Slidell Loophole Question

[RRrich]

What is the point - just riding the train to ride the train thru different parts of the country, not to get anywhere specifically?

 

[ralfp]

What is the point - just riding the train to ride the train thru different parts of the country, not to get anywhere specifically?

That's the point. It tells you something about the people here. Good? Bad? Just obsessive? Take your pick.

 

[RRrich]

What is the point - just riding the train to ride the train thru different parts of the country, not to get anywhere specifically?

That's the point. It tells you something about the people here. Good? Bad? Just obsessive? Take your pick.

Thanks - I keep associating riding the train with getting somewhere in a most enjoyable manner - I haven't gotten to seeing riding the train as an end in and of itself - and probably won't unless I can surf the net (a major activity of mine) while I ride

 

[the_traveler]

For me, it was a combination of

1. Geting to LA (which I had to do anyway )
   
2. Riding trains (which I love )
   
3. Spending extra time on the train for the same cost (not a bad thing :lol: )
   
4. Saving a large number of points (25.5K/35.5K vs 35K/50K cross country B) )
   

So I went from BOS-BHM and then BHM-LAX via the loophole routing.

 

[manlymatt83]

For me, it was a combination of

1. Geting to LA (which I had to do anyway )
   
2. Riding trains (which I love )
   
3. Spending extra time on the train for the same cost (not a bad thing :lol: )
   
4. Saving a large number of points (25.5K/35.5K vs 35K/50K cross country B) )
   

So I went from BOS-BHM and then BHM-LAX via the loophole routing.

What is this so called loop hole?

 

[the_traveler]

What is this so called loop hole?

The Slidell loophole is an AGR award that should be a 2 zone award, but turns out to be a long ride! Slidell, LA is in the Midwest zone and Los Angeles, CA is in the Western zone. Normally, you count how many zones you pass thru from your origination point to your destination point. However, due to the routing and timing of the Crescent, Amtrak routes all traffic between Atlanta and Slidell (which is the Midwest zone) thru Washington, DC (which is the Eastern zone) - and due to the loophole, does not charge for that extra zone!

And one of the routings to get to LA is via Portland, OR! That is the real loophole trip! (Going from Slidell to Washington to Chicago to Portland to Los Angeles can be redeemed as a 2 zone award - even though you travel thru 3+ zones! )

 

[had8ley]

What is this so called loop hole?

The Slidell loophole is an AGR award that should be a 2 zone award, but turns out to be a long ride! Slidell, LA is in the Midwest zone and Los Angeles, CA is in the Western zone. Normally, you count how many zones you pass thru from your origination point to your destination point. However, due to the routing and timing of the Crescent, Amtrak routes all traffic between Atlanta and Slidell (which is the Midwest zone) thru Washington, DC (which is the Eastern zone) - and due to the loophole, does not charge for that extra zone!

And one of the routings to get to LA is via Portland, OR! That is the real loophole trip! (Going from Slidell to Washington to Chicago to Portland to Los Angeles can be redeemed as a 2 zone award - even though you travel thru 3+ zones! )

Just one suggestion IF you decide to do the "loophole." Be very careful of the new contractor that doles out the AGR rewards~ they seem to be going through a learning cycle and it would be a shame for you to get caught up in a snafu not of your own doing.

 

[the_traveler]

Just one suggestion IF you decide to do the "loophole." Be very careful of the new contractor that doles out the AGR rewards~ they seem to be going through a learning cycle and it would be a shame for you to get caught up in a snafu not of your own doing.

True, but the AGR agents just book the routing that comes up on the screen - and that is the routing that comes up on the screen! It is not a multi-city routing or anything like that. It's the routing that comes up when you request SDL-LAX.

 

[Rail Freak]

What is the point - just riding the train to ride the train thru different parts of the country, not to get anywhere specifically?

That is exactly what I'm trying to do. I've got my thoughts on riding the South West part of the country. Being from Florida, I'm thinking of a short flight to loophole territory and going for "A Little Ride To Nowhere"!

Problem is, I can't get AGR to get my point balance up to date!!! :angry:

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I am fascinated with the thought of a 5 day nonstop trip from Slidell to LA, but would likely start my journey with a Southwest flight into MSY. My question is if I book a Coach seat on the Crescent to get to Slidell, then hop off and walk up to the Sleeper to begin the Award travel, will that raise any flags?

 

[the_traveler]

I am fascinated with the thought of a 5 day nonstop trip from Slidell to LA, but would likely start my journey with a Southwest flight into MSY. My question is if I book a Coach seat on the Crescent to get to Slidell, then hop off and walk up to the Sleeper to begin the Award travel, will that raise any flags?

You HAVE to do that! Otherwise, if you request MSY-LAX, the ONLY choices are the SL or CONO. Besides coach NOL-SDL (with a 10% discount) is only $9 - best $9 you will spend!

 

[George Harris]

Maybe it is a way to get you to spend a day in Slidell and experience their wonderful tasting water.

 

[had8ley]

Maybe it is a way to get you to spend a day in Slidell and experience their wonderful tasting water.

