# Best 2 zone award?



## Rail Freak (Jul 9, 2012)

Hopefully not repetitive! Is there a longer (time wise) 2 zone AGR route than ELP-STP????

Thanx


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## TimePeace (Jul 9, 2012)

Don't know the time comparison, but BOS-ABQ is a pretty nice 2 zoner I did once and will be doing again this Sept...


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## OlympianHiawatha (Jul 9, 2012)

Norman OK to SEA is a nice 2 Zoner as well, and the return gives you the option of doing the _*California Zephyr*_. Out and back gives you a total of 7 train nights.


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## Cristobal (Jul 9, 2012)

I'm pretty happy with being able to do SJC <--> CHI as a 2-zone using both the CS and EB (3 nights either way).

Could I do better?

Maybe...

But a 10 min drive (plus free parking) to/from SJC is pretty tough to beat in the grand scheme of things.


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## sechs (Jul 9, 2012)

I imagine it's probably along the lines of CHI-(ELP)-LAX-PDX or NOL-CHI-LAX-PDX.


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## Bob Dylan (Jul 9, 2012)

Also ELP-(#421)CHI-(#30)WAS-(#97)MIA (or 3 days a week) ELP-CHI-CHV-(Bus Bridge-)RVR-MIA on the Cardinal#50 in place of the CL to WAS! Almost good as the Old Loophole Days! ^_^


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## the_traveler (Jul 10, 2012)

jimhudson said:


> 1341892056[/url]' post='379118']Also ELP-(#421)CHI-(#30)WAS-(#97)MIA (or 3 days a week) ELP-CHI-CHV-(Bus Bridge-)RVR-MIA on the Cardinal#50 in place of the CL to WAS! Almost good as the Old Loophole Days! ^_^


You'll be lucky to take #421 from ELP to CHI, Jim!




#421 goes to LAX from ELP!





And I think you meant CVS, not CHV.


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## Rail Freak (Jul 19, 2012)

Well, I guess I answered my own question! I just got off the phone with AGR & they gave me ELP-LAX-PDX-CHI-NOL ( 5 nites in roomette) for 20k! I consider that a pretty good deal!!!


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## the_traveler (Jul 19, 2012)

And I just made ELP-LAX-PDX-WPT for 1 zone! Well worth 15K!


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## Devil's Advocate (Jul 19, 2012)

I enjoy threads like this. I don't worry about having missed out on crazy conscience straining loopholes, but finding the best possible use of points is a great idea for passenger train fanatics. I'm currently scheduled to travel SAS-SPI-GBB-SAC-SEA myself for about 95 hours of total train time. After reading about Amamba's Empire Builder fiasco I'm glad I didn't pick anything involving the Empire Builder for this trip. Hopefully the other routes will be doing much better.

ELP-CHI-WAS-MIA comes out to 86 hours and change, and it includes a few hours in Chicago and a final destination in Miami, which are two great cities with plenty to see and do. Is there any specific benefit for choosing ELP-CHI-[CVS]-Bus-RVR-MIA instead?



Rail Freak said:


> Well, I guess I answered my own question! I just got off the phone with AGR & they gave me ELP-LAX-PDX-CHI-NOL ( 5 nites in roomette) for 20k! I consider that a pretty good deal!!!


Wow. Looks like you'd be clearing 110 hours or so of train time on that award. That's absolutely stupendous. Did you have to do or say anything special to get them to ticket that? I can't get it to come up on Amtrak.com, which in the past has meant the AGR staff would refuse to build it themselves and tell me I either needed to purchase a ticket with cash/credit or travel on another day when another routing was available.


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## Rail Freak (Jul 19, 2012)

I also got a $69 fare from CO Airlines MSY-TPA!!! :blink: Now, could I ask you folks for those NOL Hotels again!!!??? :lol:

Thanx


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## Ryan (Jul 19, 2012)

Texas Sunset said:


> Is there any specific benefit for choosing ELP-CHI-[CVS]-Bus-RVR-MIA instead?


Not really. Seeing the New River Gorge?

WAS is a much better place to lay over than RVR.

CHI-PGH-PHL-MIA is an interesting routing, glad to see that you have some choices there.


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## Ispolkom (Jul 19, 2012)

Rail Freak said:


> I also got a $69 fare from CO Airlines MSY-TPA


What airline?


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## Rail Freak (Jul 19, 2012)

Ispolkom said:


> Rail Freak said:
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> > I also got a $69 fare from CO Airlines MSY-TPA
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Continental. I just went back to that web site & the fares were $139! This is for (09/04/12)


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## Devil's Advocate (Jul 19, 2012)

Rail Freak said:


> Ispolkom said:
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What website? When I go to Continental.com it redirects to United.com, just has it has for some time now, and which is what I presume Ispolkom is getting at.


