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Perhaps because some agents still book circle trips. I just finished a two-zone award Kansas City-LA-Portland-Minot which, according to the Rules as Written, is not allowed.

Mrs. Ispolkom and I were on the Ocean a couple of weeks ago from Halifax to Sainte Foy (we were going to Quebec City). Like Anderson, we were in the large bedroom for two, what used to be called the drawing room, and we also were amazed by the endless number of identical sleeping cars between...

I really have to agree with iggy. As someone who has spent hundreds of thousands of AGR points in the last six years, I am just grateful that the gravy train lasted this long. I'm also pleased that AGR has given us a long grace period to use up our points. Every rewards program devalues, but...

No one knows anything for sure. Most airline credit cards do have an annual fee, so I wouldn't be surprised if the new AGR card did as well. I've rarely gotten a credit card from BOA, because they don't have many cards that I want to use. I did have a Virgin Atlantic card for just long enough...

I went through Maria's Pass on September 2, and it was surprisingly uneventful. The smoke had mostly cleared. a lot of trees near the track had been cut, but no more than a railroad might do anyway, just to avoid the possibility of trees falling on the track. Plus, because of the steep and...

I also appreciate the updates. I've been following this thread as we've been crossing the continent. We're waiting inLA for the Coast Starlight, and I'm still wondering if we'll be able to take #28 on Tuesday.

,If I were traveling today, I'd personally chose my route in jimhudson's order. I'd take #6 over #4 over #422. There's no way I'd voluntarily sit on an overnight bus for 400-500 miles, which is what #8 is doing. I'm too old for that stuff. On the other hand, who knows what the conditions...

Looking at the published pictures, I can't imagine how you would establish a fire line in that kind of terrain. I'm so sorry for you, Mike, and everyone else in the fiery West. For once winter can't come fast enough.

I'm looking at Amtrak Status Maps, and am confused by what I see. Train 7(19), which was stopped at Shelby last night, now picks up at Ephrata, Washington at 6:26 a.m. Did the poor passengers on that train get bussed between Shelby and Spokane, and then put on the consist for 8(20)? That...

US 2 is closed as well in Marias Pass, so no bus bridge.

Yes, so I buy at the higher bucket, wait till the price goes down, and reticket at the lower price, if it occurs. At best, I end up with an eVoucher, but since I know I'll be traveling by Amtrak soon enough, that's not a big deal. At worst I end up spending more than I wanted, but it's still...

Goodness. We're on 28(31) from Portland to Minot the week after next. This is on the home stretch of a Halifax-Quebec City-Montreal-Schenectady-Chicago-Kansas City-LA-Portland-Minot-St. Paul odyssey. I'd hate to get stranded in Portland, but of course my possible inconvenience nothing...

The last two years I have travelled a lot on the Empire Builder between St. Paul and Minot to visit my ailing mother. On that segment roomettes always start in the second bucket and bounce down to lowest bucket at about six months. Always. Examples: September 6 MOT-MSP went to lowest bucket...

Yes we will, right up to the 5 a.m. arrival at Sainte Foy. You know the train's going to be on time when it's 5 a.m.

I'll be on this train on Sunday, and I can vouch for the sold-out state. Apparently there's a waiting list for my sleeping compartment (the drawing room in the Park car). One question: is there still lunch served in the dining car after leaving Halifax, given that the train now leaves at noon?

Except that in real life they do sell the bedrooms. I'm on western long-distance trains a fair amount (15-21 nights a year), and there always is much more pressure on bedrooms than roomettes. They do sell out, while there's usually one last roomette on any train. It's not accidental that AGR...

Generally speaking, no you can't predict which side of the train your roomette will face. There are exceptions, though. Aren't the bedrooms on westbound Lake Shore Limited always on the right side of the train, so the vestibule is next to the dining car?

My three favorite AGR trips, all with Mrs. Ispolkom and all in bedroom: 2010 A one-zone award: Minot-Chicago-Washington-Slidell-New Orleans (the last leg booked in coach, of course). We checked a bag from Minot, which traveled directly on the City of New Orleans and arrived a day early. 2013...

Aren't the Portland streetcars Skoda?

It's been a nice run, but all good things must end. I think that jebr is too optimistic about the future exchange rate. A five cents per point redemption rate won't work if you can buy points for less than that. Two cents per point seems more likely, or even lower. I think that we're looking...