Using promotion-rewards

[wayman]

I earned two free Northeast trips during this winter's B2G1 promotion. On the AGR website were buttons for redeeming each of those two, but when I clicked on one it sent me to Amtrak's site where I had a message that I was using 3000 points for the booking. Not wanting to do that, I closed the window and instead booked by phone. First, thanks to AGR Rep William, who was friendly and efficient with everything on the phone!

Second, once everything was booked, when I went to the AGR website and looked at my recent transactions I saw four for today: two travel rewards each using 3000 points, and two voucher credits each for 3000 points. Exactly what should have happened in terms of spending vouchers and not points, but that wasn't how I had assumed it would look.

So my question is, would this exact same thing have happened if I had continued booking online? (Using points but immediately also crediting those points to my account?) I was nervous since it said I would be spending points, not realizing that there would be a simultaneous point-credit transaction. I just want to know for the future, so if this is normal behavior I'm confident to just book future awards like this online instead of call for such things.

 

[AlanB]

I earned two free Northeast trips during this winter's B2G1 promotion. On the AGR website were buttons for redeeming each of those two, but when I clicked on one it sent me to Amtrak's site where I had a message that I was using 3000 points for the booking. Not wanting to do that, I closed the window and instead booked by phone. First, thanks to AGR Rep William, who was friendly and efficient with everything on the phone!
Second, once everything was booked, when I went to the AGR website and looked at my recent transactions I saw four for today: two travel rewards each using 3000 points, and two voucher credits each for 3000 points. Exactly what should have happened in terms of spending vouchers and not points, but that wasn't how I had assumed it would look.

So my question is, would this exact same thing have happened if I had continued booking online? (Using points but immediately also crediting those points to my account?) I was nervous since it said I would be spending points, not realizing that there would be a simultaneous point-credit transaction. I just want to know for the future, so if this is normal behavior I'm confident to just book future awards like this online instead of call for such things.

Yes, you would have seen the same thing if you had proceeded with booking the reservation via the website. They don't credit the points prior to booking, so that you can't use them for some other train than the intended Acela.

 

[wayman]

Yes, you would have seen the same thing if you had proceeded with booking the reservation via the website. They don't credit the points prior to booking, so that you can't use them for some other train than the intended Acela.

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks!

I'd planned to use these a couple weeks ago on a trip to Boston, but a friend offered me a ride. So instead, I geta last-minute trip to Washington today and tomorrow. I'm on 141 now, my first-ever rewards trip