Amtrak Guest Rewards

[*BARGIN *]

We are taking advantage of 3 zones of Guest Rewards Travel for the points of two.

Slidell, LA to Los Angeles. Four days and four nights in a roomette for 20,000 points!

We are going to enjoy the Crescent, the Capitol Limited, Southwest Chief, 6 hours in Washington D.C. and 6 hours in Chicago.

We are actually beginning our journey in New Orleans. We purchased tickets for New Orleans to Slidell for just $20.

Had we booked from New Orleans to Los Angeles using Guest Reward Points, we would only get two days and two nights via the Sunset Limited.

Technically, we are booked to ride in coach for the first hour from New Orleans to Slidell. However, I'm betting our roomette will be empty until we are scheduled to take it an hour later. So, we are hoping a kind attendant will allow us to put our luggage in the room while we go enjoy some breakfast in the diner before we begin to enjoy our room at Slidell.

Is there a better deal for 20,000 points?

 

[Ispolkom]

We are taking advantage of 3 zones of Guest Rewards Travel for the points of two.
Slidell, LA to Los Angeles. Four days and four nights in a roomette for 20,000 points!

...

Is there a better deal for 20,000 points?

In November Mrs. Ispolkom and I finishing our 2009 Eastern Tour with a 20k 1-zone trip, Atlanta-Washington-Chicago-Minot. That's three nights in three different bedrooms (Viewliner Bedroom, Superliner Family Bedroom, Superliner Bedroom) It's not as long as your trip, but it's a bit more luxurious, and it fits into our travel plans. Plus, the premium for having a bedroom is only 33%, vs. 50% for the 2-zone trip, and there's no way I could get She Who Must Be Obeyed to spend four straight nights in a roomette.

Future possibilities MSP-DEN via Portland and Sacramento, ABQ-HOS (via LAX), and, possibly Wolf Point-Flagstaff. These are other 20k one-zone bedroom trips, but the last might require taking two buses and the San Joaquin, if AGR doesn't allow a night in Los Angeles.

But for sheer distance, you can't beat SDL-LAX.

 

[Guest]

I took this route ( but with Empire Builder to Portland and Coast Starlight to LA ) . Yes you shuold be able to board no problem into your sleeper at New Orleans. Just board with the sleepers, and board last . Our attendant was glad we did that since he said, "one less person for me to check off" !

 

[Upstate]

If all you want to do is ride trains then SDL - HMD is a neat looking trip. Three nights on the train, an afternoon in DC, a full day in Chicago, and it gets you back where you started.

 

[GoldenSpike]

I took this route ( but with Empire Builder to Portland and Coast Starlight to LA ) . Yes you shuold be able to board no problem into your sleeper at New Orleans. Just board with the sleepers, and board last . Our attendant was glad we did that since he said, "one less person for me to check off" !

Had the same happen to me in the past. On the CS had coach SEA-TAC, where a friend joined me using a roomette TAC-LAX. They let me go to the sleeper car.

Positive contact with the car attendant can work wonders. One trip with my brother SEA-MSP on the EB, we had one roomette to cut costs. After the first night, the attendant took pity on us and let my brother use the adjacent roomette!

 

[Sam31452]

Ah, now I know where Amtrak's losses are coming from.

 

[the_traveler]

Last month, I had a coach ticket to SAC and upon boarding in MTZ was allowed to use my roomette. (My AGR award from PDX connected in SAC, so I had the roomette SAC-CHI - they allowed me to use it MTZ-SAC also.)

No extra meal in that 2 hour stretch mid morning!

 

[sechs]

Ah, now I know where Amtrak's losses are coming from.

Perhaps you've determined why AGR's customer service seems so poor.

Amtrak loses money simply by running.

 

[the_traveler]

Ah, now I know where Amtrak's losses are coming from.

Perhaps you've determined why AGR's customer service seems so poor.

Amtrak loses money simply by running.

AGR is NOT run by Amtrak! It is run by an outside contractor. (BTW - a Canadian company) So every time you contact AGR, you are not contacting Amtrak directly.

