Best IRV to Oakland Redemption Option

[Rumpled]

I'm thinking about taking a trip up from SoCal to the Bay Area by train. I've heard about the views on the Coast Starlight and would like to take that; but the redemption difference is big.

I've yet to redeem for travel and wonder how this would work.

I'm assuming the the bus end of Surfliner trip is part of the same redemption.

So, IRV to OKJ would cost me 1000 points on the Surfliner, but would involve a long bus ride from SLO to OKJ.

The Starlight would be all on train, but would cost 5500 points. Brings another question, is my Surfliner segment to LAX from IRV seperate redemption? If so, this would increase it to 6500 points.

Amtrak reservations also offered me some combinations involving the Surfliner, busses from either Santa Barbara or LAX to Bakerspatch and the San Joaquin the rest of the way. I'm assuming this would be 2 x 1000 point redemptions with the bus thrown in one of the segment.

I'm inclined to just take the Starlight and avoid the busses; but it is a BIG difference in points.

I'd probably have to redeem one way and pay the other.

I've also thought of maybe riding the San Joaquin one way just to check it out also.

I welcome any thoughts, especially on how each of the redemptions would work.

 

[the_traveler]

No, the redemption includes the train and Thruway buses together from start to finish! So it would include the ride to LAX also. Although the CS ride is nice, I myself personally would save the 4,500 points and go via BFD. (And the SJ goes right to OKJ.)

 

[sechs]

If you're looking for the view, I'd suggest shelling out for the Coast Starlight. You can get it with the central coast Surfliner, but that bus ride is going to be loooong.

The ride via the Central Valley suggest by the_traveler has a much shorter bus hop from LAX to Bakersfield. No quite as scenic, but more comfortable, in my opinion.

 

[ralfp]

So, IRV to OKJ would cost me 1000 points on the Surfliner, but would involve a long bus ride from SLO to OKJ.The Starlight would be all on train, but would cost 5500 points. Brings another question, is my Surfliner segment to LAX from IRV seperate redemption? If so, this would increase it to 6500 points.

Amtrak reservations also offered me some combinations involving the Surfliner, busses from either Santa Barbara or LAX to Bakerspatch and the San Joaquin the rest of the way. I'm assuming this would be 2 x 1000 point redemptions with the bus thrown in one of the segment.

Did the AGR rep. tell you that a "Special Route" 1000 point redemption can include a bus segment? If not, the question is moot. If so, can IRV-LAX (Surfliner), LAX-BFD (bus), BFD-OKJ (San Joaquin) be a 1000 point redemption? That last option seems the most pleasant of the non-Coast Starlight options.

 

[Rumpled]

I haven't called AGR yet. I'm planning more April or May.

I also figured I'd ask those here who know more than most of the AGR reps from what I've heard.

Like I said, I'd lean to at least one way on the Starlight; maybe the San Joaquin option the other waY. i'm assuming that would be 2 x 1000.

 

[the_traveler]

Like I said, I'd lean to at least one way on the Starlight; maybe the San Joaquin option the other waY. i'm assuming that would be 2 x 1000.

That would be 5,500 (for the CS way) + 1,000 (for the SJ way). Don't forget the AGR awards are all each way only. (So 2 awards are always needed for a round trip - unless you choose to pay for one way.)

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

If you're going to take the Coast Starlight with AGR points, I believe that traveling to northern California requires the exact same number of points as traveling all the way to the northern end of the Coast Starlight's route. Depending on what you're really trying to do and what goals you might have for future travel, you might consider saving those points for a time when you can travel well beyond California.

 

[ralfp]

That would be 5,500 (for the CS way) + 1,000 (for the SJ way). Don't forget the AGR awards are all each way only. (So 2 awards are always needed for a round trip - unless you choose to pay for one way.)

Edit: I misinterpreted the quoted section...

