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Bex

Service Attendant
Joined
Dec 6, 2014
Messages
215
Location
NEC
I'm curious about the economics of a status run, especially with what I presume to be an expensive ticket. I'd like to get to SP, but getting the next 5,000 TQPs from Select would be tough. Are there any bonus opportunities?

This may be better for the AGR forum.
The best way to get 4k of those is to get a Bank of America Amtrak card and put every single thing you possibly can on it (this is how I get there; $3000 worth of Amtrak travel, which is about what I do a year, plus everything on the card). But others in the AGR forum may have other ideas.

MODERATOR NOTE:  this discussion was split from the Acela Assigned Seating Experience thread in the Amtrak Discussion forum.
 
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The best way to get 4k of those is to get a Bank of America Amtrak card and put every single thing you possibly can on it (this is how I get there; $3000 worth of Amtrak travel, which is about what I do a year, plus everything on the card). But others in the AGR forum may have other ideas.
Yep, I have the BoA card, so 4,000 TQPs of what you need for the first jump comes from that. I guess I'm wondering about the next 5,000 TQPs.
 
The best way to get 4k of those is to get a Bank of America Amtrak card and put every single thing you possibly can on it (this is how I get there; $3000 worth of Amtrak travel, which is about what I do a year, plus everything on the card). But others in the AGR forum may have other ideas.
Yep, I have the BoA card, so 4,000 TQPs of what you need for the first jump comes from that. I guess I'm wondering about the next 5,000 TQPs.
Not sure if you get more TQP's from Acelas vs. Regionals or not (aside from getting more because of the higher cost, obviously) because I seldom take the Acela so haven't noticed. There are extra earning promotions on occasion, but they are by invitation only and I personally have never received one and only hear about them here. Otherwise I think you are looking at $2500 worth of Amtrak travel. But others in the AGR forum may know other methods.
 
Not sure if you get more TQP's from Acelas vs. Regionals or not (aside from getting more because of the higher cost, obviously) because I seldom take the Acela so haven't noticed. There are extra earning promotions on occasion, but they are by invitation only and I personally have never received one and only hear about them here. Otherwise I think you are looking at $2500 worth of Amtrak travel. But others in the AGR forum may know other methods.
Perhaps the reason you're not getting any of the promotional emails is that your profile at AGR specifies no or limited emails.  Here's what mine looks like.  I get emails from Amtrak and AGR weekly, or thereabouts.  Sometimes even more often.

AA My Profile.jpg
 
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Perhaps the reason you're not getting any of the promotional emails is that your profile at AGR specifies no or limited emails.  Here's what mine looks like.  I get emails from Amtrak and AGR weekly, or thereabouts.  Sometimes even more often.

View attachment 11777
I'm aware of all those settings and receive all emails. :)

These are targeted to specific customers. See for example here: 
 
Hmmm.....

Perhaps you're Select Executive level, so they automatically sign you up for all promotions and then don't tell you about them?  But then, I have numerous problems with the speed and accuracy of Amtraks' communications.   Since I must made Executive level myself, I'll have to wait and see if I get 'cut out' of the promotions loop.
 
Nope, I'm Select+ and I definitely don't get extra TQP's during these promotions. They simply are targeted to certain customers who, based on whatever algorithm, Amtrak thinks will travel more because of them. There are other promotions which are targeted, as well, often for those who would not make the next tier without them. It isn't about not getting an email, it's about you or I not being a person who Amtrak thinks economically would provide the pay off they're seeking. The airlines and many other companies do this as well. 
 
Nope, I'm Select+ and I definitely don't get extra TQP's during these promotions. They simply are targeted to certain customers who, based on whatever algorithm, Amtrak thinks will travel more because of them. There are other promotions which are targeted, as well, often for those who would not make the next tier without them. It isn't about not getting an email, it's about you or I not being a person who Amtrak thinks economically would provide the pay off they're seeking. The airlines and many other companies do this as well. 
Based on numerous IT issues Amtrak seems to have, I'm totally surprised that Amtrak has the skills, technology, and desire to do any 'targeted advertising' other than TV ads in very few select markets.  Perhaps they purchased some kind of software package that scans travel history, frequency, etc and 'decides' whether each passenger would use that as an incentive for more Amtrak travel.  It's like they're treating us as babes (or senile citizens) that can't make a decision for themselves, so they remove the choice(s).  

Let's hear it for discouraging their customers by NOT advertising various incentives intended to INCREASE sales!  Even at zero-cost to send out an email!  Marketing NEGATIVE 101 perhaps? 
 
