Cancelling the AGR World card

[George K]

After looking at the benefits of the BoA AGR World card (TQPs, 3x points for Amtrak travel) vs the $79 annual cost, I decided that, for me, it's not worth it. Most of my travel is done on points (two big trips a year), and therefore the 3X bonus is irrelevant. I'll never have enough TQPs for it to be of any value, even if I get 4000 "free" through the card - I'll never meet the threshold of 5000 TQPs.

So, I applied for and was approved for the BoA no-fee Platinum AGR card - with a credit line that's $4000 higher than I had with the other card!

I'm thinking of cancelling the fee card to save the annual fee. But, I was wondering: should my situation change, to the point where it would be to my advantage to get that card again, would I qualify for the sign-on bonus? Is there an interval I'd have to wait?

After all 20K points is nothing to sneeze at.

 

[the_traveler]

I am not sure, but many other banks have written in their rules something like thr following

... bonus not offered if you have had the card within the past 24 months ...

 

[George K]

I am not sure, but many other banks have written in their rules something like thr following

... bonus not offered if you have had the card within the past 24 months ...

Thanks! I was looking around, but couldn't find it. IOW, I have to cancel, and wait two years if I change my mind, right?

 

[the_traveler]

That is my understanding, but then again there have been people who applied for BOTH (fee & free) cards - and received bonus from BOTH cards! So YMMV.

 

[bratkinson]

There's nothing 'magic' about getting to 5K TQPs. It simply gets you to 'select' status, which is a 25% bonus on Amtrak points and a couple of free upgrades and lounge passes.

The 4K TQPs that you get for $20K spending (each $5k spent = 1K TQPs) on the card is certainly nothing to sneeze at. The $20K spending can be spent on absolutely anything to get the bonus TQPs, not just Amtrak travel. Assuming you do some paid Amtrak travel, the reality is each Amtrak dollar gets 2 TQPs, so you only have to spend $500 on Amtrak travel, which can easily be part of the spending on the card. Of course, $100 for Amtrak on the card gets 300 'regular' points from BankAmerica. If you look at your Amtrak spending and match that with your AGR account point history, you'll find the $100 is part of the 'big' number of AGR points added, and then an extra 200 points as 'bonus' as a separate entry, both showing up the day after your credit card billing cycle.

And of course, double days promotions really 'pays off' in my opinion. Traveling during double days nets another 200 points. The 25% bonus points for business class also gets double-days treatment.

So is canceling the card a good idea? It's up to you. But know that canceling the card and getting a new one will adversely affect your credit rating for a couple of years as part of the scoring includes accounts opened & closed in addition to credit utilization percentage, etc.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

That is my understanding, but then again there have been people who applied for BOTH (fee & free) cards - and received bonus from BOTH cards! So YMMV.

I did this when the cards began on Bank America, got the bonuses, and still use both cards. Actually used the no fee card this past year to get a zero interest balance transfer(not to the other Amtrak card) and will have it paid by June 2018. I use the fee card for all my Amtrak purchases.

The short answer is, yes, you can get both cards and get the opening bonus offer on both. I did stagger my opening the two card accounts so that I could spend the necessary amount on one of the cards before obtaining the second card.

 

[TinCan782]

I've never calculated if the fee is worth it or not. My wife and I both have the World Card. My recent (and upcoming) travel has been a combination of both points and paid. The paid Amtrak 3X along with 2x for hotels and rental cars put me into Select status with a 25% bonus on paid trips. Concurrently with our trip last July (LAX>SEA>GPK>CHI>EMY>LAX), a Select promo pushed me into select Plus status with a 50% bonus on paid trips.

The World Card has generated a lot of points for me with relatively little Amtrak travel (we do one LD trip per year) and, Select and Select Plus Status that I would not have achieved otherwise. Our trip next October I anticipate 5x points for the paid segments (2x Amtrak, 3x BofA), a 50% point bonus for Select Plus, the 25% Business Class point bonus for 2 segments of the trip, and Double Days if that happens.

The "fee" card is generating the points for me without a lot of travel. I regularly use the shopping portal along with the card, and most of our monthly bills are paid with the card. I also use the card for my monthly Metrolink and Tap Card purchases which generates 2x points.

Is the fee card worth it? You'll have to decide.

