# Rail Pass Posting



## Kevin L. (Nov 9, 2008)

I have purchased my rail pass, but I am not seeing any pointage being appended to my AGR account. As a first party purchase, I hope that this won't take 2 months to post like some of the 3rd party/bus trips that I've read about here.

My main concern is that I entered the Student Advantage 2008 promo code, and I don't want that to have screwed anything up. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but after all the events that have happened so far, I can almost believe that amtrak is out for me


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## ralfp (Nov 11, 2008)

Since you don't give the ticket to the conductor, it doesn't get submitted automatically.

(I've never bought an Amtrak rail pass).


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## rimmiqs (Nov 12, 2008)

ralfp said:


> Since you don't give the ticket to the conductor, it doesn't get submitted automatically.
> (I've never bought an Amtrak rail pass).


That and points post after the travel is completed, not when the ticket is purchased. Otherwise everyone would be buying $1.80 tickets for 100 points, and as soon as the points posted, they would return the ticket for a refund.


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## AlanB (Nov 12, 2008)

rimmiqs said:


> ralfp said:
> 
> 
> > Since you don't give the ticket to the conductor, it doesn't get submitted automatically.
> ...


And of course now there is the new rule change just announced by AGR, whereby one will now only earn points for the first two roundtrips or 4 single trips taken per day. This only applies to trips that qualify for the minimum 100 points. So no more short ride trips getting on and off different trains in the same day.

This takes effect on November 20th.


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## ralfp (Nov 12, 2008)

rimmiqs said:


> That and points post after the travel is completed, not when the ticket is purchased. Otherwise everyone would be buying $1.80 tickets for 100 points, and as soon as the points posted, they would return the ticket for a refund.


I imagine that multi-ride tickets won't be given AGR credit until the time when refunds/credit are no longer given.


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## Anthony (Nov 12, 2008)

AlanB said:


> rimmiqs said:
> 
> 
> > ralfp said:
> ...



This is too bad, but makes total sense. Quick, until Nov 20, go take lots of LAX-GDL/GDL-LAX one way single day trips. 

With a 10 or 15% rail fare discount, it's under $3/trip.


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## chuljin (Nov 12, 2008)

AlanB said:


> And of course now there is the new rule change just announced by AGR, whereby one will now only earn points for the first two roundtrips or 4 single trips taken per day. This only applies to trips that qualify for the minimum 100 points. So no more short ride trips getting on and off different trains in the same day.
> This takes effect on November 20th.


Yes, I think that might be my fault, sorry.  Fortunately, I'm the only fool affected.


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## Trogdor (Nov 12, 2008)

ralfp said:


> I imagine that multi-ride tickets won't be given AGR credit until the time when refunds/credit are no longer given.


For ten-ride tickets, the conductor lifts the ticket after the last ride is taken. You get credit for travel after it gets turned in (the entire ticket is worth 2 points per dollar with a 100-point minimum, so you won't get 1000 points for a 10-ride ticket on a short corridor train).

For monthly passes, I think you have to call in or mail the ticket in to get credit. Maybe you can also do the website's "missing point request" option, but as that has never worked for me in the dozen times I've used it, I can't say for sure if that would work for monthlies either.


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## Kevin L. (Nov 15, 2008)

I have also purchased a fair number of trips on amtrak, without using my pass, as any segment under $48.25 is a better value bought than passed. So they'll post once I actually take them a month or so from now? Cool.

The rule is points=double the cost of the ticket, but if those points are less than 100, you get 100 points regardless? Since I won't be breaking this 4 a day quota, I'll recoup a fair number of points then. Nice.


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## chertling (Nov 22, 2008)

Anthony said:


> This is too bad, but makes total sense. Quick, until Nov 20, go take lots of LAX-GDL/GDL-LAX one way single day trips.
> With a 10 or 15% rail fare discount, it's under $3/trip.


There is always St. Louis/Alton, IL.... it's only $2 each way!


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