I was reading about the Amtrak Guest Rewards program and found their website to be really confusing so I have a couple of questions.
Is enrollment in this program free?
It says 500 points would be earned by signing up online. Is that enough to be used for.....anything or how does the whole point system work?
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
Yes, enrollment is free.
I don't think 500 points will get you anything, but it's a start.
If you have Continental Airlines OnePass miles you can transfer them to Guest Rewards. I did that recently and got a Deluxe Bedroom SEA/CHI for 24,000 miles. It went up to 30,000 the first of the month. I imagine it will go back down in the fall.
Probably the fastest way to earn points would be the Guest Rewards credit card. I didn't read the fine print but I believe there is no annual fee.
Frank in SBA
Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :
The program is free, sort of, in that there is no charge to be a member. You do have to buy things to get points.
500 points won't get you anything but for 1000 points you can get a one way ticket on the Cascades, Surfliner, Capitol, San Joaquins, Hiawatha or Downeaster. It goes up from there.
You gain one point for every dollar you spend on Amtrak. That's the slow way to get points.
If you get the credit card you can rack up points fast. You get one point for every dollar you spend on the credit card on anything you buy. You get two points per dollar for buying Amtrak tickets with the Amtrak credit card. I think that is in addition to the one point per dollar for buying the ticket. We've racked up over 19,000 points in about three years using the credit card, taking only one Amtrak trip per year. Pretty soon we can get a free deluxe bedroom for one zone of one-way travel (i.e. anything west of Denver).
There is no annual fee on the credit card, at least not at present.
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
Yes, enrollment is free, and so is the credit card (provided you don't run up interest payments, of course). With the credit card you get 1 point for every dollar spent, plus extra for Amtrak trips and also for certain other purchases with whom they are running deals, like Hilton, Loews, Omni hotel stays (right now), as long as you use your credit card and guest rewards card both in making the purchases. There is also something at the guest rewards web site called Miles Mall, where you sign up (for free too) with your credit card and guest rewards card and get a password and then if you make on line purchases with that credit card for a list of businesses (barnes & noble, gateway computer, staples, best buy, to name a few), you get some extra points in addition to the $1 a point.
I used my guest rewards for a trip to FL (inc sleeper) and it worked fine. I really liked dealing with the guest rewards customer service people.
Posted by Room Service (Member # 2405) on :
I'm going to inquire about getting standard sleeper accomodations for travel from ElPaso (Sunset Limited night #1) to Los Angeles. Then LA to PORTLAND (Coast Starlight night #2) and then PDX to Wolf Point (Empire Builder night # 3). As far as I can tell, that's getting the most out of your Guest Rewards Points in the Western Region. All travel is in one zone. I think it's within all the rules.
I'll let you all know what Amtrak says.
On Edit to say: What is that? About 12 Meals?
[This message has been edited by Room Service (edited 05-15-2004).]
Posted by EmpireBuilder (Member # 2036) on :
Well, the way the Guest Rewards credit card works makes it sound like a really good option. However, since I am a few days short of 22, have no steady source of income, and my credit history consists of one card with a $1000 limit (though I have always been able to pay my balance off the first month), I'm not even sure it would be worth it for me to apply at this time, since the impression I get is that one would have to have a fairly extensive credit history to get accepted for this particular one.
Also, this is still my first Amtrak trip ever that I am planning for a couple of months from now. If its taken me this long to try to get my first trip figured out, it might seem that my opportunities to ever travel with Amtrak in the future would be quite limited.
Also I have a confusing situation going on with a trip voucher situation from a cancelled trip from last summer, so I think I would only be able to purchase these tickets via the amtrak operators, or most likely only at an Amtrak station. I think this would keep me from being able to book this first trip through guest rewards anyways.
On a positive note, I just realized that the Amtrak Guest Rewards MasterCard is put out by MBNA, the same company my current MasterCard is from.
[This message has been edited by EmpireBuilder (edited 05-15-2004).]
Posted by SilverStar092 (Member # 2652) on :
The points do add up fast using the credit card, especially when you have a family. If you put groceries, gasoline, travel expenses, etc on it, the points come rolling in. I have already used points for a free Portland,Maine-Boston-Florida trip and am getting ready to use points to travel from Florida to Albuquerque then another group of points for a circuitous return from california to Florida. The Guest Rewards people are nice to work with and are very courteous. One hint: if you board or end your trip just beyond the dividing line between zones, it is best to buy coach seats to or from the dividing line city and the city just beyond the line then redeem for 1 less zone. It saves many points.
Posted by royaltrain (Member # 622) on :
Mr. Toy stated that you earn one point for every dollar spent on Amtrak's Guest Rewards. I went to the Amtrak website and it states that you earn two points for every dollar spent. Of course you can earn more points with certain credit cards etc. As I live in Canada it takes me a very long time to earn points as I don't think Canadians can have the Amtrak-Mastercard. However, when I have stayed in Hilton hotels, I receive 500 bonus points very quickly (faster than Amtrak's train trips). However for the last two months I have been fighting with the Guest rewards people to credit me 500 points for the Starwood group of hotels (Westin, Sheraton). Does anyone know why they post Hilton points almost immediately but are so slow with Starwood? Also I just noticed that on Amtrak's North America Rail Pass site, it states that you will receive 500 bonus points between May and August 2004. I believe this is new, as I have tried several times in years' past to obtain credit for this pass, but they have always ignored me. I wonder if I'll receive them this year as I will buy the pass in the next few weeks.
