30K Miles burning a hole in my pocket

[Cristian]

Hello everyone,

Even though I am a relatively newbie here, I was able to learn so much about Amtrak thanks to this great community here.

I would appreciate your suggestions on how to best make use of 30K AGR points that have found their way into my account thanks to CO.

I am based in VNC/LAX and am debating myself on whether to fly ( ) up to ORD and then take the EB to SEA and connect to the CS (this would of course have to be done before 04/01/11) or perhaps try the TE from LAX to CHI (don't really care for the scenery down South but I do like the idea of spending 68 hours on a single train ). Or even paying for part of the trip (i.e. paying up to a zone-bordering town) and using miles for the rest of the trip and build a nice trans-con either up to BOS or down to JAX.

So many choices...

For the moment I am leaning towards the EB/CS combo mainly due to the refurbished cars (although I am aware that's not guaranteed) and ofc for the PPC. Are there any refurbished superliners on the TE? I see that on most of the dates it operates it's almost always sold out...

Thank you in advance for your help

Regards,

Cristian

 

[Edgefan]

I am taking a revenue trip to Oceanside, CA in July. I used 30K points for my return to go to New Orleans via Chicago, utilizing business class on a surfliner (included in redemption) the Texas Eagle to Chicago and the City of New Orleans. My home station this trip is Galesburg, IL, so my wife used her points to one zone us home from New Orleans. I'm totally with you, in that 68 hours on one train is fantastic!

p.s. I know you are new to posting, but this post might have been better served in the Amtrak Guest Rewards area.

 

[the_traveler]

Even before 4/1/11, I'm not sure of they would allow a CHI-SEA-LAX routing for 1 award. SEA is not the guaranteed connection point between the EB and CS (PDX is). And if the EB is more than 2 hours late, they will not pay for a hotel. Thus, if you go via SEA, I think they will charge for a 2 zone award plus a 1 zone award! Going thru PDX would be guaranteed and a 2 zone award only!

I would vote for CHI-PDX-LAX! Although you're not guaranteed a refurbished car on the EB, chances are they will be. The TE usually gets the cast offs, and IIRC has a CCC and not a dining car like on the EB! Another reason I'd chose the EB->CS is that the PPC may be replaced in 2012!

(I don't know what with, but enjoy it while you got it!

)

 

[Cristian]

Thank you for your suggestions. The EB/CS does sound like the best option.

I have one more question - If I were to start my trip in ATL going West via CHI, would it still be considered a two zone award even though the ATL-CHI train connects in WAS?

 

[Edgefan]

Thank you for your suggestions. The EB/CS does sound like the best option.

I have one more question - If I were to start my trip in ATL going West via CHI, would it still be considered a two zone award even though the ATL-CHI train connects in WAS?

I'm fairly sure you would be charged 3 awards. I've heard second hand, but not confirmed that a journey both ways across one zone constituted a 2 zone charge, if that were true, ATL via WAS to out west could tally up to four zones. But again, I cannot confirm that. I would greatly appreciate anyone with better first hand info on the latter.

 

[Cristian]

Spoke with different agents - they won't allow the ATL-WAS-CHI w/o charging the additional points, however, they are willing to allow ATL-NOL-(overnight)-CHI. I thought overnights were not allowed on AGR redemptions....

Oh, and I asked them about connecting in SEA to the CS and they said it would be an additional 5,500 points. Where did they get that amount?!

 

[the_traveler]

Spoke with different agents - they won't allow the ATL-WAS-CHI w/o charging the additional points, however, they are willing to allow ATL-NOL-(overnight)-CHI. I thought overnights were not allowed on AGR redemptions....

NOL is - and has been - the only overnight permitted. The only thing is you must take the next train out. (You can not stay in NOL for 5 or 7 days.)

Oh, and I asked them about connecting in SEA to the CS and they said it would be an additional 5,500 points. Where did they get that amount?!

5,500 points is the amount required for a 1 way coach award!

 

[Cristian]

5,500 points is the amount required for a 1 way coach award!

LOL...they were asking for 5,500 extra points to allow me to connect in SEA on the CS to VNC in a bedroom!

Good to know about the allowed stopover in NOL, the agent made it sound like she was making a one-time exception.

 

[frugalist]

Thank you for your suggestions. The EB/CS does sound like the best option.

I have one more question - If I were to start my trip in ATL going West via CHI, would it still be considered a two zone award even though the ATL-CHI train connects in WAS?

I'm fairly sure you would be charged 3 awards. I've heard second hand, but not confirmed that a journey both ways across one zone constituted a 2 zone charge, if that were true, ATL via WAS to out west could tally up to four zones. But again, I cannot confirm that. I would greatly appreciate anyone with better first hand info on the latter.

I can understand ATL > WAS > CHI > LAX being charged 3 zones, since you're traveling through the entire width of the eastern zone. But 4 zones!? They don't even have a 4-zone award in the award chart! How many points would they charge you? Has anyone here actually been charged 4 zones for this sort of trip? Something's fishy here.

