dlouise37

Hi All


First time poster to the Amtrak Forum so not real clear on posting etiquette here...but I did check a few sources first to see if this broke any taboos.

For the Amtrak vets this is all likely old news and a bit boring but we're kind of giddy over it.... Anywho.. We are excited about our first AGR booking and just wanted to share what we think is a good-deal(which you already likely know).

We both enjoy riding the train and have had many trips from our current home to CHI but nothing overnight. It evens goes back to my childhood when my dad worked for the Chicago-Northwestern and we would ride from da U.P. eh to CHI and back.

This trip started a few months back when a poster in another forum suggested transferring CO Miles to AGR and then booking a long trip just for fun. So we did. A looong trip 6 Days 4 nights for 30K CO miles total for two people.

We had heard that many folks really like the Coast Starlight route from LAX-->SEA but I wasn't sure if we would have to pay extra points to do a non-direct routing to SEA of CHI-LAX-SEA vs CHI-SEA and if it was worth it. So I called and just laid out the dates and trains I wanted to the agent to see what they would say. He booked it with out batting an eye and at the nominal two zone sleeper rate of 30K points.

We got CHI-->LAX on the Southwest Chief and then onto the Coast Starlight LAX-->SEA all in a Superliner bedroom. Four days three nights with meals, private bath, private shower, Wi-Fi. All fully cancellable . We're happy campers...but wait there's more...

I was looking into what the options were for free stopovers and found the answer to be essentially "no"...but...you can get a "quickie" in New Orleans(pun intended) as the connecting train leaves the next day. The train from CHI arrives in NOL in the afternoon and the next train to LAX leaves the following day at noonish.

So I called Amtrak again and had them adjust our itn to goto LAX via NOL.. Again no-problem and no additional points required.

Our itn is now CHI-NOL where we will overnight in the French Quarter someplace(on our dime, No prob). The next day it is off to SEA via LAX and the Coast Starlight.

All total we transferred 30K CO miles and got 6 days, 4 nights in a sleeper, all meals, private bath and shower, Wi-Fi. We'll kick around SEA and the Northwest for a few days when we get there and then fly back on our dime. (Miles earning for our next trip of course.)

We're not sure how we will feel after 6 six days on the train but if we can do DTW-LAX-SYD and back with a 36 hour turn all in Delta coach we can do just about anything... dlouise37

nerd

No worries. Things are usually pretty relaxed here in the Amtrak forum.

AGR sleeper rewards are a great use of points. ^ Especially if you can finagle a stopover (not allowed if a same-day connection is available). Enjoy the trip!

trainman74

Couldn't quite tell from your post if you realize this, but the Coast Starlight is the only train on your itinerary which you have a chance of having wi-fi available (I'm 50/50 on having it working on the 2 CS trips I've taken this year).

dlouise37

Thanx for the info Trainman. I didn't realize that it wasn't universally available.
I think I saw it listed on one train and assumed....

sdtumbleweed

For WiFi, just use a smart phone, or I use a 3g card from Verizon on a month-to-month basis, no contract.....you will have internet wherever there is cell coverage.....

shel

Has AGR relaxed its "NO OVERNIGHT LAYOVER" rule?

A couple years ago when I tried to redeem for SJC->ELP trip, I was only offered a 6-hour red-eye BUS, and forbidden to take the direct train to connect at LAX. The latter would involve an overnight layover, which is prohibited, as told by AGR agent.

Fortunately there is southwest airlines that can offer meaningful alternative for my trip.

darben

Rule was not relaxed but through imaginative (but legal) routing a overnight can sometimes be had. This is what the OP did and since there is no same day connection in NOL it is allowed

vortix

Just curious....would an overnight be allowed on a single one-zone AGR reward redemption if I booked Cleveland to Plattsburgh, NY with an overnight stopover in Schenectady? I don't see any options to go CLE-PLB in a single one-way trip on amtrak.com if paying via cash or points. However, if I book CLE-SDY and SDY-PLB as a multi-city trip with one night in between, it shows a layover time of just under 24 hours in SDY.

If this would be possible, perhaps there are some other undocumented, legal overnight stopovers available in the system?

shel

AGR is very arbitrary in determining who are allowed overnight layover and who are not.

Most station pairs that require overnight layover just get a plain "service not available" error, while certain pair(s) can get away with it.

darben

The rule I have always followed is to first see if it possible to book a trip using Amtrak simple search function.
If not I then try to get Amtrak to make an exception for me using some magic words that I will not reveal. (it is not please and thank you which should be automatic)This has worked for me and is completely legitimate.