yarrow
Engineer
on the agr hot deals page i find "buy points". you can purchase points. not an espcially good deal but might be tempted to get some to fill out a points total for a trip i just can't wait for
The price per point is reasonable IMHO, what I don't like is the $15 service charge. I've never tried to buy airline points, but over at Hilton Honors there is no service charge for buying points. Just the charge per point.Seems like a really reasonable price for AGR points.
Not as long as you make sure to take at least one paid ride on Amtrak every three years.That does seem like a good deal, and the points don't expire, do they?
Actually when you think about it, if you just bought some points and had them sitting there, it's like having money in the bank, I'm sure the price of Amtrak travel is not going to go down, so buying points when you know you will use them eventually, could be kind of a hedge against inflation. It could also be a transportation expense if someone needed one for bookkeeping purposes.Not as long as you make sure to take at least one paid ride on Amtrak every three years.That does seem like a good deal, and the points don't expire, do they?
Where in the Terms and Conditions does it say that?Not as long as you make sure to take at least one paid ride on Amtrak every three years.
Section E Amtrak Guest Rewards Conditions, rule #2.Where in the Terms and Conditions does it say that?Not as long as you make sure to take at least one paid ride on Amtrak every three years.
What exactly do you mean by paid? With money? With points?
Yes this is new, this is a tool for you if you are lacking points to get a free tip using your points, I understand right now this is free andin a couple months there will be a charge to buy points, remember you can buy and get something from the AGR mall and get points also. You can not sell your points to other members but you may beable to transfer points to a frind and do something on the side?I'll never have enough for a real trip. Can I sell mine???
Yes, as long as you remain within the zone, it doesn't matter how many trains are needed to actually reach your destination, tickets for all are included in the award. In your example, you are remaining within one zone, so 5,500 AGR points is all that is needed to reach Boston from Miami.Can I book a trip with connected trans as a one trip using points?Let's say MIA-WAS will cost me 5500 points, if I book MIA-WAS-BOS as one reservation - will it also cost 5500 points?
Wow! That's great! Can I buy tickets for non-connecting trains the same way (let's say MIA-BOS-Portland,ME)?Yes, as long as you remain within the zone, it doesn't matter how many trains are needed to actually reach your destination, tickets for all are included in the award. In your example, you are remaining within one zone, so 5,500 AGR points is all that is needed to reach Boston from Miami.Can I book a trip with connected trans as a one trip using points?Let's say MIA-WAS will cost me 5500 points, if I book MIA-WAS-BOS as one reservation - will it also cost 5500 points?
The zones are basically east, west, and central. Click here to view the map and chart.
Yes, you could get to Maine on one award.Wow! That's great! Can I buy tickets for non-connecting trains the same way (let's say MIA-BOS-Portland,ME)?Yes, as long as you remain within the zone, it doesn't matter how many trains are needed to actually reach your destination, tickets for all are included in the award. In your example, you are remaining within one zone, so 5,500 AGR points is all that is needed to reach Boston from Miami.Can I book a trip with connected trans as a one trip using points?Let's say MIA-WAS will cost me 5500 points, if I book MIA-WAS-BOS as one reservation - will it also cost 5500 points?
The zones are basically east, west, and central. Click here to view the map and chart.
Wow! Can I book a trip with stops (MIA-WAS, 2 days later WAS-NYP, then 2 days later NYP-BOS) and still pay 5500 points? (or 15000 points for roomette)Yes, you could get to Maine on one award.Wow! That's great! Can I buy tickets for non-connecting trains the same way (let's say MIA-BOS-Portland,ME)?Yes, as long as you remain within the zone, it doesn't matter how many trains are needed to actually reach your destination, tickets for all are included in the award. In your example, you are remaining within one zone, so 5,500 AGR points is all that is needed to reach Boston from Miami.Can I book a trip with connected trans as a one trip using points?Let's say MIA-WAS will cost me 5500 points, if I book MIA-WAS-BOS as one reservation - will it also cost 5500 points?
The zones are basically east, west, and central. Click here to view the map and chart.
No. Absolutely not.Wow! Can I book a trip with stops (MIA-WAS, 2 days later WAS-NYP, then 2 days later NYP-BOS) and still pay 5500 points? (or 15000 points for roomette)
Then why did you say that I can get to Maine from MIA? Train to Maine is not connecting.No. Absolutely not.Wow! Can I book a trip with stops (MIA-WAS, 2 days later WAS-NYP, then 2 days later NYP-BOS) and still pay 5500 points? (or 15000 points for roomette)
It must be one continuous trip without overnight stopovers in a city, unless there is no same day connection. In the case of your example MIA to BOS, you'd be put on train #98 out of Miami. That would connect with train #82/86/88 (depending on the day of the week) in WAS the very next day. If you have an on time arrival, you'd have about an hour or so to explore DC before you'd have to catch that next train.
You would not be able to stop over in NY at all, other than the 10 minutes or so that train #82/86/88 pauses in Penn Station.
If you decided to overnight or even spend two nights in DC and/or NY, then you would now need two or three awards depending on whether you stopped at both cities or just one.
Because Amtrak still considers the Downeaster trains to be connecting trains, even though one has to get oneself from Boston's South Station to Boston's North Station in order to make the connection. The computer will even print out instructions on how to get from one station to the other on blank ticket stock.Then why did you say that I can get to Maine from MIA? Train to Maine is not connecting.
You're making me laugh. This would place AGR points in the same category as oil and gold! I'm imagining watching CNBC and seeing AGR December futures trading for $0.028 on the scroll on the bottom.I'm sure the price of Amtrak travel is not going to go down, so buying points when you know you will use them eventually, could be kind of a hedge against inflation.
You can get tickets no matter what bucket they're into at the moment, for the same number of AGR points? I've never cashed any in yet to be sure...2.75¢ per point is VERY VERY reasonable if you look at it from this angle, and are able to use them in such situations.
3000 points is good for a NE Zone Coach Ticket. That's $82.50. Even with the service charge, it comes out to $97.50!
If I take a look at Monday Morning's Regionals from BOS to WAS, they're running $118! One of the Regional trains next Friday is running at $142. And as far as I can see, you can NEVER get a Niagara Falls to Newport News ticket for less than $147 regardless of how far in advance you get it, but you CAN cash in 3000 points for one.
A smart traveller who tends to take trips fully across a zone on short notice might buy points to have on bank for these occasions!
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