United/Continental and AGR

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J

JeffW

Train Attendant
Joined
Jan 1, 2011
Messages
85
Location
Rochester, NY
Hi, all. I've seen various discussions regarding points and transfers from United and/or Continental, and never seem to remember what I've read. I'll be doing some flying tomorrow (I rarely do this--if train is an option, I'll take that any day!). When going through the online check-in, there was an option for Amtrak Guest Rewards Number, so I entered mine. I'll check back in a few months to report on any action I see.

My thoughts: I expect to get AGR points through Amtrak travel, I'm pleasantly surprised when it shows up from elsewhere.

A few comments:

  • The reservation was not made through the AGR site.
  • I am flying through Newark as the AGR site suggests, but not taking the Amtrak to Newark.
If anyone has input on what I might expect, I'll be happy to hear it.

In 48 hours, I'll be on one of these:

 
The only way to earn AGR points on United is by using the Amtrak codeshare connecting service through EWR. United flights without an Amtrak segment cannot earn AGR points. You should double check this with a United agent at EWR and, if so, convert your reservation credit back to UA Mileage Plus (assuming you are a member).

https://www.amtrakguestrewards.com/earn/air
 
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As a Select+ Member (which gives UnitedClub Access) I recently flew JFK to SFO. I didn't try and earn AGR points on it because I assumed the routing wasn't eligible but the the trip did begin with getting in the Eliete security line at JFK by flashing my card. Next I was checking into the UnitedClub to wait for boarding. When I finally went to the gate they asked me to wait a minute as Economy was oversold and I was upgraded to Buisiness Class! I think the agent in the UnitedClub when I handed over my boarding pass flagged it for the upgrade.

Two weeks later I took the Sunset Limited in Coach LAX-TUS and Amtrak gave me no preferential treatment. I got to the seat assignment podium in Union Station and was given an asile seat right across from the staircase. I flashed my card and asked for a window. The agent clearly didn't know what it was simply saying the usual we need to save window seats for families.

When I borded I asked both the conductor and my coach attendant (flashing my card) who even snapped at me "Were not in Northeast Corridor, we don't do things like that out here!"

I'm still traveling at the moment (the trip to Tuscon was to set up a PHX-MSP award where I was treated well since I was in a sleeper). And leave from MSP to return to NYP in coach tomorrow.

I am definitely planning to write to Amtrak about the fact United treated me better than my own carrier with status (Amtrak) but I'm waitin to finish my trip.
 
The code share/point earning in only available to/from EWR and to/from 4 specific Amtrak cities (NHV, PHL and 2 more I forget right now). Even if you're flying thru EWR and taking Amtrak to say PVD, ALB or HAR, you could not earn AGR points for the flight!
 
It is indeed quite true that United is an order of magnitude or two better than Amtrak in how it treats its elite customers. Most of Amtrak has never heard of such a concept.

I happened to have the opportunity to see a presentation by someone from United's Business Strategy Office on how they link their IT system with their business strategy. One thing I learned is that their Elite program is central to their business strategy and they have clearly defined policies on what additional service privileges each Elite level is entitled to. Their IT system is designed to support that business policy set. Hence you get real time information on where you stand in the upgrade priority list etc.

In contrast to that Amtrak's program is mostly an afterthought bolted on with relatively low buy in from operating units and staff, and insufficient resources and lack of executive support to make it truly work as it should. And the level of organizational chaos shows.
 
SubwayNut said:
I got to the seat assignment podium in Union Station and was given an asile seat right across from the staircase. I flashed my card and asked for a window. The agent clearly didn't know what it was simply saying the usual we need to save window seats for families.When I borded I asked both the conductor and my coach attendant (flashing my card) who even snapped at me "Were not in Northeast Corridor, we don't do things like that out here!"
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This is a major disincentive for single travelers along much of the LD network. No matter how much revenue you bring in, no matter how much profit you generate, you simply cannot get around Amtrak's mindset that families almost always trump single travelers. Even if you buy multiple seats Amtrak won't promise you a row to yourself because some random family might want the seats you've already purchased for themselves. The inability for a single traveler to control virtually anything about an Amtrak coach trip, no matter how much you spend, leaves me with nothing but sleeper trips. Trips that are often sold out by the time I can schedule them. Amtrak coach policy remains unable or unwilling to sell me anything other than a single low-odds roulette spin for which random stranger will be cuddling up to me in what is essentially a single seat made out of two sets of cushions. Amtrak cannot crate new sleepers out of thin air, but there is plenty they could do to sell more coach seats if they were only willing to explore offering some additional options to folks like me.
 
Amtrak cannot create new sleepers out of thin air, but there is plenty they could do to sell more coach seats if they were only willing to explore offering some additional options to folks like me.
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Except that coach is selling pretty well as is (hence your inability to avoid a seatmate), so why would Amtrak bother changing things, especially given how hard it is for Amtrak to enforce any service standards on their employees?

Of course where you stand depends on where you sit. I'm personally very happy that Amtrak reserves seats for groups of two or more traveling together, so that I can sit with Mrs. Ispolkom, rather than cuddling up with some random stranger.
 
It is though not clear why singles must be assigned aisle seats. That is one I have never been able to figure out.

