100 Amtrak guest reward points equal one dollar

[Bingozone]

Ok just an FYI one hundred antraknpounts equal a dollar so not a bad deal

 

[Ryan]

How exactly did you come up with that figure?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Probably using one data point.

Point values change according to when and what you're booking.

Ticket prices fluctuate, so value of points fluctuate

 

[PRR 60]

Probably using one data point.

Point values change according to when and what you're booking.

Ticket prices fluctuate, so value of points fluctuate

I look at it a different way. I arbitrarily assign a flat value per point to all my points - in my case 2 cents each. That becomes my tipping point. I then compare that value to the purchase price of a trip under consideration to determine if I feel it is better to buy the trip outright or use points. So, if a $150 trip would be a 15,000 point redemption, I would pay the $150. If a $600 dollar trip would be a 15,000 point redemption, I would use points. In the latter case, I don't then assume that the 15,000 points I used for the $600 trip made those points worth 4 cents each. I assume that I was able to take a $600 trip for $300 worth of points.

In many cases, the price charged by Amtrak, particularly for long distance sleeper travel, is much higher than I would be willing to pay. Using points brings the "price" down to something that more closely meets the my perceived value of the service being provided.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I agree Bill and pretty much do the same thing- can I afford the $$ or should I use points (or just not take the trip).

I was pointing out the price fluctuation in case the OP was basing his algorithm on a particular price he saw.

 

[Bingozone]

Look at the gift cards u can claim and see how many points the 100 dollar cost

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Look at the gift cards u can claim and see how many points the 100 dollar cost

But a $100 gift card is always a $100.A seat or room on a train is not always the same price.

15,000 can get me from Miami to Toledo in a roomette which costs a lot more (in cash) than a trip from Pittsburgh to Toledo for the same 15,000. So from Miami, it's probably worth using the points. From Pittsburgh, not likely worth it.

 

[Ispolkom]

I follow PRR 60's strategy, except that I value my points at 3 cents per point. I'm not sure how I decided on that figure, perhaps it was based on purchasing points at 2.75 cents each.

Point redemptions for gift cards are usually not the best use of points, and at best give a minimum value for points. To use an example from another award program, with 24,000 Choice points I could buy $75 worth of gift cards, which would make them worth .3 cents each. Instead, we're using those points for a two-night stay in Montreal (between arriving on the Ocean and departing on the Adirondack) that would cost $308. That gives a point value of 1.3 cents each.

The actual value is probably, lower. Looking at hotels.com, if I were paying cash for a hotel room in downtown Montreal, I'd be paying $100-120 a night, not $150. So the actual value I get for those points is probably closer to .9 cents per point.

It's a little difficult to accurately value AGR redemptions, especially long-distance sleeper redemptions, because there are no easy comparisons. For me, there is little difference between downtown hotel rooms. It's much harder for me to compare a two-night sleeper trip with a four-hour airliner journey.

 

[NW cannonball]

Look at the gift cards u can claim and see how many points the 100 dollar cost

Nope -- there isn't any points/dollars exchange rate. It's variable on the buy side and on the redeem side. The exchange rate - buy side - points for travel -- you buy a trip, you get double points, or more , and you get a paid trip also. You buy points, that's a variable deal. You get multi points for buying at losing retailers - if they survive to credit those points to AGR.

You redeem points, you get a 1-zone- 2-zone - 3-zone trip - whatever class your points can pay. What's that worth? Roughly, whatever the paid trip might cost - but that's also variable based on sold seats and current bucket price.

There isn't any fixed exchange rate. Points can be worth more or less buying or redeeming at any time. And points can be devalued at any time.

 

[me_little_me]

If I can't get a trip that would have cost me 5 cents per point then I strongly reconsider either the trip or paying cash instead of points. I save my points for when they give me the most bang for the buck.

 

[Anderson]

If I can't get a trip that would have cost me 5 cents per point then I strongly reconsider either the trip or paying cash instead of points. I save my points for when they give me the most bang for the buck.

My floor is three cents or thereabouts...but (1) I have the credit card and am often somewhat awash in points, and (2) I'm on the East Coast and most of my trips are to/from Florida (when in theory a westbound trip would get me better bang for buck).

 

[the_traveler]

I try to get 4-5 cents per point, but on some sleeper awards in the high bucket "costing" $2,000+ I have received 10-12 cents per point!

 

[City of Miami]

For me the cash/points floor is $330 for 1 zone and $400 for 2 zone trips. Less than that I pay cash. That comes out to 2.1 cents per point. A trip to Chicago (2 zone) is almost never $400 so I'm stuck paying cash because of my arbitrary determination based on the old points purchase price with 50% bonus. Not very realistic valuation, is it?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

When giving monkey points a specific dollar value it is important to remember that the points themselves are extremely perishable and the rules which govern their use are one sided and arbitrary. That's not to say you shouldn't have a general value in mind for making decisions, but if you find your personal valuation leads you to accumulate large numbers of points instead of spending them I would suggest reevaluating your valuation.