Tips for getting missing rail points?
 

Anyone have any tips for getting missing rail points? I recently bought a last minute (train almost at the station) ticket in person, and failed to ask the agent to add my AGR number. The conductor told me the station agent could add it at my destination, and the station agent told me I needed to call Amtrak Guest Rewards.

I've also had problems getting rail points from the Acela trip I was on a while back where the train hit someone. No conductor ever collected my ticket (or any of the other FC passengers), and I've called guest rewards multiple times to no avail.

Does anyone have any tips for getting missing rail points, besides hanging up and calling again? This is the first year that I'm within spitting distance of select+, and if I don't get the points, I'm other going to have to spend $100 and a lot of time doing segment runs, or $250 (and a moderate amount of time) on an unnecessary Acela round trip.

Side note: does anyone else find the wait times for Amtrak guest rewards to be frustratingly long? I've generally spent about 10-15 minutes waiting for an agent, and that's calling the guest rewards number on the back of my Select card. (Reservations always gets an almost instant pick up.) I can't think of any other rewards program where I've consistently had to hold that long when calling a premium line.

You can use the AGR website ("request missing points"). You have to wait 3 wks after the date of travel, however before submitting the request. It will not allow you to submit before that.

If you ticket wasn't lifted, the online missing points request won't work.

You could PM AGR Insider and ask what their process is for crediting points when the ticket hadn't been lifted.

Thanks guys. I'll try both and report back.

Since your ticket was not lifted you probably could get a refund. Talk to Amtrak and tell them you will trade them your theoretical credit for some points.
If they will not budge get a refund and then buy points with the refund

The big issue is that I want the rail points, not the money. With the travel I've got planned, I'm currently on track to end the year with 9278 rail points (not counting the 750 I should have from this trip). So, if I can get the points, I'll be able to hit S+ status. While one can always convert money + time into rail points, I'd rather not have to spend time making rail runs.

Since I'm based out of WAS, Club Acela lounge access is a big quality of life improvement due to the gigantic lines/general madness. (I don't care much about Club Acela in NYP, since I use the mezzanine anyway to avoid the crowds.) When you add in the value of the S+ companion passes, I'll almost certainly make rail runs if I need to. I just don't think I should have to, given that I did, after all, take the train and would have gotten the points if it weren't for the "train hitting someone in metro park" chaos.

The ticket price is also only $139 as I used a coupon (one of the pack of 5 you can purchase for 10k points) to upgrade to first.

I just wanted to report back that I got the points today. Go go AGR Insider!

^