Anyway I am done with Amtrak LD train travel by Coach. It is either Sleeper or no Amtrak.
 
To make it easy, say there are 30 rows. 15 rows are set aside for singles and 15 rows are set aside for groups of 2 or more (like families). If the 15 single window seats are taken, where do the next 15 singles get assigned? You guessed it - an aisle seat!
 
Don't be silly. If that was the case I'd have no problem. I have been assigned a single aisle seat even when I was the very first person getting a seat assignment, because I was told that families need window seats. hence I am done, and Amtrak loses some good revenue opportunity from someone who is usually a Select +.

incidentally, I have never faced this problem on trains like the Palmetto. It is only on trains headed west as far as I can tell. They must have larger families with extreme need for windows for everyone in the west :D
 
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:D

I think the only real solution to this problem is pre-assigned seats with assignment at ticket booking time, like is done with Sleepers.

Many airlines actually allows you to check what seats are available on a flight and assign yourself a seat before you pay for the flight and finalize the ticket. Amtrak sorely lacks when compared to airlines in that department.

There have been cases where I have made significant changes in my travel plans based on the lack of availability of a specific kind of or even a specific seat on a flight. Can;t do so on Amtrak since it is all a crap shoot.

Afterall, at the end of the day said family members and I as a single are pretty much paying the same fare and so should generally have the same access to any seat that is available. Of course Amtrak could have an additional revenue opportunity to charge extra for pre-assigned reservations. I think it is basically leaving a whole bunch of money uncollected on the table by refusing to provide this additional desirable service.
 
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jis said:
It is though not clear why singles must be assigned aisle seats. That is one I have never been able to figure out.
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You'd think they'd save the aisle seats for families so that they can sit across from each other (if an odd # in the family) or two in back of one in front of them...on the aisle for "easy access" (chatting, passing food/toys/etc).

Hope my friend decides to go with me to the gathering, then she and I can swap seats on the Cardinal throughout the trip west. Otherwise I may be stuck in an aisle seat next to a stranger (who blocks the window).
 
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jis said:
I think the only real solution to this problem is pre-assigned seats with assignment at ticket booking time, like is done with Sleepers.
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You're right, of course, but Amtrak won't even assign seats on the Acela, where there are already is a mechanism to do so. After all, pre-Amtrak, precomputer railroads had no difficulty assigning seats on long-distance trains.

SubwayNut's experience is the second reason I won't even think of getting status on Amtrak: it would give me nothing. (The first reason is I live in a two-train-a-day town, of course.)
 
the_traveler said:
Ispolkom said:
(The first reason is I live in a two-train-a-day town, of course.)
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So does Jim Hudson and pennyk (actually Penny has 4 trains a day),yet they're both either select or select+ most years!
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But the point remains that the only advantage of being Select or Select+ mostly is in collecting bonus points, and access to the very few and far between lounges (and of course the more available United Clubs if you happen to be non-allergic to that mode of transport). There are absolutely zero advantages in terms of additional service or quality of service, as is the case with most airlines, where Elite status gives you several distinct additional facilities (though not access to lounges on domestic itineraries), like early boarding and access to choice seats without upcharges and higher priority in upgrades, and even automatic upgrade on certain fares etc.. Where Elite status really makes a huge huge difference is in case of IRROPS, but that is an entire separate matter.

Of course if some wants to become Select+ or SelectE for the sake of being Select+ or SelectE, more power to them.
 
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Using status in IRROPS is a great idea. Like, for example, rebooking those with SE, S+ and then S into the remaining sleepers in case of a delay and limited rooms on the following day's train, for example.
 
amamba said:
Using status in IRROPS is a great idea. Like, for example, rebooking those with SE, S+ and then S into the remaining sleepers in case of a delay and limited rooms on the following day's train, for example.
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That is exactly the sort of thing that happens on United. Also whether a hotel stay will be paid for or not is determined to some extent by Elite status too. When my flight back from Tel Aviv was disrupted due to blizzards in New York, I was upgraded on the makeup special flight. Elites were cleared first before the rest were accommodated on various flights, etc.
 
crescent2 said:
The ICE is cool! :cool: (pun intended) I've ridden it to and from Munich. Have fun!
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The ICE is a blast! Berlin to Dresden is not the fastest, but still fun. The toddler now loves trains.

Back to topic: the points from United transferred! I was making an Amtrak reservation this morning, and it appears that my miles have doubled.

Honestly, this was a bit unexpected. I did not take Amtrak to Newark. We flew Rochester-Newark-Berlin and back. I did enter the Amtrak Guest Rewards option and number when filling in the online check-in.
 
I know of people who have successfully used AGR Select+ Card at the SFO United Club. I haven't done so myself since I am also a member of United Club by virtue of being a holder of the Continental Presidential Plus Card.

United is very automated about it all. When they slide your card through the card reader, which they do with all affiliation cards, their POS terminal will recognize it as acceptable or not, and that will be that. If for some reason you AGR Select+ is coded in a non-strandard way that could create a problem. But not otherwise.
 
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I used to have UA Global Services when I flew more and I recall they just scanned the card and looked at the boarding pass. Would a UA Boarding Pass be required for entry or just an ID (assuming one has a boarding pass for another airline to get through security)? Also I assume it's valid for the Member + 1 as well?
 

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