Well, parts of the routing were valid as AGR and splitting it right could have probably gotten it for two 2-zone redemptions. For instance, I did CHI-ELP on a 2-zone award in May. And WPT-ATL was coming up as a valid 2-zone routing as well.
Yes, parts of it are valid as an AGR trip. And even now, without ARROW showing that routing, one could still piece together such a trip on points. But again, as a single award this trip could never have been booked, despite it showing in ARROW, because of the circle trip rule at AGR. That rule overrides the valid routing rule of AGR.
So why do you think it got removed? The computer just decided on its own to not to allow it anymore?
My guess is that it was some fluke in the system, perhaps even something that department was working on that somehow led to ARROW showing that as a valid routing. As they tested and cleaned up, they caught it. It's also possible that someone saw it and reported it to Amtrak. It could even be that AGR Insider saw it and reported it. But if he did, he did so simply because he wants Amtrak to provide the best information and logical routings. Not because he didn't want to have to give out such an award; he was already covered by the circle rule.
Just in case you didn't know, Anthony (AGR Insider) is the man who created this website. He did so back when he was still just a kid because he saw the hole in Amtrak information back then. He's spent more than half of his life trying to make sure that people get the proper information about Amtrak. And such a routing would only appeal to a railfan. Railfans only make up a very small percentage of Amtrak's business. He would have been worried about people saying "what the heck is this, they're sending me west to go east and charging me 5 grand. The heck with Amtrak.", then he would have been worried about awards that he already didn't have to give out.
According to what many people have posted, the routes are all added manually, so I assume they are removed manually as well. Amtrak would certainly love to get $5,677 in revenue for a passenger on that routing, so it is not logical for Amtrak to have wanted it removed.
Correct, they are added manually. It's the only way. And it is highly unlikely that Amtrak would ever sell such a ticket as only a railfan would even consider it. And one can still put such a trip together by using the multi-city option if you wish.
I still believe that AGR probably had something to do with it. And I think that AGRInsider and the members he's helped would disagree with your statement that "it is not withing their direct powers to change any routing."
I know what Anthony (AGR Insider) would say as I know him personally and he's told me how the process works. I've done multiple train trips with Anthony, many Gatherings with Anthony, helped him run this forum for many years until he had to give it up, and just last fall I attended a baseball game with him. I'm not trying to brag here, but I know the man personally and we've discussed many things about Amtrak over the years, including how routings are done and what he has to do when someone like AmtrakBlue contacts him about requesting a change.
Most of his requests have been honored over the last few years, but a few were rejected.