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## Rail Freak (Jul 19, 2012)

Texas Sunset said:


> Rail Freak said:
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I've had Continental website in my Favorites for years, so that's been my way of getting to the CO site. I also put in my CO name & password, nothing has changed for me!!!

EDIT: I looked at my printed reservation & it is a United Receipt!


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## the_traveler (Jul 19, 2012)

That's because CO and UA merged and is now known as United. There is no more Continental Airlines!


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## Rail Freak (Jul 19, 2012)

the_traveler said:


> That's because CO and UA merged and is now known as United. There is no more Continental Airlines!



I understand! But I was asked where I got the reservation & it was on the CO Site! The airline reservation prices change a heck of a lot faster than Amtrak!!!! :lol:

Any honorable mentions for New Orlean's hotels?

Thanx


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## the_traveler (Jul 19, 2012)

Rail Freak said:


> 1342748366[/url]' post='381431']
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Airline fares can change as much as 200 times *PER* *DAY*!


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## saxman (Jul 20, 2012)

I just did MKE-CHI-SAS-LAX-OKJ-SFC on a two zone award. Thats 3 nights and 4 days. It sounds like 4 nights is the most you can get on a two zone award. It looks like HMD (Hammond, LA) to SEA is another 4 night trip that will route you to HMD-CHI-LAX-SEA.


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## Rail Freak (Jul 20, 2012)

saxman said:


> I just did MKE-CHI-SAS-LAX-OKJ-SFC on a two zone award. Thats 3 nights and 4 days. It sounds like 4 nights is the most you can get on a two zone award. It looks like HMD (Hammond, LA) to SEA is another 4 night trip that will route you to HMD-CHI-LAX-SEA.



I'm still pinching myself after getting that 5 night 2 zone award. (ELP-LAX-PDX-CHI-NOL) But after all the EB troubles, I may get another AGR night in a Chicago Hotel! :huh:


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## TimePeace (Jul 21, 2012)

Rail Freak said:


> the_traveler said:
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> > That's because CO and UA merged and is now known as United. There is no more Continental Airlines!
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The only time I stayed at a hotel in New Orleans, I stayed at *The Columns* on St. Charles Ave. It was pretty nice. Just yesterday a friend mentioned to me that he and his wife stayed there this past winter and liked it also.

It's an old place, with big Greek style columns in front. There is a great bar with very good free food at happy hour time every day.

I think I paid about $100/night but that was a few years ago, pre-Katrina. It would be worth a call to get rates.


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## boxcar479 (Jul 23, 2012)

Rail Freak said:


> saxman said:
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> > I just did MKE-CHI-SAS-LAX-OKJ-SFC on a two zone award. Thats 3 nights and 4 days. It sounds like 4 nights is the most you can get on a two zone award. It looks like HMD (Hammond, LA) to SEA is another 4 night trip that will route you to HMD-CHI-LAX-SEA.
> ...


WOW. That's like a 20 hour trip EB. Way to go. I have used Priceline (thru the AGR website) and bid for NOL hotels. As long as you stay with 4* hotels in the area you want you usually won't be disappointed. Go to betterbidding.com and learn how to use the same day re-bid and just snoop around there and you can usually pin point which hotel you will winn 75% of the time. have a great trip!


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## CNW (Jul 23, 2012)

Have read of some impressive trips taken using AGR points using various routes in order to enjoy more nights on the train.   Leaving from Kansas City could anyone outline such a trip for me to give me an idea how this would work.  I have about 40,000 points but would prefer to use only about 25,000, saving the others for a trip to Boston next spring.


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## KYRR (Jul 23, 2012)

CNW said:


> Have read of some impressive trips taken using AGR points using various routes in order to enjoy more nights on the train.   Leaving from Kansas City could anyone outline such a trip for me to give me an idea how this would work.  I have about 40,000 points but would prefer to use only about 25,000, saving the others for a trip to Boston next spring.


You could try Kansas City to Columbus Wi in a roomette, then pay for a coach ticket back to Kansas City.


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## manderson (Jul 23, 2012)

Rail Freak said:


> the_traveler said:
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I like Prytania Park in the Garden District. Very reasonable rates, and on the St. Charles streetcar line.


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## VentureForth (Jul 25, 2012)

Rail Freak said:


> Well, I guess I answered my own question! I just got off the phone with AGR & they gave me ELP-LAX-PDX-CHI-NOL ( 5 nites in roomette) for 20k! I consider that a pretty good deal!!!


