Conglomerate Account

[Kevin L.]

Can more than one person contribute points to the same AGR account? Our trip on amtrak will probably be our only one for a while, and we could actually stand to get points redeemable for something if we combined into one account, rather than have 2 half-full accounts waiting around until next time.

 

[the_traveler]

No - each person must have his or her own account. And it does not matter who pays for the tickets. Only the person who actually travel gets the points. (It's all for that person - or nothing!)

 

[AlanB]

It should be noted however that the first person listed on any reservation will get the points for a sleeper, assuming that one is booked into a sleeper. The other person in the room will only get railfare points.

 

[spot1181]

You can buy 10,000 points for yourself per year. Can you buy the points for your spouse also and vice versa for a total of 20,000 per year? Spot

 

[AlanB]

You can buy 10,000 points for yourself per year. Can you buy the points for your spouse also and vice versa for a total of 20,000 per year? Spot

You can buy points for her account and your account, but she cannot buy points for her account and yours too. Here's the rule:

Amtrak Guest Rewards Buy Points can be purchased in increments of 500 Points, and you can buy or receive up to a total of 10,000 Points to your account in a calendar year.

In other words, any given account can only be increased by 10,000 purchased points per year. It doesn't matter who buys them, only that the total does not exceed 10,000 points.

 

[ralfp]

In other words, any given account can only be increased by 10,000 purchased points per year. It doesn't matter who buys them, only that the total does not exceed 10,000 points.

One can buy (or receive as a 'gift') CO miles and x-fer them to AGR.

One can buy Starpoints and x-fer them to AGR.

Both are $0.035+ per point.

Edit: One can buy far more than 10,000 AGR points per year, it just requires more than one transaction.

 

[PRR 60]

...One can buy far more than 10,000 AGR points per year, it just requires more than one transaction.

Only 10,000 AGR points can be added to any one account from Buy Points in a calendar year. From the Buy Points FAQ:

Yearly limit of points a member can receive and per calendar year: 10,000 points per calendar year

 

[Kevin L.]

...One can buy far more than 10,000 AGR points per year, it just requires more than one transaction.

Only 10,000 AGR points can be added to any one account from Buy Points in a calendar year. From the Buy Points FAQ:

Yearly limit of points a member can receive and per calendar year: 10,000 points per calendar year

It is too bad that multiple people can't contribute to one large point pool, because it takes 2,500 dollars spent on Amtrak to get 5,000 points for select status. (Or a multitude of small trips for much less, but that could total to more).

Considering that the California Zephyr in january is only 145 bucks to go almost 2,500 miles, it could take a long while to total up that many points. Even buying a roomette on some trains won't get you up that high...although in peak season a bedroom or 2 will get you up to that level by itself. Select status really does mean that you get to live on the train during the year..... lucky doesn't begin to describe it.

My compadres booked all of their travel without bothering to AGR it, so since they don't want the points, I was hopeful that they could be contributed to my "greater cause", but it doesn't look like that can happen

 

[AlanB]

It is too bad that multiple people can't contribute to one large point pool, because it takes 2,500 dollars spent on Amtrak to get 5,000 points for select status. (Or a multitude of small trips for much less, but that could total to more).
Considering that the California Zephyr in january is only 145 bucks to go almost 2,500 miles, it could take a long while to total up that many points. Even buying a roomette on some trains won't get you up that high...although in peak season a bedroom or 2 will get you up to that level by itself. Select status really does mean that you get to live on the train during the year..... lucky doesn't begin to describe it.

Actually since you live on the east coast along the NEC, it really doesn't take $2,500 and months on the train to earn Select status.

If you can get the low bucket price for an Acela seat from DC to NY, take 5 roundtrips at just about 6 hours each for a cost of $1,330 and you'll have earned Select Status.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

Considering that the California Zephyr in january is only 145 bucks to go almost 2,500 miles, it could take a long while to total up that many points. Even buying a roomette on some trains won't get you up that high...although in peak season a bedroom or 2 will get you up to that level by itself. Select status really does mean that you get to live on the train during the year..... lucky doesn't begin to describe it.

Three BOS to CHI LSL round trips a year in a roomette is close to enough points for Select status. (Unfortunately, 1-2 such trips a year seems to be about what I'm likely to take.)

