Originally Posted by
musicalbox
Select Exec was fun while it lasted but I imagine I'll just reach Select+ as usual this year (in fact, I already have thanks to all the bonuses).
It kind of puts me in an awkward spot. Last year, I was paying a little extra to upgrade sleepers for 5-7 hour day trips. The additional bonuses allowed me to reach Select+ for the first time in several years.
Having lounge access is nice and I enjoyed seeing renovations in Boston and the new Moynahan station in New York. However, now that many of the TQP promos have passed, I could realistically only qualify for Select if I tried, not living on the NEC makes it more difficult. However, in the past, Amtrak has practiced soft landings, meaning a member's loyalty is only decreased one lever per year, regardless of whether they qualified for the actual status.
Since I was Select+ for 2021-2022, there is a chance I may already be locked into Select for 2023, regardless of the TQPs earned for the remainder of this year.
Regardless, I am just happy many of the long distance trains, including the Empire Builder, are back to 7 day service.