Planning an AGR trip! Help please!

[inspiration100]

Alright, I got 15,000 AGR points so I'm pumped about using them this summer to go down from Seattle to Las Vegas:blink:.

My question is... is there any way to get to Las Vegas with the Amtrak Guest Rewards? I noticed Reno is the closest city and I don't want to go there.

I also would want to first go to Los Angeles because I adore the views on the second day of the train ride.

If AGR doesn't cover this, anyone know about what the fee is to get to Las Vegas from Los Angeles?

I could also go to Flagstaff, that looks much more rewarding...

Would Amtrak give me a sleeper on the Chief as well since I'm using AGR for a roomette? Would I get a roomette on the Starlight and the Chief for my 15,000?

 

[sechs]

Have you tried looking on the Amtrak website for routings? If there is a route in Arrow (Amtrak's booking system), then AGR can book it.

There are buses from several places to LVS. They can be included in your reward booking -- for no additional cost (dollars or points).

 

[PRR 60]

I don't think AGR will book a trip from Seattle to Las Vegas via Los Angeles. Is it not a connection that can be constructed on the Amtrak CRS, and it requires an overnight in LA. The standard routing is SEA to SAC on the Starlight, then a bus to SKN, then train to BKF, then bus to LVS. If you used AGR to LAX, then the bus to LVS is $38.

If you forget Las Vegas and go to Flagstaff, you would indeed get both roomettes for your 15,000 points. However, you will not get to ride the Starlight past SAC. Once again, AGR will only provide the Amtrak CRS route which is (brace yourself): train SEA to SAC, bus SAC to SKN, train SKN to BFD, bus BFD to LAX, then train LAX to FLG.

 

[inspiration100]

I guess my problem is how can I tell what Amtrak will allow? I can find tons of routes, but how do I know if it's covered by AGR?

 

[PRR 60]

I guess my problem is how can I tell what Amtrak will allow? I can find tons of routes, but how do I know if it's covered by AGR?

The easiest way is to go to Amtrak.com and try an on-line booking with the start and end cities you want. The trains and routes that are offered will be legit AGR routes. There may also be other legit routes that are not shown (due to limitations with the Amtrak website), but if it is shown, you will know it is a route that AGR will book.

Basically, AGR does not permit backtracking if a direct route is available, and AGR does not permit a stopover if a route not requiring a stopover is available. That sometimes creates some oddball train-bus-train-bus-train routes where a simple train to train would be possible, but with Amtrak and AGR, it is what it is.

 

[inspiration100]

Interesting. Well does anyone have any suggestions how to make a good trip with this route? Is my best bet go to Los Angeles and bus to Las Vegas on my own fee? I really want to go by the coast and have the full trip on the starlight (or at least close to it). It's a real pain they won't route me down to LA and then on the Chief!!

 

[darien-l]

Alright, I got 15,000 AGR points so I'm pumped about using them this summer to go down from Seattle to Las Vegas:blink:.My question is... is there any way to get to Las Vegas with the Amtrak Guest Rewards?

Las Vegas is only served by Amtrak Thruway buses (I assume you mean Las Vegas, NV, not Las Vegas, NM), but you can certainly use your AGR points for them, as long as you have a train segment as part of your itinerary. There are a couple of options, the simplest of which is to take Coast Starlight to Sacramento, connect with California Zephyr to Salt Lake City, and take a thruway connection to Las Vegas from there. You will get excellent views of the Sierra Nevadas from the California Zephyr.

I also would want to first go to Los Angeles because I adore the views on the second day of the train ride.

This is a bit more problematic because the Amtrak buses leave LA for Las Vegas at about 10 AM and 3 PM, long before the Coast Starlight arrives at 9 pm, so there's no direct connection. What you can do is take Coast Starlight to LA, spend a day or two there, and then take one of the many bus services between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, many of which provide hotel-to-hotel service and are way more comfortable than Amtrak motorcoaches. Here's just one out of many examples: http://www.luxbusamerica.com Or you can always rent a car, of course.

If AGR doesn't cover this, anyone know about what the fee is to get to Las Vegas from Los Angeles?

Bus fare should run around $100 round trip.

I could also go to Flagstaff, that looks much more rewarding...

