100 point minimum per ticket still in effect?
 

Is Amtrak still crediting AGR members with a minimum of 100 points for each ticket purchased, even if the ticket only costs, say, $45?

Yep.

Finally got credited the 100 points for the $38 dollar bus ride into Yosemite last week. Took that trip in March....

Even If The Ticket Only Costs $3
 

And, as GoAmtrak has demonstrated, it is possible to accrue multiple 100-point earnings on a single trip by simply using Amtrak.com's multicity function to book adjoining segments with multiple tickets (e.g. a OKJ-MTZ trip can be booked OKJ-EMY-BKY-RIC-MTZ at no additional fare, yielding 4 coupons and thus 400 points one way, all for a modest sum). The conductors are happy to accept multiple tickets as long as the entire length of your trip is covered.

In the West, 150 Alaska miles are earnable on each segment as well, which makes it a shame to ever stay home as opposed to travelling on Amtrak.

Of course, on the NEC, prices are much higher.

On Amtrak Cascades I was able to book Vancouver, BC Canada to Seattle and the next day Seattle - Tukwilla (SEATAC area) for the same price as just Vancouver-Seattle (somewhere around $30 ). The onboard Amtrak people said I would earn the 150 Alaska miles for both segments. Also, was awarded AGR miles within a week

....Not sure if I would get AGR miles for afterall. Never did the SEA-TUK portion.

Thanks for the information.

^ ^ Yes, it is!

In March, I took a trip from KIN to OSB, $12.80 one way. At that time was the 500 point AGR bonus. So for just over $25 round trip, I rec'd 100 points (minimum) for each way plus the 500 point bonus - a total of 700 points for $25! ^

Part One: NEC
 

Yes, the NEC does tend to be more expensive, but there are still some excellent bargains out there for MR purposes. There's a nice mix of three and four segment trips available for cheap fares. Depending on the trip, they will net 300/400 (375/500 for Select & 450/600 for Select+). Here's a list I've put together with a maximum per ticket (segment) price of $10.00:

South End (includes south of WAS to NPN --- moving south to north)

1. NPN-RVR: NPN-WBG-RVM-RVR for $23 ($7.67 per ticket). RVR is a disconnect point (no same train multi-city bookable online) so can not book on to ASD for $28, unless you want to hang out in Richmond.
2. RVR-WDB/FRS: RVR-ASD-FBG-QAN-WDB/FRS for $27 ($6.75 per ticket). ASD-ALX via 3 stops is also $27.
3. FBG-ALX: FBG-QAN-WDB/FRS-ALX for $21 ($7 per ticket). Can also go into WAS for $29 ($7.25 per ticket), but ALX is a disconnect point.
4. WAS-BAL: WAS-NCR-BWI-BAL for $16 ($5.33 per ticket).
5. PHL-PJC: PHL-PHN-CWH-TRE-PJC for $30 ($7.50 per ticket). A nice short trip. Can do one less segment to TRE for $27 ($9 per ticket).
6. TRE-MET: TRE-PJC-NBK-MET for $27 ($9 per ticket).
7. PJC-NYP: PJC via a combo of NBK/MET/EWR/NWK to NYP for $33 ($8.25 per ticket).


North End

1. NWK-BRP: NWK-NYP-NRO-STM-BRP for $30 ($7.50 per ticket). Must compensate for NYP disconnect.
2. NYP-NHV: NYP-NRO-STM-BRP-NHV for $35 ($8.75 per ticket).
3. NLC-PVD: NLC-MYS-WLY-KIN-PVD for $19 ($4.75 per ticket). Can incorporate any of the Boston area stations into this routing for a much higher $32 or reduce to $29 by stopping/starting at MYS.


Of course, trains do not run via all these points all the time so you have to search through the schedule and I doubt this list is exhaustive. Enjoy!


Cheers.

Part Two: NEC Branches
 

One of the best places to go for cheap multi-segment trips in the Northeast is the routes that connect to the NEC. There are a number of cheap fares on the Keystone, NEC Inland Route (NHV-SPG) & Downeaster services. Check them out below. Empire Service on the other hand tends to have prices more akin to the NEC.

Keystone Service

This whole route is great. The total fare from HAR-PHL is $19. Head four stops from HAR to LNC (HAR-MID-ELT-MJY-LNC) or from PHL to DOW (PHL-ARD-PAO-EXT-DOW) for just $6 ($1.50 per ticket). Basically, if you have nothing to do and are in PHL, you can swing out to Downingtown and back for $12 and bring in at least 800 points. For Select+ that would be 100 points per $!!


Inland Route

$3 per ticket is easily achievable here. NHV-HFD: NHV-WFD-MDN-BER-HFD for $12. Try HFD-SPG via WND & WNL for $9 or BER-HFD-WND-WNL-SPG for $12.


Downeaster Service

Similar to Keystone, the fare from one end of this route to the other (BON-POR) is $21. The cheapest fare between any 5 points, creating 4 segments is $10 (2.50 per ticket). This applies from POR-DOV (POR-ORB-SAO-WEM-DOV) or for mid-route runs like HHL-WEM (HHL-EXR-DHM-DOV-WEM). To/from Boston is a bit trickier thanks to the Woburn stop's receiving/discharging restrictions. A couple of options. One could take the commuter rail out to WOB and then head four stops to DOV (WOB-HHL-EXR-DHM-DOV) for $12 ($3 per ticket), but add in the commuter rail cost and really you pay $15.50 ($3.88 per ticket). The method I prefer is to buy two ticket sets. You could do BON-HHL for $7 and add HHL-WEM for $10 = $17 for 5 segments ($3.40 per ticket). Still, why not just spend a few hours in Portland and maximise your effort.

Buy one set (BON-HHL-EXR-DHM-DOV) & another (DOV-WEM-SAO-ORB-POR) for a total cost of $25 and you'll get 8 segments ($3.13 per ticket).


Cheers.

Max Number of Segments
 

Can you book more than 4 segments per trip? Also, if you buy tickets for a companion, can you get points for their tickets as well? In other words, if I booked two round trip, 4 segment tickets, one for me and one for a companion, would I get 800 points, or 1600 points? If anyone has tried this, please let me know.

From my experience, four is the maximum.

I haven't tried your second scenario, but I believe it has been discussed before, and as with airlines, is not possible.


Cheers.

A round trip, by default, has at least two segments.

The four segments is a imitation of the website.

I'm pretty sure there is name/Guest Rewards number matching to ensure credit is properly given. I'm don't know if it's performed at the initial reservation level, or the backend after the trip is complete and the points are being processed and posted. Haven't ever cared to try and go through some drawn out process to claim some points!

If you were indeed travelling with a companion, I think you'd get away with having both tickets in your name. The conductors never notice these things -- as I've mentioned before, I've used expired award tickets. They usually don't look at anything beyond origin/destination, and reserved/unreserved. (In my limited experience ;) )

Agr
 

I have on one occasion received AGR credit for myself and the companion, when the companion's ticket had the wrong AGR number by mistake.

So, it has happened once, but whether it happens regularly I do not know.

although they randomly check IDs now.