Posted by Ray S (Member # 3175) on :
I got the Rewards Mastercard two years or so ago. I gave one to each family member with instructions to use it often.
My daughter went to the University of Florida and had her own apartment so the points went up in a hurry! Books, food, gas, etc. Had to pay for it anyway so might as well have Amtrak points. We do the same here at home. Gas, food, clothes, enertainment and more. Pay the balance off each month.
I have enough points for a deluxe bedroom from California to Florida which I intend to use this fall.
One of the legs is Chicago to New Orleans in September. Amtrak site says it is only a little over $100.00 for a deluxe bedroom?? Guess I will not use my points for that part of the trip.
To Empire Builder: Call MBNA and they will switch your card to the Guest Rewards Mastercard.
Ray
Posted by Charles Reuben (Member # 2263) on :
EmpireBuilder,
Ray has sound advise: Ask MBNA to switch you over. But even if they won't, the fact is that few credit card companies would hesitate to issue you a card, so long as your credit history is good.
Unlike most of the six-figure deluxe-bedroom hot shots on this board, I make under 20K and I literally have to fight off those credit card companies with a baseball bat to get them to leave me alone.
The Guest Rewards card is a nifty little piece of plastic that is well-managed by those people in Delaware. Points are applied to your account faithfully and they are not at all difficult to redeam in a timely fashion. My only beef with MBNA is that, according to the last issue of Mother Jones Magazine, they are giving a disproportionate amount of their campaign contributions to the Republicans.
On the other hand, like most of the thrifty card-carrying Guest Rewards people on this board, I always pay off my debts on the first of the month, so I can't see how they (or the Republicant party) is making a cent off of me.
Posted by Steve Dunham (Member # 924) on :
I got the Amtrak MasterCard two years ago because I was taking a trip to Boston with one of my daughters and at the time there was an introductory offer with something like 5% extra discount for ordering online and another 5% for using the Amtrak MasterCard. Since then I have been using it for any purchases I can pay off every month (I don't think the points would be worth the interest) and saving up points for another trip to Boston.
------------------ Steve Dunham Literalman@aol.com http://www.stevedunham.50megs.com/
Posted by jp1822 (Member # 2596) on :
EmpireBuilder - Definitely apply for the card. This is one of the first cards I had in my own name - rather than through my company. I am also young and didn't really have any credit. Been fortunate and very thankful that I have avoided accumulating debt in my life - worked my #@% off to achieve this. My company was even lenient enough for me to put business expenses on my Guest Rewards card. Points added up fast. I used to pay for everything with check or cash - now I use the credit card as much as possible - although I fear the credit card frauds. Knock on wood, I have not had problems with this card - my debit card is another story. There are lots of promotions to gain bonus points with the card as well. Guest Rewards program in general is well worth it. I have gotten a lot of free trips accumulating points. Just completed a coast to coast tour in deluxe and standard bedrooms in cashing in points.
Posted by boyishcolt (Member # 3001) on :
enjoy you first trip EmpireBuilder
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
After amassing more than 500,000 Continental Airlines OnePass miles almost exclusively by using the Chase Platinum OnePass card (We are a Continental employee and "travel companion" who most often travel on space available passes that don't earn miles) we are considering switching to the GuestRewards card. As several people have said here it's amazingly easy to get large numbers of miles or points. Use the card for everything you would normally pay cash for or write a check for. Watch carefully for special offers, double miles/points, etc. Beware, though, of interest. Pay the full amount off every month. If you can't, limit the use of the card.
Continental is, as far as I know, the only airline that allows you to transfer their miles to GuestRewards. Midway and United will let you transfer GuestRewards to their program in blocks of 5,000 points.
The great thing, so far, about the GuestRewards program is that there are no capacity controls. If there is a seat or sleeper space available you can get it with points. Not so with the airlines where it can be close to impossible to cash in miles for popular dates or destinations.
GuestRewards also runs specials. We got a Deluxe Bedroom SEA/CHI for 24,000 points instead of 30,000 by traveling before the end of April. I'm hopeful that they offer a similar discount in the Fall.
Weigh the pros and cons and then do what seems best for you.
Frank in SBA (Headed to Costa Rica Monday on a pass. No miles but it should be a great trip!)
Posted by MOKSRail (Member # 3163) on :
I'm going to redeem my Guest Rewards points and take a trip soon. I have 40,000 points.
I notice on the redemption page, it says AMTRAK TRAVEL, 1-WAY.
Are stopovers allowed en route?
This trip would be with sleeper space, which is for two people.