Guest Rewards Trip to California

shop deals on amazon
Advertise with us
Shop deals on ebay
Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Railroad Bill

Railroad Bill

Buckeye Train Watcher
AU Supporting Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2007
Messages
3,918
Location
Northern Ohio
Just returned from a wonderful trip on LSL-SWC-Surfliner-Coast Starlight-Cascades-Empire Builder-Capitol Limited and lots of mass transits lines. A trip report will follow as soon as I get my notes together.

Question is: Next summer planning to do a two zone sleeper Cleveland (Toledo) to California via Capitol and Texas Eagle. The Guest Rewards setup would not give me a trip to LAX unless I took the SWC or CZ route. Have played with their system previously and so have the following plot brewing. Will book the two zone from Toledo to Pomona, CA so it will send me on the Texas Eagle route and then buy two coach tickets into LAX. :blink:

But then noticed that Pomona and Ontario are stations that only provide debarkations and that tickets from those two depots are not available into LAX on Amtrak?? That would mean booking only to Palm Springs and then getting a coach ride into LAX. Am I correct about this? :p

We were forced into a similar game playing on our upcoming fall trip from NOL to CLE and ended up with a short coach ride from Erie, PA to CLE so that we could ride the LSL out of NYP instead of the Capitol home. Any suggestions or ideas are appreciated. :rolleyes:

Thanks Railroad Bill
 
First, remember that the TE/SL only operate 3 days a week to LA!

Even though it is a few more AGR points to redeem, you could book a 1 zone award TOL-ELP and then a 1 zone award ELP-LAX. (Toledo and El Paso are both the borders of the zones.) This way, you could book on the TE! :)
 
I'd call up AGR to verify that they can't just put you on the Eagle, they used to be able to do that. Just make sure that you've picked the right start date, such that the Eagle is running through. If you don't have the right day of week, don't expect the AGR rep to know that you've picked a non-run through day.
 
You will be able to book the Capitol to Texas Eagle TOL to LAX. The problem is a quirk in the on-line booking system (that screwy Capitol to Zephyr to bus to San Joaquin to bus connection takes up so much room the system has no space to show the more logical Eagle choice). It is a legit connection. Call AGR and ask for it.
 
PRR 60 said:
You will be able to book the Capitol to Texas Eagle TOL to LAX. The problem is a quirk in the on-line booking system (that screwy Capitol to Zephyr to bus to San Joaquin to bus connection takes up so much room the system has no space to show the more logical Eagle choice). It is a legit connection. Call AGR and ask for it.
Click to expand...

Thanks PRR and others for the advice. I will call AGR and hopefully they will book the trip on the Texas Eagle all the way to LAX. Also wondering if they would book that trip all the way into San Diego since that was our ultimate destination. I know the Surfliner is not that expensive a ticket but if that is included in the two zone ride, everybit helps. Thanks again

Railroad Bill
 
Bill,

Not only should they be able to book you into San Diego on the same award, you can request a Business Class seat on the same award without any increase in the number of points you must surrender.
 
AlanB said:
Bill,
Not only should they be able to book you into San Diego on the same award, you can request a Business Class seat on the same award without any increase in the number of points you must surrender.
Click to expand...

Thanks Alan. That sounds even better. Next trip will also involve San Joaquins to SAC- a trip down to Yosemite, a trip over to San Francisco on the Capitol Service and then home on the Zephyr. Hoping to acquire enough points to get part of the return trip on Rewards as well. Best wishes :)

Bill
 

Latest posts

Back
Top