DEN - LAX AGR booking experience

[Davids]

I just hung up the phone with AGR agent and was able to book Denver to LAX on trains 5 and 11 for 1 zone reward, staying overnight in Emeryville on my own dime. The agent insisted that would be a 2 zone reward redemption. I read the rule to the agent but she said the rule does not apply for AGR rewards. I calmly said that I am reading it off the AGR website redemption rule. She finally put me on hold for about 10 minutes and approved it. Yay!!! Just be persistent and polite.

I decided to stay overnight in EMY instead of SAC or any cities in between so I do not need to wake up too early to catch #11 the next morning. My question is how do I go to SF from EMY? I was going to ask for SFC stopover instead of EMY, but I think that would be too much. Can I buy separate amtrak bus thruway from EMY to SF?

Thanks

David

 

[George K]

I don't see that as a route. Everything from EMY to LAX is a bus, not #11. How'dja do that?

 

[Davids]

Hi George, it is not one of the published routes. There is a rule on AGR website that says "Where sleeping car service is not offered for the entire published route, and where an alternate direct routing exists with sleeping car service on all segments, the alternate routing is allowed. (Example: Denver, CO to Los Angeles, CA on Trains 5 and 11)" which allow you to stay overnight on your own dime for the same amount of redemption points. However, not all agents are aware of this rule, when you make reservation, make sure you mention that rule to the agent. If the agent does not budge, ask for the supervisor.

This has been discussed in this thread below:

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/55501-clarifications-on-rules-from-agr-insider/

Thanks

David

 

[SteveSFL]

I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn in EMY between trains. It is one of the hotels close to the station in EMY. I used the "Emery-go-round" free shuttle bus (http://www.emerygoround.com/) to get from the hotel to the BART station to ride to SF for sight-seeing. Just be sure to check the hours on the Emery-go-round as we stayed late in SF and ended up taking a city bus back to EMY that dropped us a short walk from the hotel.