Select Tier Challenge

[peter.graening]

Just curious if any other AGR members have gotten this offer and are taking advantage of it. I received it via email.

Take 6 qualifying one-way trips from July 24, 2023 12:00AM EST through September 10, 2023 11:59PM EST and receive Select status through February 28, 2025. Please allow up to 7 days for your tier status to update. Minimum spend of $25 per one-way segment is required for travel to qualify. This offer is limited to the member addressed in this communication. Members may earn one qualifying trip per single train number per day. Additional tickets for the same train number, on the same day, will not earn additional qualifying trips. Other terms and conditions may apply.

I can do BAL-BWI, which is all of 11 minutes travel time, and Acela Business Class Value fares are $26, so I'm just stacking three roundtrips in a day.

 

[Trogdor]

Just curious if any other AGR members have gotten this offer and are taking advantage of it. I received it via email.



I can do BAL-BWI, which is all of 11 minutes travel time, and Acela Business Class Value fares are $26, so I'm just stacking three roundtrips in a day.

Does AGR still have a limit on the number of qualifying/points earning trips one can do in a single day? I recall some time back there was a four-segment limit to discourage people from stacking cheap multi-city trips together on certain high-frequency routes when there were was a minimum earning threshold. They got rid of the 100 point minimum, but don’t know if they also then lifted the cap on number of trips you could earn points on in a day.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

@PRR 60

 

[peter.graening]

Does AGR still have a limit on the number of qualifying/points earning trips one can do in a single day? I recall some time back there was a four-segment limit to discourage people from stacking cheap multi-city trips together on certain high-frequency routes when there were was a minimum earning threshold. They got rid of the 100 point minimum, but don’t know if they also then lifted the cap on number of trips you could earn points on in a day.

The only thing I could find in the T&C was the same thing listed in the offer, additional tickets for the "same train or individual train number" will not qualify for rewards.

 

[Fenway]

Miles decided to upgrade to Select Status by taking three RTs between Boston and Providence in one day

 

[slasher-fun]

So... won't work for him, since only one of these trips will count as they're all made on the same day.

 

[blueman271]

So... won't work for him, since only one of these trips will count as they're all made on the same day.

He rode six different trains so the trips will count.

 

[slasher-fun]

Oh you're right, it's "per train number per day".

 

[peter.graening]

I did my six trips in one day. Since BAL-BWI is a pretty short leg and generally not an origin or destination, I got scanned heading out of BWI, but from BAL I had to get my ticket scanned on the platform at BWI a few times, but none of the conductors were bothered when I asked.

The AGR transaction history very helpfully marks each nth trip towards the challenge. All six trips posted about 48 hours later as expected. Five of the trips counted, for some reason, one did not. (It was the only one I had reserved round-trip, after making that reservation, I realized I could reduce my wait time by booking one-ways since the round-trip option wouldn't let me book return trips less than 45 minutes after arrival. As much as the BWI rail station has improved, I did not want to stay there any longer than necessary as it doesn't have Wifi, it's in a bit of a cellular dead zone, and it's actually busier than Baltimore Penn Station at times.) However, I had more Amtrak travel coming up, so I did not try to raise any issue with AGR about the missing sixth trip.

I just had my sixth trip this week, and in about 48 hours, it got marked as my sixth trip towards the challenge, and about 24 hours after that, my profile shows Select status, expiring 2/29/2024, and a bunch of new coupons. Was it worth the ~$150 in trips? Probably, considering you'd normally have to spend ~$2,500 to get the same outcome.

Also, I disagree with Miles, I'm pretty much addicted to Acela (Business or First) at this point, when I'm traveling with a larger bag, there's always room for it, and when I've ridden FC on a short trip (WAS-BAL and even BAL-BWI) the car attendants are still more than happy to ply me with food and drink.

 

[Jsandrews1]

I just had my sixth trip this week, and in about 48 hours, it got marked as my sixth trip towards the challenge, and about 24 hours after that, my profile shows Select status, expiring 2/29/2024, and a bunch of new coupons. Was it worth the ~$150 in trips? Probably, considering you'd normally have to spend ~$2,500 to get the same outcome.

If the offer was to have Select status through 2024, having it expire in February doesn't seem to be through the year?

 

[peter.graening]

If the offer was to have Select status through 2024, having it expire in February doesn't seem to be through the year?

I'm going to find out, the fine print for the promo says Select status through Feb 2025. My guess is that the system can only set an expiration as far out as the next calendar year.

 

[trimetbusfan]

I'm going to find out, the fine print for the promo says Select status through Feb 2025. My guess is that the system can only set an expiration as far out as the next calendar year.

Usually, at the end of Feb. they will extend your status for another year (as long as you earned status before the end of the prior calendar year)