again, the biggest issue is all the trackwork on the CS and the cancellation of many trains.


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## reefgeek (Jan 6, 2015)

Well you guys are a great argument for the value of persistence! EMY-WPT booked, with only minor grumbling, as 1-Zone.


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## VentureForth (Jan 6, 2015)




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## reefgeek (Jan 6, 2015)

..and booked through to NYP, same roomette, success at long last. Should be quite a trip. Overnght in Portland at a nice hotel, little sightseeing, and off I go. I think we should pass throughWest Glacier in the morning, looking forward to seeing that!


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## VentureForth (Jan 6, 2015)

What's your routing from CHI to NYP? LSL?


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## reefgeek (Jan 6, 2015)

VentureForth said:


> What's your routing from CHI to NYP? LSL?


Yes, I figured that was the one I had the best chance of not missing.


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## VentureForth (Jan 6, 2015)

Now, how did you get to spend the night in Portland with a one-zone from EMY to WPT?


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## Bob Dylan (Jan 6, 2015)

The guaranteed Portland connection between the CS and the EB is still not allowed even though Amtrak has announced a return to the old schedule for the EB into/out of PDX and SEA!

Hence the night in PDX on your Dime on the same award is OK per Amtrak Insider on Flyer Talk! ( a very good friend of AUers)!


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## reefgeek (Jan 6, 2015)

I dunno, the right person I guess. It was a guy, he was very experienced but in a big hurry because calls were backed up. HE didn't say anything, but when I called back to make a minor change, another agent said " You know, we're not really supposed to allow this..."


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## Ryan (Jan 6, 2015)

I'm still lost - what exactly is AGR incorrectly stating that you can't do, the overnight in PDX?


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## reefgeek (Jan 6, 2015)

RyanS said:


> I'm still lost - what exactly is AGR incorrectly stating that you can't do, the overnight in PDX?


AGR now believes that any redemption which includes an overnight, even within a single zone, requires an extra zone charge. It's hard to understand the purpose of this rule unless they just want to discourage riding or "raise the price" so to speak.


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## reefgeek (Jan 6, 2015)

I asked the guy at AGR if I could just hop on the same day's EB if I made it to Portland on time, would seem weird to let it go. He said he would allow it if I spoke to him, but he didn't know about anyone else. Then I thought about how rare it is to be able to stop for a day on a trip like this, and decided to poke around Portlandia.


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## reefgeek (Jan 6, 2015)

I woulda thought this would now be over, but here is the punchline! I just got a call from a supervisor at AGR, who apologized for the several different answers I had been given. She had been asked to call me by the AGR Insider, for whom I left a private message several days ago. She said the routing is a permissible 3-Zone award, even with the overnight, and to always ask for a supervisor when these controversies come up! Her name was Marian.


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## Ryan (Jan 6, 2015)

That's good news. Anthony does everything in his power to make things right.


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## SteveSFL (Jan 6, 2015)

reefgeek said:


> I woulda thought this would now be over, but here is the punchline! I just got a call from a supervisor at AGR, who apologized for the several different answers I had been given. She had been asked to call me by the AGR Insider, for whom I left a private message several days ago. She said the routing is a permissible 3-Zone award, even with the overnight, and to always ask for a supervisor when these controversies come up! Her name was Marian.


I wonder how many people there are working at the AGR redemptions phone center. When compared to other frequent traveler programs like MileagePlus, AAdvantage, etc, one would think that AGR is much smaller. How hard would it be for them to send an email to all of the employees explaining the overnight rule? Every time I've had to call them, it's like "Groundhog Day". Glad it worked out for you -- and let's hope that Anthony gets promoted to CEO over there!


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