 

[the_traveler]

If you're going to take the Coast Starlight with AGR points, I believe that traveling to northern California requires the exact same number of points as traveling all the way to the northern end of the Coast Starlight's route. Depending on what you're really trying to do and what goals you might have for future travel, you might consider saving those points for a time when you can travel well beyond California.

Yes, a trip on the CS from LAX (or IRV) to OKJ costs the same number of points (5,500 in coach) as a trip on the CS from LAX to SEA (or even a trip from LAX to WPT) (5,500 in coach)! Or even a trip from ABQ to VAC (5,500 in coach)!

That's more of a reason to consider the 1,000 point redemption option!

 

[the_traveler]

That would be 5,500 (for the CS way) + 1,000 (for the SJ way). Don't forget the AGR awards are all each way only. (So 2 awards are always needed for a round trip - unless you choose to pay for one way.)

I'm pretty sure that's incorrect. If you're getting the 5.5k one-zone it can include the CS and SJ, as long as it's a valid connection (i.e. shows as a paid trip between the two points). You are correct about the one-way thing.

No, a routing between IRV and OKJ would either include

• taking the Surfliner to LAX, a Thruway to BFD and a SJ right to OKJ - for 1,000 points, or
  
• taking the Surfliner to LAX and then the CS right to OKJ - for 5,500 points
  

(The question said CS on way and the SJ the other way!)

You could not do a circle trip using the CS and SJ for 1,000 (or even 2,000) points! The CS runs along the coast and the SJ runs via the central valley.

 

[ralfp]

I'm pretty sure that's incorrect. If you're getting the 5.5k one-zone it can include the CS and SJ, as long as it's a valid connection (i.e. shows as a paid trip between the two points). You are correct about the one-way thing.

No, a routing between IRV and OKJ would either include

• taking the Surfliner to LAX, a Thruway to BFD and a SJ right to OKJ - for 1,000 points, or
  
• taking the Surfliner to LAX and then the CS right to OKJ - for 5,500 points
  

(The question said CS on way and the SJ the other way!)

You could not do a circle trip using the CS and SJ for 1,000 (or even 2,000) points! The CS runs along the coast and the SJ runs via the central valley.

I misinterpreted what you wrote. My apologies.

 

[Rumpled]

No, a routing between IRV and OKJ would either include

• taking the Surfliner to LAX, a Thruway to BFD and a SJ right to OKJ - for 1,000 points, or
  
• taking the Surfliner to LAX and then the CS right to OKJ - for 5,500 points
  

(The question said CS on way and the SJ the other way!)

You could not do a circle trip using the CS and SJ for 1,000 (or even 2,000) points! The CS runs along the coast and the SJ runs via the central valley.

I understand clearly where the respective trains run. I've done the parallel drives each a hundred times or so. I've never ridden the rails for either route and was thinking of doing both.

I'm not trying to do a circle trip (if I get that you mean a trip on the rails without really stopping); I'm trying to go the Bay Area for a few days.

I was assuming that the first option would cost 2000 points one way. 1000 each for the Surfliner and the SJ. This wouldn't fit as a zone trip, but as two special 1000 point routes as I see it. Maybe a call to AGR is in order for this.

I also saw the comparison of the Starlight being the same for the whole zone. I was also looking into Seattle and it was like only $98 each way and to OKJ was $60 something or $87. The longer route is certianly the better value. Perhaps I'd prefer to pay to go to OKJ and then use points for Seattle.

I'm working on a spreadsheet of some of my likely common destinations and earnings/redemptions for the respective trips. I'll figure out where my price point is for my best perceived redemption value.

 

[AlanB]

I was assuming that the first option would cost 2000 points one way. 1000 each for the Surfliner and the SJ. This wouldn't fit as a zone trip, but as two special 1000 point routes as I see it. Maybe a call to AGR is in order for this.

No, the first option is a 1,000 point award one way, even though it involves two trains and a bus.

It only becomes a 2,000 point award if you stop overnight along the way somewhere.