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I received an email from Amtrak Guest Rewards this morning.
Essentially, any Amtrak Guest Rewards Member who 'buys' between 5,000 and 10,000 AGR points during the month of September will receive another 50% of their purchas in bonus points.
IE: 5,000 points purchased nets an additional 2,500 bonus points.
For those of us who missed the slightly less generous special which expired in July, here's our chance. If you did 'load up' over the summer, apparantly you can't buy in this time around. There is a 10,000 points purchased per year limit.
-------------------- 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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Well, I did it. I bought 10,000 points and got the additional 5,000 bonus points for $275.00. I looked at booking a OW Roomette SBA-SEA mid-October and that would be over $500.00. I don't have a degree in accounting but that seems to make sense to me -- especially since I've never had trouble getting the space I wanted when I've booked sleeper accomodations using AGR points.
Frank in sunny and cool SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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I intend to do this as well...... but plan to wait until about September 22 so that the charge doesn't come due until mid-November!
That 15,000 points is 50% those neccessary for taking the family aboard the Auto-Train in February for about 30% of the equivalent dollar amount.
-------------------- 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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I just realized that Vicki and a couple of others here might be perplexed by "booking a OW Roomette SBA-SEA mid October". That was just my sample booking. We will, in fact, pulling into Sydney Harbour on the 15th of October after 28 nights on Radiance of the Seas. We leave from Vancouver on the 16th of this month and sail to Hawaii (Kona, Lahaina, Nawiliwili, Honolulu -- with overnights at Lahaina and Honolulu) and then on to Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, and Auckland -- with an overnight at Auckland.
We considered taking the train to Vancouver from here or Seattle but Alaska Airlines had a $99.00 fare from LAX to YVR that was too tempting to say no to. We'll spend a night in Vancouver before boarding.
I did, however, direct five or six people who are flying to SEA to The Cascades service.
Frank in sunny and cool SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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Bought mine....... though there is now some doubt as to when and where I'll be cashing in the bonus points...... no worries though. I have two rail adventures already booked for this fall and am already considering options for 2012. All is well.
-------------------- 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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I'm planning a 3-11-8 trip in the spring with points. Think I can go CHI-LAX-SEA in a bedroom using 30,000 points for one two-region travel redemption?
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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If the folks at Amtrak AGR balk at that, you might improve your chances for getting the routing you want by booking the bedroom from Ft. Madison, IA via LAX to Seattle, WA...... and then booking coach from Chicago to Ft. Madison.
Or you could even go coach to LaPlata, spend a night at the Depot Inn, and then depart the following evening in your AGR booked bedroom.
-------------------- 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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I have always thought a one zone trip from El Paso to Wolf Point, MT via LAX and SEA would be a real bang for the buck.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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I did a one zone trip from Denver to Atlanta via Chicago and Washington, DC once.
The loophole being that Atlanta is on the line and considered to be in both the eastern and central zones. By beginning in the central zone (Denver) and ending in the central zone (Atlanta), it was considered a one zone 15,000 point roomette regardless of the neccessary routing to achieve the shortest journey in terms of elapsed time.
-------------------- 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
| IP: Logged |