 

[the_traveler]

I was just playing around (as I normally do ) and checked a routing for a possible trip in July. I checked ELP-BHM. (It is a good reverse point for heading east. ) ELP-BHM gives the SL/Crescent via NOL, but it also gives the TE/CL/Crescent via CHI and WAS!

Since ELP and BHM are in the same zone, a 1 zone roomette would be 15,000 points! For the days I picked, the fare for 1 person in a roomette came to $1,107! That would be a value of 7.38¢ per AGR point! (ELP-SDL would probably be more!)

 

[chuljin]

There are a few slightly-flawed gems among 'special routes' redemptions (1000 points), especially (only?) in CA.

While it unfortunately includes a 7.5-hour bus ride, there is SAN-SAC as follows:

Surfliner 763, SAN-SBA

AmBus 4763, SBA-SJC

Capitol 748, SJC-SAC

On Memorial Day (which luckily is not an AGR blackout date), which makes Surfliners more expensive, but not Capitols, the above itinerary is $101, or 10.1c/point.

Yes, this involves two trains, but many people have reported success with redeeming only one special-route's worth (1000 points) to book such a thing.

Or (omitting the details, but it's 25 hours total, including 14 total on two different buses) SAN-MKV for $156, or 15.6c/point.

Of course, the highest c/point ratios you can come up with include one or more buses, which reduces the attractiveness considerably.

The best I can come up with for all-train is SAN-SLO or v/v on a holiday: $68 or 6.8c/point.

When you combine with that the cheapness with which points can be had in CA, especially during the current promotion, it seems like a hell of a deal.

Just now, my commute home costs $2.70 and gets me 350 points (100 base+50 SP+200 promo) or 0.77c/point.

 

[Ispolkom]

Just now, my commute home costs $2.70 and gets me 350 points (100 base+50 SP+200 promo) or 0.77c/point.

Now, remember that I say this with the greatest admiration (and even greater envy).

What percentage of the AGR points being earned in the US during this this promotion are being earned by Chuljin? I'm sure that it's a not insignificant proportion.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

Just now, my commute home costs $2.70 and gets me 350 points (100 base+50 SP+200 promo) or 0.77c/point.

Now, remember that I say this with the greatest admiration (and even greater envy).

What percentage of the AGR points being earned in the US during this this promotion are being earned by Chuljin? I'm sure that it's a not insignificant proportion.

Plus factor in the next time Chuljin will have to pay for an LD train? He might be racking up enough points to never have to pay for another trip in his life :lol: :lol:

 

[chuljin]

Just now, my commute home costs $2.70 and gets me 350 points (100 base+50 SP+200 promo) or 0.77c/point.

Now, remember that I say this with the greatest admiration (and even greater envy).

What percentage of the AGR points being earned in the US during this this promotion are being earned by Chuljin? I'm sure that it's a not insignificant proportion.

Plus factor in the next time Chuljin will have to pay for an LD train? He might be racking up enough points to never have to pay for another trip in his life :lol: :lol:

Ispolkom: :lol: I estimate the spring promo will get me no more than 20,000 points I would not otherwise have...probably pretty insignificant. Someone doing a 1st-class round-trip on Acela each day for work would get perhaps an extra 60,000.

LTR: the next time chuljin will have to pay for an LD train is the Friday before memorial day...because 15,000 points would be an egregious waste just to go from SLO to SJC. But I *did* redeem for my SWC/LSL to the Gathering, and Acela away.

As mentioned elsewhere, though (Ispolkom even cried), the gravy train ends in June or July in Phoenix. :|

 

[Long Train Runnin']

Just now, my commute home costs $2.70 and gets me 350 points (100 base+50 SP+200 promo) or 0.77c/point.

Now, remember that I say this with the greatest admiration (and even greater envy).

What percentage of the AGR points being earned in the US during this this promotion are being earned by Chuljin? I'm sure that it's a not insignificant proportion.

Plus factor in the next time Chuljin will have to pay for an LD train? He might be racking up enough points to never have to pay for another trip in his life :lol: :lol:

Ispolkom: :lol: I estimate the spring promo will get me no more than 20,000 points I would not otherwise have...probably pretty insignificant. Someone doing a 1st-class round-trip on Acela each day for work would get perhaps an extra 60,000.

