So, the boyfriend and I are taking a trip to visit his folks in Portland in August and we'd really like to take the train back home instead of flying since both of us despise flying. I just started using my AGR MC today and the 18000 bonus points are supposed to post in 6-8 weeks. Currently I only have 7000, so I can't book the room until those points post. My question, will 1-2 weeks be enough time to book a bedroom from PDX-SIM? Or am I just crazy to wait that long?
Booking an AGR Bedroom
- Thread starter -Jamie-
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You are correct. You cannot book an AGR trip until the required points are in your account.
Whether rooms will be be available close-in to your travel date is anyone's guess. The Starlight has three sleepers, so that provides 15 bedrooms. Since AGR has no inventory limitation, if just one is left, it is yours. You can watch the availability by going to Amtrak.com and starting a booking for a bedroom. If you start a booking for 8 travellers, the system will tell you how many bedrooms are left up to 8.
But isn't one of those three a transdorm and hence no bedrooms, so only 10 on the train?
I was just on the Starlight a couple of weeks ago and there were two regular sleepers and the transdorm car.
yarrow
Engineer
in my experience, points from getting a credit card (as long as you do the initial use required) post in less than the 6-8 weeks. keep checking your agr total. if you are willing to book a roomette instead of a bedroom that opens up more possible accomodation space for you. august is the busy time though so good luck
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Thursday's (6/10) had a transdorm and three regular sleepers. Maybe the consist varies.
Cristobal
Lead Service Attendant
I'm in car 1132 on Sunday so I hope that there are 3 sleepers. 
Maybe it varies by season but I know that there were 3 sleepers and a transdorm on the 11 about 3 weeks ago when I rode it down from TAC.
Maybe it varies by season but I know that there were 3 sleepers and a transdorm on the 11 about 3 weeks ago when I rode it down from TAC.
I was on North Bound on 5/22 and had this:I'm in car 1132 on Sunday so I hope that there are 3 sleepers.
Maybe it varies by season but I know that there were 3 sleepers and a transdorm on the 11 about 3 weeks ago when I rode it down from TAC.
Engines 179 and 152
Bag – didn't see a number
Trans 39033
Sleepers 32081 and 32050
PPC 39975
Diner 38055
SSL 33093
Coaches 34093, 34504, and 34113
Maybe it starts 6/1 with an extra sleeper.
Cristobal
Lead Service Attendant
I was s/b just 2 days later (5/24). While I didn't note car numbers I just went back and looked at a picture that I took while we were parked at OKJ and I can clearly see 2 sleepers ahead of mine (I was in 1130 that trip) as well as the transdorm. We also had 3 P42s that trip. That was the delay at OKJ where they were pulling off the lead P42 to leave at the Oakland yard. I was told that it had come from CHI on the EB to SEA and then went from SEA to OKJ on the CS.I was on North Bound on 5/22 and had this:I'm in car 1132 on Sunday so I hope that there are 3 sleepers.
Maybe it varies by season but I know that there were 3 sleepers and a transdorm on the 11 about 3 weeks ago when I rode it down from TAC.
Engines 179 and 152
Bag – didn't see a number
Trans 39033
Sleepers 32081 and 32050
PPC 39975
Diner 38055
SSL 33093
Coaches 34093, 34504, and 34113
Maybe it starts 6/1 with an extra sleeper.
edit: It just occurred to me that if you departed LAX on 5/22 then the train that I was on was maybe the same train that you were on after being turned in SEA the night of 5/23. Or not...
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Remember you can buy points (up to 10,000 a year), and your bf or anyone elese can also buy/transfer points up to 100,000 a year to your account (this only costs 1 penny a point, ie 10,000= $100 etc.) Bedrooms are harder to get on the Western trains than roomettes as the other poster said, so if you can't snag a bedroom take the roomette, same great scenery and benefits, same train, just a little more togetherness!
As the other poster said, keep looking, it's free to do test bookings, once youve found what you want, have the points (remember youll get a 10% discount if you book before 7/31)book it Danno! :lol:
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the_traveler
Engineer
Even though it says 6-8 weeks (like everything else says 6-8 weeks also), it all depends on the closing date of your credit card statement. If it closes on the 10th, your points should be in your account by the 11th or 12th!
That's a nifty little trick! Currently it's showing 5 bedrooms and 8 roommetts. We've had a roommette in the past, but he's never been in a bedroom. One of the main reasons we want to get it is so we can sleep together in the bottom bunk.
I'm hoping since the bedrooms are running at $850 and the roommetts only $262, that they won't sell out.Thanks for that tip! I just called Chase and had them move my closing date up to the 18th of this month, so hopefully the agent did everything properly and those points will post next week sometime.Even though it says 6-8 weeks (like everything else says 6-8 weeks also), it all depends on the closing date of your credit card statement. If it closes on the 10th, your points should be in your account by the 11th or 12th!
My points posted to my account this morning. Thanks again for the tips! I called up AGR and got our bedroom booked. It's was quite quick and painless. I was only on hold for 3 min. From what I've heard, I was expecting more of a hassle. I'm so excited! I can't wait for August to get here!!!
darien-l
OBS Chief
Not that it matters at this point, but I can't believe no one mentioned another trick: you can simply "hold" a bedroom until the required points post. To do that, just reserve it on amtrak.com like normal. It is fully refundable, provided that tickets are not printed out and the res is cancelled 7 days before departure. Canceling is just a matter of pushing a button on the website, and the refund is issued back to the credit card quickly.
I myself have used this method quite a few times with no problems.
I myself have used this method quite a few times with no problems.
the_traveler
Engineer
That does work, yes! But there is a small possibility that your room may be the last room available on the train, and someone else may grab it before the AGR agent grabs it for you - and you find out there are no bedrooms left!
In May 2010. I had a paid ticket that included the Pennsylvanian in BC. At the last minute (in fact, I was on the EB at the time), I called AGR and said I wanted to change my paid ticket to a TOL-PGH-PHL-KIN 1 zone BC award. At first they said there NO BC seats on the Pennsy!
I then explained I had one bought that I wanted to cancel! Because I was on the EB on my cell phone, I could not easily use the internet at the same time I was talking to her!So she placed me on a 3-way conference call with AGR and Amtrak reservations. The Amtrak agent cancelled my paid reservation - and stayed on the line until the AGR agent could grab it! (At first she did not see it available, but they both stayed on the line!
) I then bough a coach ticket CHI-TOL.I don't know if this is normal practice, or if it's because I'm Select - but it happen to me!
darien-l
OBS Chief
Yep, if it's the last room available on the train, I call AGR, ask them if they're ready to grab the room, and then click "cancel" on the website. They can grab it in two seconds flat! If you don't have internet access, an AGR/Amtrak conference call is also an option, as you pointed out.That does work, yes! But there is a small possibility that your room may be the last room available on the train, and someone else may grab it before the AGR agent grabs it for you - and you find out there are no bedrooms left!
