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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.
sbalax Member # 2801
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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
notelvis Member # 3071
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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.
sbalax Member # 2801
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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
notelvis Member # 3071
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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.
Henry Kisor Member # 4776
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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?
notelvis Member # 3071
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Doesn't hurt to ask.
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.
TwinStarRocket Member # 2142
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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.
notelvis Member # 3071
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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.
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