PS: I use the "lounge access" from time to time to kill time in LA's Metropolitan Lounge on my daily Metrolink commute through LA Union Station.

 

[striker64]

Can I ask how you've gotten to Select Plus with the card? I know $20,000 spend gets 4,000 TQPs, so another $1,000 Amtrak travel gets to Select... But wouldn't you need $5,000 more Amtrak travel to get Select Plus? Or are there other ways to get TQPs?

Sent from my HTC U11 using Tapatalk

 

[TC_NYC]

Can I ask how you've gotten to Select Plus with the card? I know $20,000 spend gets 4,000 TQPs, so another $1,000 Amtrak travel gets to Select... But wouldn't you need $5,000 more Amtrak travel to get Select Plus? Or are there other ways to get TQPs?

Sent from my HTC U11 using Tapatalk

Same question... and it would be $500 in spend gets you to select, $2,500 to S+ since you get 2 TQP per $.

 

[bratkinson]

Can I ask how you've gotten to Select Plus with the card? I know $20,000 spend gets 4,000 TQPs, so another $1,000 Amtrak travel gets to Select... But wouldn't you need $5,000 more Amtrak travel to get Select Plus? Or are there other ways to get TQPs?

Sent from my HTC U11 using Tapatalk

Same question... and it would be $500 in spend gets you to select, $2,500 to S+ since you get 2 TQP per $.

And if you ride in Business class, you get an extra 25% bonus points...TQPs no less! So, for $100 spent on a BC seat, you'll get 300 points from the card, and 250 TQP points (200 + 25% of 200). So, you need only spend $2400 on BC travel to get 6000 TQPs. Throw in another $17,600 spent on the credit card for anything, including more Amtrak tix, (to get 4K TQPs) and surprise! Select Plus! I've done that 2 years in a row now!

 

[striker64]

What about sleepers, does that give any extra TQPs? Or just BC?

Appreciate the pointers!

 

[bratkinson]

What about sleepers, does that give any extra TQPs? Or just BC?

Appreciate the pointers!

That's logical. But Noooooooo....... (with a nod to John Belushi) just the standard 2 points/ticket dollar, same as riding coach.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Yep, who cares about us slubs out in flyover country who pay hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, to travel in Sleepers.

One of the main topics we discussed here during the transition from AGR1.0 to AGR2.0!

 

[daybeers]

Yep, who cares about us slubs out in flyover country who pay hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, to travel in Sleepers.

One of the main topics we discussed here during the transition from AGR1.0 to AGR2.0!

That really is a very silly policy. I feel so bad for all the AU members who miss out on all those extra points. Unfortunately I didn't travel on Amtrak nearly as often before AGR 2.0 came about, but I wish I had! I grew up near the Hartford, CT's Union Station (HFD), and could have gotten many 100-point minimum trips using the New Haven–Hartford–Springfield Shuttle, where some short segments are $5 one-way.

 

[willem]

While I agree that giving bonus points to business class passengers but not to sleeping car passengers is silly, that policy is not the silliest of the AGR2 changes. A person who paid cash for a ticket but has a change of plans can get a voucher for the full value of the ticket. A person who paid AGR points for a ticket but has a change of plans can get most but not all of the points returned. Why the second class citizen treatment for the member of the loyalty program?

 

[George K]

I just encountered that problem. Daughter #4 is expecting a baby when we've booked a trip CHI->NOL in October. So, I wanted to cancel and reschedule for March

When I called, I was told that I would be penalized if I cancelled the trip, and there's no voucher.

HOWEVER -> I was also told that, as time approaches (say, September), to modify the trip, and there would be no penalty, other than extra points, if due. Functionally, it's the same as a voucher, no?

 

[willem]

HOWEVER -> I was also told that, as time approaches (say, September), to modify the trip, and there would be no penalty, other than extra points, if due. Functionally, it's the same as a voucher, no?

It's good to hear that an Amtrak (AGR?) agent suggested this. If I understand what the agent was proposing, then that would be almost as good as a voucher.

I assume the agent meant to change the booking to a new itinerary and either pay additional points as required or forfeit a percentage of the difference in points if the new itinerary is cheaper.

It seems like someone reporting this strategy in the past said the agent wanted to charge a penalty based on the original trip rather than the difference between the original and revised trips. Can anyone confirm or refute this?