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-   Continental OnePass (Pre-Merger) (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/continental-onepass-pre-merger-488/)
-   -   Continental-Amtrak (&AMEX) (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/continental-onepass-pre-merger/984751-continental-amtrak-amex.html)

geetib Aug 13, 2009 9:11 am
Continental-Amtrak (&AMEX)
 
Does anyone know - with Continental joining the Star Alliance - if they will still be keeping their partnerships with Amtrak and AMEX.

In the winter I enjoy taking the (expensive) auto-train to FL. I transfer AMEX rewards miles to Continental - then transfer CO miles to Amtrak - and voila! a sleeper Autotrain ticket.

FYI - this is 30K miles each way (large sleeper room and car) and tickets are generally around $1000 (each way) so value is around 3.3 cents per mile.

I'm guessing that the AMEX - CO relationship might still exist - but am more worried about CO and Amtrak.

Steph3n Aug 13, 2009 9:41 am
CO and Amtrak is one of a kind, I doubt it will go.

soitgoes Aug 13, 2009 9:44 am
CO and Amtrak do codeshares, etc., so their relationship goes beyond reward programs.

worldwidedreamer Aug 13, 2009 11:43 am
Originally Posted by soitgoes (Post 12220086)
CO and Amtrak do codeshares, etc., so their relationship goes beyond reward programs.
There is also two way lounge reciprocity for Amtrak elites and eligible CO passengers, i.e. BusinessFirst and PC members. The partnership makes a lot of sense to me----most CO pax at EWR are either o/d long distance or connecting from a nearby city. CO can sell Amtrak OP miles and Amtrak can sell CO GR points.

fairviewroad Aug 13, 2009 12:34 pm
Originally Posted by geetib (Post 12219879)
I'm guessing that the AMEX - CO relationship might still exist - but am more worried about CO and Amtrak.
I don't see what the change to *A has to do with Amtrak. Amtrak is not a part of Skyteam, either. Lots of airlines have partners/relationships with companies outside of an airline alliance. I see no reason why this would change. Besides, Amtrak is a natural fit for CO due to the easy train/plane connection at EWR.

sedonanative Aug 13, 2009 4:10 pm
I'm relatively new to Continental and am not really clear on the relationship. Would I be able to fly, say, PHX->EWR, and then take a train to New Haven (and return) all on a reward ticket?

I've looked at the price of this, and it's just outrageous, much more than the cost of a RT ticket phx->ewr on continental and rt ewr->nhv on metro. I guess I never thought to investigate further.

I'd be interested in using CO miles to book a train ticket across country the way the OP describes. How in the world do I go about doing that? Am I missing something on this page: http://www.continental.com/WEB/en-us...ce/amtrak.aspx ?

soitgoes Aug 13, 2009 5:08 pm
Originally Posted by sedonanative (Post 12222234)
I'm relatively new to Continental and am not really clear on the relationship. Would I be able to fly, say, PHX->EWR, and then take a train to New Haven (and return) all on a reward ticket?
No. (See more below, though.*)

Originally Posted by sedonanative (Post 12222234)
I'd be interested in using CO miles to book a train ticket across country the way the OP describes. How in the world do I go about doing that?
You can transfer CO miles to Amtrak Guest Rewards points on a 1:1 basis in 5,000 mile increments. To transfer miles, you just need to call OnePass. In general, transfers will go through by the following Monday morning .

Once you have Amtrak Guest Rewards (AGR) points, you can use them for various AGR awards. Here's the AGR chart for train awards: https://www.amtrakguestrewards.com/i...redeem&rsdone2
Note that these are all one-way prices, but that, in sleepers (roomettes and bedrooms) you are allowed at least two passengers for the same price.

If you poke around the FT AGR forum, you'll learn more: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amtra...t-rewards-399/

*From EWR-NHV, a coach ticket would cost 3,000 per person each way. So, you could use CO miles for your entire trip, but it would cost extra.

sedonanative Aug 13, 2009 5:37 pm
Originally Posted by soitgoes (Post 12222538)
No. (See more below, though.*)


You can transfer CO miles to Amtrak Guest Rewards points on a 1:1 basis in 5,000 mile increments. To transfer miles, you just need to call OnePass. In general, transfers will go through by the following Monday morning .

