PHL to Glenwood Springs

[northnorthwest]

I'm planning a summer trip originating in PHL and ending at Glenwood Springs, CO. I want to use my AGR points to get a roomette for part of this trip. I am not going to redeem for a full 3 zone trip; I'll do a max of 2 zones. I'm considering getting the room through to Denver and then paying for coach the rest of the way. For those of you who've done the CZ trip before do you see any difference in my enjoyment of the trip if I'm in coach for what I understand is the most scenic portion of the trip? What would your suggestions be on how to divide up the travel with paid portion versus points redemption.

Also because of the date I must arrive in Glenwood Springs, currently the roomette is not available for the whole trip. I can either get it for the CZ portion or the Capitol Limited portion depending on the day I leave--not both. So I'm wondering if they can put me on some type of waitlist for a roomette for the other portion or can I do something like pay for coach to Toledo and they can give me a free coach seat from Toledo to Chicago or deduct fewer points for the 1-zone roomette since I wouldn't get it for the TOL-CHI portion? Or something like this? Or allow me to split up the trip and stay in Chicago overnight?

What do you think?

 

[tomfuller]

I've taken the CZ both ways more than once. I always ride in coach.

My thought would be to have the roomette from Chicago to Denver. It will be daylight by the time you get to Denver. You can spend most of the time between Denver and Glenwood Springs in the Lounge car. The best scenery on the CZ route IMO is the Glenwood Canyon over the last 50 miles into Glenwood Springs. When both CZ's are running on time, they meet just east of Glenwood Canyon.

Are you going to WAS to take the CL the whole way or are you going to PGH and waiting for the CL?

 

[AG1]

I would try test booking from New York (NYP-DEN) which adds more options,

LSL and Cardinal(3 days a week).Find the station list for each route and try various combinations for example ALB-DEN and then use coach on each end of the trip. Remember that an AGR 2-zone sleeper redemption includes coach if necessary in the 2-zones.AGR won't reduce the points if a portion is in coach.