LTR: the next time chuljin will have to pay for an LD train is the Friday before memorial day...because 15,000 points would be an egregious waste just to go from SLO to SJC. But I *did* redeem for my SWC/LSL to the Gathering, and Acela away.

As mentioned elsewhere, though (Ispolkom even cried), the gravy train ends in June or July in Phoenix. :|

All I can say is your lucky you can fit so much Surfliner action into your life :lol:

 

[AlanB]

Just now, my commute home costs $2.70 and gets me 350 points (100 base+50 SP+200 promo) or 0.77c/point.

Now, remember that I say this with the greatest admiration (and even greater envy).

What percentage of the AGR points being earned in the US during this this promotion are being earned by Chuljin? I'm sure that it's a not insignificant proportion.

Plus factor in the next time Chuljin will have to pay for an LD train? He might be racking up enough points to never have to pay for another trip in his life :lol: :lol:

Ispolkom: :lol: I estimate the spring promo will get me no more than 20,000 points I would not otherwise have...probably pretty insignificant. Someone doing a 1st-class round-trip on Acela each day for work would get perhaps an extra 60,000.

LTR: the next time chuljin will have to pay for an LD train is the Friday before memorial day...because 15,000 points would be an egregious waste just to go from SLO to SJC. But I *did* redeem for my SWC/LSL to the Gathering, and Acela away.

As mentioned elsewhere, though (Ispolkom even cried), the gravy train ends in June or July in Phoenix. :|

All I can say is your lucky you can fit so much Surfliner action into your life :lol:

And even more amazing is that he does it all without carrying a surf board. :lol: :lol:

 

[the_traveler]

All I can say is your lucky you can fit so much Surfliner action into your life :lol:

And even more amazing is that he does it all without carrying a surf board. :lol: :lol:

But he does hang 10 - actually at least 100 AGR points - most days! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Long Train Runnin']

All I can say is your lucky you can fit so much Surfliner action into your life :lol:

And even more amazing is that he does it all without carrying a surf board. :lol: :lol:

But he does hang 10 - actually at least 100 AGR points - most days! :lol: :lol: :lol:

:lol: :lol: :lol: He's out to ride trains not waves

 

[Rumpled]

LTR: the next time chuljin will have to pay for an LD train is the Friday before memorial day...because 15,000 points would be an egregious waste just to go from SLO to SJC.

I don't get it, wouldn't that be just 5500? or only 1000 if you took the San Joaquin option?

 

[chuljin]

All I can say is your lucky you can fit so much Surfliner action into your life :lol:

And even more amazing is that he does it all without carrying a surf board. :lol: :lol:

Exactly. Just a laptop bag. Rail2Rail means I am not alone in that, though (but IIUC I am almost alone in being tolerable [the stories BlueJeanGirl could tell! ]).

LTR: the next time chuljin will have to pay for an LD train is the Friday before memorial day...because 15,000 points would be an egregious waste just to go from SLO to SJC.

I don't get it, wouldn't that be just 5500? or only 1000 if you took the San Joaquin option?

Yes, but as a [Whooz]elitist dog[/Whooz], I'm going in a roomette (yes, for 4.5 hours, mostly in the daytime), that's why I quoted 15000. I decided to have one last bay-area hurrah before leaving the state, and decided this time to do what I call the 'clockwise' option (up the coast, down the valley). I'm taking 799 (the single Horizon/Amfleet Surfliner) to SLO (for the first time), staying a few hours, then the PS to SJC, spending 2.5-3 days CCing, VTAing, BARTing, MUNIing, SACRTing, etc before taking the SJ and SJ-AmBus from SAC back to GDL on Monday. 4.5 hours in coach would be very tolerable, but the reason for the roomette is it'll be my last chance (at least for a good long while) to try the PPC, which I was 'cheated' out of last time.
As of the last time I checked (hopefully it hasn't changed since), SLO-SJC rail fare was 26.10 (after AAA discount), and roomette was 66.00.