Someone help me understand the rules. I was under the impression that you HAD to pick from a route offered when you plug in start to finish on the reservations page. In other words, if you had to have an overnight somewhere OR if you had to use Multi-City to book it, I though it was not available for AGR redemption.

So, in other words, if I wanted to go from Savannah to Albuquerque, do I have to go SAV-WAS-CHI-ABQ or SAV-NYP-CHI-ABQ or can I somehow dot across the NE and sightsee some?

And one more clarification - does a roomette redemption cover two people or just one? And a coach redemption just for one or can it be used for two?


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## Rail Freak (Jul 25, 2012)

VentureForth said:


> Rail Freak said:
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> > Well, I guess I answered my own question! I just got off the phone with AGR & they gave me ELP-LAX-PDX-CHI-NOL ( 5 nites in roomette) for 20k! I consider that a pretty good deal!!!
> ...


It depends on the agent and/or supervisor you talk to! This time the agent asked her supervisor & she said they would allow it, sooo I got very lucky!

I'm also booked out of ELP on a day the SL isnt running east bound!

A roomette ticket is for up to 2 people but each person is charged a rail fare. Coach tikets are for 1 person


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## MrFSS (Jul 25, 2012)

Rail Freak said:


> A roomette ticket is for up to 2 people but each person is charged a rail fare. Coach tikets are for 1 person


He's asking about AGR redemptions. A roomette AGR redemption is for up to two people. A coach AGR is for only ONE person.


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## Ispolkom (Jul 25, 2012)

VentureForth said:


> Someone help me understand the rules. I was under the impression that you HAD to pick from a route offered when you plug in start to finish on the reservations page. In other words, if you had to have an overnight somewhere OR if you had to use Multi-City to book it, I though it was not available for AGR redemption.


You have to get past the notion that there are rules for AGR, or that if there are rules, we know them. The supposed rules certainly aren't published anywhere, after all, and if they do exist they are subject to change without notice.

All you have are people's experiences, and they are different. I can't get an overnight stay in the middle of an AGR redemption to save my life. *Yarrow* has no trouble booking through Los Angeles with an overnight stop. I've gotten the same circuitous trip quoted as a one-zone, a two-zone, and a three-zone award. Naturally in that case I booked with the agent who said one zone, and now kick myself that I only booked one bedroom, not a bedroom suite.

What's true is that you should have the least amount of trouble booking a route that appears on the reservation page (though I had one agent who insisted I had to book the first choice). It certainly isn't true that routes displayed are you only opportunities. I think of AGR as a quantum awards program. You don't know for sure what's possible until you try it. Even then there are various possible outcomes. I see this as a feature, not a bug.


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## VentureForth (Jul 25, 2012)

Ispolkom said:


> You have to get past the notion that there are rules for AGR, or that if there are rules, we know them. The supposed rules certainly aren't published anywhere, after all, and if they do exist they are subject to change without notice. <SNIP> I think of AGR as a quantum awards program. You don't know for sure what's possible until you try it. Even then there are various possible outcomes. I see this as a feature, not a bug.


I think the previous post illustrated that quite well. Maybe that's where the fun is in buying AGR points in addition to earning them, and using those points for booking. Sounds like you get a heckuva lot more mileage out of doing so.


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## PJnVA (Jul 25, 2012)

MrFSS said:


> Rail Freak said:
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> > A roomette ticket is for up to 2 people but each person is charged a rail fare. Coach tikets are for 1 person
> ...


Correct me if I am wrong but an ARG redemption of 20K for a roomette covers the rail fare and the roomette for 2.


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## Ispolkom (Jul 25, 2012)

PJnVA said:


> Correct me if I am wrong but an ARG redemption of 20K for a roomette covers the rail fare and the roomette for 2.


You are correct.


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## Aaron (Jul 26, 2012)

Ispolkom said:


> I think of AGR as a quantum awards program.


This is the best description I've heard yet!


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## calwatch (Jul 27, 2012)

That was my impression too - you had to book what popped out of the system. I am looking at LA to New Orleans via Sacramento, Portland, and Chicago but the EB does not pop up as an option. Of course you have to snag a room on that one sleeper car out of Portland - which seems virtually impossible in the month of September - but glad to know that others have tried it.


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## Shortline (Jul 30, 2012)

OlympianHiawatha said:


> Norman OK to SEA is a nice 2 Zoner as well, and the return gives you the option of doing the _*California Zephyr*_. Out and back gives you a total of 7 train nights.


