Maximizing Upgrade and Companion coupon- ideas welcomed

My partner and I are kinda new to Amtrak coupon usage, so we're really excited to figure out how the coupon swaps work on this forum. Really appreciate it if one or all of ya'll could opine on these confusing parts :

1. Does the Companion and Class Upgrade coupon taken a while to arrive after signing up for Amtrak Mastercard ?

2. Do these coupons come online or deposited into your Amtrak account.

3. Do these coupons usually expire soon?

4. Can someone else use your coupons, and if so how does that exchange work on this forum?

I'm planning on traveling mid August down south, so I should have 1 companion and 1 upgrade coupon this week.

Has anyone been able to have their companion join them for free at the Roomette they've upgraded to ? ..or is that a strict no-no?

1. It's been a couple of years since I got the card so I don't remember but I don't think it was long.

2. They appear in your account, click on "exclusive benefits."

3. Mine are always good for a year from issue.

4. As long as they were given to you and not sold to you, you can use someone else's coupon by calling in and giving Amtrak the number of the coupon. They usually work here when someone offers one or asks for one, then via PM where you give or are given the coupon number.

Tanzen said:

Has anyone been able to have their companion join them for free at the Roomette they've upgraded to ? ..or is that a strict no-no?

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Upgrade coupons won’t get you into the sleepers. Just business class or first on Acela.

gatelouse said:

Tanzen said:

Has anyone been able to have their companion join them for free at the Roomette they've upgraded to ? ..or is that a strict no-no?

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Upgrade coupons won’t get you into the sleepers. Just business class or first on Acela.

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Correct. And if you truly want to maximize them on Acela You'd best go from WAS to BOS.

I don't recall getting any upgrade or companion coupons when I signed up for the annual-fee credit card a couple years ago. What I do remember is that I had to spend $1000 the first 90 days of having the card to get the 20K points bonus. Whether those points appeared at the end of the billing cycle that I spent $1000+ or later, I don't recall, either. The cost of being retired and losing my memory a lot faster than expected. However, I do recall getting one free upgrade and one companion coupon on each anniversary of my getting the card.

As far as getting upgrade/companion/lounge passes, they only come when reaching the various 'frequent rider' levels...Select, Select Plus, and Select Executive. The various levels require an amount of Amtrak travel in a year to reach, and also get increased with each multiple of $5K spending on the credit card/year.

No, at least for the fee card, you get the upgrade coupon and 2 one-way companion coupons every year.

bratkinson said:

The various levels require an amount of Amtrak travel in a year to reach, and also get increased with each multiple of $5K spending on the credit card/year.

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Up to a maximum of 4,000 TQPs/yr...i.e., charge over $5,000/month for 4 months. You need 5k, 10k, 20k TQPs for Select, Select Plus, and Executive. So you need a lot of train travel to augment that. I'm always Select Plus...working on Executive! I found out when I called as I charged $6,000-$7,000 in May and June and got no more TQPs.

the_traveler said:

No, at least for the fee card, you get the upgrade coupon and 2 one-way companion coupons every year.

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Upon opening the Bank of America AGR credit card account, you get one upgrade and companion coupon, and a day pass to an Amtrak lounge. Then, it's one upgrade and companion coupon a year, issued on the card anniversary date. Both the companion coupon and the upgrade coupon are electronic and can be redeemed by phone by a station agent, and now, on-line. The one-time lounge pass is paper and mailed to the account holder.