Cardinal Redemption

I am planning a trip to Boston from Cleveland in September. Usually, I travel the Capitol Limited to DC, spend most of the day there walking around and visiting the Irish Times. Then late at night, I take train 66 to Boston where I board the LSL for a return to Cleveland.. This year, I have a different, more complicated plan and I want to make sure it is not a problem under the AGR regulations.

My plan is to go from Cleveland to Chicago and then use an AGR redemption for the Cardinal. First problem though, is there is no "published" trip using the Cardinal from Chicago to Boston via NYP or WAS. The very first "published" trip for such a trip on the Cardinal starts at Connersville, Indiana using the Cardinal to WAS where the trip switches to train 66. As an aside, it doesn't seem to make sense that the trip would be available from Connersville but not, say, Indianapolis, the stop before. If starting at Indy, the published trip goes from there to Chicago and then to BOS on the Lake Shore Limited.

So, here is my plan. I would pay for the trip from Cleveland to Connersville riding in coach via either the LSL or the CL to Chicago, then transferring to the Cardinal. I would make an AGR roomette redemption from Connersville to Boston (I realize that would mean a business class seat on train 66). Another strange thing about the published trip is that the transfer from the Cardinal to train 66 occurs at WAS instead of NYP, which from being in roomette would be preferable.

I can't see any problem regarding the new AGR regulations that generally took effect last year, along with the associated changes that occured later. I ask the experts, though, if the trip is OK or is there any advise that might make it better or easier? I assume the best order of booking the trip would be to first set up the AGR redemption and then book the part from Cleveland to Connersville.

I know there are other options, maybe.....pay for a roomette on the Cardinal from Chicago to Connersville (way too expensive for that short of a trip), start the redemption at Cincinnati to keep it a one-zone trip (still considering that).

The reason for the transfer at WAS and not NYP is that to board 66 it's at 9:xx pm at WAS but about 3 am in NYP. I personally would prefer to board 66 at 9:xx and be asleep at 3 am.

I would consider buying a coach ticket from CLE to CIN as you said to keep the award to 1 zone. Yes you miss the included dinner, but if the room is unoccupied, there is a chance you may be allowed to occupy it early! And the reason it is not published from IND is that there is another option available that more people might prefer. It's also possible that Amtrak "forgot" to include that published route I to the system. (Each one must be included manually.)

I noticed that you could take the Cardinal from Chicago to Philadelphia, which would get you into PHL at 8:30pm and then you would have a 3.5 hour wait (if 50 is on time) for 66 to arrive after midnight. You would get a little more time on your 2 zone reward in your room and still board 66 at a somewhat reasonable hour. Personally I would rather sit in PHL than in NYP since the Acela Lounge might not be open in either place? I believe they close around 9pm in both..

But as Dave said, if you get off in WAS, you would board 66 earlier, but pay a little more for the 66 ride? $6 difference, not much

There does not seem to be many alternatives because of the limited late service from NYP to BOS.

Those of us from CLE have limited possibilities to ride the Cardinal without using cash to get to CHI. But it is a nice ride

If you originate at CHI and stop one station short of NYP, at NWK, it will give you the Cardinal. Would that help?

the_traveler said:

The reason for the transfer at WAS and not NYP is that to board 66 it's at 9:xx pm at WAS but about 3 am in NYP. I personally would prefer to board 66 at 9:xx and be asleep at 3 am.

I would consider buying a coach ticket from CLE to CIN as you said to keep the award to 1 zone. Yes you miss the included dinner, but if the room is unoccupied, there is a chance you may be allowed to occupy it early! And the reason it is not published from IND is that there is another option available that more people might prefer. It's also possible that Amtrak "forgot" to include that published route I to the system. (Each one must be included manually.)

Click to expand...

I am with you on buying the ticket to CIN to keep it a one-zone trip since it's only about $9 more but saves me the extra 5000 points. I do have another question though and it doesn't matter if I pay to Connersville or CIN. Since I'll be departing from CHI on a train but will be in a roometter within 24 hours of departure whether I switch at CIN or Connersville, would I be allowed to take advantage of the Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago?

