# Zone Question



## ALC Rail Writer (Jan 8, 2009)

Okay... I know this has been posted before-- I read a thread on it and only got more confused.

Four hypothetical trips here:

ALC to WAS on CL. Is that one zone or two?

PGH to NYP on the Penny. One zone or two?

ALC to NYP on CL transfer to Penny at PGH. One zone or two?

ALC to NYP on CL transfer to regional at WAS. One zone or two?


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## the_traveler (Jan 8, 2009)

There are 3 zones (East, Midwest and West) only. Count where your origination is to where your destination is, and how many zones you pass through. Your zones will either be 1, 2 or 3. (The only exceptions are stations on the Crescent between ATL and SDL. Do not count the East zone if you are headed west.)

Do not count the Northeast region *UNLESS* your origin and destination are *BOTH TOTALLY* within that zone. (ie: WAS-BOS, PHL-BUF, etc...)


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## AG1 (Jan 8, 2009)

ALC_Rail_Writer said:


> Okay... I know this has been posted before-- I read a thread on it and only got more confused.
> Four hypothetical trips here:
> 
> ALC to WAS on CL. Is that one zone or two?
> ...


All are one zone trips in the Eastern zone.


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## ALC Rail Writer (Jan 8, 2009)

the_traveler said:


> There are 3 zones (East, Midwest and West) only. Count where your origination is to where your destination is, and how many zones you pass through. Your zones will either be 1, 2 or 3. (The only exceptions are stations on the Crescent between ATL and SDL. Do not count the East zone if you are headed west.)
> Do not count the Northeast region *UNLESS* your origin and destination are *BOTH TOTALLY* within that zone. (ie: WAS-BOS, PHL-BUF, etc...)



So all of these are one zone trips? And thus 3,000 points a pop?


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## the_traveler (Jan 8, 2009)

ALC_Rail_Writer said:


> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> > There are 3 zones (East, Midwest and West) only. Count where your origination is to where your destination is, and how many zones you pass through. Your zones will either be 1, 2 or 3. (The only exceptions are stations on the Crescent between ATL and SDL. Do not count the East zone if you are headed west.)
> ...


In my example, yes, they would all be 3,000 points. In your question, from ALC would be 5,500 points, because the northeast zone only goes to Harrisburg and Washington. If you buy a ticket to those points, ir would only cost 3,000 points from there.


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## ALC Rail Writer (Jan 8, 2009)

the_traveler said:


> ALC_Rail_Writer said:
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> 
> > the_traveler said:
> ...


Now that doesn't make sense...

I thought that it was only if the terminus were in the Northeast zone... Gah I am getting confused. Again


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## Ispolkom (Jan 8, 2009)

ALC_Rail_Writer said:


> the_traveler said:
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> > ALC_Rail_Writer said:
> ...


Unclear antecedent of "there," I think. ALC-WAS = 5500 points, because only WAS is in the NE zone. Harrisburg-WAS = 3000 points, because both beginning and ending points are in the NE zone.


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## ALC Rail Writer (Jan 8, 2009)

Ispolkom said:


> ALC_Rail_Writer said:
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> 
> > the_traveler said:
> ...


That's what doesn't strike me as being kosher. ALC-CUM would be one zone. But CUM-WAS would be two?


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## ALC Rail Writer (Jan 8, 2009)

Okay I GET IT NOW!!

The NE Zone has different values than any other zone.

Thus ALL of my trips are one-zone, but they are East zone, and 5,500 instead of 3,000 points, eh?


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## Ispolkom (Jan 8, 2009)

ALC_Rail_Writer said:


> Okay I GET IT NOW!!
> The NE Zone has different values than any other zone.
> 
> Thus ALL of my trips are one-zone, but they are East zone, and 5,500 instead of 3,000 points, eh?


By George, I think he's got it!


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## the_traveler (Jan 8, 2009)

*EDIT*: You answered your own question before I posted.

NO!

As I said, there are only 3 award zones to consider - EAST, Midwest and West. ALC, CUM, WAS, NYP, BUF, and BOS are all in the eastern zone. So an award from ALC-NYP or CUM-BUF is within 1 zone, and would thus be 5,500 points. However, if the trip is *ENTIRELY WITHIN* the Northeast Region - for AGR awards (such as WAS-BUF or BOS-NYP), it would only cost 3,000 points.


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## ALC Rail Writer (Jan 8, 2009)

the_traveler said:


> NO!
> As I said, there are only 3 award zones to consider - EAST, Midwest and West. ALC, CUM, WAS, NYP, BUF, and BOS are all in the eastern zone. So an award from ALC-NYP or CUM-BUF is within 1 zone, and would thus be 5,500 points. However, if the trip is *ENTIRELY WITHIN* the Northeast Region - for AGR awards (such as WAS-BUF or BOS-NYP), it would only cost 3,000 points.


So this is wrong:



> Okay I GET IT NOW!!
> The NE Zone has different values than any other zone.
> 
> Thus ALL of my trips are one-zone, but they are East zone, and 5,500 instead of 3,000 points, eh?


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## ALC Rail Writer (Jan 8, 2009)

Is it worth mentioning that when I said "all of my trips" I didn't mean "any trip I could take" I meant "the four trips I mentioned at the originating post" ?


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## the_traveler (Jan 8, 2009)

ALC_Rail_Writer said:


> So this is wrong:
> 
> 
> > Okay I GET IT NOW!!
> ...


That is right. (See my edit.) The Northeast region has 3,000 awards if it is entirely within that region.


