Loopholes

[Tony]

What are some good one-zone loopholes that Amtrak offers?

 

[Rail Freak]

I dont think there are anymore loopholes! However, the best bang for the buck $ 1 zone rides would be in the western zone. ex. - Abuquerque to Glacier Park ( 3 nites & 8 meals ).

 

[had8ley]

I'm sure most mega-milers have a loophole or two in their vest pocket but aren't letting it out. The Slidell loophole got abused, talked about on every website and quickly disappeared. Would you give away a secret loophole knowing that it might disappear as quickly as it is posted ???

But mine is Atlanta to Miami, via Washington, because it affords Heritage equipment which won't be around much longer.

 

[Bob Dylan]

What are some good one-zone loopholes that Amtrak offers?

My favorite is ElPaso-LA-Portland-Wolf Point. 3 Nice Trains (SSL/CS/EB), 3 Days/3 Nights, 7 meals including the PPC on the CS!

I was one of the fortunate ones that got to do the Slidell and Kirkwood-KCY-LAX-CBS Loopholes :wub: before Amtrak made them Disappear! I seldom disagree with my friend Jay but contrary to popular belief Posting these Loopholes on web sites did NOT make Amtrak suddenly wake-up and take them away!

Not quiet a Loophole but the NOL-ATL Sleeper Deal on the Crescent is the Best Deal Amtrak has IMO!!!!

 

[the_traveler]

When I saw "Loopholes", my eyes woke up!

I have a few, but I'll keep them to myself!

I don't even share them with me!

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Actually the so-called Loopholes are still there-it just takes more AGR Points to get them. But many are still a great value, especially the CBS Loophole.

While not a Loophole per say, I'm doing Norman OK to Seattle later this month as 2 2 segment redemptions. My routing there is NOR-FTW-SAS-LAX-SEA and return is SEA-EMY-GBB-SPI (Springfield IL)-FTW-NOR. That's 7 train days and nights which is a pretty good deal for 40,000 (actually 38,000) Points

 

[had8ley]

What are some good one-zone loopholes that Amtrak offers?

My favorite is ElPaso-LA-Portland-Wolf Point. 3 Nice Trains (SSL/CS/EB), 3 Days/3 Nights, 7 meals including the PPC on the CS!

I was one of the fortunate ones that got to do the Slidell and Kirkwood-KCY-LAX-CBS Loopholes :wub: before Amtrak made them Disappear! I seldom disagree with my friend Jay but contrary to popular belief Posting these Loopholes on web sites did NOT make Amtrak suddenly wake-up and take them away!

Not quiet a Loophole but the NOL-ATL Sleeper Deal on the Crescent is the Best Deal Amtrak has IMO!!!!

I guess I'm buying the refresments in Seattle... h34r: Just how did they disappear? Too many loopholers ???

 

[John]

So Slidell,La to Chicago,Il would not work as a one zone reward?

 

[Ispolkom]

So Slidell,La to Chicago,Il would not work as a one zone reward?

I'd expect that it wouldn't, but why not call up AGR and see?

 

[Rail Freak]

As I Understand It

Old Rules: travel from origination station to destination station - if both are in the same zone then 1 zone reward (ex Slidell-WAS - Chicago)

New Rules: You will be charged zone rewards every time you pass thru another zone (Slidell-WAS- CHI) 3 zones!?!?!?

I've heard where they are now allowing you to do this trip thru NOL for 1 zone if you pay for the overnite room. ?????

 

[had8ley]

As I Understand It

Old Rules: travel from origination station to destination station - if both are in the same zone then 1 zone reward (ex Slidell-WAS - Chicago)

New Rules: You will be charged zone rewards every time you pass thru another zone (Slidell-WAS- CHI) 3 zones!?!?!?

I've heard where they are now allowing you to do this trip thru NOL for 1 zone if you pay for the overnite room. ?????

I'm confused...as usual! Do you mean Slidell to NOL on #19 and then back track on #20 to Washington or do you mean come in from the north (CONO) or the west on the Sunset and then do the trip ???

 

[the_traveler]

I'm confused...as usual!

Why am I not surprised, Jay?

Do you mean Slidell to NOL on #19 and then back track on #20 to Washington or do you mean come in from the north (CONO) or the west on the Sunset and then do the trip ???

It would be Crescent SDL-NOL and CONO NOL-CHI or the other way.

 

[AlanB]

What are some good one-zone loopholes that Amtrak offers?

My favorite is ElPaso-LA-Portland-Wolf Point. 3 Nice Trains (SSL/CS/EB), 3 Days/3 Nights, 7 meals including the PPC on the CS!

I was one of the fortunate ones that got to do the Slidell and Kirkwood-KCY-LAX-CBS Loopholes :wub: before Amtrak made them Disappear! I seldom disagree with my friend Jay but contrary to popular belief Posting these Loopholes on web sites did NOT make Amtrak suddenly wake-up and take them away!

