Replying to Getting my AGR Points for Stays at Choice Hotels

The reason I thought I might not need to be is because is because the e-mail claimed my points were sent almost a week before I joined the Choice Rewards Program.

I should add today I got an Email that said this:

I am pleased to report that the points earned for your stay on June 16, 2012 were sent your Amtrak Rewards account on June 19, 2012; please allow 2 - 4 weeks for Amtrak to receive. You may view your stay activity by accessing your account online at www.choicehotels.com.

So I guess that meant I didn't need to sign up after all?

No, you absolutely MUST be a choice rewards member.

Note: The AGR site says that at LaQuinta you get 750 bonus points. In actuality, you your typical 250 points plus 500 additional points. Nitpicky to be sure, but it would have you think you get 1,000 points per LaQuinta stay...

...

Now that's pretty stinkin' cool. Let me tell you about one of my recent trips. I stayed at a LaQuinta - got my 750 points. The next night, I spent the night in a Hampton Inn, and through HHonors, I got a whopppin' 79 points after spending $20 more that night. LQ for me from now on! Even without the 500 extra points!

AGR seems to consistently use "bonus points" to mean "non-tier-qualifying points." Remember the furor a couple of weeks ago about Starwood points transfers, where people thought that getting a bonus point for each Star point meant that you got two total AGR points for each Star point transferred. I'm not sure why they think that "bonus" is clearer, but a lot of things involving AGR don't make sense to me.

I haven't stayed at a La Qunita before, but in upcoming Amtrak trips I notice that there are ones that are close to both the Fresno and the Denver (temporary) train stations. I might have to give them a try.

I should add today I got an Email that said this:

I am pleased to report that the points earned for your stay on June 16, 2012 were sent your Amtrak Rewards account on June 19, 2012; please allow 2 - 4 weeks for Amtrak to receive. You may view your stay activity by accessing your account online at www.choicehotels.com.

So I guess that meant I didn't need to sign up after all?

Note: The AGR site says that at LaQuinta you get 750 bonus points. In actuality, you your typical 250 points plus 500 additional points. Nitpicky to be sure, but it would have you think you get 1,000 points per LaQuinta stay...

The more detailed page explains it a bit better:

Now through August 31, earn 750 bonus points when you stay at one of the over 800 La Quinta locations in the U.S., Canada or Mexico. That's triple the 250 points per stay you normally earn.

I thought I would give an update:
On Monday I finally called up Choice Hotels Customer Service and when I asked if I needed to sign up for Choice Rewards I was told yes I did need to sign up by a customer service agent and hung up on immediately! I then went on their website and filled out the form to sign up for Choice Rewards, specifying I want only AGR points and filled out a request missing points form for my Econo Lodge stay, all it required was the nights I stayed in the hotel, luckily no confirmation number, I have no idea where my receipts are.

I just logged into my AGR account and sure enough I had 450 more points! 250 for the hotel stay and more importantly 200 more TQP points in my quest for S+ status, I just qualified for Select Status from my last rail trip of my last adventure.

I just submitted my second missing points request for my stay at a Roadway Inn and have no reason to believe I won't get another 450 points!

Another question: I now have Select Status, with the 25% Select bonus on rail travel will I now earn 125 TQP per segment minimum or 100 TQP points and 25 bonus points per rail segment?

Now that's pretty stinkin' cool. Let me tell you about one of my recent trips. I stayed at a LaQuinta - got my 750 points. The next night, I spent the night in a Hampton Inn, and through HHonors, I got a whopppin' 79 points after spending $20 more that night. LQ for me from now on! Even without the 500 extra points!

I thought I would give an update:
On Monday I finally called up Choice Hotels Customer Service and when I asked if I needed to sign up for Choice Rewards I was told yes I did need to sign up by a customer service agent and hung up on immediately! I then went on their website and filled out the form to sign up for Choice Rewards, specifying I want only AGR points and filled out a request missing points form for my Econo Lodge stay, all it required was the nights I stayed in the hotel, luckily no confirmation number, I have no idea where my receipts are.

I just logged into my AGR account and sure enough I had 450 more points! 250 for the hotel stay and more importantly 200 more TQP points in my quest for S+ status, I just qualified for Select Status from my last rail trip of my last adventure.

I just submitted my second missing points request for my stay at a Roadway Inn and have no reason to believe I won't get another 450 points!

Another question: I now have Select Status, with the 25% Select bonus on rail travel will I now earn 125 TQP per segment minimum or 100 TQP points and 25 bonus points per rail segment?

All the more reason to chose AGR points - especially if you have the AGR MasterCard!

You must also use Choice points within a year or they expire.

Not exactly. "points expire on December 31, two years after the year in which they were deposited into your account." So points earned in 2012 expire on December 31, 2014.

Choice Rewards Loyalty Program Membership

Your loyalty program membership information is listed below. Please enter any additional loyalty accounts and select your preferred account for earning points or Airline Rewards. If you change your mind, you can always specify a different loyalty program at check-in, or return later to edit your profile.
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Please note: You must make reservations through your online profile in order for your preferences to apply. If you make your reservations at the hotel, by phone or through a travel agent, you have to specify whether you would like to earn points or Airline Rewards. Choice Privileges® members who don't specify will automatically earn Choice Privileges® points for their stay.
Your options for gaining points are below-- you can change at any time by changing your profile online.


Choice Privileges®
Air Canada Aeroplan®
Air New Zealand Airpoints
airberlin topbonus miles
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan™
American Airlines AAdvantage®
Czech Airline OK Plus
Delta SkyMiles®
Preferred
Loyalty Program Account Number
AeroMexico Club Premier Miles
FREE SPIRIT™
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards®
US Airways® Dividend Miles®
United MileagePlus®
Velocity Rewards
Amtrak Guest Rewards®

You must also use Choice points within a year or they expire. That is why I always just have them provide Amtrak points, which do not expire unless you fail to book a paid trip within three years.
But, yes you should have a Choice Rewards Card in order to have points of any nature credited. Not sure what the clerks would do with your information at the desk without a Choice account??

Someone mentioned points expiring. In all the rewards program I belong to only Wyndam said that points would expire in 18 months I believe it was. Do the AGR expire? I wasn't aware of it...

AGR points expire after three years without points earning through Amtrak rail travel. Points do not expire for holders of the AGR Mastercard.