Once you have Amtrak Guest Rewards (AGR) points, you can use them for various AGR awards. Here's the AGR chart for train awards: https://www.amtrakguestrewards.com/i...redeem&rsdone2
Note that these are all one-way prices, but that, in sleepers (roomettes and bedrooms) you are allowed at least two passengers for the same price.

If you poke around the FT AGR forum, you'll learn more: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amtra...t-rewards-399/

*From EWR-NHV, a coach ticket would cost 3,000 per person each way. So, you could use CO miles for your entire trip, but it would cost extra.


Thanks so much.

Are you seriously allowed two persons for a bedroom on the same itinerary? I could travel with another person to San Francisco from NYP (3 zones) for 50,000 miles? This seems incredible to me. The website you gave uses the term "zone" and "region" but they dont look interchangeable. Is it three zones to San francisco?
Why is it then 30K for the OP to travel to FL, which looks to be within the eastern Region?

I've been semi curious about a long distance train ride but its so time consuming AND expensive. Since I can cut the expense part of it, I will seriously consider doing this.

Upstate Aug 13, 2009 5:56 pm
Originally Posted by sedonanative (Post 12222658)
Thanks so much.

Are you seriously allowed two persons for a bedroom on the same itinerary? I could travel with another person to San Francisco from NYP (3 zones) for 50,000 miles? This seems incredible to me. The website you gave uses the term "zone" and "region" but they dont look interchangeable. Is it three zones to San francisco?

Why is it then 30K for the OP to travel to FL, which looks to be within the eastern Region?

I've been semi curious about a long distance train ride but its so time consuming AND expensive. Since I can cut the expense part of it, I will seriously consider doing this.
Yes, 50,000 points covers two people in a bedroom from SF to NY. You can even get tickets for two people in a roomette redemption for 35K. Remember this is a one way so it would be double for a RT. You are right that this is incredible. A single round trip domestic flight with CO can get enough miles/points to redeem for free Amtrak travel.

The zone and region thing is kind of screwy on the website. The main thing to remember is there is the Northeast zone that is independent and then everything else follows the 1,2,3 zone rewards.

The reason why it is 30K for the OP to go to Florida is because he is riding the Auto Train. It takes 20K for the bedroom and then another 10K for his car.

soitgoes Aug 13, 2009 5:59 pm
Originally Posted by sedonanative (Post 12222658)
Are you seriously allowed two persons for a bedroom on the same itinerary? I could travel with another person to San Francisco from NYP (3 zones) for 50,000 miles? .
Yep (one way).
A roomette would be 35K.

Also, for the same price, you could do a two zone + one zone trip and take a stopover somewhere in the central or eastern regions.

Originally Posted by sedonanative (Post 12222658)
This seems incredible to me. The website you gave uses the term "zone" and "region" but they dont look interchangeable. Is it three zones to San francisco?
It's a little confusing, but it's not too hard once you ignore AGR's inconsistencies (they use region in the map and zone in the chart).
There are three basic zones (western, central, eastern). Additionally, there is a discount sub-zone, the Northeastern zone, which allows travel within the northeastern zone for less than a one zone trip; you can ignore the northeastern zone prices for anything that doesn't begin and end in it.

Originally Posted by sedonanative (Post 12222658)
Why is it then 30K for the OP to travel to FL, which looks to be within the eastern Region?
AutoTrain.

sedonanative Aug 13, 2009 6:16 pm
Thanks to both of you, and Im sorry to have hijacked the OP.

I am literally speechless with my mouth wide open right now. I take the acela all the time out of my own pocket and am sitting on 23 billion miles via my amex charges this year.

unicon Aug 14, 2009 5:05 am
Originally Posted by sedonanative (Post 12222829)
Thanks to both of you, and Im sorry to have hijacked the OP.

I am literally speechless with my mouth wide open right now. I take the acela all the time out of my own pocket and am sitting on 23 billion miles via my amex charges this year.
I guess you are single-handedly saving Amex from bankruptcy. I'm assuming you are not Bill Gates as even he won't be able to rack up 23 billion miles in a single year :D.


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