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## ALC Rail Writer (Jan 8, 2009)

the_traveler said:


> ALC_Rail_Writer said:
> 
> 
> > So this is wrong:
> ...


Yay, then we are copesedic?


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## sky12065 (Jan 8, 2009)

Point costs are confusing to me too but I expect that since I have yet to signup for the program. I will be when I'm within 3 months of my travel dates.

However, my purpose for making this post is not about my confusion, but about a thought that came to me as I read. My thought is that I wonder why AGR hasen't yet developed a point usage calculator on their website. It seems that one could make things easier for many if they did so. Is my thought logical or is there something I don't understand that would make such a calculator impractical? :huh:


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## the_traveler (Jan 8, 2009)

sky12065 said:


> Point costs are confusing to me too but I expect that since I have yet to signup for the program. I will be when I'm within 3 months of my travel dates.
> However, my purpose for making this post is not about my confusion, but about a thought that came to me as I read. My thought is that I wonder why AGR hasen't yet developed a point usage calculator on their website. It seems that one could make things easier for many if they did so. Is my thought logical or is there something I don't understand that would make such a calculator impractical? :huh:


Actually this is the point calculator (all are coach for 1 person):

East = Zone #1

Midwest = Zone #2

West =Zone #3

Travel within one Zone = 5,500 points

Travel between Zone #1 and Zone #2 = 8,000 points

Travel between Zone #2 and Zone #3 = 8,000 points

Travel between Zone #1 and Zone #3 = 10,500 points

That's it!


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## Rail Freak (Jan 8, 2009)

the_traveler said:


> sky12065 said:
> 
> 
> > Point costs are confusing to me too but I expect that since I have yet to signup for the program. I will be when I'm within 3 months of my travel dates.
> ...


I think I may be coming out of the fog!

The NE Region is different than a 1 zone because of the short distances compared to other zones???

:unsure:


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## Louis (Jan 8, 2009)

Rail Freak said:


> the_traveler said:
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> > sky12065 said:
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The NorthEast Region is fully contained within the East Region (Zone #1). The East Region is much larger than the NE Region and not all East Region stations are also in the NE Region.

When traveling within the NE Region (both departure and arrival stations are in the NE Region) then the point cost is 3000.

All other travel within and between regions uses Zone travel point costs. Zone travel being defined as at least one station being outside of the NE Region. However nothing is absolute as there are some 'special route' trains with specific low-point costs around Chicago and also in California and Maine.

Your guess about the short distances in the NE Region is as good as any in trying to understand why it is setup this way.

Myself, I have always wondered why roomettes are 15000 points within one zone, 20000 between two zones, and 35000 points for a 3 zone trip.


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## ALC Rail Writer (Jan 8, 2009)

Louis said:


> Rail Freak said:
> 
> 
> > the_traveler said:
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Because how many trips are there that cross 2 zones, and how many are 3? CHI-SEA/PDX/LAX is 2 zones, and those are the longest trips on any single train. You need a connecting train into CHI like the CL or Lakeshore to have a 3 zone.


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## the_traveler (Jan 8, 2009)

Rail Freak said:


> The NE Region is different than a 1 zone because of the short distances compared to other zones???:unsure:


I forget the actual reason, but I think it was because they raised the rates on the NEC quite a bit (or something like that), and there was a big uproar from business people who didn't like paying 5,500 to get an award from (say) PHL-WAS or BOS-PVD. So to quiet them, AGR created a lower cost "Northeast Region" costing only 3,000 for coach travel. (Business class is still the same 1 zone rate of 6,500 points.)


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## sky12065 (Jan 8, 2009)

the_traveler said:


> sky12065 said:
> 
> 
> > Point costs are confusing to me too but I expect that since I have yet to signup for the program. I will be when I'm within 3 months of my travel dates.
> ...


It could be my computer, but in your calculator the fields to enter the choice of coach or accomodation, the points of departure and arrival are missing and the calculate button to process the results isn't showing either! :huh:


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## the_traveler (Jan 8, 2009)

OK - how about this!

AGR Reward Point Calculator

East = Zone #1

Midwest = Zone #2

West =Zone #3

(For coach)

Travel within one Zone = 5,500 points

Travel between Zone #1 and Zone #2 = 8,000 points

Travel between Zone #2 and Zone #3 = 8,000 points

Travel between Zone #1 and Zone #3 = 10,500 points

(For business class)

Travel within one Zone = 6,500 points

Travel between Zone #1 and Zone #2 = 10,500 points

Travel between Zone #2 and Zone #3 = 10,500 points

Travel between Zone #1 and Zone #3 = 12,500 points

(For roomettes/H bedroom)

Travel within one Zone = 15,000 points

Travel between Zone #1 and Zone #2 = 20,000 points

Travel between Zone #2 and Zone #3 = 20,000 points

Travel between Zone #1 and Zone #3 = 35,000 points

(for bedroom/family bedroom)

Travel within one Zone = 20,000 points

Travel between Zone #1 and Zone #2 = 30,000 points

Travel between Zone #2 and Zone #3 = 30,000 points

Travel between Zone #1 and Zone #3 = 50,000 points

That's it!


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## sky12065 (Jan 8, 2009)

the_traveler said:


> OK - how about this!
> AGR Reward Point Calculator
> 
> East = Zone #1
> ...


Nope! Fields and calculate button still don't show!


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## Rail Freak (Jan 8, 2009)

Louis said:


> Rail Freak said:
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> 
> > the_traveler said:
> ...



I believe the fog may be rolling in again!!!


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