OHHH!!! The water...believe it or not George there is a rather large Times hamburger business on the north end of the station and a beignet shop on the south end. Both seem to be doing well unless someone asks for a glass of water

 

[Guest]

We did the slidell loophole this summer. We bought the $9 ticket for New Orleans to Slidell . The sleeping room conductor was glad to have us board our sleeper in New Orleans, so no having to move from coach to sleeper at Slidell. What a great trip, see all the beautiful scenery of the whole country in it ! I think there were totally 12 meals served, of course we ate all of them.

 

[JayPea]

I'm looking forward to my own Slidell Loophole trip next August. Four different trains, five days and six nights. Seeing a whole lot of country I've never been anywhere near----and all for the nine dollar New Orleans-Slidell coach ticket! Well, then the expense of flying to New Orleans, hotel in New Orleans, hotel in Los Angeles, and flight from LA to Spokane---but still well worth it. August can't get here soon enough!!!

 

[saxman]

We did the slidell loophole this summer. We bought the $9 ticket for New Orleans to Slidell . The sleeping room conductor was glad to have us board our sleeper in New Orleans, so no having to move from coach to sleeper at Slidell. What a great trip, see all the beautiful scenery of the whole country in it ! I think there were totally 12 meals served, of course we ate all of them.

Thats good they let you do that. I just booked my SDL loophole trip for Feb. (Wow, a lot of us are starting to do that ) I figured I'd just ask the conductor or car attendant if I can get in early. I'm going to Seattle and was able to get the routing of the Zephyr via Sacramento! I was also given the choice of via LAX but since I was just there, and I want to see the Rockies in the winter, I chose the Zephyr routing.

Seems as if this "SDL Loophole" term is becoming well known in this forum. I have to wonder how many people actually know about it.

 

[Veggie]

We did the slidell loophole this summer. We bought the $9 ticket for New Orleans to Slidell . The sleeping room conductor was glad to have us board our sleeper in New Orleans, so no having to move from coach to sleeper at Slidell. What a great trip, see all the beautiful scenery of the whole country in it ! I think there were totally 12 meals served, of course we ate all of them.

Thats good they let you do that. I just booked my SDL loophole trip for Feb. (Wow, a lot of us are starting to do that ) I figured I'd just ask the conductor or car attendant if I can get in early. I'm going to Seattle and was able to get the routing of the Zephyr via Sacramento! I was also given the choice of via LAX but since I was just there, and I want to see the Rockies in the winter, I chose the Zephyr routing.

Seems as if this "SDL Loophole" term is becoming well known in this forum. I have to wonder how many people actually know about it.

Just board with the other sleeping car pax in NOL. I doubt very many people know about this loophole. Even those who know are probably not interested in the idea of traveling 6 days on a train! It takes a very special breed to appreciate the 'value' of this loophole. Such types are few and far between.

 

[ScottR]

i had to google it but has anyone looked recently? Is this still a thing? I saw Slidell to DC on Cresent, DC to Chicago, Chicago to LA…that alone was 2k and that with coach DC to Chicago. 96 hours.

The loop is not complete. the last entry here is 2008.

What was this trip historically?

I love plotting random trips by train…

 

[pennyk]

i had to google it but has anyone looked recently? Is this still a thing? I saw Slidell to DC on Cresent, DC to Chicago, Chicago to LA…that alone was 2k and that with coach DC to Chicago. 96 hours.

The loop is not complete. the last entry here is 2008.

What was this trip historically?

I love plotting random trips by train…

Hopefully someone who has taken the trip will reply in more detail. To my recollection, the "loophole" had to do with the old AGR zone maps. The AGR rules are different now and I believe the loophole is moot.
@saxman, @Bob Dylan, this that accurate?

 

[Bob Dylan]

Hopefully someone who has taken the trip will reply in more detail. To my recollection, the "loophole" had to do with the old AGR zone maps. The AGR rules are different now and I believe the loophole is moot.
@saxman, @Bob Dylan, this that accurate?

You're right Penny!

 

[JayPea]

If I remember right, the loophole was closed before the zone system went away. I and my uncle were able to take this trip before the loophole closed and before the end of the zone system. It was well worth the cost for me to fly from Spokane to Chicago, the shuttle bus to Champaign, near where my uncle lives, the roomette from Champaign to New Orleans, the hotel overnight there, and the coach ticket to Slidell from New Orleans. The conductor let us occupy our room right out of New Orleans, and the coach attendant readily agreed, saying that would save him the trouble of coming to get us at Slidell and us having to move all our stuff. They also let us have breakfast in the diner before Slidell for free even though we we weren't entitled to it yet. Still one of my favorite Amtrak trips.

 

[jebr]

I think the specific loophole died even before the end of AGR 1.x - there was a revision (so from AGR 1.0 to 1.1? ) where redemptions counted every zone you passed through, not just how many zones were between you and the destination. I did a redemption ATL - MTP back in 2014 (I think) where I was charged 20,000 points even though both were in the central zone (I went Crescent - Cardinal - Zephyr.)

 

[Anderson]

AGR went through a few iterations of closing loopholes like this. One version had them try a "change of direction" rule, another was the "each time you enter a new zone it counts" rule.