The email is only sent to members who had status the year before or to those that are chosen specifically by AGR. I wasn't one of them either, but I'll manage to get Select Plus by the end of the year. The Bonus points don't even show up in the AGR line graph. Your account is manually reviewed and status is awarded in February. Sometimes mistakes happen, so keep a copy of that email.
The good news is, you will hopefully get that email for next year and can use it to your advantage.
60% of my points came from taking trips on the Builder from La Crosse to Tomah, La Crosse to Portage, La Crosse to Minneapolis, La Crosse to Chicago, and back to La Crosse. Those weekly specials really help.
600 points came from taking the Lincoln service from Chicago to Dwight, IL and back 3 times.
I would take the train from Chi to Dwight. Eat dinner at one of Dwight's restaurants that I enjoy:
including: http://www.thecountrymansion.com/
and take the train back to Chicago.
Got another 200 points for going from Chi to Joliet, IL and back just as a way to ride the train before
taking the Builder back from Chicago to La Crosse
Earned another 600 points by taking 3 Chicago day trips on Sunday afternoons. 2 were for round trips from Chicago to St Louis in Business Class. The last one was from Chicago to Pontiac< Michigan, also in Business.
Earned 500 points from taking an Amtrak throughway bus between Chicago and Rockford, IL to visit relatives in Freeport, IL
Earned about 900 points from taking a trip to La Crosse, WI to Charlottsville, VA over memorial Day weekend to see relatives. Part of that came from having a roomette on the way back from DC to CHI.
Recently, I wanted to take a trip out East and go back to NYC for a weekend. One of my goals was to try Acela since we have nothing like that in the Midwest.
Here is the breakdown:
12/6 La Crosse to Chicago 100
12/6 Chicago to Pittsburgh 100
12/6 Roomette from Chi to Pitt 160
12/7 Pittsburgh to New York in Business 120
Total = 480
12/9 New York to Boston Acela-upgrade coupon 750
12/10 Boston to Washington DC Acela 1st Class 750
Total= 1500
12/10 WAS DC to Chicago in a Bedroom 403
12/11 CHI to La Crosse 100
Total = 503
Grand Total= 2483 Points
I should finish the year with around 10,500 Rail Points
