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I plan to travel from my home in Wisconsin to Chicago on the Empire Builder, then to D.C. on the Capitol Ltd., then to Orlando on the Silver Meteor (think the last one's correct). I will be accompanied by my 2 children, ages 6 and 11. I have managed to accumulate 20 thousand points on my Amtrak Guest Rewards Mastercard, and am wondering if there is any way I can use them to lessen the cost of this trip. I want us to travel in First Class as much as possible.
Looking at the Guest Rewards literature, I am a little confused. Family bedrooms aren't listed as a redemption option. Are they not an option, or just not listed on the website?
A one-zone bedroom one way is listed as 20,000 points. a two-zone bedroom is listed as 30,000. Could I get a bedroom from D.C. to Orlando with the 20,000 points?
If I get a bedroom with my points that I share with my children, how will they be charged? Full fare, child's fare, or no charge?
Posts: 51 | From: La Crosse, WI, USA | Registered: Jun 2004
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That's odd. I never noticed that the Family Bedroom isn't listed on the rewards chart. The Accessible Room is, however, at the same rate as a roomette. I think you'll need to call Guest Rewards to clarify this.
The reward is for the rail fare and the accomodation for the number of persons elgible to ride in the room. For a roomette that would be two people, etc. The family room accomodates two adults and two kids so would be no problem for you.
I hope this helps. Let us know what you find out.
Frank in cool, foggy SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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The family bedroom requires the same number of points as a deluxe bedroom. My wife, son, and I have used points and traveled in both types of rooms. The deluxe has required two of us to double up in the lower bed which is less than ideal but workable. (No problem with a young child that is small.) There is no way to double up in the beds in roomettes/standard bedrooms as the beds are too small. There are no family bedrooms on the Florida trains from New York and the Sunset Limited from New Orleans will not be running to Florida for a LONG time due to hurricane damage. You thus have a couple of options: either try to fit everyone in a deluxe room from Washington to Florida (okay if the kids are small...one can perhaps sleep on the floor and one double up with an adult in the lower bed...maybe two kids in the upper bed if they are old enough to be okay up there and the adults in the lower which is wider)..or else get two roomettes. I believe the eastern zone for Guest Rewards actually begins in somewhere like Cleveland so you cdould pay from home to Cleveland then get the family room free to Washington and a deluxe from to Florida...assuming you can reach the required point level. Note that the free tickets are for one way travel unlike the airlines.
Posts: 561 | Registered: Jul 2003
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Your 20,000 points are sufficient for a Bedroom (formerly called a Deluxe Bedroom) between Toledo and Florida, provided space is available on both trains. However, the Capitol Limited doesn't arrive in Toledo until after 10pm (and often much later), which isn't the most convenient time to switch from Coach to Sleeper with two little kids.
The Guest Reward Zone Chart indicates that two people can travel in the room. Presumably, that means two adults. But my guess is that one adult and two less-than-teenagers would be permitted for Reward travel, although Amtrak may require you to foot the bill for the rail fare portion for one of your kids -- i.e. 50% of the adult fare). Obviously, the only way to know for certain is to call the Guest Rewards number.
If your kids won't mind, let them share the wider lower berth, while you take the narrower upper.
Another option is to bring a small inflatable pool float/air mattress. Blow it up, put it on the floor, and add a blanket (ask the car attendant). Your six year-old will be fine there. You and the older child will have more room to sleep.
Posts: 793 | Registered: Mar 2002
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I am especially interested in the possibility of getting a bedroom on one of the D.C.-Orlando legs with my points, as the cost of that leg in first class is currently $800 each way (actually more than that in the northerly direction). My little one weighs just 35 pounds, so she can be tucked almost anywhere to sleep.
Posts: 51 | From: La Crosse, WI, USA | Registered: Jun 2004
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I just checked under Terms and Conditions again, and learned, to my dismay, that the dates of our return trip fall under a universal blackout period for the Guest Rewards program. It also says individual routes may have additional blackout dates. Any way to find out the dates on a website somewhere? I am hoping we are in the clear as our southbound trip occurs during weekdays.
Posts: 51 | From: La Crosse, WI, USA | Registered: Jun 2004
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I failed to note that there is only on adult traveling with the 2 kids. There should be no problem assuming the blackout dates don't interfere. My wife and I traveled with our 15 year old son last summer in a deluxe bedroom and there was no problem whatsoever with Guest Rewards. They sent us each a ticket and placed us all in that bedroom. All meals also were covered without question. You should also book the sleeper between Toledo and Washington as it will also be included. You get to travel between Toledo and Florida free by sleeper, not just between Washington and FL for the same number of points.
