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It's been a while since I booked an AGR trip, so I have a quick question. I'm putting together an all el-freebo trip using AGR points for a sleeper (Roomette), United points for a hotel, and Virgin America points to fly home. Here is my question:
If I depart from the Bay Area (Oakland or Emeryville) and my destination is Chicago, is my ONLY option going to be #6 the CA Zephyr? I would prefer to take #14 to Portland and then get on #28 to Chicago--will AGR allow me to do this? It is one extra night on the train.
sbalax Member # 2801
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Smitty--
Since you are using your points for a sleeper you have to book by calling the AGR number. I say give them a call and see what they can do for you.
I've always found them to be very pleasant to deal with and very knowledgeable about the product.
Frank in sunny and soon to be fairly warm SBA
smitty195 Member # 5102
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Okay, I knew I had to call but was hoping there was an answer beforehand. I'm trying to find dates where I can use all points (rail, air, hotel) at the same time---it gets a bit tricky.
Geoff Mayo Member # 153
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I thought somebody did this quite recently (this year) on this very forum. IIRC it had to be handled as two trips but I could well be wrong.
dilly Member # 1427
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As long as you don't "backtrack" (travel eastward on one route, and then switch to a second route traveling west), the rules are flexible. For now anyway.
I've used AGR points for some very meandering, multi-route itineraries. For example, I traveled from New York to Seattle on a routing that involved:
- NY to Washington D.C. (Northeast Regional) - Washington D.C. to Chicago (Capitol Limited) - Chicago to New Orleans (City of New Orleans) - New Orleans to Los Angeles (Sunset Limited) - Los Angeles to Seattle (Coast Starlight)
My change of trains in New Orleans required an overnight hotel (on my dime) because the next Sunset Limited wasn't scheduled to depart until the next day.
AGR allowed the stopover. And they simply treated my entire five train, zig-zagging, New York-to-Seattle itinerary as a single one-way "Three Zone" trip.
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notelvis Member # 3071
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It has generally been my experience that anything that comes up when you enter your point of origin and endpoint on Amtrak's website is an allowable routing.
Out of curiousity, I just queried San Jose - Chicago for July 24 and routing via Portland was the last of 5 or 6 options that came up.
If you don't get the booking you want out of Oakland or Emeryville, why not try booking from San Jose?
TwinStarRocket Member # 2142
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One glitch is that they do not allow deliberate layovers at the connecting city without booking it as two separate trips. You would be required to book a same day connection at Portland, and risk bustitution.
I gambled last fall and was dealt the miserable bus ride from Klamath Falls to Pasco. Unfortunately, splitting it into a 1-zone trip plus a 2-zone trip burns a lot more points.
smitty195 Member # 5102
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Thanks for that info. I wonder if it would help by requesting 14 to Seattle, and 8 to Chicago? That way you would HAVE TO overnight in Seattle. I could ask, but I doubt they'll go for it.
I am now looking at reduced time availability. In order to do something like 14 to 28, it would take pretty much a week to do by the time I'd fly down to LA to start the trip, stay overnight in Chicago, fly home, etc. So now I'm thinking of either doing Number 6 from here to Chicago, or, flying down in the late morning to LA and then taking Number 4 that evening to Chicago---so that I'm only gone for a total of 3 nights (2 on the train/1 in Chicago). I can't afford to be gone any longer than that.
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