Amtrak Travel ORL-WAS-NYP-BOS

[TransitRider]

I would like to hear your opinions what I should do, I have choices:

Take Silver Meteor from Orlando to DC via then take Northeast Regional up to Boston

OR

Take Silver Meteor from Orlando to NYP then take Northeast Regional up to Boston

OR

Take Silver Meteor from Orlando to DC then take Acela up to Boston

Should I get Roomate or Bedroom for this trip since ORL-WAS is only 17 hours

Any input is appreicated

Thanks!

 

[Donctor]

If you have the cash, I'd take the Meteor to DC and the Acela to Boston. As for what room size to get, it depends on whether you're traveling with anybody and how claustrophobic you are.

 

[TransitRider]

If you have the cash, I'd take the Meteor to DC and the Acela to Boston. As for what room size to get, it depends on whether you're traveling with anybody and how claustrophobic you are.

I'm not paying, I am using my AGR points

 

[Donctor]

I'm not paying, I am using my AGR points

Then do the Acela and the Meteor. If you have the points and feel you want a lot of space, go with the bedroom. If I were you, though, I'd save some points and go with the roomette.

 

[pennyk]

If it were me, I would take the Acela (since I have never been on one). You could also take the Meteor to NYP if you wanted a roomette/bedroom for a longer period of time. I think the Meteor gets into NYP prior to lunch, so you would not be getting a lunch, unless the train is late.

I usually get roomettes on the Meteor and they are fine, although I really enjoy the bedrooms when I splurge. However, I would rather have a roomette than an A bedroom (since the couch is facing backwards and there may not be a chair in the room).

 

[TransitRider]

I'm not paying, I am using my AGR points

Then do the Acela and the Meteor. If you have the points and feel you want a lot of space, go with the bedroom. If I were you, though, I'd save some points and go with the roomette.

I got plenty of points ....I will may get the bedroom then take Acela.

 

[nferr]

I'll always take the roomette or bedroom for as far as I can. I would take the Meteor to NYP.

 

[the_traveler]

Also note that if you use AGR points, it will include the sleeper on the Silver Service AND BC on a Regional from WAS or NYP to BOS! If you want to combine that with the AE, your award will ONLY cover the sleeper on the Silver Service to WAS or NYP! (You must redeem another AGR award for the AE from WAS or NYP up to BOS!)

 

[AlanB]

Also note that if you use AGR points, it will include the sleeper on the Silver Service AND BC on a Regional from WAS or NYP to BOS! If you want to combine that with the AE, your award will ONLY cover the sleeper on the Silver Service to WAS or NYP! (You must redeem another AGR award for the AE from WAS or NYP up to BOS!)

Correct!

Additionally if you go this route with riding Acela, be sure to allow at least 3 hours hours between the scheduled arrival of the Silver Meteor and the Acela. This will not be a guaranteed connection and if the Meteor is late, you will have troubles getting your reservation changed, especially if the tickets are already printed.

 

[TransitRider]

Also note that if you use AGR points, it will include the sleeper on the Silver Service AND BC on a Regional from WAS or NYP to BOS! If you want to combine that with the AE, your award will ONLY cover the sleeper on the Silver Service to WAS or NYP! (You must redeem another AGR award for the AE from WAS or NYP up to BOS!)

That is incorrect. The AGR points 20,000 will cover you from ORL-BOS whole trip with bedroom and coach to BOS.

 

[the_traveler]

Also note that if you use AGR points, it will include the sleeper on the Silver Service AND BC on a Regional from WAS or NYP to BOS! If you want to combine that with the AE, your award will ONLY cover the sleeper on the Silver Service to WAS or NYP! (You must redeem another AGR award for the AE from WAS or NYP up to BOS!)

That is incorrect. The AGR points 20,000 will cover you from ORL-BOS whole trip with bedroom and coach to BOS.

Actually it will cover you in a bedroom and in BC ON A REGIONAL - but not in an AE at all (even in BC) UNLESS you redeem a second AGR award for the AE alone (8,000 ADDITIONAL points for AE BC or 10,500 ADDITIONAL points for AE First Class)!

 

[TransitRider]

Also note that if you use AGR points, it will include the sleeper on the Silver Service AND BC on a Regional from WAS or NYP to BOS! If you want to combine that with the AE, your award will ONLY cover the sleeper on the Silver Service to WAS or NYP! (You must redeem another AGR award for the AE from WAS or NYP up to BOS!)

That is incorrect. The AGR points 20,000 will cover you from ORL-BOS whole trip with bedroom and coach to BOS.

Actually it will cover you in a bedroom and in BC ON A REGIONAL - but not in an AE at all (even in BC) UNLESS you redeem a second AGR award for the AE alone (8,000 ADDITIONAL points for AE BC or 10,500 ADDITIONAL points for AE First Class)!

Sir,

Again, that is incorrect. 20,00 will cover a bedroom trip from ORL to NYP then a coach on Northeast Regional to BOS. If I want to take Acela, 28,000 points will be required.

The AGR website is incorrect so do not follow.