Sure, although if you're looking to go to Grand Canyon, there's a nice connection to Grand Canyon Railway in Williams... Also, you realize that your 15,000 AGR points is for a one-way award only, right? I'm saying this because the return from the Grand Canyon area is a lot simpler then getting there: there's a direct connection between the westbound Southwest Chief and northbound Coast Starlight in LA, so what I would do is fly to Flagstaff, take the Open Road Tours (www.openroadtours.com) or Flagstaff Express (www.flagstaffexpress.com) bus up to Grand Canyon, and then return all the way to Seattle for free with your AGR points like so:

8573 Bus Grand Canyon Natl Park, AZ (GCB) 6:15 pm

Flagstaff, AZ (FLG) 8:00 pm

3 Southwest Chief Flagstaff, AZ (FLG) 8:57 pm

Los Angeles, CA - Union Station (LAX) 8:15 am

14 Coast Starlight Los Angeles, CA - Union Station (LAX) 10:15 am

Seattle, WA (SEA) 8:45 pm

(Likewise, you might also want to look into flying to Las Vegas and taking Amtrak back: you may get better connections and a shorter bus ride. Play around with possible itineraries on amtrak.com)

Would Amtrak give me a sleeper on the Chief as well since I'm using AGR for a roomette? Would I get a roomette on the Starlight and the Chief for my 15,000?

Absolutely, as long as your destination is within the western zone and the train has sleepers, you're entitled.

 

[PRR 60]

Interesting. Well does anyone have any suggestions how to make a good trip with this route? Is my best bet go to Los Angeles and bus to Las Vegas on my own fee? I really want to go by the coast and have the full trip on the starlight (or at least close to it). It's a real pain they won't route me down to LA and then on the Chief!!

If you want to ride down the California Coast on the Starlight, and I don't blame you for that, then the best option might be to use the 15,000 points for the Starlight and then buy the Las Vegas segment separately. However, $38 will mean the bus from LAX to LVS. To force a route using the Southwest Chief connecting to a bus at Kingman AZ (not Flagstaff) will bump the price up to something over $70.

 

[darien-l]

Have you tried looking on the Amtrak website for routings? If there is a route in Arrow (Amtrak's booking system), then AGR can book it.

I'm assuming one CANNOT book something like this using AGR, even though it shows up in Arrow:

7903 Thruway Train

Grand Canyon Natl Park, AZ (GCN) 3:00 pm

Williams, AZ (WMA) 5:15 pm

6903 Bus

Williams, AZ (WMA) 9:10 pm

Williams Junction, AZ (WMJ) 9:20 pm

3 Southwest Chief

Williams Junction, AZ (WMJ) 9:33 pm

Los Angeles, CA - Union Station (LAX) 8:15 am

14 Coast Starlight

Los Angeles, CA - Union Station (LAX) 10:15 am

Seattle, WA (SEA) 8:45 pm

(The first segment is on Grand Canyon Railway)

 

[the_traveler]

I'm not sure about combining the GCR onto an AGR award. I don't think the GCR is considered a Thruway connection. But I agree that would be the best way - start from Arizona and go back on the Chief and Starlight, The views along the coast north of LA would be mid day instead of (possibly) after dark.

 

[inspiration100]

Man, great responses guys. Thanks a ton! Yes, I looked into the other direction and it looks like that's the best way to do it. Looks like 2 nights in a sleeper as well. What are the odds of the Chief being late and having to hotel a night in Angeles? I would actually like that in this case.

I also am going to assume that I could stick a breakfast on the Chief in before our 8:50 arrival? Or do they not serve breakfast the last morning on the chief?

 

[AlanB]

I also am going to assume that I could stick a breakfast on the Chief in before our 8:50 arrival? Or do they not serve breakfast the last morning on the chief?

Breakfast is indeed served on the Chief, but you've got to get up early for it, assuming that the train is running ontime. Typically they start at 6:00 and are done by 7:00 AM or so.

 

[darien-l]

Another thing just occurred to me that may be the ideal solution you're looking for. I believe Amtrak reservations can have a maximum of 5 segments each way, and, according to Arrow, it's impossible to get from Seattle to Grand Canyon in less than 6 (it only gives itineraries with 5 segments to Williams Junction or Flagstaff). In other words, there are no valid itineraries from Seattle to Grand Canyon. This means you MAY be able to force an overnight in Los Angeles using your AGR points. Coast Starlight arrives at 9 pm, and Southwest Chief doesn't leave until 6:45 pm the following day, so if this works, you'll have a full day in Los Angeles.

 

[the_traveler]

IF the Chief was very late, and they could not make the connection with the Starlight and there were alot of passengers connecting, what they may do is bus passengers between the 2 trains - say from Barstow to Santa Barbara or the like. You would not even go all the way to LA in that case. And if you do, Amtrak would not be responsible for the extra cost.