VentureForth
Engineer
Since it looks like you don't have to make a reservation if you buy multi-ride tickets, is there a way to get your 100 point minimum for each segment you ride?
NC DOT
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No. A multi-ride ticket is worth two points per dollar of ticket value (100-point minimum). The ticket is lifted after the last ride, and the value of that ticket is processed by AGR as a single ticket, regardless of how many rides it had.
VentureForth
Engineer
Do you mean ticket book value? I guess it's better then, to buy ala carte, use AAA and get 1000 points for 10 rides instead of 100 for a $30 book... Only lose 5% in cash but gain 10-fold the points.
VentureForth
Engineer
That's just wrong. Anyone ever try to challenge AGR on that? If the policy is every trip.... Even at a 15% savings by buying the book, you're not breaking anyones bank my any significant amount over any other generally available discount...
It does seem like you have a valid point there. Unlike rail passes, where Amtrak may have no clue how many times it was used or what the mileage was, they know absolutely that there were ten separate trips, on ten different days (or if it is valid either direction and physically possible to use both in the same day, then at least ten trips on 5 separate days, which is still no more than two segments per day) used with a ten-ride ticket. That doesn't make any more sense than only allowing the dollar points if I bought ten separate tickets and put it on one single Visa purchase.
As an aside, when you travel on a Florida Resident railpass, even though that is a "Flash Pass" which is unreserved and unticketed seating, Amtrak still actually knows your trip dates, train numbers, and segment mileages, because you have to fill out (and give to the Conductor) a passenger data form that has that information, along with your pass number, but you don't get any credit for those miles, either, on AGR. All you get, I think, is the value of the Pass, once, and nothing else regardless of how much or how little you use the Pass.
As an aside, when you travel on a Florida Resident railpass, even though that is a "Flash Pass" which is unreserved and unticketed seating, Amtrak still actually knows your trip dates, train numbers, and segment mileages, because you have to fill out (and give to the Conductor) a passenger data form that has that information, along with your pass number, but you don't get any credit for those miles, either, on AGR. All you get, I think, is the value of the Pass, once, and nothing else regardless of how much or how little you use the Pass.
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However, it is possible for someone other than the ticket purchaser to travel using a ten-ride. Since you can't get credit for someone else's traveling, and they don't know for sure whether or not you took all of those trips yourself, then someone could try to get 1000 points by buying a ten-ride and getting credit for other people's rides.
Nevertheless, I'm sure it's more of a software thing than anything else (meaning, the computer just credits the value of the ticket, with a 100-point minimum, rather than getting into the details of the ride).
I didn't bother arguing for the extra points, since I wouldn't have gained much by doing so (I already have over 50,000 points, and Select Plus status, so a couple hundred points isn't going to make a huge difference for me one way or the other).
Nevertheless, I'm sure it's more of a software thing than anything else (meaning, the computer just credits the value of the ticket, with a 100-point minimum, rather than getting into the details of the ride).
I didn't bother arguing for the extra points, since I wouldn't have gained much by doing so (I already have over 50,000 points, and Select Plus status, so a couple hundred points isn't going to make a huge difference for me one way or the other).
