It's back (the 50% points purchase bonus)

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I didn't get an e-mail, so I assume it's targeted to select members.
Hey, pay attention! It may be "targeted" to them but it's available to all members, I think. Log in to your AR account. Click the "Buy Points" button. See if there isn't a 50% notice!

Note that you're only allowed to buy/transfer in 10K points per calendar year. So for example if you bought 2000 points after January 2014 you're only allowed to buy 8000 points. HOWEVER! You still get the bonus 4000 points. So go for it!
 
Yeah, this is definitely targeted. At the very least, I suspect it is not targeted at Select Executive members, or I'd be on the phone looking to buy...way too many points.
 
Hey, pay attention! It may be "targeted" to them but it's available to all members, I think. Log in to your AR account. Click the "Buy Points" button. See if there isn't a 50% notice!
Nope.

you're only allowed to buy 8000 points. HOWEVER! You still get the bonus 4000 points. So go for it!
Not necessarily. Some people's offer only gets the 50% bonus if you buy the full pull. Buying fewer points nets a smaller bonus.

I believe it's targeted. My wife just forwarded me an email that she got from a points watching site. That one said a 10% bonus for buying 1,000-4,500 points, 30% if you buy 5,000-9,500 and 50% if you buy the full 10,000.

When I went to buy points to check, I didn't see any bonus offered. :(
 
I didn't get an e-mail, so I assume it's targeted to select members.
Hey, pay attention! It may be "targeted" to them but it's available to all members, I think. Log in to your AR account. Click the "Buy Points" button. See if there isn't a 50% notice!

Note that you're only allowed to buy/transfer in 10K points per calendar year. So for example if you bought 2000 points after January 2014 you're only allowed to buy 8000 points. HOWEVER! You still get the bonus 4000 points. So go for it!
I did log into my account and there is no 50% bonus offer. Select Executives have no limit on points that they are allowed to purchase.
 
Sorry to see that. I am NOT a Select *anything* member but the offer was there when I went to buy points.

One of my relatives had transferred points to me a month ago so I could take a trip this fall. So I was limited by how many points I could buy. I bought less than 9000 points but I still got the 50% bonus, fully half of what I bought.

So if I'm not Select or Select Executive or Select Anything, how did that happen?? How then do these offers work? Who is targeted and why?
 
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My condolences and apology to Ryan upon learning of your grandfather's passing away. I did not know at the time I make my post about your avatar. I ASSumed this was a family member whom you were probably planning to visit or something. That's what I get for ASSuming. Again, I'm sorry and did not know the circumstances.

From his expression in the picture, he appears to have been a joyful, contented, kind person. What a nice way to honor him. You and your family are in my prayers.
 
For What's It Worth---I am Select status and got the email with the 50% bonus offer. My wife, a non-status AGR member did not get the email BUT is offered the 50% bonus (if purchasing the 10k max) when logging into her AGR account.
 
For What's It Worth---I am Select status and got the email with the 50% bonus offer. My wife, a non-status AGR member did not get the email BUT is offered the 50% bonus (if purchasing the 10k max) when logging into her AGR account.
Karmic Compensation for living in Southern Georgia! Wonder if you still were in Beautiful Harpers Ferry there would have been No Bonus offers??? ^_^
 
For What's It Worth---I am Select status and got the email with the 50% bonus offer. My wife, a non-status AGR member did not get the email BUT is offered the 50% bonus (if purchasing the 10k max) when logging into her AGR account.
Karmic Compensation for living in Southern Georgia! Wonder if you still were in Beautiful Harpers Ferry there would have been No Bonus offers??? ^_^
You never know Jim but since we are talking about AGR one is never sure how these things are determined!
 
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My condolences and apology to Ryan upon learning of your grandfather's passing away. I did not know at the time I make my post about your avatar. I ASSumed this was a family member whom you were probably planning to visit or something. That's what I get for ASSuming. Again, I'm sorry and did not know the circumstances.

From his expression in the picture, he appears to have been a joyful, contented, kind person. What a nice way to honor him. You and your family are in my prayers.
No worries at all! Thanks for your kind words.