To guesstimate whether it is 'cheaper' to redeem or pay, I cost my points at 1.6c each, so:

Coach would be $26.10 (cash) or '$88.08' (points);

Roomette would be $92.10 (cash) or '$240.23' (points).

So in either case I'd rather pay cash (well, credit card).

For longer or otherwise-pricier trips, points win; for example, my trips to the Gathering later this year:

FGG-CHI, bedroom: $1,053.21 (cash) or '$480.46' (points)

CHI-BOS, roomette: $443.70 (cash) or '$320.31' (points)

BOS-NYP, Acela first: $246.10 (cash) or '$168.16' (points)

(cash prices are as of a month or so ago when I first analyzed, chose, and redeemed; they may well have gone up since, widening the lead for points )

 

[Rumpled]

Aha, now I get it.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

All I can say is your lucky you can fit so much Surfliner action into your life :lol:

And even more amazing is that he does it all without carrying a surf board. :lol: :lol:

Exactly. Just a laptop bag. Rail2Rail means I am not alone in that, though (but IIUC I am almost alone in being tolerable [the stories BlueJeanGirl could tell! ]).

LTR: the next time chuljin will have to pay for an LD train is the Friday before memorial day...because 15,000 points would be an egregious waste just to go from SLO to SJC.

I don't get it, wouldn't that be just 5500? or only 1000 if you took the San Joaquin option?

Yes, but as a [Whooz]elitist dog[/Whooz], I'm going in a roomette (yes, for 4.5 hours, mostly in the daytime), that's why I quoted 15000. I decided to have one last bay-area hurrah before leaving the state, and decided this time to do what I call the 'clockwise' option (up the coast, down the valley). I'm taking 799 (the single Horizon/Amfleet Surfliner) to SLO (for the first time), staying a few hours, then the PS to SJC, spending 2.5-3 days CCing, VTAing, BARTing, MUNIing, SACRTing, etc before taking the SJ and SJ-AmBus from SAC back to GDL on Monday. 4.5 hours in coach would be very tolerable, but the reason for the roomette is it'll be my last chance (at least for a good long while) to try the PPC, which I was 'cheated' out of last time.
As of the last time I checked (hopefully it hasn't changed since), SLO-SJC rail fare was 26.10 (after AAA discount), and roomette was 66.00.

To guesstimate whether it is 'cheaper' to redeem or pay, I cost my points at 1.6c each, so:

Coach would be $26.10 (cash) or '$88.08' (points);

Roomette would be $92.10 (cash) or '$240.23' (points).

So in either case I'd rather pay cash (well, credit card).

For longer or otherwise-pricier trips, points win; for example, my trips to the Gathering later this year:

FGG-CHI, bedroom: $1,053.21 (cash) or '$480.46' (points)

CHI-BOS, roomette: $443.70 (cash) or '$320.31' (points)

BOS-NYP, Acela first: $246.10 (cash) or '$168.16' (points)

(cash prices are as of a month or so ago when I first analyzed, chose, and redeemed; they may well have gone up since, widening the lead for points )

Sounds like a good one off plus now you'll have even more points

 

[the_traveler]

So in either case I'd rather pay cash (well, credit card).

And of course - get some more points! :lol:

 

[Ispolkom]

Ispolkom: :lol: I estimate the spring promo will get me no more than 20,000 points I would not otherwise have...probably pretty insignificant. Someone doing a 1st-class round-trip on Acela each day for work would get perhaps an extra 60,000.

LTR: the next time chuljin will have to pay for an LD train is the Friday before memorial day...because 15,000 points would be an egregious waste just to go from SLO to SJC. But I *did* redeem for my SWC/LSL to the Gathering, and Acela away.

As mentioned elsewhere, though (Ispolkom even cried), the gravy train ends in June or July in Phoenix. :|

Oh, but I can't imagine taking a First Class Acela round trip every day. That's just out of the realm of possibility.

Getting 350 points a day on a one-stop commute, that I can imagine, having ridden the train to work for years when I lived in the DC area.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

So in either case I'd rather pay cash (well, credit card).

And of course - get some more points! :lol:

If only I had good credit! That would seem to be the best way to get AGR points, using one of their cards...