What If?

[Long Train Runnin']

Okay this one might be silly but right now its bugging me and I can't think it through. Lets say your on some fun multi leg trip and in the middle you hit 5,000 rail points bang your select. Does that start right away? Would those next segments automatically get bonuses. Would your select package show up in the mail before you got home? Also, if your select/select plus does the 25%/50% extra count as rail points?

 

[Long Train Runnin']

Also if you get select in say october does it only last till Jan 1.? or whenever the AGR year ends or do you get a full year?

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Also, if you get enough points for Select, it makes it easier to try for Select Plus in the same year-- if that is the case, and you reach Select Plus soon thereafter, does it once again recycle and get Select Plus for the next 365 days, until the end of the AGR year, or does it all get put on hold until the end of the year and then get Select plus starting the new AGR year?

 

[AlanB]

Okay this one might be silly but right now its bugging me and I can't think it through. Lets say your on some fun multi leg trip and in the middle you hit 5,000 rail points bang your select. Does that start right away? Would those next segments automatically get bonuses. Would your select package show up in the mail before you got home? Also, if your select/select plus does the 25%/50% extra count as rail points?

Also if you get select in say october does it only last till Jan 1.? or whenever the AGR year ends or do you get a full year?

If you're on a multi-leg trip and you push the counter over 5,000, then additional legs will get the 25% bonus starting with the very next leg to post. However, remember that points don't necessarily post in the order that you did the riding, so that could affect the results of which legs get the bonus.

Regarding the kit, you'd have to be on a very long trip, read two months or so and qualify early on, to find the kit waiting for you when you get home.

And no, neither Select nor Select Plus bonus points affect the Rail Points counter for status.

Turning towards how long status lasts, if you have no status right now and qualify for Select status tomorrow, then you'll have status for the remainder of the current AGR year which expires as of Feb 28, 2010 as well as all of next year which runs from March 1st 2010 through Feb 28, 2011. The same is true is one has Select status right now and qualifies for Select Plus tomorrow.

If you already have the status for this year, then you can't be re-promoted for this year, but you would of course qualify to keep the status next year.

 

[AlanB]

Also, if you get enough points for Select, it makes it easier to try for Select Plus in the same year-- if that is the case, and you reach Select Plus soon thereafter, does it once again recycle and get Select Plus for the next 365 days, until the end of the AGR year, or does it all get put on hold until the end of the year and then get Select plus starting the new AGR year?

I'm not sure how having Select status makes it any easier to get Select Plus status. One needs to earn 10,000 rail points no matter what to achieve Select Plus status. If you manage to achieve Select status, then you are simply half way to Select Plus status. Having Select status doesn't really make it any easier to earn Select Plus status, except maybe for the free upgrade coupons if they're used on Acela between city pairs.

And as I mentioned above, if you have Select status right now and qualify for Select Plus tomorrow, then you'll have Select Plus status for the remainder of this year, as well as next year.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Thank's Alan, so if I did make select in June of this year, then I have select through this year AND next year? WOW!

I'm damn close to it...

And does't Select help you get Select plus, with the 25% bonus and all, I mean, its not a whole lot-- but every bit helps!

 

[AlanB]

Thank's Alan, so if I did make select in June of this year, then I have select through this year AND next year? WOW!

Correct.

And does't Select help you get Select plus, with the 25% bonus and all, I mean, its not a whole lot-- but every bit helps!

No, because only the base points count towards status, the 25% bonus doesn't advance the counter for status. The bonus only advances the total points in your account that you can spend on a future trip.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

No, because only the base points count towards status, the 25% bonus doesn't advance the counter for status. The bonus only advances the total points in your account that you can spend on a future trip.

Ah, okay. Well, bonus points are nice to have in any event. Now all I have to do is worry about my connection in EMY to the CZ---