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S

supergrandmother

Train Attendant
Joined
Feb 10, 2009
Messages
96
Location
Tennessee
I am planning a long distance trip with my grandson this summer using my points. I have been on several long distance trip but I have never used my points (yes, I have many). According to the zone map, Atlanta to Seattle is a two zone trip. So, when I entered Atlanta to Seattle into the reservation form on the web, it gave me the following as the first itinerary:

ATL to NOL #19 Crescent

NOL to LAX #1 Sunset Limited

LAX to Seattle #14 Coast Starlight.

My problem is there is an overnight in NOL before we can catch the Sunset Limited, so is it still a two-zone trip? When I call to make the reservations, will the agent use this itinerary?

Sorry to sound so dumb but one of the reasons I haven't used my points is they confuse me! :)
 
Yes, you can go by way of New Orleans, and it is a two-zone trip. The overnight stay in NOL is at your expense, but a stay in NOL is not the worst thing in the world.
 
It's not dumb.

ATL is a border city, but if you take the CL & Crescent you must travel thru the Eastern Zone. Thus you must pay points for the 3rd zone. If you go via NOL, you will stay in the Central Zone. Thus you only are charged for 2 zones. But you must pay for the overnight stay.
 
I have a secondary question to this.

Would her points apply to the connection in NOL, or would she have to use additional points for the NOL to LAX portion?

Example: Would it be 20,000 points for a roomette from ATL to LAX (two-zone w/ overnight connection) or 35,000 points (one-zone roomette from ATL - NOL and then a two-zone roomette from NOL to LAX)? The overnight interruption is what confuses me. I've been wondering this for a while.
 
Thanks folks. I don't mind the overnight in NOL and hotels there are not real expensive. I have enough points to easily do the two-zone in a roomette and have some left over. I didn't want to waste points on a three zone. If I can figure some way to get an overnight in LAX on the way home, my grandson would be in heaven!
 
Sarah, I think NOL falls in the 23 hrs 59 min between trains connection so it would not require a 2nd redemption of points.
 
AmtrakBlue said:
Sarah, I think NOL falls in the 23 hrs 59 min between trains connection so it would not require a 2nd redemption of points.
Click to expand...
Okay. I didn't know about the 23:59 rule. Thanks! That actually helps me with a couple of trip ideas. :)
 
Yep, that's not a bad deal.

Only applies to published connections, though:

Where a published route contains a valid connection of 23 hours, 30 minutes or less, an overnight stay in the connecting city is permitted at the passenger's own expense. (Example: one-way travel from New York to El Paso, where the published route requires an overnight connection in New Orleans, would be permitted on the same redemption.)
Click to expand...
 
Sarah - If you go via NOL, everything is included for 2 zones (ATL-NOL and NOL-LAX-SEA). The only thing not covered is the overnight stay in NOL.

SG - The SL arrives at 5:30 am (many times before 5 am) and the CS departs just after 10 am, so unless it's more than 4 1/2 hours late, you will not have a LA overnight. :(
 
I think she meant an overnight on the way HOME. And I am not sure what they would do there, because the only published route is through the thrid zone via the CS, CZ, Cardinal and Crescent. But if you use multi-city through LAX, you will find the layover is less than 23 hours and 59 minutes, so that SHOULD be allowed. But there would be a SECOND, similar layover in New Orleans, and perhaps only one such layover is allowed in a published route.

Do try and see if they will book it that way (or any way at all as a two-zone), and let us know!
 
SarahZ said:
AmtrakBlue said:
Sarah, I think NOL falls in the 23 hrs 59 min between trains connection so it would not require a 2nd redemption of points.
Click to expand...
Okay. I didn't know about the 23:59 rule. Thanks! That actually helps me with a couple of trip ideas. :)
Click to expand...
Please keep in mind Sarah that the 23:59 rule only works when there is no other option. For example, one cannot take the CZ west to EMY or SAC and then invoke the rule to connect to the southbound Coast Starlight to LA because other options exist. Namely the San Joaguin's with bus connections to LA.

In the case of the Crescent to Sunset in NOL connection, there is no other option, so the rule works.
 

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