Yes, just show the desk dragon your Sleeper ticket in the Metro Lounge!

There have been several good suggestions for your routing,I'd say that doing a 1 Zone Award from Cin-WAS And taking #66 from there is the way to roll! (As was said, sleeping in 66 Biz Class beats NYP @ 3AM by a Mile!)

I am new to AGR but have 51,700 points burning a hole in my pocket. I do not understand "published routes". Are these routes published in time tables or found elsewhere?

A "published route" is one that comes up if you input "from A to B" on the website, as opposed to using the multi city tab and inputting "from A to B to C".

thanks

You can book any AGR trip as long as it pops up at Amtrak.com when you put in the city pairs.

I am pretty sure that if you do CHI-NYP that the cardinal is an option. Then you would have to buy the ticket up to BOS on #66.

Another choice is to book Chi-PVD as your award trip on AGR. That should give you the cardinal with the connection in WAS (including BC) on the 66. Then it's $15 to ride coach PVD - BOS on the 66.

Ok weird, I just tried CHI - PVD and the cardinal doesn't come up. That is SO bizarre because when I did my last cross country trip from SEA - PVD one of the allowed routings was SEA-SAC-CHI-WAS-PVD on the cardinal. HOW bizarre that the cardinal comes up that way but not with just CHI - PVD. That just goes to show how screwy arrow is sometimes. My understanding is that all the city pairs had to manually programmed in.

amamba said:

Ok weird, I just tried CHI - PVD and the cardinal doesn't come up. That is SO bizarre because when I did my last cross country trip from SEA - PVD one of the allowed routings was SEA-SAC-CHI-WAS-PVD on the cardinal. HOW bizarre that the cardinal comes up that way but not with just CHI - PVD. That just goes to show how screwy arrow is sometimes. My understanding is that all the city pairs had to manually programmed in.

Click to expand...

Were you looking at a day when the Cardinal runs?

trainman74 said:

amamba said:

Ok weird, I just tried CHI - PVD and the cardinal doesn't come up. That is SO bizarre because when I did my last cross country trip from SEA - PVD one of the allowed routings was SEA-SAC-CHI-WAS-PVD on the cardinal. HOW bizarre that the cardinal comes up that way but not with just CHI - PVD. That just goes to show how screwy arrow is sometimes. My understanding is that all the city pairs had to manually programmed in.

Click to expand...

Were you looking at a day when the Cardinal runs?

Click to expand...

Seriously? Of course.

As always, some pretty good advise concerning my trip. I decided to pay for the portion of the trip from CLE to CIN to keep my redemption down to a one-zone trip. I booked that portion of the trip in coach. I may check to see if the roomette I'm booked in from CIN is empty before I leave CLE or when I arrive in Chicago. I've done that before and got a lower price since it was so near the departure time for the train. However, didn't they change the rules for that type of purchase? I seem to recall that whatever bucket the fare has risen to, that is the price even after the train leaves and someone tries to purchase a roomette on the train.

Anyway, thanks for all the advise.

amamba said:

trainman74 said:

Were you looking at a day when the Cardinal runs?

Click to expand...

Seriously? Of course.

Click to expand...

Figured that was the case. But I guess we both know Arrow and the web interface thereof can be a bit "obtuse" when you happen to be looking for service involving a tri-weekly train on an off day -- it's "you can't get there from here," rather than "you can get there from here on a different day of the week."

trainman74 said:

amamba said:

trainman74 said:

Were you looking at a day when the Cardinal runs?

Click to expand...

Seriously? Of course.

Click to expand...

Figured that was the case. But I guess we both know Arrow and the web interface thereof can be a bit "obtuse" when you happen to be looking for service involving a tri-weekly train on an off day -- it's "you can't get there from here," rather than "you can get there from here on a different day of the week."

Click to expand...

Actually, I have lately received a "consider this option" message offering the trip on a different day. That's if the routing is the ONLY one: if two routes will get you there, and you choose the wrong day for one of them, you will only see the other.