2 zone redemtion from LAX to IND via SEA allowable?

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Davids

Train Attendant
Joined
Aug 1, 2014
Messages
67
Hi,

A newbie here and my first post. I am planning to redeem 2 zone roomette points from LAX to IND. Do you think they will allow me to take CS to SEA, stay overnight on my own dime then EB the next day to CHI and finally Hoosier to IND. EB leaves before CS arrives in SEA. The next day connection from CS to EB is less than 24 hours later which still meets the criteria. I might as well ask here first before I call AGR. Thank you for all your help.
 
The answer is No way Jose! AMtrak used to guarantee the connection in Portland (PDX),between the CS #14 and the EB#28 but now you must spend the night on your own dime in PDX IF they still allow this??(subject to change without notice/see the thread on the Mess on the Hi-Line)

The most direct routing from LAX to CHI

is on #4 the SWC and on the three days a week that it runs the Sunset Ltd./Texas Eagle #422. The Cardinal #50,(three days a week) or the Hoosier State #850 leaves CHI @ 545pm as a Guaranteed Connection so you would want to time your trip to ride the Cardinal to Indy since it would be in a Sleeper which includes Dinner in the Diner-Light for your 20,000 Points 2 Zone Award in a Roomette!.
 
The CS-EB connection is less than 24 hours as you say but it is not a published route. I wouldn't count on making that work though on a trip I'm going on in a couple of days such a connection did work. It was a case of getting a hold of the right agent. But in your case I doubt you would get any agent who would allow that as a 2 zone award. The SWC or the SL/TE to Chicago route would be what they would allow.
 
jimhudson said:
The answer is No way Jose! AMtrak used to guarantee the connection in Portland (PDX),between the CS #14 and the EB#28 but now you must spend the night on your own dime in PDX IF they still allow this??(subject to change without notice/see the thread on the Mess on the Hi-Line)

The most direct routing from LAX to CHI

is on #4 the SWC and on the three days a week that it runs the Sunset Ltd./Texas Eagle #422. The Cardinal #50,(three days a week) or the Hoosier State #850 leaves CHI @ 545pm as a Guaranteed Connection so you would want to time your trip to ride the Cardinal to Indy since it would be in a Sleeper which includes Dinner in the Diner-Light for your 20,000 Points 2 Zone Award in a Roomette!.
Click to expand...
I thought it was announced that they would honor a single, 2-zone redemption EB > CS IF you overnighted in PDX on your own dime (because of the mess on the EB).
 
The OP asked about going from LAX-SEA-CHI-IND on a 2 Zone Award and spending the night in SEA on his dime! I mentioned that AGR was allowing an Overnight in PDX on your dime per Anthony on Flyer Talk, but IIRC this was for connections from #27 to #11,

I'm pretty confident that AGR would only book this trip from LAX-CHI-IND on #4/#50/#850 or #422/#50/#850 per my first Post!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thank you for the tips Jim. Let me see if I can work around the schedule to fit with the Cardinal. Thank you to Jaypea for pointing out the published route. I know that I can do SWC-Cardinal/ Hoosier or TE-Cardinal/Hoosier, but I am hoping to ride CS for the PPC experience.

Another published route on amtrak website is PS from Lax to SBA, ambus from SBA to Emy, CZ to Chi then Cardinal to Indy, but it involves ambus. Can I do CS to Emy, stay 1 night in Emy on my own dime then CZ to Chi and finally Cardinal to Indy for 2 zone redemption instead? If it is not allowed then I have no choice but to take SWC or TE.

I think it is worth mentioning that this is a round trip. Per Jim's posting above, on the return trip from Indy to Lax, can I then do Cardinal, EB, stay 1 night in PDX on my own dime and then CS on the next day?

To the_traveller, I thought EB arrives at 3:55 pm in Chi and Cardinal leaves at 5:45 pm. It should give enough time to transfer right? How come it not published on amtrak website?

Thanks
 
To answer the question about the EB-Cardinal connection, it's not published because it is no longer a valid connection. The EB is never on time into Chicago; you are doing well if you are only 4-5 hours late.
 
Ah, that explains why the EB to Cardinal is not published. Thanks JayPea. Even if they allow connection from CS to EB in PDX, I bet it only applies if Chi is the final destination right?
 
Davids said:
Another published route on amtrak website is PS from Lax to SBA, ambus from SBA to Emy, CZ to Chi then Cardinal to Indy, but it involves ambus. Can I do CS to Emy, stay 1 night in Emy on my own dime then CZ to Chi and finally Cardinal to Indy for 2 zone redemption instead? If it is not allowed then I have no choice but to take SWC or TE.

Thanks

Don't know about the 1 night stay in EMY. But recently I had this route directly to CHI as a valid reward.
Click to expand...
 
Davids said:
Ah, that explains why the EB to Cardinal is not published. Thanks JayPea. Even if they allow connection from CS to EB in PDX, I bet it only applies if Chi is the final destination right?
Click to expand...
Not necessarily. As part of a trip my uncle and his two granddaughters and I are taking to Glacier Park, we originally had the CS-EB connection in Portland but later got the right agent and made the connection in Seattle instead. Point is it doesn't matter your destination on the EB out of Portland....or shouldn't.
 

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