Continental Airlines Points Transfer

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RailFanLNK

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Joined
Mar 24, 2006
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Location
Lincoln, Nebraska (LNK)
I was real new to this site about a year or so ago and remember someone talking that if you paid a $50 activation fee for an Continental Airlines CC, you would recieve 15,000 points with them that were transferable to your AGR CC. I remember reading about it at Flyer Talk and trying to figure it out but ended up giving up. I'm not a computer whiz or a travel whiz, but if anybody remembers this or has a link to it, can you direct me to it. I have been on the Flyer Talk website today but can't find it, I have joined that site but am not getting a confirmation notice from the adminstrator. I'm just trying really hard to accumulate points to possibly get my girlfriend and I and her two teenage daughters from LNK to WAS next summer for a vacation using Amtrak RT with roomettes for 4 of us and not pay a dime. When my 8000 points are posted I will be nearing 40,000 points and she just got her AGR CC a couple of weeks ago and is trying to accumlate points as well. Thanks!

Al
 
There are two primary credit cards affiliated with Continental OnePass. The MasterCard World Card has an $85 annual fee and gets 20,000 bonus miles after the first use. The Platinum MasterCard has a $65 annual fee and gets 10,000 bonus miles after the first use. Once miles are posted in the OnePass account they can be transferred one mile to one point to Amtrak Guest Rewards (in 5000 mile blocks) by calling OnePass. Note that both the primary CO cards are issued by Chase, same as Amtrak.

The CO page for the credit cards is HERE.

Another option is the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card (by American Express). Starwood is the parent company of Sheraton Hotels. The SPG card is free for the first year and offers 10,000 bonus points on the first use. Starwood points can be transferred directly into Amtrak on a 1 to 1 basis.

The Starwood page for the credit card is HERE.
 
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Ok...thanks alot PRR but which CC do I apply for then? There was a bunch of them and some of the "One Pass" CC were for residents of Saipan! :huh: I just don't want to go to the misery and time to apply for something that I may only use once and then find out its not the correct card! Thanks again!

Al
 
Ok...thanks alot PRR but which CC do I apply for then? There was a bunch of them and some of the "One Pass" CC were for residents of Saipan! :huh: I just don't want to go to the misery and time to apply for something that I may only use once and then find out its not the correct card! Thanks again!
Al
There is actually an even better deal out there that will net you 25,000 AGR points for almost free. Sign up for the American Express Business Gold Card. You can put your name down as your business. You'll get 25,000 Membership Rewards points 6-8 weeks after your first purchase (in my experience, bonus points post after your second statement). Call American Express and have these points tranfered to your Continental account. This transfer is instantaneous, but they'll charge you a $10 transaction fee. Then call Continental and have these points transfered to your Amtrak account. This takes about a week and is free. Don't forget to cancel your American Express card - the annual fee is waived for the first year, but is $125 after that!

This is a very, very sweet deal -- I signed up everyone in my family for this card, and we're making out like bandits! :)
 
Anyone who is planning to churn cards for points should realise that there is a downside to such action. Chase, in particular, frowns upon those who open new accounts, close them, and then open a new account of the same card again.

If you're going for AGR points, then you should really concentrate on the AGR card. Otherwise, you're going to end up with a bunch of cards that you used once for the points. And most of those cards have fees -- while the Chase AGR card does not.

If you're a member of multiple affinity programs, then the SPG AmEx is a good choice, as you can shuffle points into a number of airline programs, as well as to AGR, and you have the option to actual use the points for a hotel stay. It does have a fee, however. I got this card after the BofA-MBNA merger pooped on the old AGR card, and I've been very pleased with it.
 
Another option is the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card (by American Express). Starwood is the parent company of Sheraton Hotels. The SPG card is free for the first year and offers 10,000 bonus points on the first use. Starwood points can be transferred directly into Amtrak on a 1 to 1 basis.
The Starwood page for the credit card is HERE.
Has anyone done this? Is there a fee to transfer the Starwood points into Amtrak points? It sounds like a great deal.
 
Has anyone done this? Is there a fee to transfer the Starwood points into Amtrak points? It sounds like a great deal.
Yes. You have to call in to make the transfer to AGR, but like all transfers from SPG, there is no fee.

Keep in mind that the card has a fee (waived for the first year).
 
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