# Bonus Points



## Kevin L. (Dec 2, 2008)

I just got 250 bonus points appended to my account, for the "november 08 email statement". Considering that the only Email I received was the NE Regional 15% discount, I don't know what this email statement is, but I will still retain my 250 points. Is this a monthly thing, or is this just a one-time event?

Also, wasn't there some sort of point bonus you got if you joined AGR and took the train within 90 days? I remember there being one, but I don't recall the specifics.

Now if only my other points would post...which reminds me, if I travel this year, but my points don't post until next year, will I get rail points towards select status for 2009, or will I get pointage towards Select for 08, which would be worthless.


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## Rail Freak (Dec 2, 2008)

1st trip bonus=500 pts.

If you travel in 2008 your pts. go toward 2009 Select Status

I'm perty sure :unsure:


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## AlanB (Dec 2, 2008)

Kevin L. said:


> I just got 250 bonus points appended to my account, for the "november 08 email statement". Considering that the only Email I received was the NE Regional 15% discount, I don't know what this email statement is, but I will still retain my 250 points. Is this a monthly thing, or is this just a one-time event?


That sounds like you setup your account to get your statements emailed to you, instead of snail mail. I didn't know that they were still offering that bonus, as I did that several years ago. But again, that's what it sounds like you got.



Kevin L. said:


> Also, wasn't there some sort of point bonus you got if you joined AGR and took the train within 90 days? I remember there being one, but I don't recall the specifics.


Yes, if you take a trip within 90 days of registering online, you get a 500 point bonus.



Kevin L. said:


> Now if only my other points would post...which reminds me, if I travel this year, but my points don't post until next year, will I get rail points towards select status for 2009, or will I get pointage towards Select for 08, which would be worthless.


Regardless of when your points eventually post, they will be counted towards status for the year in which you rode the train.

And I wouldn't say that it's useless either. If they finally post in January and push you into the Select level then you will immediately be promoted to Select Status for the remainder of the 08 year that ends Feb 28 2009, and you'll get status for all of the 2009 year. You aren't really earning points right now towards status for this year, you're earning points towards status for the 09 year that runs March 2009 through Feb 2010. You're always working in the current year to achieve status for the next year.

If you have no status right now, then earning enough points to gain status for next year gives you a bonus in that you gain status for the remainder of the current year, as well as status for the new year.

I hope that I made that clear enough, but please don't hesitate to ask further questions if I didn't.


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## the_traveler (Dec 2, 2008)

Yes, when you first join AGR and travel within 90 days, you get 500 bonus points. Also, IIRC at some time, if you update your profile, you earn IIRC 250 points. And there is currently a double points offer going on. (Did you register for that?)


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## Kevin L. (Dec 2, 2008)

I did (now) register for that double points offer. Too bad it doesn't extend to the times during my USA Rail Pass trip that I will be using purchased segments 

I still haven't gotten this email statement, but I'll take the points and _say_ I did....

It'd be nice to accrue some quick super-points with the 100 point trip method--which would now be the 200 point method--but I don't have any short and cheap trips to take around here. The 4 dollar bus trip didn't make it to the DC Area. The only things I can think of are BWI-DC, but that's a fair 13-21 bucks one way, and then new carrollton in, but NC is on the metro line, and the metro would take me in for 1/5th the cost 

Although every time I've ridden the metro to New Carrollton, the passing Amtrak Regional train has beaten the metro by a mile (and then some).


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## AlanB (Dec 2, 2008)

Kevin L. said:


> I still haven't gotten this email statement, but I'll take the points and _say_ I did....


When did you first sign up for AGR?


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## Kevin L. (Dec 2, 2008)

AlanB said:


> Kevin L. said:
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> > I still haven't gotten this email statement, but I'll take the points and _say_ I did....
> ...


Early November iirc.


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## AlanB (Dec 2, 2008)

Kevin L. said:


> AlanB said:
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> > Kevin L. said:
> ...


So that would mean that you haven't yet received your first emailed statement. It probably won't show up for a few more days at least. The bonus however is again, because you selected to have your statements emailed rather than snail-mailed. There is a choice in your account settings that will allow you to switch between email and mail for your statements.


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## Long Train Runnin' (Dec 3, 2008)

Hey I had this same question with the E mail statement and its there check your spam folder as my mail thought it was spam for whatever reason. So I checked and saw that I had gotten a 250 point thing for an email statement without and email then I looked and found it in spam

MY new question on this is was that a one time thing and I got it because it was my first statement or will that countinue every month or however meaning it will total to 6,00AGR bonus points (I know these arn't rail points and won't get me status) but still 6,000 points is a huge amount for doing nothing but getting 12 emails.