Posts: 561 | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Originally posted by SilverStar092: You should also book the sleeper between Toledo and Washington as it will also be included. You get to travel between Toledo and Florida free by sleeper, not just between Washington and FL for the same number of points.
Could we travel from Toledo to D.C. in a family bedroom, then switch to a bedroom in D.C.? Can we ticket from Chicago to Toledo, then Toledo to D.C. in a family bedroom, in the same bedroom if available, but have it covered from Toledo onward from my points?
Posts: 51 | From: La Crosse, WI, USA | Registered: Jun 2004
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From what I have gathered, the Zone 1 bedroom is the same number of points whether you go from Toledo to DC, DC to FL, or Toledo to FL. You can either choose the 20,000 pt bigger room or the 15,000 pt roomette (probably too small if one child is 11, though I have seen 2 smaller children share one with their mother). If the larger is available, I don't see how or why you would opt to change to the smaller size for part of your Zone 1 trip, since it would still cost you the higher number of pts.
You must obtain your Guest Rewards "free" tickets through the Guest Rewards people at their phone number; but you have to buy those tickets you are paying for separately, by contacting Amtrak by the regular means (agent on phone, at the station, or on line). My advice is to order your Guest Rewards tickets first and write down all the information they tell you regarding train numbers and dates. Then, as soon as you hang up from ordering your Guest Rewards, phone an Amtrak agent and buy all the other tickets you need, being careful you get the right train and date for the coach portion of the trip for which you are also getting the Guest Rewards. If you find you cannot purchase those coach tickets for the same date as your Guest Rewards trip, you can always go back to Guest Rewards and change the tickets to a different date. BUT give yourself PLENTY of time to do everything, the longer you wait, the less is available, and the more the portion you are paying for will cost. So my advice is that you waste no more time with questions here but instead phone Guest Rewards today with all your questions and order the tickets as soon as possible.
Re the tickets you are paying for, don't forget you can get a 10 percent Triple A or NARP discount if you are a Triple A or NARP member. This applies only to the coach fares, not the sleeper portion of the cost. And, when you buy them, don't forget to supply your Guest Rewards number for points toward a FUTURE trip.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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quote:Originally posted by sojourner: [qb] From what I have gathered, the Zone 1 bedroom is the same number of points whether you go from Toledo to DC, DC to FL, or Toledo to FL. You can either choose the 20,000 pt bigger room or the 15,000 pt roomette (probably too small if one child is 11, though I have seen 2 smaller children share one with their mother). If the larger is available, I don't see how or why you would opt to change to the smaller size for part of your Zone 1 trip, since it would still cost you the higher number of pts.
I would not try a roomette-- I had that situation more or less when we travelled along with my mother a couple of years ago in two roomettes. The girls wanted to hang out together, occasionally fighting, both day and night, so whichever adult they chose to hang with had three in that tiny compartment. What I want to do is travel in a family bedroom as far as I can, which is to D.C., then switch to a (deluxe) bedroom in D.C. to Florida, and get as much of it covered as possible for my 20,000 points. I'm not even sure if I'll be able to do it at all. I've learned that during the dates of our northbound journey, Guest Rewards travel is blacked out over the entire system. I am hoping it will be available during our south bound journey.
Posts: 51 | From: La Crosse, WI, USA | Registered: Jun 2004
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The good people on this forum have given very good advice.
If you've not yet done so, go ahead and call the Guest Rewards number and book the sleepers you want for Toledo-DC and then DC-Orlando. The clerk can tell you which bedroom you have between Toledo and DC at the time you book.
Then, as Sojourner suggests, call the regular Amtrak reservation line immediately to book the LaCrosse-Chicago-Toledo portion. If you are looking to book a sleeping car room Chicago-Toledo, you can ask for the same room that the Guest Rewards agent just booked for you out of Toledo. If you know what you're trying to get odds are that they will be helpful in trying to put you there.
Best wishes with your arrangements and please, remember to let us know how the trip went once you get home.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Clwood, you may want to try what I did when I couldn’t get the Reward Points to match up with the zone or room options.
The helpful lady at the Guest Rewards program suggested exchanging the points for gift certificates and use the certificates to reduce the overall cash payout for my trip from Virginia to Oregon.
Posts: 68 | From: Lynchburg, Virginia USA | Registered: Feb 2003
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