 

[ralfp]

...One can buy far more than 10,000 AGR points per year, it just requires more than one transaction.

Only 10,000 AGR points can be added to any one account from Buy Points in a calendar year. From the Buy Points FAQ:

Yearly limit of points a member can receive and per calendar year: 10,000 points per calendar year

Did you read what I wrote? I said "One can buy far more than 10,000 AGR points per year, it just requires more than one transaction." This is a true statement. I did not say that one can use Buy Points to get more than 10,000 AGR points per year.

 

[PRR 60]

...One can buy far more than 10,000 AGR points per year, it just requires more than one transaction.

Only 10,000 AGR points can be added to any one account from Buy Points in a calendar year. From the Buy Points FAQ:

Yearly limit of points a member can receive and per calendar year: 10,000 points per calendar year

Did you read what I wrote? I said "One can buy far more than 10,000 AGR points per year, it just requires more than one transaction." This is a true statement. I did not say that one can use Buy Points to get more than 10,000 AGR points per year.

If you carefully read what you wrote, it can easily be interpreted to mean that multiple AGR transactions will permit more than 10,000 points to be purchased. At least that's how I read it, and yes, I did read what you wrote. Now, had you said "more than one transaction and transfer", that would have been a little clearer to those of us challenged in figuring out what you were trying to say.

 

[ralfp]

Now, had you said "more than one transaction and transfer", that would have been a little clearer to those of us challenged in figuring out what you were trying to say.

I thought my explaining how (via CO and SPG) covered this; my comment at the end (after 'Edit') was just to make clear that one can increase an AGR by more than 10,000 purchased points per year. I apologize for trying to make it clear that such a limit can be exceeded, so that people know what options they have.

 

[RRrich]

Now, had you said "more than one transaction and transfer", that would have been a little clearer to those of us challenged in figuring out what you were trying to say.

I thought my explaining how (via CO and SPG) covered this; my comment at the end (after 'Edit') was just to make clear that one can increase an AGR by more than 10,000 purchased points per year. I apologize for trying to make it clear that such a limit can be exceeded, so that people know what options they have.

So at present (during the no transaction fee period) we can buy AGR points at $27.50 per thousand, SPGstarpoints at $35/thousand and the same for CO points. You can only transfer 10,000 AGR points to your account in a year - is there a limit on the number of Starpoints or CO points that you can transfer?

 

[AlanB]

Now, had you said "more than one transaction and transfer", that would have been a little clearer to those of us challenged in figuring out what you were trying to say.

I thought my explaining how (via CO and SPG) covered this; my comment at the end (after 'Edit') was just to make clear that one can increase an AGR by more than 10,000 purchased points per year. I apologize for trying to make it clear that such a limit can be exceeded, so that people know what options they have.

So at present (during the no transaction fee period) we can buy AGR points at $27.50 per thousand, SPGstarpoints at $35/thousand and the same for CO points. You can only transfer 10,000 AGR points to your account in a year - is there a limit on the number of Starpoints or CO points that you can transfer?

I'm not aware of any limits on transfers into AGR, unless the limit is with the program you are transfering from. Transfers out of AGR are limited based upon your AGR status.

 

[ralfp]

So at present (during the no transaction fee period) we can buy AGR points at $27.50 per thousand, SPGstarpoints at $35/thousand and the same for CO points. You can only transfer 10,000 AGR points to your account in a year - is there a limit on the number of Starpoints or CO points that you can transfer?

Short answer: No... but yes.

As far as I know there are no limits on transfers from CO, though I'm not sure about how many CO OP miles you can buy (or receive as a 'gift'). I've transferred about 100,000 CO miles to AGR in the last 7 months (now with < 1000 AGR points left).

Starpoints supposedly give you the 5,000 point bonus for every 20,000 points transferred. This is a feature for transfers to many FF programs, but supposedly a bug (or undocumented feature) for transfers to AGR. Again, I have no idea about limits on buying *points, but I think there's no limit on x-fers.

Now for a question, does Amex do transfers from Membership Rewards to AGR (my only Amex is a SPG card)?

 

[AlanB]

Now for a question, does Amex do transfers from Membership Rewards to AGR (my only Amex is a SPG card)?

Not directly, but Amex membership rewards can be sent to Continental, which in turn can be sent to AGR.