So if I'm not Select or Select Executive or Select Anything, how did that happen?? How then do these offers work? Who is targeted and why?
Level doesn't have anything to do with it. It's all magic, smoke and mirrors.
 
I got my email Thursday...the 10-30-50% bonus offer. But neither my wife or daughter got an email and their accounts don't mention it.

My only major activity in the last several months was a 40,000 point redemption. I guess they think I'm ready to refill the coffer. And I will--at least for 15000 points.
 
FYI, I didn't see the offer right away on the page for buying points. The offer only appeared once I'd gone through the first stage of completing the transaction. I almost gave up too soon. I had to reach the place where you choose how many points you'd like to buy.
 
Definitely be sure to log in and start the buying process.

I got a 50% bonus earlier this year and was checking with my wife and she never got any email. I logged in to her account, started the transaction, and lo and behold there's a 50% bonus offer.

15000 points for $275, you just can't beat it.
 
No email here and no offer on AGR—and I went all the way to the payment page.

I have about 58,000 AGR points in my account.

Sent from my iPad Air using Amtrak Forum
 
No email. But went to the site and the 50% offer was there when I got to the pull down window to select points. Did it of course.
 
Tried it again today. Went all the way to the enter cc info page....no bonus. :(
Sorry man. In the future make sure you have accounts for family and friends to maximize your options. They don't need to be regular riders (or even ride Amtrak at all). Ideally you'll have multiple accounts at various levels of involvement that will make re-qualification a regular process. So long as each account is tied to a real person you're good. The points for any given account can be purchased on almost any credit card and used to buy tickets for virtually anyone.
 
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Can you explain further on the multiple accounts? How do you use say 12,000 points each in two accounts to redeem one high point level award such as 20,000 points if they are spread into multiple accounts? Is there some way to combine all the points into one account later?
 
Can you explain further on the multiple accounts? How do you use say 12,000 points each in two accounts to redeem one high point level award such as 20,000 points if they are spread into multiple accounts? Is there some way to combine all the points into one account later?
Yes, you can transfer points from one account to another, though there is a charge for it.
 
I cannot explain why or how but I've noticed that a couple accounts which did not show the 50% bonus originally are showing it now. Might be worth another check if you're desperate and/or bored. :lol:

Can you explain further on the multiple accounts? How do you use say 12,000 points each in two accounts to redeem one high point level award such as 20,000 points if they are spread into multiple accounts? Is there some way to combine all the points into one account later?
Combining points across multiple accounts is not the goal because the cost of doing so is prohibitive by design. Having multiple accounts (tied to real people) helps simply by ensuring you have a better chance of seeing the next targeted bonus offer. With the current structure 10,000 points + 5,000 bonus points gets you a one way one zone roomette for $275. I've paid as much as $550 for a one zone roomette and seen them offered for nearly a thousand dollars, so I'm already way ahead of the game right from the start without having to combine any points. If I can hold off on booking for a few months I can add an additional 5,000 points on January 1st for another $138. From where I live those 20,000 points would be enough to reach anywhere Amtrak goes in a roomette. If I had access to six accounts (tied to actual friends and family) and two of them received the bonus offer I could travel to anywhere Amtrak goes and back in a roomette for half or even a third of what it would cost in cash. This is what has worked for me. It may or may not work for others and there is always the chance that Amtrak could suddenly change the rules at any time as they see fit. As with any loyalty program never convert more real money into monkey points than you can afford to lose. If you cannot afford to lose that money you may get seriously burned when the next rule adjustment or points devaluation comes along.
 
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Today I got the email saying "Hurry! Time's Running Out!".

They've given me 2 weeks to come up with $275 for 15,000 points.

But come up with $275, I shall!

Then I'll be only 7500 points away from a 2-zone roomette trip. 40,000 points is a big milestone. Not only do you get a roomette for two zones (which by definition for ME would be an overnight trip), it can be redeemed for TWO people. Oooooo!

If I put it on my AGR MC, will I get 275 extra points or 550 for being an Amtrak purchase?
 
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