Amtrak Guest Rewards - Is there a way????

I'm Amtrak not-select and I want to get some Amtrak points transferred out to my Hilton. Is there any possibility without my being a select? If no - is there a way to gain select status by purchase? Complimentary upgrade? Anything?

thanks,bb

You can get the Chase AGR mastercard and after a $200 spend you should be able to transfer to HHonors for a maximun of 25000 AGR points!

Other than that I don't think there is a way besides being S or S+

You can get the Chase AGR mastercard and after a $200 spend on Amtrak travel you should be able to transfer to HHonors for a maximun of 25000 AGR points!

FTFY in bold.

Appreciate that -- but I'm specifically not asking about the card. The card gives a 25000 bonus and then the card allows you to transfer out 25000. So I'd be right back where I started (not a select) with the same amount of points in my account. Plus I don't want the credit hard hit right now.

I'm Amtrak not-select and I want to get some Amtrak points transferred out to my Hilton. Is there any possibility without my being a select? If no - is there a way to gain select status by purchase? Complimentary upgrade? Anything?

thanks,bb

?
Same question.

Unfortunately, that's the extent of your options: Either travel Amtrak enough to earn Select, or apply for the card (which does carry no annual fee) and spend $200 on Amtrak tickets, to unlock the point transfer privileges.

There was pretty rampant abuse of the system a few years back by people who never really intended to give any business to Amtrak, which left AGR no viable choice but to institute these controls.

Aren't they shooting themselves in the foot? How could it hurt Amtrack if I exchange out points for Hilton Honors without being a "select?" I just don't see it.

I could take those points and use them to get a bedroom on a long trip (but don't want to) and it would probably hurt them even more because they would not be able to sell that room. I can't see why my having some options here is a negative to Amtrak.

Sorry for the rant, but they need to start making their points much more useable.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

There is no shortcut to Select status of which I am aware. There have occasionally been some AGR bonus-point promotions where the bonus points count towards Select qualification, but you still had to ride the trains to earn those points.

If you do not have Select status and are not willing to take the Chase/AGR MasterCard (and put $200 of Amtrak spend on it), then you will not be redeeming AGR points for Hilton HHonors points anytime soon.

Sorry for the rant, but they need to start making their points much more useable.


They're extremely usable for Amtrak travel.

Aren't they shooting themselves in the foot? How could it hurt Amtrack if I exchange out points for Hilton Honors without being a "select?" I just don't see it.

I could take those points and use them to get a bedroom on a long trip (but don't want to) and it would probably hurt them even more because they would not be able to sell that room. I can't see why my having some options here is a negative to Amtrak.

Sorry for the rant, but they need to start making their points much more useable.

It doesn't really hurt Amtrak if just you do that. But when people come along to use Amtrak as a "points laundering service", which did happen, that's different. Amtrak had to spend considerable amounts of money transferring points around from one program to another for people who never had any intent of riding Amtrak.

AGR's primary purpose is to promote Amtrak ridership; not to be a points laundering service. The restrictions put into place after massive abuse, ensure that you are an Amtrak customer who is enjoying the perks of being able to use your points in the way you like, be it for Amtrak travel or Hilton points. Not someone who simply signed up for the ability to move points from one program to another with Amtrak acting as a clearing house and never getting any benefit from the transactions.

FTFY in bold.

Thanks for the correction!