Thanks this agr thing continues to blow my mind.

EDIT: I signed up 2 weeks ago or less and they emailed me a statement so I have a feeling for Kevin L its in his spam folder where mine was


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## AlanB (Dec 3, 2008)

Long Train Runnin said:


> MY new question on this is was that a one time thing and I got it because it was my first statement or will that countinue every month or however meaning it will total to 6,00AGR bonus points (I know these arn't rail points and won't get me status) but still 6,000 points is a huge amount for doing nothing but getting 12 emails.


It's a one time thing for selecting to have your statements emailed, rather than having them sent via regular mail.


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## Long Train Runnin' (Dec 3, 2008)

AlanB said:


> Long Train Runnin said:
> 
> 
> > MY new question on this is was that a one time thing and I got it because it was my first statement or will that countinue every month or however meaning it will total to 6,00AGR bonus points (I know these arn't rail points and won't get me status) but still 6,000 points is a huge amount for doing nothing but getting 12 emails.
> ...



Thanks for clearing that up it sounded to good to be true but still at least you get some bonus


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## AlanB (Dec 3, 2008)

Long Train Runnin said:


> Thanks for clearing that up it sounded to good to be true but still at least you get some bonus


Absolutely! It get's you 1/4 of the way to a 1,000 point redemption for a special route. Toss in the 500 points earned for your registration bonus, and you're 3/4ths of the way to a free ride.

Of course all that assumes that you don't to hold onto your points for the real treat, a ride in a sleeper.


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## Long Train Runnin' (Dec 3, 2008)

AlanB said:


> Long Train Runnin said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks for clearing that up it sounded to good to be true but still at least you get some bonus
> ...


Thanks yeah I dont know what I am going to do with my AGR points but it will be good to know their there for when I want to use them.


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## Kevin L. (Dec 11, 2008)

Long Train Runnin said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> > Long Train Runnin said:
> ...


Hold on a second, I got 1,500 points just for signing up, and 250 for the emailing. I assume that agr has made it so one can't just toggle the statement mail method option to rack up points? 

I'm still mildly disappointed that the 2x fall bonus only gave non-rail points, but hey, they're still points that I can use. I didn't know I got so many bonus points--I thought my USA rail pass had posted before I used it.

If only I had known about the AGR credit card when I got myself a card. The Amazon.com rewards card is not worth anything as far as rewards go; you must either spend $833.33 @ amazon.com or $2500 elsewhere to obtain a $25 giftcard.

While I'll switch over when my current card expires, I could have had massive amounts of points for Amtrak, which can cover the hotels that I wouldn't normally stay at.

BTW, the credit card gives 2 points for amtrak purchases and 1 point for other purchases, correct? So buying a rail pass with the AGR card = 4 points per dollar of rail pass, same as buying a ticket priced over 50 bucks.

However, what happens when you shop from the AGR Mall? Borders gives 4 points per dollar from there. So would buying with the credit card give me one extra point per dollar, or 2, since it is technically through Amtrak?

I have the sad feeling that it will only be 5 points per dollar, instead of the 6 that I would prefer from this scenario. 5 points per dollar isn't bad. Borders also had better free shipping than Amazon 

EDIT: Is there a way to set itunes itself to link to its store through the AGR link, because I could get sleeper-level points per month if my family members were adding 3 points per dollar on iTunes to my cheritable cause. (Slight hyperbole)


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## AlanB (Dec 11, 2008)

Kevin L. said:


> However, what happens when you shop from the AGR Mall? Borders gives 4 points per dollar from there. So would buying with the credit card give me one extra point per dollar, or 2, since it is technically through Amtrak?
> I have the sad feeling that it will only be 5 points per dollar, instead of the 6 that I would prefer from this scenario. 5 points per dollar isn't bad. Borders also had better free shipping than Amazon


It's 5 points, since it's not Amtrak. It's just an agreement between Amtrak and Borders to direct sales to Borders.


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## the_traveler (Dec 11, 2008)

Kevin L. said:


> Is there a way to set itunes itself to link to its store through the AGR link, because I could get sleeper-level points per month if my family members were adding 3 points per dollar on iTunes to my cheritable cause. (Slight hyperbole)


No, there isn't! 

But what I do is this. My iPhone allows me to buy apps and other stuff from iTunes directly from the phone. Instead what I do is buy them via the AGR site, *AND THEN* download them for free to my iPhone!  (I figure 3/$ is better then 0/$! :lol: )


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