LCH/SAS/STL/KCY/LAX/LCH Possible? How many points?

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margo

Lead Service Attendant
Joined
Sep 2, 2009
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279
Location
Louisiana
Could I do this trip with AGR? The only place that I would like to spend some time is probably Raton/Trinidad. If this is possible, how many points would it take? Thank you.
 
You can do LCH-SAS-STL-KCY on a one zone award.

But it gets you to KCY at 9:40 in the evening. No connections further on, you'd have to overnight on your own dime.

KCY-RAT would be a second one-zone.

RAT-LAX-LCH would be a 2 zone, since you're going through the western zone on the way home.

So 2 one-zoners and 1 2-zoner. Points cost would depend on what accommodations you want.
 
Thank you for the info. What if we went on to CHI, then caught the SWC to LAX? We usually get a roomette. Thanks again.
 
Correction. The afternoon MORR from STL-KCY is a guaranteed connection to the SWC! No overnight required!! :)

TRI and RAT are both border cities. So in you wanted to stop. I think you could book LCH-TRI/RAT for 1 zone and from there back (thru LAX) for 2 zones.
 
Correction. The afternoon MORR from STL-KCY is a guaranteed connection to the SWC! No overnight required!! :)
However, the connection from the Texas Eagle to the Afternoon MORR *isn't* guarenteed, so yes. The overnight is required.

Here's what Amtrak.com spits out:

LCH-KCY.png

That's what an AGR agent is going to let you book.

You may be able to talk them into booking you on 311 instead of 313 (the connection time is 1h56m), but I wouldn't count on it.

Edit to add: If you try to book LCH-RAT, the only option you're presented is LCH-LAX-RAT. If you want to go via a different route, you'll have to break the trip into separate redemptions.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thank you. I'm probably thinking too far ahead anyway (for early next year). AGR/Amtrak seems to be really tightening up on guaranteed connections. There will probably more new rules by next year. We just got home from a ld trip to VAC, so of course, I'm already trying to plan another. We have never ridden the SWC, so would like to, just don't especially care to visit CHI again. We'll see what we can work out. Thanks again.
 
Correction. The afternoon MORR from STL-KCY is a guaranteed connection to the SWC! No overnight required!! :)
However, the connection from the Texas Eagle to the Afternoon MORR *isn't* guarenteed, so yes. The overnight is required.
As far as I can tell it *is* guaranteed. Just plug in SAS-RAT and check.

As Arrow won't spit out the LCH-SAS-STL-KCY-RAT routing without prodding, I'm not sure that AGR will book it.
 
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