How you do the return? when I try and view trips SEA-OKC, it tells it "can't find train service matching my request".

We've considered OKC-LAX-SEA though. I think we're going to (as time permits!) do our orignal trip OKC-CHI-NOL we had booked for a few weeks ago, but then bought a house, and ended up moving in that week.....It's about as good a 1 zone award as you can get, especially since we could leave from home, rather than fly at both ends.

But would really LOVE to do the California Zephyr, but going West, there is no connection from the TE.....so, how do I do it coming East? There is aparently a way to connect to the TE via bus Galesburg-Springfield, but really DO NOT want to break the trip up with a bus ride, and can't see a way to do it from Seattle-OKC in any event. I think our best option, is to do a 1 zone OKC-CHI, stay a day or two overnight, then another 2 zone CHI-EMY. But that burns nearly a full week, when you factor in a day to fly back......one of these days......


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## OlympianHiawatha (Aug 4, 2012)

Shortline said:


> OlympianHiawatha said:
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> > Norman OK to SEA is a nice 2 Zoner as well, and the return gives you the option of doing the _*California Zephyr*_. Out and back gives you a total of 7 train nights.
> ...


I literally just stepped back into the house a couple hours ago from my 2 Zone redemption on this run and here is how to get the _*Zephyr*_ on return-if you try to book to OKC, it shows not available, _BUT_ if you book to FTW, the routing shows. And since FTW-OKC is a valid connection, a live agent can quickly build it in for you. In summary, you take the _*Eagle/Sunset*_ connecting to the _*Starlight*_ going to SEA and the _*Zephyr*_ option coming home. And the van pool from Galesburg to Springfield is not bad at all.


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## Shortline (Aug 4, 2012)

OlympianHiawatha said:


> Shortline said:
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Interesting, thanks! We've already booked our 2 zone for this year, OKC-MIA, but if that goes well, and they want to do it again, maybe we'll do SEA-FTW (then OKC) next year. Who knows, 4 days/3 nights on a train might just cure the family of ever doing this again, we'll see!


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## dlagrua (Aug 23, 2012)

the_traveler said:


> And I just made ELP-LAX-PDX-WPT for 1 zone! Well worth 15K!


Three separate train trips for 15,000 points? ELP-LAX LAX-PDX and PDX to WPT.

Then I assume another three train trips takes you back. WPT -CHI and CHI-NYP NYP-PVD

That sounds like a great trip although it would prove to be a long one for myself in coach .


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## the_traveler (Aug 23, 2012)

dlagrua said:


> 1345750467[/url]' post='389101']
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Not quite, but I ain't telling!


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## pennyk (Oct 19, 2012)

the_traveler said:


> And I just made ELP-LAX-PDX-WPT for 1 zone! Well worth 15K!



I just got off the phone with an AGR agent who charged me a 2 zone trip (40,000 points in bedroom) for the SAME routing.   

Dave, did you have to do something special for your agent to get her to charge you for 1 zone? (was she a 20 something year old Aussie woman :lol: )

Did Dave get lucky or did I get unlucky? Or have things changed in the last few months?


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## the_traveler (Oct 19, 2012)

pennyk said:


> 1350675714[/url]' post='400296']
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You got unlucky - as always!



The agent was wrong as it is the only routing from ELP to WPT. Call again.





And she was not an Aussie babe but was a Southern California babe!



AGR is now in Riverside, CA.


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## pennyk (Oct 19, 2012)

the_traveler said:


> pennyk said:
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I just phoned back and got another agent - probably a California Stud :lol: :lol: :lol:

who agreed with you (and me) that this should be a one zone trip and adjusted my account accordingly. Thanks. I will use the 15,000 points that I just saved to get home from NYP (since my cross country trip that I just booked starts in ORL and ends in NYP).


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## PRR 60 (Oct 19, 2012)

the_traveler said:


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> And she was not an Aussie babe but was a Southern California babe!
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And at the Amtrak call center in Northeast Philadelphia.


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## crescent2 (Oct 19, 2012)

Re hotels: We always liked the Bourbon Orleans, very good location in the French Quarter and is a historic building.

If you want a condo, we've also traded our Hilton timeshare time and stayed at Club LaPension on Decatur St. in the FQ. I think they will rent (not a timeshare exchange) some of their units but I'm not sure.

Enjoy your visit!


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## amamba (Oct 20, 2012)

PRR 60 said:


> the_traveler said:
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I often get folks in the Philly call center. Sometimes they have excellent Philly accents. I miss the philly accent up here. It reminds me of home.  Like Jenn Carroll on "life after top chef", she has a great Philly accent.


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