Fast Track to Status Promotion (Porbably Targeted)

[SubwayNut]

I'm currently Select+ (and have been for the past two years).

I have 7,252 TQPs this year (2,748 points to go). In past half-hour I got an e-mail about this promotion (minimum spend for double points is $35 so points runs don't qualify):

EARN DOUBLE Tier Qualifying POINTSWant to experience the benefits of status for the 2015 membership year? This is your opportunity to get there on the double. Now you can earn double Tier Qualifying Points, up to 1,000 points, through December 31 toward next year's status. But hurry, the window for earning status is closing fast.

NOW THROUGH December 31, 2014 Terms & ConditionsEarn double Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs), up to 1,000 bonus Tier Qualifying Points, per qualifying Amtrak trip from October 15 12:00:00am CT through December 31, 2014 11:59:59pm CT. Minimum spend of $35 per one-way segment is required for travel to qualify. Limit of two qualifying one-way segments per day. Travel with a monthly pass or using multi-ride tickets does not qualify for this promotion. A maximum of 1,000 bonus Tier Qualifying Points may be earned through this promotion. This offer is not transferable, and only eligible members may participate. Must be an Amtrak Guest Rewards member and register for this offer online at AmtrakGuestRewards.com/FastTrack to participate. Members must include their membership number when making reservations for travel to qualify. Other terms and conditions may apply.

I have very little travel scheduled before the end of the year, although I might just have to work out the time to spend the ~$230 to do an Acela Express day-trip to Boston (with upgrade, coupons petty First Class now only earns you 500 points when you use a coupon) before Double Days is over, and nearly re-qualify for S+.

I believe a one way trip on Acela would give me before double-days ends:

500 Base Points

500 TQP Bonus Points

500 Double Days Bonus Points

250 S+ Bonus Points

That's 1,750 points for $113 (with the recent Acela Express Fare Hike), and more importantly 1,000 TQPs.

 

[jacorbett70]

Same email here and a similar level of TQP for 2014.

 

[Ryan]

No email here.

Amtrak must concur that my whopping total of 0,000 TQP is hopeless this year.

 

[jis]

I got it too. Alas Select Exec may be a bridge too far even with this. I am Select+ already by a long shot, sitting at around 15000 points after the AU Gathering. The only way I can make it perhaps is by doing two Acela roundtrips over a long weekend in the NYC area one weekend in Nov/Dec. We'll see.

 

[BCL]

Doesn't seem like that great a deal if you've got to spend at least $35 to just double the minimum 100 points. Might make sense if you're already above the minimum. Last year I pulled off a few 400 point runs for $12 and was back home on a weekend before my wife got out of bed.

I didn't get this offer. I made Select renewal (hasn't posted but it should in a few days) and then some. However, I'm trying to make Select Plus. I'm hoping the 50% Capitol Corridor weekend special is back. With the Oakland A's and Levi's Stadium 25% off promotions, I've been buying single tickets rather than 10-rides.

 

[jis]

IMHO 200 TQP for $35 ain't bad at all if you do not have infinite time to do a zillion point runs. What is even better is 1000TQP on Acela for around $200 usually. I might even consider making a quick trip upto the NEC over a weekend to rake in a few thousand TQPs.

 

[benale]

I got the E Mail. Six round trips should put me over the top for next year. However, this is not cost effective for me. I use The Keystones to accumulate points,especially during Double Days. One way ticket is only $5.52. It will be more economical to just keep riding during the double days promotion to renew Select. If i had a major trip planned, that would be different. Can't see spending $70 R/T for what I need.

 

[BCL]

Not that I've qualified for this, but apparently I could reach the $35 threshold by picking a "flexible fare" (i.e. pay double the price) on Capitol Corridor. Also - it appears that it's only possible to book flexible fare for trips where both end stations are staffed.

 

[Orie]

What happens when the year is over? For example, does someone with select executive status revert back to having nothing on Jan 1 or is there a way to maintain it if you earn a certain number of qualifying points? Not that I have select executive, I was just curious.

 

[amamba]

Interesting. My H is actually only 2500 points down from S+ for this year but when they pulled the info for the email he was like 3,500 points down. He got a different email that said "You're close to renewing S+ status." NO bonus for him. He will only be 232 points down when I add in his monthly passes for the rest of the year so he is going to get 3 one way tickets to Boston to put him over the threshold.

 

[BCL]

What happens when the year is over? For example, does someone with select executive status revert back to having nothing on Jan 1 or is there a way to maintain it if you earn a certain number of qualifying points? Not that I have select executive, I was just curious.

There are claims that you'll simply get docked down a level if you don't have enough TQPs to renew. Of course Select would still need 5000 to renew, but it sounds like someone at Select Plus would be renewed at Select even if barely collecting TQPs for the entire calendar year.

In your hypothetical case I think the member would be renewed at Select Plus even if that member didn't travel on Amtrak for the entire year.

