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I'm kind of a novice when it comes to AGR points redemption. I have about 4,000 points and a $50 travel voucher that Amtrak sent me, and I am contemplating a round trip, Palatka, FL to Newark, NJ in a few months.
Anyone have any suggestions how I can keep the cost to a minimum for the trip? May have to go coach, because of finances. Is it advisable or feasible to buy more AGR points? I guess I'm asking how far 4,000 points would get me - probably not too far.
palmland Member # 4344
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Mike, Amtrak.com will give you the answer in either dollars or points. Since the Star is less expensive for sleepers, looks like that train would be the best bet. A quick look, shows coach fare around $110 each way (about same for Meteor) while you can get a roomette for around $300. Having done it once (when the Star ran 12 hours late and a short ride became a nightmare) I would never take coach on the Silvers. Fly. Looks like Southwest has some $80 fares from Orlando-Newark.
Points in coach looks like around 4700 each way so you might do that one way, if you're brave and then maybe roomette the other. Roomette points is around 10,000. If you must take coach, perhaps a daytime ride on the Palmetto from Savannah would be more enjoyable. But then, you have to get to Savannah which might require a motel.
Ocala Mike Member # 4657
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Thanks! If I go, I may buy 1,000 more AGR points which, coupled with my $50 voucher, is practically free one-way.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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quote:The other three legs were all horror shows; latenesses due to signal problems, broken down freights, and a new one to me, "outlaw crew" on 97 coming down requiring a delay of 2-1/2 hours in Virginia for a replacement operating crew to be located. Jeez! I have a case no. with Customer Relations on that one, because it made us 3-1/2 hours late today coming home, and I don't quite understand how that happens. Didn't the engineer(s) know when they left Washington exactly where and when they would run out of hours? Why didn't Amtrak have the replacement crew waiting in Fredericksburg already?
Mike, isn't one horror show enough for a year?
Traveling in Coach will only make the horrors into a 'trifecta".
We're not kids anymore, but if you fly, at least the "horror show" should be a 'six hour over and done".
I think even "the faithful" around are starting to lose "faith" regarding the LD travel product. It appears that Amtrak will get funded without regards to the quality of the product they put on the table to most of the country.
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