2 Millionth AGR Member Promotion

[Long Train Runnin']

So they say 24,000 folks have registered for the promotion. But you can't bet on every one of those to take a trip. Some may have changed plans or will simply forget about it. Others just probably register for every promotion.
And no one seems to be listening to me. I mean, do you really think its worth it to ride the train tomorrow just for measley points?? I mean the fewer the better right?? You could all be doing something better like visiting Amtrak Unlimited tomorrow. :lol:

Oh and my guess is 133.

Well I wish everyone the best on their points run today! I for one Saxman am registered, but won't be taking a trip on Amtrak. Enjoy my slice of the pie I bet its 97 points.

 

[rrdude]

Off to BWI for # 186, "Hey Mr. Conductor, 'punch my ticket...........puhleeze!........"

 

[chuljin]

Yes, fellow passengers and points chasers, the Big Day has arrived. Locally that means Pacific Surfliner 799, OXN-VEC, for my eventual alloted take of the two million big ones. While this 14-minute jaunt may not quite compare with, say, saxman66' recent 4-corners national Odyssey, I still believe it calls for a major modern multi-media extravaganza trip report. What? You don't THINK so?? Luddite.

*nod* For my own part, I'll be taking the same $3.15, 13-minute trip home from work on 785 that I always do, and just see what we get.

Watch, AGR will say that all members registered for the promo, including the said 2,000,000th member, and they all traveled today. 1 point.

 

[Rumpled]

So, those who've already ridden today - did you sense mor pax or not?

 

[Cascadia]

I did my run and it was a quick one! Got on the 513 southbound at Bellingham at about 8:45, it was running a little late. It was looking dicey to catch the 510 northbound back in Mount Vernon, but luckily it was running late too and was waiting for us to pass when we got down there. So it was no problem hopping off the one train and onto the other.

Really it was a fun thing to do and I might not have done it except it was the first run of the 513 coming from Vancouver BC instead of Bellingham. Last night was the first night it stayed overnight in Canada. So that made it kind of neat!

Very short trip only 1/2 hour down and 1/2 hour back, but the train goes along the water almost all the way there and is really beautiful. I enjoyed my trip. The Bellingham ticket agent told me a bunch of Amtrak higher-ups rode to Canada on the inaugural run last night and stayed up there. I think she thought they would come back down on this train but the conductor told me they stayed up in Canada for a couple of days.

Pretty neat to have an expansion of service! Especially one that comes in so handy for me personally

I really doubt if there was anyone else on the train who was riding for points, but hey you never know.

 

[alanh]

I'm lowballing (83) based on the assumptions (a) most riders are regular NEC riders, and (b) many of the regulars are registered for AGR. The wildcard is © how many registered for the promotion. AGR members who opted out of emails and haven't checked the web site recently may not be aware of it.

25 points would be the rock bottom, assuming everyone who rides is in AGR and registered for the promtion.

 

[Shanghai]

I just got home from my NYP - PHL - NYP trip. Both trains were crowded. I tried to change my return trip from 11:45am to 10:55am but was told by the agent that the 10:55am was sold out. Someone is riding the trains!!

It will be interesting to see how many AU'ers rode the train today.

 

[MrFSS]

I haven't gone back and looked at the details of the promotion. When will everyone find out how many points they will receive?

Maybe we should have a pool on what everyone thinks they will get.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

I'll enter a low-ball prediction of 78 points per member.

 

[alanh]

T&C for the record:

Must be an Amtrak Guest Rewards member and register for this promotion online or by calling 1-800-307-5000 (option 2) using registration code 81009. Qualifying Amtrak travel must be taken on August 20, 2009 and the reservation must include your Amtrak Guest Rewards membership number. Redemption travel does not qualify for this promotion.
The share of two million points will be determined based on the total number of Amtrak Guest Rewards members registered for this promotion with travel on August 20, 2009, regardless of the number of trips taken by each member that day. The share of two million points is in addition to regular Amtrak travel points or any other promotional bonus points you may qualify for on August 20, 2009. These bonus points will post separately to your Amtrak Guest Rewards account by October 1, 2009, and will not post at the time of your Amtrak travel points or promotional bonus points earned on August 20, 2009.

So it may not be until Oct 1 we find out how we did.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Well it wouldn't be out of character for AGR to send an email saying "thank you all xx,xxx who participated in our event..." then dropping a promo for the Mastercard.

 

[rrdude]

I haven't gone back and looked at the details of the promotion. When will everyone find out how many points they will receive?
Maybe we should have a pool on what everyone thinks they will get.

Pools been started, Jump in B4 it's too late!

 

[rrdude]

Oh btw, i did my BWI/Balt-Penn RT, and actually DID run into a couple of dads, with kids in tow, (kids rode free too, DAMN! why didn't I think of THAT) and they mentioned the promo to me in passing.

Also got to witness a pigeon "evaporate" as it somehow cause an arc between two wires on the light-rail catenary. BOOM! Nothing but dust! Even Amtrak's RR police came hustling out to see what's up.