As for me - I'm fully aware that I'm spending more on tickets in my quest for Select Plus status. However, it's not like I trying to reach an airline frequent flyer tier. That costs real money. If I wanted to make Select Plus earlier this year, I figured I could so it in the stretch of about three months for the grand total of $300. It was $12 round trip for RIC-EMY-SFC during the 50% weekend special. So that was 400 points for two train and two bus segments. That was also a good time for the San Francisco Ferry Building farmers' market on Saturdays.

As it stands now, I'm trying all the little tricks. Thrown in a stopover and have breakfast. Maybe toss in a stopover on the way home. That's the difference between 200 points round-trip on my commute and 300 points. Once I know I'm close I'm probably going to just buy a 10-ride to put me over the top.

I do actually like that I'm not driving all the way to work. There always this choke point that just drives me insane. It's not even a matter of how long it takes, but that I'm just going to go bonkers because traffic isn't moving or other drivers are cutting me off.

 

[Ryan]

What happens when the year is over? For example, does someone with select executive status revert back to having nothing on Jan 1 or is there a way to maintain it if you earn a certain number of qualifying points? Not that I have select executive, I was just curious.

Statu is earned for the remainder of this year and all of next year.

 

[William W.]

Select w/ 7070 TQPs. I didn't get an email, so maybe I'm not in the crowd that they are targeting? I've considered trying to do some points runs to get Select Plus, but I'm not sure that it would be worth it. I usually travel by sleeper, so the complimentary access to the lounges doesn't really help. I like the idea of United Club access, but my dad usually has passes to give me, so the value of that benefit is negated a bit. The only other thing that stands out is the rule busting ability, but the blackouts haven't been a huge problem so far.

 

[diesteldorf]

I got it too. Alas Select Exec may be a bridge too far even with this. I am Select+ already by a long shot, sitting at around 15000 points after the AU Gathering. The only way I can make it perhaps is by doing two Acela roundtrips over a long weekend in the NYC area one weekend in Nov/Dec. We'll see.

Just saw the promo appears to have a 1000 TQP Bonus cap, so it would work for 1 RT from BOS-NYP and earn 1000 TQP + a bonus 1000 TQP, but any future round trips would not be eligible for any bonus.

 

[jis]

I got it too. Alas Select Exec may be a bridge too far even with this. I am Select+ already by a long shot, sitting at around 15000 points after the AU Gathering. The only way I can make it perhaps is by doing two Acela roundtrips over a long weekend in the NYC area one weekend in Nov/Dec. We'll see.

Just saw the promo appears to have a 1000 TQP Bonus cap, so it would work for 1 RT from BOS-NYP and earn 1000 TQP + a bonus 1000 TQP, but any future round trips would not be eligible for any bonus.

Ah, in that case I can simply ignore the whole thing. Not even worth a try since it will be impractical.

 

[iggy]

I'd like to see this offer show up for me this week - would definitely make earning Select Plus much easier for me. Worse case scenario I'd have to do 15 to 18 regional round trips at $15 each way to get there now.

 

[William W.]

The airlines (Delta in particular) sometimes allow you to purchase TQPs at the end of the year if you're short. Maybe Amtrak should consider something like this?

 

[jis]

United offers to sell you EQMs when you checkin for any flight. The price is pretty steep though. But it does potentially help to fill in small gaps to get status upto Platinum. There ar some restrictions to using purchased EQMs to reach the 1K status though.

 

[Anderson]

No email on this end. Currently sitting around 15,600 after all of my Gathering/NARP stuff posted. 4,400 to go should be doable in the next 9 weeks...

 

[jis]

I am sitting at about the same place, and I am almost certain that for me 4400 will not be doable in the next nine weeks given the other commitments that I have.

OTOH, the 27,000 that I need to make Platinum on United will almost certainly happen just in course of fulfilling the commitments that I have for the rest of the calendar year. Of course in my case the Amtrak status problem just became much more severe with the move down to Florida. Probably 2015 will be the last year that I will have any status on Amtrak. Sigh... Well I suppose I could at least make Select by simply flying into IAD or BWI and taking the Acela to NJ and back on the 6 trips that I will make to the Northeast next year. But we'll see. Time is going to be an issue on those trips too.

 

[Bob Dylan]

You could always do point runs on 66/67 and sleep on the train in Biz Class while on the NEC jis! LOL

 

[BCL]

Strangely enough I found that I was selected for this promotion and I registered. Not sure why I was selected, although I registered anyways. My history of riding Amtrak includes a grand total of 1 segment that cost more than $35.

 

[iggy]

If the above is case = that aggravates me. I'll be over 7000 TQP at end of month. I feel that loyalty should be rewarded by making it a bit easier for me to get to SELECT+. This offer would make it much more likely for me to take a long distance trip in next few weeks. Without offer I'm going to have to do a lot more traveling in 30 days to get to next level.

 

[Ryan]

There is a lot more that goes into it than just how many points you have, and there are lots and lots of people in your position. They're not going to target that many people.

 

[BCL]

There is a lot more that goes into it than just how many points you have, and there are lots and lots of people in your position. They're not going to target that many people.

In my case I am considering if I want to take a longer trip. However, I have to weight that against the cost of obtaining points by traveling. For less than that $35 I can get 400 points by getting creative with my commute.