Thanks

 

[the_traveler]

Again, that is incorrect. 20,00 will cover a bedroom trip from ORL to NYP then a coach on Northeast Regional to BOS. If I want to take Acela, 28,000 points will be required.
The AGR website is incorrect so do not follow.

A sleeper award includes the sleeper on trains that offer them and business class on that do not offer sleepers (except Acela Express). So in this case, it would include a sleeper on the Silver Star or Silver Meteor and business class on a Regional. (You may have to specifically ask for business class. Some agents do so automatically, but some do not.)

So if you want a bedroom and then BC on a Regional, it will cost 20,000 points. If you want a bedroom and then BC on an AE, it will cost 28,000 points. If you want a bedroom and then First Class on an AE, it will cost 30,500 points.

 

[TransitRider]

Again, that is incorrect. 20,00 will cover a bedroom trip from ORL to NYP then a coach on Northeast Regional to BOS. If I want to take Acela, 28,000 points will be required.
The AGR website is incorrect so do not follow.

A sleeper award includes the sleeper on trains that offer them and business class on that do not offer sleepers (except Acela Express). So in this case, it would include a sleeper on the Silver Star or Silver Meteor and business class on a Regional. (You may have to specifically ask for business class. Some agents do so automatically, but some do not.)

So if you want a bedroom and then BC on a Regional, it will cost 20,000 points. If you want a bedroom and then BC on an AE, it will cost 28,000 points. If you want a bedroom and then First Class on an AE, it will cost 30,500 points.

Sigh,

For the last time, your information is incorrect. Let me speak for the last time.

A bedroom from ORL to NYP then regular coach from NYP to BOS only require 20,000 points.

A bedroom from ORL to NYP then business coach from NYP to BOS only require 24,000 points.

A bedroom from ORL to NYP then Acela from NYP to BOS only require 28,000 points.

This come from my boss at Amtrak and it's the final. I rest my case.

Have a wonderful weekend.

 

[AlanB]

Again, that is incorrect. 20,00 will cover a bedroom trip from ORL to NYP then a coach on Northeast Regional to BOS. If I want to take Acela, 28,000 points will be required.
The AGR website is incorrect so do not follow.

A sleeper award includes the sleeper on trains that offer them and business class on that do not offer sleepers (except Acela Express). So in this case, it would include a sleeper on the Silver Star or Silver Meteor and business class on a Regional. (You may have to specifically ask for business class. Some agents do so automatically, but some do not.)

So if you want a bedroom and then BC on a Regional, it will cost 20,000 points. If you want a bedroom and then BC on an AE, it will cost 28,000 points. If you want a bedroom and then First Class on an AE, it will cost 30,500 points.

Sigh,

For the last time, your information is incorrect. Let me speak for the last time.

A bedroom from ORL to NYP then regular coach from NYP to BOS only require 20,000 points.

A bedroom from ORL to NYP then business coach from NYP to BOS only require 24,000 points.

A bedroom from ORL to NYP then Acela from NYP to BOS only require 28,000 points.

This come from my boss at Amtrak and it's the final. I rest my case.

Have a wonderful weekend.

I'm sorry to tell you but your boss is wrong.

I've done many a trip where the sleeper award includes business class when available. I've gone at least 3 times on the Capitol Limited from NYP to CHI in both a roomettte for 20,000 and a bedroom for 30,000, and gotten a BC seat on either 95 or 125 to connect with the Capitol in DC. I've also done BC on the Casacades service from Portland to connect with the Empire Builder on one award for 20,000 for a roomette.

The_Traveler is correct, that a sleeper award includes business class when available and when it is necessary to change trains and the other train does not offer sleeper class. The only exception to that rule is Acela. Acela calls coach seating business class because they charge a premium for the speed, even though they are essentially offering coach seating and amenities.

But again, the bottom line here is that if you use 20,000 points for a Bedroom from Orlando to NY/DC and switch to a Regional train, then you can request a business class seat for no additional points. If you don't request BC, then you may or may not get BC, it will depend on the AGR agent some agents follow the rule, some don't. Originally AGR always gave out BC seating, then they changed the rule that the customer must ask for it to get it. If the customer doesn't ask, then the agent is supposed to book coach. But if the customer asks, they get BC on the same award.

 

[Rafi]

Joseph,

Alan is correct. Your boss is mistaken on this point. Any roommette or bedroom award will cover a guaranteed corridor connection in business class at no additional point cost IF the AGR member redeeming requests the upgrade in booking. So in this case, you could go ORL-WAS or ORL-NYP in a roommette or bedroom and then change to a regional (not Acela) in Business Class from WAS to BOS or NYP to BOS.

As everyone else has noted, an Acela connection would be not guaranteed and would have to be a separate booking entirely. In fact, if you want to go that route, you could just book one redemption ORL-BOS (with business class in regional) since it costs the same amount of points to go all of the way to BOS as it does to go to WAS, and then book a separate redemption WAS-BOS on the Acela. If the Silver is running late and you miss the Acela, you have a fallback on the regional at no additional cost. My advice would be to NOT pick the Acela tickets up until you get to Washington, however. If you miss the Acela and your tickets haven't been printed, it's a simple phone call to get your points refunded. If the tickets HAVE been printed, you have to mail them in, wait, etc etc.

Rafi