 

[the_traveler]

I can understand ATL > WAS > CHI > LAX being charged 3 zones, since you're traveling through the entire width of the eastern zone. But 4 zones!?

Technically, the way you figure how many zones your trip is, you count the zones you cross on your trip. Thus (using BHM-LAX) You have

1. BHM-ATL = Midwest Zone
2. ATL-WAS-TOL = Eastern Zone
3. TOL-CHI-ABQ = Midwest Zone
4. ABQ-LAX = Western Zone

That's why we say 4 zones. I don't know of anyone who has done this, but if it is 4 zones, it should be a 2 zone plus a 2 zone redemption. (3 zones is a 2 zone plus a 1 zone redemption.)

 

[frugalist]

I can understand ATL > WAS > CHI > LAX being charged 3 zones, since you're traveling through the entire width of the eastern zone. But 4 zones!?

Technically, the way you figure how many zones your trip is, you count the zones you cross on your trip. Thus (using BHM-LAX) You have

1. BHM-ATL = Midwest Zone
2. ATL-WAS-TOL = Eastern Zone
3. TOL-CHI-ABQ = Midwest Zone
4. ABQ-LAX = Western Zone

That's why we say 4 zones. I don't know of anyone who has done this, but if it is 4 zones, it should be a 2 zone plus a 2 zone redemption. (3 zones is a 2 zone plus a 1 zone redemption.)

Just because a 3-zone redemption happens to cost the same as a 2-zone plus a 1-zone, it doesn't follow that a 4-zone redemption (whatever that is) costs the same as two 2-zones. There is no such thing as a 4-zone award on the AGR award chart. It doesn't exist, other than in the speculations of some folks in this community.

 

[Bruce-C]

I'm fairly sure you would be charged 3 awards. I've heard second hand, but not confirmed that a journey both ways across one zone constituted a 2 zone charge, if that were true, ATL via WAS to out west could tally up to four zones. But again, I cannot confirm that. I would greatly appreciate anyone with better first hand info on the latter.

Are you possibly confusing the "Northeast Zone" charge as being applied to a fare originating outside of this zone?? The "Northeast Zone" is only for fares that originate and terminate within this zone. For instance, ATL to WAS is only one zone.

 

[the_traveler]

I'm fairly sure you would be charged 3 awards. I've heard second hand, but not confirmed that a journey both ways across one zone constituted a 2 zone charge, if that were true, ATL via WAS to out west could tally up to four zones. But again, I cannot confirm that. I would greatly appreciate anyone with better first hand info on the latter.

Are you possibly confusing the "Northeast Zone" charge as being applied to a fare originating outside of this zone?? The "Northeast Zone" is only for fares that originate and terminate within this zone. For instance, ATL to WAS is only one zone.

He did not say "to", he said "via". The one zone referred to would be ATL->WAS->TOL as shown above!

 

[Edgefan]

I can understand ATL > WAS > CHI > LAX being charged 3 zones, since you're traveling through the entire width of the eastern zone. But 4 zones!?

Technically, the way you figure how many zones your trip is, you count the zones you cross on your trip. Thus (using BHM-LAX) You have

1. BHM-ATL = Midwest Zone
2. ATL-WAS-TOL = Eastern Zone
3. TOL-CHI-ABQ = Midwest Zone
4. ABQ-LAX = Western Zone

That's why we say 4 zones. I don't know of anyone who has done this, but if it is 4 zones, it should be a 2 zone plus a 2 zone redemption. (3 zones is a 2 zone plus a 1 zone redemption.)

Just because a 3-zone redemption happens to cost the same as a 2-zone plus a 1-zone, it doesn't follow that a 4-zone redemption (whatever that is) costs the same as two 2-zones. There is no such thing as a 4-zone award on the AGR award chart. It doesn't exist, other than in the speculations of some folks in this community.

I totally agree with you in that four zones do not exist. We had this VERY discussion last summer when the "loopholes" came down. It all boiled down to the AGR wording of "zones traveled across". A member of this community wanted to get in on a the Kirkwood, MO >Columbus, WI loophole, made the AGR points commitment of 20K one zone bedroom. AGR in turn back charged him another 30K, "zones traveled through". This extrapolation of that premise, traveling across the east zone twice, would be four zones to head out west. Call an AGR agent if you think I'm making this up.

 

[the_traveler]

To the OP - If that 30K is still burning a hole in your pocket, give them to me after you get them out of your pocket, and I'll be certain that they are gone before the next flame starts! I don't want you to get burned!

 

[Cristian]

@the_traveler - Oh the flames are gone and so are my miles but I am beginning my trip today with an early morning flight to ORD and then on the Empire Builder!



Thank you all for your suggestions, I am looking forward to this trip.

I'm traveling CHI-SEA-(overnight)-SEA-VNC

Hopefully I won't have to deal with the mudslides.