Learned my lesson thou, if I'd booked earlier, I coulda saved a few bucks on one of the rail fares (12 v 18) and gotten my NAPR or AAA discount (10%) No Biggie. Did find a nice place for lunch though.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

Well it wouldn't be out of character for AGR to send an email saying "thank you all xx,xxx who participated in our event..." then dropping a promo for the Mastercard.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: They dont need a reason to send out another reminder to get the master card. Those offers get so tiresome especially since even if I wanted one I doubt Chase is going to hand a 17 year old a line of credit.

 

[Dovecote]

I just got home from my NYP - PHL - NYP trip. Both trains were crowded. I tried to change my return trip from 11:45am to 10:55am but was told by the agent that the 10:55am was sold out. Someone is riding the trains!!
It will be interesting to see how many AU'ers rode the train today.

I rode the train today from WAS>NYP on #184. Utilized the two week pay in advance promotion price of $49. Fortunately for me it was the same day of the AGR promotion. The crowd on the train was decent size to PHL but sparse for the remainder of the trip. Was able to sit by myself for the entire trip.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Well it wouldn't be out of character for AGR to send an email saying "thank you all xx,xxx who participated in our event..." then dropping a promo for the Mastercard.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: They dont need a reason to send out another reminder to get the master card. Those offers get so tiresome especially since even if I wanted one I doubt Chase is going to hand a 17 year old a line of credit.

They don't even hand me a line of credit.

 

[saxman]

Well I headed down to Dallas Union Station to ride the Texas Eagle to Fort Worth. There were two other guys doing the same thing as I. I missed OlympianHiawatha. I saw your post about coming from Norman and riding the TRE. Too bad I didn't see your post earlier to catch you in FTW.

 

[DowneasterPassenger]

I took a quick one-stop round-trip on the SJ line. Train 714 was carrying one of those refurbished Superliners discussed in another thread (as well as this thread), and it definitely has no ADA restroom. It is #31934 and called "Cedar Grove".

I met one other person who was riding for points. My LSA buddy said that the ridership seemed higher than normal today (maybe 200 instead of the usual 130). The ticket agent didn't know about the 2M Points Day, but when I returned he said one other person had asked him to double-check the AGR number so she would be sure to get her points.

So there's anywhere from 2 to 70 people riding for points on one SJ train today. Suppose it was around the average of those numbers, 36. Amtrak runs 300 trains per day. Assuming the SJ is an average sample of all trains, 36 * 300 people or around 10,000 took advantage of the offer. So we'll see 200 points each. :lol:

 

[Bob Dylan]

My trip today from AUS-TPL-AUS on the Eagles had a higher than normal pax load but lots were kids with their parents

getting in rides before school starts!The agent told me when I picked up my ticket that I was the only one boarding with a ticket that he saw that was an AGR member!Hopefully only AU members rode today so the points go up,up and away!

(they oughta write a song right Eric?)I voted in the poll,100-200 seems about right unless the traveler has figured out a way to get them all!!!LOL

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Well I headed down to Dallas Union Station to ride the Texas Eagle to Fort Worth. There were two other guys doing the same thing as I. I missed OlympianHiawatha. I saw your post about coming from Norman and riding the TRE. Too bad I didn't see your post earlier to catch you in FTW.

I watched your Eagle pull into FTW and had time to walk it before having to get onto the TRE side. I was the Longhair wearing the Texas Eagle shirt. Also got to catch a look at the northbound Eagle at DAL and as a bonus saw the Disney Train a few minutes after leaving Norman this morning. All in all a good train day!

 

[NJCoastExp]

Took 148 from MET to NRO. Had about 70 % load. I know at least one more person was on board in BC from NYP to NRO taking advantage of the promo.

 

[transit54]

I was the only one getting on in Waterbury this evening (no surprise there) though a surprising number of people got off there (maybe 10 - I figure usually only 4 or 5 do on a weekday). Essex Jct has 27 people getting off, which I thought was high for a Thursday. Fridays and Sundays usually do about 30-50, though the record is about 170, most of whom where students coming back from vacation. No idea how many were taking advantage of the promotion, but in past experience there's not a lot of AGR members in Vermont, and those I've met don't follow the program too closely. Keeping my fingers crossed for a decent number of points...

 

[AlanB]

Took 148 from MET to NRO. Had about 70 % load. I know at least one more person was on board in BC from NYP to NRO taking advantage of the promo.

And I was that "other" person. BC was basically empty, probably 10 people at most.

Biggest problem however was that 148 was late, causing us to just miss our intended ride back to NYC. It was pulling away from the southbound platformas we walked down the northbound platform.

I think that we deserve extra bonus points for that.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

My promo points run on Surfliner 799 went as planned. Only the second time I've been aboard (other time was when chuljin gave the dome heads-up and I scrambled to ride), so don't know if passenger load was any more than a typical weekday (dome ride was a packed Sunday train). I was the only OXN-VEC passenger, though - meaning only one who boarded at OXN then detrained at VEC.

Long as I was at the Ventura platform I walked up the line a bit to get this video about 20 minutes after alighting:

 

[mucomix]

We just got home from our points run KC to Hermann MO and back. Some good wine to be had in Hermann. I think we brought back 14 bottles.