Regarding the less than 24 hour sleeper transfer rule

[The Journalist]

So I'm trying to book a trip between Anaheim (ANA) and Reno (RNO). Ideally I'd like to not use buses and also experience the Pacific Parlor Car so I was hoping to be able to invoke the rule on AGR about non published routes that allows booking a sleeper with an overnight in a city-in this case in Sacramento, transferring from 14 Coast Starlight to 6 California Zephyr. The AGR agent I spoke to was adamant that since it's not a published route-one that comes up with the search rather than with multi city-I couldn't book this as one redemption and they'd have to charge me for two; I was put on hold three separate times for him to check this. The example given on AGR's redemption rules as an allowable booking under this rule is Denver-Los Angeles using the same trains in the opposite direction (5 to 11)-which is also not a "published route" so I'm not sure why going the other direction would be a problem. Any ideas on why this wouldn't work?

 

[Acela150]

I just did some looking at ARROW. You would have to take a bus. Even if you booked yourself from LAX to RNO. The connection from 14 to 6 is overnight there fore not published. You would indeed have to make two redemptions.

 

[The Journalist]

Denver to LA via 5 and 11 is not a published route either and it requires an overnight in SAC as well, but the site gives that as an example of an allowable booking under this rule.

The rule in question, via https://amtrakguestrewards.com/info/redemptionguidelines and under redemption travel by zone (emphasis mine):

• Where a published route contains a valid connection of 23 hours, 30 minutes or less, an overnight stay in the connecting city is permitted at the passenger's own expense. (Example: one-way travel from New York to El Paso, where the published route requires an overnight connection in New Orleans, would be permitted on the same redemption.)Where sleeping car service is not offered for the entire published route, and where an alternate direct routing exists with sleeping car service on all segments, the alternate routing is allowed. (Example: Denver, CO to Los Angeles, CA on Trains 5 and 11)
  

It occurs to me that the Surfliner segment might be messing it up, since there's no sleeper on there.

 

[Ryan]

Call back and try again. That's should be allowable.

If not, AGRInsider over at FlyerTalk should be able to get it set right.

 

[The Journalist]

Success! I didn't add the Surfliner section this time, which seemed to do the trick.

 

[chakk]

Since it works from LAX to RNO with a change of trains in SAC, would it also work if the train change was made in EMY or MTZ? Might be better than detraining from the CS around midnight in SAC.

 

[jebr]

Unlikely, but you could try. They seem to really like the SAC transfer.

 

[PaulM]

Success! I didn't add the Surfliner section this time, which seemed to do the trick.

Where sleeping car service is not offered for the entire published route, and where an alternate direct routing exists with sleeping car service on all segments

(Emphasis mine) Problem was thiere is no sleeping car service on the Surfliner. I wanted to go Denver to San Diego on a one zoner; but could only get as far as LA for the same reason. I wonder if the wording was deliberate or inadvertent? Either way it's pretty cheesy. After all, a lot of LD AGR trips start or end with a short corridor ride. Why would having to pay for a nights stay change this?

 

[The Journalist]

On the "sleeping car service on all segments" verbiage, true. The first agent didn't say that's what the problem was, though, he said it was because it wasn't a published route. I'll probably end up going up to LA the night before anyway, so not having the ANA-LAX segment as part of the trip isn't an issue. As far as moving the layover from SAC to somewhere else, I didn't ask-I have family in Sacramento so I may be able to crash on their couch instead of getting a hotel room at midnight.

 

[Amtrak George]

Question: Could I book Memphis to Los Angeles via New Orleans?

This is a trip I might want to take some time--especially since the Sunset is always under attack.

If you try to book the trip the computer sends you up to Chicago and out to LA on the Chief (which I just rode).

Any thoughts on whether I could get an AGR booking (with my paying for my own overnight in NOLA)?

 

[the_traveler]

I'm not sure, as it is not a published routing. Is MEM-CHI-(DAL)-LAX (TE) offered? :huh: If so, the only portion of the SL you would miss is NOL-SAS, plus there's no overnight on your dime and it's more train time!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Question: Could I book Memphis to Los Angeles via New Orleans?

This is a trip I might want to take some time--especially since the Sunset is always under attack.

If you try to book the trip the computer sends you up to Chicago and out to LA on the Chief (which I just rode).

Any thoughts on whether I could get an AGR booking (with my paying for my own overnight in NOLA)?

What about either paying for the Memphis to NOL leg on #59, spend the night in NOL and do a 2 ZoneAward on the Sunset Ltd. #1 NOL-LAX (20,000 Points Total) on one of the days the Sunset Runs) or a 1 Zone Award MEM-CHI on the CONO #58/CHI-ELP on the TE#421/then another One Zone Award ELP-LAX. on #1(change of cars/rooms)( this would be 30,000 Points for Roomettes but no charge for over night in Hotel)).

 

[Amtrak George]

Looks like it would in fact be a better use of points (if one has the time) to use them going out on the Eagle, thence return thru NOLA on a paid portion.

This all points out deficiencies in the reservation system.

Just for fun, I tried Jackson, MS to Houston, TX and it sent me to Chicago, thence, Longview, thence bus. The City to New Orleans and Sunset out to Houston makes much more sense. However, it looks like the computer doesn't recognize any

connections between the CONO and the Sunset. :blink:

 

[PaulM]

Just for fun, I tried Jackson, MS to Houston, TX and it sent me to Chicago, thence, Longview, thence bus. The City to New Orleans and Sunset out to Houston makes much more sense. However, it looks like the computer doesn't recognize any

connections between the CONO and the Sunset. :blink:

It doesn't matter whether the computer recognizes CoNO to SL. This matches exactly the "sleeper" exception. There is a published route between Jackson and Houston in which sleeping car service is not offered for the entire published route (bus); and an alternate direct routing (as direct as you are going to get on Amtrak and certainly more direct than the published one) exists with sleeping car service on all segments (CoNo to SL).