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Let's hear it for discouraging their customers by NOT advertising various incentives intended to INCREASE sales!  Even at zero-cost to send out an email!  Marketing NEGATIVE 101 perhaps? 
But this is the thing: I travel exactly the same whether there is an incentive or not. So, eg, Double Days, which is not targeted but is for everyone, simply nets me double the points that I would get anyway. That's a negative for them, as they give me freebies without anything in return. Why should they target me for anything, really? Rain or shine I travel the exact same route, back and forth, the same days every week. It's not a matter of not advertising something or sending an email which costs nothing; it's a matter of giving me something for free (points, TQP's, the next tier of AGR, etc.) which is great for me but yields them nothing. I can't speak to how they do this, I just know as a former marketing person that it makes sense for them to target people who will, on the basis of the promotion, purchase something they would not otherwise.
 
But this is the thing: I travel exactly the same whether there is an incentive or not. So, eg, Double Days, which is not targeted but is for everyone, simply nets me double the points that I would get anyway. That's a negative for them, as they give me freebies without anything in return. Why should they target me for anything, really? Rain or shine I travel the exact same route, back and forth, the same days every week. It's not a matter of not advertising something or sending an email which costs nothing; it's a matter of giving me something for free (points, TQP's, the next tier of AGR, etc.) which is great for me but yields them nothing. I can't speak to how they do this, I just know as a former marketing person that it makes sense for them to target people who will, on the basis of the promotion, purchase something they would not otherwise.
Yes, it's a net negative...but it's also a soft inducement for folks to travel in the two deep slow periods (mid-Sep to mid-Nov and mid-Jan to mid-Mar).  For plenty of pax, it's a nothingburger that gives them free miles.  In my case, it nudges me to pay for reservations then rather than redeem points.  But the impact varies from person to person, too.
 
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Yes, it's a net negative...but it's also a soft inducement for folks to travel in the two deep slow periods (mid-Sep to mid-Nov and mid-Jan to mid-Mar).  For plenty of pax, it's a nothingburger that gives them free miles.  In my case, it nudges me to pay for reservations then rather than redeem points.  But the impact varies from person to person, too.
This is exactly my point: for some it will induce them to spend more and some not. So why not target people like you and not people like me? This is why targeted promotions are smart for Amtrak and a dud for me, alas.
 
This is exactly my point: for some it will induce them to spend more and some not. So why not target people like you and not people like me? This is why targeted promotions are smart for Amtrak and a dud for me, alas.
They still fail marketing 101, in my book.  Why does the grocery store put milk and meats at the rear of the store?  Why does CVS usually locate the pharmacy as far from the front door as possible?  To induce someone walking through the store with a single purpose in mind to perhaps pick up something they weren't looking for.  I confess...I'm sometimes guilty of that.

And as far as taking the same trains, same day(s) of the week, over and over, wouldn't it make sense to offer you 'incentive' to perhaps accumulate more points for future travel, such as a vacation?  For me, I rarely make the same trip twice in a row, so, obviously, they could 'lure' me to spend more money.  But in doing so, more points equals more free travel.  So, in the end, it costs them real money in their accounting mindset.  Buy 5, get 1 free with points, or something like that.  Seems to me that the 'get 1 free' part is what they're trying to discourage, doesn't it?  If so, why bother to have ANY points based promotions?  I always take them up on the 1-2-3-free promo that's coming up, too.  Maybe that will go bye bye so they don't have to give away any of those free rides, either.
 
If so, why bother to have ANY points based promotions?  I always take them up on the 1-2-3-free promo that's coming up, too.  Maybe that will go bye bye so they don't have to give away any of those free rides, either.
We’ve been through this; because they believe it will entice more sales. The reason certain promotions are targeted is because they think, based on whatever info, that with certain people, they will probably more than make back the cost of the promotion itself.
 
I think there's also a concern that if they were to exclude some swathe of their regulars for already being "too good" customers, it could sow some ill will when they inevitably find out about it.  A "better" approach might be to keep them eligible but not market such a programme to them so they don't "notice" the benefits...but at least in the case of Select Executive members, that gets mixed up by one of the overall benefits (namely, automatic signup).  However, there I think the programme in question can be considered an investment in the overall relationship with that customer (which, for example, induced me to pay full fare for Acela F twice in the last week in order to handle my TQP drive...yes, I'm skating over the threshold for Select Executive with about 300 points to "spare").
 
Beyond bragging rights, is Select Executive really worth spending money towards beyond any travel that you would normally do anyway?

I have been struggling to justify to myself points runs to even get Select Plus. But it at least gets you into the Lounges and United Club, though the latter is kind of useless for me since I already have incidental access through a couple of other means. Anyway, until this year I have done a points run or two to barely make it to Select Plus. Since next year I will be traveling mostly on my stash of AGR point, I doubt I will get even to Select Plus. Select will sort of happen because of AGR Card and a few incidental paid Amtrak travel, with no specific additional effort.
 
