Complicated question on zones vs new system

[leacrane]

I'm going to Florida on the Silver meteor using 30k pts. Made sep. reservations for each way.

I really don't know when I'll be returning but wanted to reserve a ticket w the pts. So the question is....if I call before my ret. and ask to reschedule it will it still cost me 15k pts under the "zone" system or will I have to use new dollar system?

 

[TinCan782]

As I understand it, ANY modification to an AGR reservation after January (24?) will put it under the new redemption rules. In your scenario, I'd expect the points to based on the "new dollar system". Also, the new system may involve points penalties for modifications and certainly cancellations.

 

[BCL]

It's pretty clear that it's going to be based on the "prevailing fare" system once Jan 24 arrives. However, it appears to be that if there's any points due to the AGR member, that's returned with a 10% points penalty - on the difference. There will also be a "close-in" penalty for making a modification within 24 hours (non-sleeper) or 14 days (sleeper).

https://amtrakguestrewards.com/info/2016redemptionguidelines

For modifications on one-way, round-trip or multi-segment reward travel, the following will apply:

• Points difference (to new prevailing fare) will apply in all cases with a 10% points penalty withheld on any fare difference returned to member
• If modifying a non-sleeper ticket within 24 hours prior to departure, or a sleeper ticket within 14 days prior to departure, an additional "close-in" penalty of 10% of the points redeemed will be collected (waived for Select Executive).

I suspect that means that if you try to modify your 15,000 point roomette reservation, they'll take 1500 points (if you have it) out of your AGR account. That would be on top of any additional fare due. If the fare difference means a return of points, that should mean that 10% of those points are claimed by AGR as a penalty if within the "close-in" period. So I'd imagine if you could find a 14,000 point redemption within a week, you'd be penalized 1500 points (10% of the original redemption) along with 100 points (10% of the 1000 point difference). If you need to burn more points, it sounds like there's no particular penalty for that, but there may be the "close-in" penalty on the original redemption amount.

Does this make any sense? I would note that there is no such thing as a "round-trip" redemption under the zone system. It's a bit unclean on whether or not the penalty for a booking made after Jan 24 will be for the value of the entire redemption or the points value for the segment(s) being modified.

 

[willem]

On a slightly different nuance, if one is modifying a reservation to take advantage of a lower fare within the 14 day window, but on the same itinerary, would the close-in penalty apply? Logically, the close-in penalty is because of the possibility of Amtrak being unable to resell the room, but if the itinerary is unchanged, then that is not a possibility. In that case, it looks like a money (or points) grab and one more example of how the program has been gutted.

 

[Railroad Bill]

I am not sure, but my interpretation would be that if the new fare charged is higher, then you just pay the difference in points and there is no penalty involved.

Only if the new fare is lower would there be the 10% penalty for outside the date range and another 10% if inside the 14 day limit range. For example: If my new fare produced a savings of 1,000 points, then a penalty of 100 points would be incurred or an additional 100 points if inside the 14 day limit range. Thus, in this case, a maximum of 200 points penalty could be removed if you saved 1,000 points on the new lower fare. So you will still save 800 points by getting the lower fare even if you change 4 days out from the reservation.

This is an important feature that needs to be clarified for those who like to make changes based on changing fares. *people like me..

 

[Bob Dylan]

Excellent post Bill! Hopefully Anthony and the AGR team is working in presenting an understandable new AGR2.0 that will let us in on the complete program without it coming out in dribs and drabs on Flyer-talk, members having to wrestle with agents over the phone when the inevitable inconsistences occur due to lack of training, clear rules and Amtrak's employees doing it their way as occures frequently!

And monkeys can fly and Santa Claus exists!

 

[BCL]

It's unclear what "points redeemed" means. I suppose it can mean the original total redemption amount, the value of the segment being redeemed, the incremental points needed to make up the difference, or something else.

I think I didn't quite get it right, in that the close-in penalty and refund penalty sound like they're independent.

I'd be surprised in the "close-in" penalty isn't applied even in the case of a higher fare. However, the language doesn't make clear what's the points basis for the penalty.