spk-atl through washington, dc booked as 2 zone redemption again

[yarrow]

yarrow and i did a 2-zone redemption spk-chi-was-atl last year. just called agr and booked the same trip for my wife and me for this september. so, at least the past couple years we haven't had trouble with booking a 2 zone redemption which passes through a third zone

 

[Ryan]

Congrats! Glad to see that this can still be done in some cases.

 

[the_traveler]

I think I'll try a PDX-BHM or BHM-PDX trip next time. I think a trip to/from LAX would be pushing it!

 

[saxman]

Anyone dare try booking a KWD-CBS trip or is it too soon?

 

[the_traveler]

Anyone dare try booking a KWD-CBS trip or is it too soon?

I'm game, but I have no reason to try it! :giggle:

 

[Rick]

Out of curiosity, I checked Atlanta to Seattle..two zone trip. Atlanta-Washington-Chicago-Sacramento-Seattle..Crescent,Capitol Limited, California Zephyr and Coast Starlight. Five overnights on the train. If that is considered two zones...it starts in Atlanta...that is probably the best use of a two zone reward.

 

[Ispolkom]

Last January I went Houston - Los Angeles - Portland - St. Paul, which was a five-night, one-zone award, made even longer by a freight derailment in Montana. I thought that was a good redemption, but my AGR-fu is nothing compared to yarrow's.

 

[crescent2]

I know this is a few weeks old, but I just saw it.

Atlanta is a boundary city, so it can be counted as in the middle zone. But DC is in the eastern zone, so can we conclude from this that traveling THROUGH a third zone doesn't count as an extra zone? Or must one have yarrow's magic to do that?

I'm still trying to learn the finer points of AGR redemptions, thanks.

 

[Ryan]

Sometimes. It depends.

 

[Anthony]

I know this is a few weeks old, but I just saw it.
Atlanta is a boundary city, so it can be counted as in the middle zone. But DC is in the eastern zone, so can we conclude from this that traveling THROUGH a third zone doesn't count as an extra zone? Or must one have yarrow's magic to do that?

I'm still trying to learn the finer points of AGR redemptions, thanks.

If you travel through the third zone, you('re supposed to) pay for the third zone.

 

[crescent2]

Then, yarrow, please tell us what you do, or who you know!

 

[yarrow]

3 years ago we did an spk-atl 2 zone redemption and were routed spk-chi-nol-atl and were told we were given this routing to keep us from going into a 3rd zone. last year we did a 2 zone award and were routed spk-chi-was-atl. called last month to do another 2 zone spk-atl in september and was again routed through washington. so, as we all know, who knows what the rules are and how they are applied? i can't see where it would matter much to amtrak if you went through a 3rd zone in terms of their expense or anything else. probably easier to do the standard arrow booking rather than a convoluted one to avoid the 3rd zone.

 

[Nathanaelb]

Here's my guess: If Arrow routes you by default through a third zone, I believe Amtrak will not bother to charge you for the third zone. If you have to do something convoluted to get into the third zone, I believe they will try to charge you ;-)

 

[DivMiler]

Sometimes. It depends.

Isn't that Amtrak Guest Rewards's motto?

 

[Ispolkom]

Here's my guess: If Arrow routes you by default through a third zone, I believe Amtrak will not bother to charge you for the third zone. If you have to do something convoluted to get into the third zone, I believe they will try to charge you ;-)

Yeah, that's sometimes true. It's also sometimes not true. Remember AGR's motto.