Sep 13, 2015, 8:16 am
Last edit by: beltway
Beginning September 12, 2015, two new Amtrak-branded credit cards are available through Bank of America:
Both cards offer the following benefits:
The World MasterCard offers these additional benefits:
If my application is not instantly approved, is there a special contact number for Bank of America?
Try calling 888-221-6262 or 866-811-4108. (M-F 8am-7pm EST)
When will I receive my World MC Companion Coupon/Upgrade Coupon/ClubAcela Pass?
"Companion Coupon and One-Class Upgrade Coupon are available online through your Amtrak Guest Rewards account. Your ClubAcela pass will be mailed to you within 2 weeks of account opening."
How soon will my AGR points post after I complete the required spend?
Bank of America transfers your signup bonus points to Amtrak a day or two after the end of the monthly billing cycle in which you complete the required spend.
Are these cards churnable?
TBD
- World MasterCard (20K pts for $1K spend in 3 months; $79 AF, not waived)
- Platinum MasterCard (12K pts for $1K spend in 3 months; no AF)
Both cards offer the following benefits:
- Earn 1 AGR point for non-Amtrak purchases
- Earn a bonus for Amtrak ticket and on-board purchases
- World MC earns a total of 3 AGR pts/$
- Platinum MC earns 2 AGR pts/$
- Receive a 5% points rebate on award redemptions for Amtrak travel
- No forex fee on purchases outside the US
- Your AGR points will never expire as long as you hold either card
The World MasterCard offers these additional benefits:
- Earn 2 AGR pts/$ on non-Amtrak travel purchases
- Per the T&C, this includes airlines, car rental agencies, hotels, motels, inns, resorts, and steamship/cruise lines. In cases where the merchant of record is not Amtrak, this 2pts/$ category also includes travel agencies, passenger railways, and commuter railways. (The last two were originally excluded, but are included as of 2021 or possibly earlier.)
- Earn 1,000 TQPs for every $5,000 in eligible purchases, up to 4,000 TQPs in any calendar year
- Purchases are credited for the year of the statement on which they are billed. For an account that closes on the 20th of each month, purchases after Dec. 20 will count in the following year.
- On account opening, receive a single-day pass for access to ClubAcela, Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge or First class lounges
- Per T&C, "ClubAcela pass valid for bearer and one guest, or bearer's spouse/domestic partner and children under the age of 21. No same-day ticket required for use."
- On account opening and at each anniversary renewal, receive a Companion Coupon and One-Class Upgrade
- "Companion Coupon valid for one (1) free companion rail fare with the purchase of one (1) regular (full) adult rail fare. Free companion and paying passenger must reserve at the same time and travel together at all times. Valid for travel as one (1) one-way or one (1) roundtrip on one reservation per coupon. For roundtrip usage, both directions of travel must be reserved at the same time. Travel blackout dates apply."
- Blackout dates for 2016: Jan. 2-3; Feb. 12; Feb. 15; Mar. 24-25; Mar. 28; May 27; May 30; Jul. 1; Jul. 4; Sept. 2; Sept. 5; Oct. 10; Nov. 22-23; Nov. 26-28; Dec. 21-24; Dec. 26-30.
- Blackout dates for 2017: Jan. 1-2; Feb. 17; Feb. 20; Apr. 13-14; Apr. 17; May 26; May 29; Sept. 1; Sept. 4; Oct. 9; Nov. 21-22; Nov. 24-27; [other dates TBD].
- "One-Class Upgrade Coupon valid for one (1) space-available, one-way, one-class upgrade. Valid only from Coach to Business class, or from Acela Business class to Acela First class, on a single travel segment or leg. Not valid for upgrade to sleeping car accommodations. Travel blackout dates apply."
- "Companion Coupon valid for one (1) free companion rail fare with the purchase of one (1) regular (full) adult rail fare. Free companion and paying passenger must reserve at the same time and travel together at all times. Valid for travel as one (1) one-way or one (1) roundtrip on one reservation per coupon. For roundtrip usage, both directions of travel must be reserved at the same time. Travel blackout dates apply."
If my application is not instantly approved, is there a special contact number for Bank of America?
Try calling 888-221-6262 or 866-811-4108. (M-F 8am-7pm EST)
When will I receive my World MC Companion Coupon/Upgrade Coupon/ClubAcela Pass?
"Companion Coupon and One-Class Upgrade Coupon are available online through your Amtrak Guest Rewards account. Your ClubAcela pass will be mailed to you within 2 weeks of account opening."
How soon will my AGR points post after I complete the required spend?
Bank of America transfers your signup bonus points to Amtrak a day or two after the end of the monthly billing cycle in which you complete the required spend.
Are these cards churnable?
TBD
New Amtrak Guest Rewards MasterCard arriving Fall 2015
Aug 31, 2015, 9:32 am
#91
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: PDX
Posts: 469
What happens if you have both the Chase Amtrak card and Freedom card already?
Aug 31, 2015, 9:45 am
#92
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AGR Select/Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum
Posts: 102
And AGR loses customers and revenue if we don't want the Bank of America Affinity Card rhatvwoll be announced soon? What's up with that?
And why such short notice? 30 days isnt much for those of us who have AUTOPPAY for Monthly Bills attached to our AGRMC!
And poor timing with the Annual AU Gathering in Washington Oct. 9-11.
