I have been studying how I can accomplish a SPK-FTL trip using awards. Space permitting I could depart late this month. The schedule that I have mapped out would avoid boarding on any of the holiday award blackout dates. I spoke with AGR and they said you can be travelling on an award ticket on a blackout date; you just can't have a departure or connection where you have to board on a blackout date. Blackout dates are not part of my question.
A routing of SPK-CHI; CHI-WAS; WAS-FTL in a deluxe sleeper is a three zone award requiring 50,000 points each direction. I will clear 80,000 points in time but not 100,000. 80,000 would give me a one way three zone bedroom award for 50,000 points plus a two zone 30,000 point bedroom award.
In an earlier discussion on this board I was given advice to buy a paid sleeper fare SPK to Wolf Point (which I was told straddles two zones); then use a two zone award Wolf Point-FTL and a three zone award returning FTL-SPK. That poses the following questions:
1. If I called AGR to book the award travel legs, will AGR sell me the SPK-Wolf Point one zone paid fare when I make the reservation, or would I have to purchase the paid fare through the Amtrak reserevation line?
2. Can award and paid legs be combined on one reservation or would I likely have two reservations?
3. If I have a paid sleeper fare on 8 or 28 SPK to Wolf Point, and then an award ticket on 8 or 28 Wolf Point to CHI, would I probably be able to reserve the same bedroom, or probably have to switch bedrooms in Wolf Point? Having the same reservation number for both portions would help me achieve the former.
4. Any other astute advice?
It would probably be the end of the first quarter of 2010 before I hit 100,000 points in my account, even if I buy 10,000 points after December 31 (I bought 10k earlier this year for another award).
A routing of SPK-CHI; CHI-WAS; WAS-FTL in a deluxe sleeper is a three zone award requiring 50,000 points each direction. I will clear 80,000 points in time but not 100,000. 80,000 would give me a one way three zone bedroom award for 50,000 points plus a two zone 30,000 point bedroom award.
In an earlier discussion on this board I was given advice to buy a paid sleeper fare SPK to Wolf Point (which I was told straddles two zones); then use a two zone award Wolf Point-FTL and a three zone award returning FTL-SPK. That poses the following questions:
1. If I called AGR to book the award travel legs, will AGR sell me the SPK-Wolf Point one zone paid fare when I make the reservation, or would I have to purchase the paid fare through the Amtrak reserevation line?
2. Can award and paid legs be combined on one reservation or would I likely have two reservations?
3. If I have a paid sleeper fare on 8 or 28 SPK to Wolf Point, and then an award ticket on 8 or 28 Wolf Point to CHI, would I probably be able to reserve the same bedroom, or probably have to switch bedrooms in Wolf Point? Having the same reservation number for both portions would help me achieve the former.
4. Any other astute advice?
It would probably be the end of the first quarter of 2010 before I hit 100,000 points in my account, even if I buy 10,000 points after December 31 (I bought 10k earlier this year for another award).
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