Not quiet a Loophole but the NOL-ATL Sleeper Deal on the Crescent is the Best Deal Amtrak has IMO!!!!

I guess I'm buying the refresments in Seattle... h34r: Just how did they disappear? Too many loopholers ???

Nope, AGR was well aware of the "loopholes" but never considered the abuse to be large enough to worry about. That is until one day a loophole reservation got screwed up during booking. When the person with the reservation that got screwed up ended up needing to now travel on a blackout date, the agent denied the rebooking at that point. The person escalated the issue all the way to the top insisting that since it was Amtrak's mistake, that they override the blackout and allow him to travel.

Management capitulated and provided the trip. Management also decided that loopholes were now worth worrying about and closed them.

 

[AlanB]

I've heard where they are now allowing you to do this trip thru NOL for 1 zone if you pay for the overnite room. ?????

That's always been allowed.

 

[Rail Freak]

I've heard where they are now allowing you to do this trip thru NOL for 1 zone if you pay for the overnite room. ?????

That's always been allowed.

Where have I been??? :lol: I was talking to an agent yesterday & she said if your connecting train is 23 1/2 hours or less, they will allow a layover on your dime. Otherwise you're charged an additional zone.

& to think, I thought I knew it all!!!

Thanx Alan

 

[the_traveler]

Where have I been??? :lol: I was talking to an agent yesterday & she said if your connecting train is 23 1/2 hours or less, they will allow a layover on your dime. Otherwise you're charged an additional zone.

& to think, I thought I knew it all!!!

That doesn't make sense!

Then why do they give you a hard time (at the very least) connecting

1. From the CS to EB in SEA
2. From the CS to the SL in LAX
3. From the EB to the TE in CHI
4. etc... etc... etc...

 

[Rail Freak]

Where have I been??? :lol: I was talking to an agent yesterday & she said if your connecting train is 23 1/2 hours or less, they will allow a layover on your dime. Otherwise you're charged an additional zone.

& to think, I thought I knew it all!!!

That doesn't make sense!

Then why do they give you a hard time (at the very least) connecting

1. From the CS to EB in SEA
2. From the CS to the SL in LAX
3. From the EB to the TE in CHI
4. etc... etc... etc...

If I called back & got another agent, I'd probably get another answer!!!

 

[dart330]

I really want to be able to do EB to TE. Going to be hitting up AGR a lot when planning that trip. It really makes no sense to not let me make that connection with less than a 24 hour layover on my own dime. Hopefully I can find an agent to book it.

 

[Ispolkom]

It really makes no sense to not let me make that connection with less than a 24 hour layover on my own dime.

Lots of aspects of AGR do not make sense. This is only one of them.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

If you try to book SEA to NOR (Norman OK) Arrow shows no service is available, yet it will allow you to book SEA-FTW, where there is a legal and easy connection with the Heartland Flyer to Norman. When I made this as an AGR a few weeks ago, I asked the agent if he could "force" the connection and in just a few seconds, he had it done with no problems or questions or extra draw of Points. He also allowed me to pick from what Roomettes were available as well, again with no problems. Based on this, there's at least one top notch agent working the AGR desk!

 

[FlyingBoat]

I have two 4 night BR trips from ABQ to MSP booked with 20K each. Just call another agent. I had the first one booked a couple of months ago. Just called up and booked the same deal for friends of mine to join. Agent looked at my res and said without my asking. That's a one zone trip and charged the 20K.

 

[Rail Freak]

For the hell of it, I called AGR 3 different times tonight. Each time, I was told that if connections are less than 24 hrs. apart you can stay over on your own dime for 1 zone reward!!!

ATL-CHI

PDX - ELP

 

[TimePeace]

For the hell of it, I called AGR 3 different times tonight. Each time, I was told that if connections are less than 24 hrs. apart you can stay over on your own dime for 1 zone reward!!!

ATL-CHI

PDX - ELP

Will you explain that a little more?

 

[Rail Freak]

For the hell of it, I called AGR 3 different times tonight. Each time, I was told that if connections are less than 24 hrs. apart you can stay over on your own dime for 1 zone reward!!!

ATL-CHI

PDX - ELP

Will you explain that a little more?

In the past,(before Amtrak took back AGR operations), if your trip required an over nite layover (ex.- PDX to ELP-layover in LAX) you would either have to fork out more points or pay cash for the LAX-ELP portion of your trip.

Now, depending on the agent you talk to, if your Scheduled connection departure time is less than 24 hours from your scheduled arrival time, you can over nite in LAX (on your dime for the hotel) & continue on to ELP with your original reward!

 

[the_traveler]

So why would MSP-DAL, MSP-DEN or MSP-KCY work?

The connection between the EB and TE, CZ or SWC is under 24 hours!