Guess the Bean Counters Really have taken over AGR too! Sad!
Aug 31, 2015, 9:47 am
#93
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,135
You'll end up with a second Freedom card, which will be useful if you ever hit the $1500 cap on quarterly category spend on your first Freedom card. (Many couples accomplish the same result by having each partner hold a Freedom card.)
Aug 31, 2015, 10:25 am
#95
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: United Global Services, Amtrak Select Executive
Posts: 4,092
If you do a lot of spending on dining and travel, Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great card, as you get 2x points on all restaurants, hotels, and transportation, regardless of the service provider. And you don't need any special promotion to get the 40,000 bonus points. All new cards get it.
Aug 31, 2015, 10:45 am
#96
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 311
If you do a lot of spending on dining and travel, Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great card, as you get 2x points on all restaurants, hotels, and transportation, regardless of the service provider. And you don't need any special promotion to get the 40,000 bonus points. All new cards get it.
I get 2x dining on the Amazon card but that's a cashback card and Amtrak points are worth more than cash for me (they replace higher bucket NEC tickets that I'd have to buy anyway).
It's possible that even paying an AF and forgoing redemption rebates may make this card worth it (not that I even know whether those will exist with the BoA card).
Aug 31, 2015, 11:13 am
#99
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: United Global Services, Amtrak Select Executive
Posts: 4,092
Trains, subways, buses, taxis, rental cars, airline tickets, etc. It is all based on how the merchant is coded in Chase's system. So if you buy a bunch of gifts in a hotel gift shop, if it isn't a separate entity from the hotel, and the charge is from the hotel, you'll get double points.
Aug 31, 2015, 1:34 pm
#100
Join Date: May 2015
Location: LAX
Programs: AA, AS, UA, WN, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 88
If Chase will then allow you to convert the Freedom to a no annual fee Sapphire, that may be a good option. You get 2X on dining, as well as trip interruption benefits. No 2X on travel or transferability of points to travel partners, and it charges a forex fee, but a good card to have if you have an Ink Plus for transferability, no forex fees, etc. And you can hold a no fee Sapphire while you apply for a Sapphire Preferred, and get the sign-on bonus for the Preferred. Yes, you can hold both cards. Just make sure to lower your credit lines with Chase before applying for any Chase card, because if your exposure is too high with them you may not be approved.
Aug 31, 2015, 2:35 pm
#101
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Philly suburbs
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards, BOA Travel Visa,
Posts: 56
The partnership between Amtrak Guest Rewards® and Chase will end as of September 30, 2015. If you have the Amtrak Guest Rewards MasterCard® credit card from Chase, you can continue to use your card and will continue to earn Amtrak Guest Rewards points until September 30, 2015. After September 30, your account will be replaced with a Chase Freedom card and you will begin to earn points on your Chase Freedom Account. If you have an eligible Chase Card with Ultimate Rewards, you can continue to transfer points to Amtrak Guest Rewards until further notice.
Anthony Rizos
Director, Member Experience Solutions
Amtrak
Washington, D.C.
Anthony Rizos
Director, Member Experience Solutions
Amtrak
Washington, D.C.
Aug 31, 2015, 3:01 pm
#102
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: DCA/RIC
Programs: HH LTD, AA LTG
Posts: 1,015
Wow the end of September the card ends, much quicker than I thought. I have only had this card for a year, was going to keep it forever for its benefits and to build history with Chase. I will canx it the end of September as I have no use for a 2nd Freedom. I really liked that this was a no AF card. Hope at least that BOA offers their 2nd card as a no AF card in which case I will apply, if both are AF cards I will be without an AMTRAK card as of September 30.
Aug 31, 2015, 3:45 pm
#103
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,135
One reason not to cancel your Chase Amtrak card immediately: if you plan to redeem AGR points in the next month, canceling the card before then will cost you the automatic 5% points rebate.
Aug 31, 2015, 5:24 pm
#104
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: CLE
Programs: UA GS+LT UC, AA EXP+LT PLT, Fairmont LT PLT, Marriott PLT, Hilton DIA, Hyatt Glob, Avis CHM
Posts: 4,670
Wow the end of September the card ends, much quicker than I thought. I have only had this card for a year, was going to keep it forever for its benefits and to build history with Chase. I will canx it the end of September as I have no use for a 2nd Freedom. I really liked that this was a no AF card. Hope at least that BOA offers their 2nd card as a no AF card in which case I will apply, if both are AF cards I will be without an AMTRAK card as of September 30.
I have 3
Aug 31, 2015, 5:49 pm
#105
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 80
The partnership between Amtrak Guest Rewards® and Chase will end as of September 30, 2015. If you have the Amtrak Guest Rewards MasterCard® credit card from Chase, you can continue to use your card and will continue to earn Amtrak Guest Rewards points until September 30, 2015. After September 30, your account will be replaced with a Chase Freedom card and you will begin to earn points on your Chase Freedom Account. If you have an eligible Chase Card with Ultimate Rewards, you can continue to transfer points to Amtrak Guest Rewards until further notice.
Anthony Rizos
Director, Member Experience Solutions
Amtrak
Washington, D.C.
Anthony Rizos
Director, Member Experience Solutions
Amtrak
Washington, D.C.
http://www.pointswithacrew.com/chase...eptember-30th/
Am I reading too much into it that September 30th also spells the end of transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Amtrak Guest Rewards?