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It depends on how much you're spending to get it and how much you get out of the status versus Select Plus.  I see there as being five tangible benefits of Select Executive status:
(1) An extra 50% points earning.  In my case, this is probably 7500-8000 points.  Cash value about $200-230, though I'll err low due to occasional restrictions on point use.  $200.
(2) Added upgrade cards.  I presume somewhere in the range of 6-11/yr (6 if I only get six due to TQP timing, 11 if I get another "double shot" of cards at requal and at the start of the AGR year plus seven during the year).  The value here is a little harder to peg, though the number of times I've gotten over $100 exceed the number of times I've gotten less than $50.  Let's put a value of $40 on them so there's something on the table, and presume I'm only able to use an average of six "productively" (note that 11 or 12 of these used on a NYP-WAS run on the Acela would kick out a value of somewhere around $1500, maybe even more depending on pricing differentials).  $240.
(3) "Damage control" on award redemption restrictions.  Penalty pricing applies less frequently, and the redeposit penalty gets crammed down.  I'll put this as being worth $25.
(4) Faster/better call response (as far as I can tell).  Even with the current issues, I'm pretty used to both getting the call picked up immediately and getting more skilled agents, though I'm getting a little bit annoyed at having to tell the agent my number after I entered it.  $10.
(5) Auto-signup for promos.  Some value here in not "slipping up" and forgetting to sign up for something.  $15.

So let's say that the value for me $490.  To run down my Amtrak spending over the last week, I probably spent just under $1450.  Ouch, I know.  However:
-About $400 of that was programmed in regardless for getting to/from DC and grabbing lunch with Mom and Dad one day (it would have happened on different days, yes, but it would have happened either way).
-Around $90 of that was due specifically to plans going a bit "off the rails" (my brother was supposed to drive me to a dinner on Christmas Eve and begged off).  NB that being able to spend an extra $9 (vs. Regional coach) and burn a pair of upgrade cards to be in Acela First both ways (WAS-BAL/BAL-WAS) was nice, especially when I got a little tipsy at the party and was able to graze my way out of a probable hangover.  That little run probably exemplifies what I most get out of my status.
-Around $155 of that was a Christmas Day run up to New York in First on the Acela via an upgrade (I f*** [1] back on Delta ) which was in the cards before the status run side of this hit the agenda since I got to hang out with a friend at JFK (we'd been meaning to go a place there together for a long time but never got things to line up until then).

So that's close to half of the overall total.  The rest is rounded up in yesterday's trip...which gets to the fun question: I arguably spent $800 to "buy" a status that's worth just under $500.  Worth it?  Well, for a day where I had breakfast on the Acela, lunch straight out of Mad Men at the Oyster Bar, and dinner on the Meteor, all with a work colleague/friend who I was able to get a lot of productive stuff done with?  Yeah, I think that's worth $300 in "unnecessary" spend net of benefits.  At the end of it all, I may not remember the status...but I'll remember a fun day and we got a hell of a lot more done than we would have just hanging around DC.

I think the rub is that while I'd do some funky stuff to keep status, in general I do try to manipulate my status runs in such a way as to have a good time along the way.  I did that, and it's not like I had to jam my rear enf into a coach seat from LAX-MEL and back to do it.


[1] Flew, of course.  What did you think I meant?
 
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Yeah. That clearly illustrates why I should not be striving for Select Executive. [emoji57] Thanks for sharing the parameters that make it worthwhile. In my situation I have little use for upgrade coupons for example, since the trains I normally ride has nothing to upgrade to using those.
 
@jis: I fully understand that...Charlie's in the same boat.  I really wish they'd allow you to redeem them for something like $50 off of the accommodation charge on an LD train since folks in a good chunk of the country otherwise get very poor value out of that part of the program (and $50 is still way below the value on a decent Regional redemption, let alone Acela First).  Delta's Platinum/Diamond Choice Benefits come to mind here.

For me, the "decision point" came when my AGR card points got sorted out (those got fouled up since my "November" points...where I'd spent $11k on the card...wound up being set to not post until January while some of my earlier spend had vanished into the ether).  If I had only gotten 1,000 bonus TQPs then I wasn't going to bother.  If I'd gotten all 4,000 I was more-or-less set and might have pulled my spending back a little.  The 3,000 that ultimately posted were right above my go/no-go line (and I do mean right above it...as it is, I'm squeaking in with inches [well, about 250 TQPs] to spare).  Had that not been the case, I would probably have done something different in lieu of that run to New York.
 
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Not for nothing, but I think it's hilarious that it looks like I started this thread when the very first post is me responding to someone else. Mods, why not include the question in this thread and not begin with my answer? It was the post with the question that began the topic, not my answer.
 
I'm admin of another forum with about 2,500 members and I'd have made that split with the actual change of topic rather than right after, but I more just found it funny than a problem.
 
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