Making that run for select plus

[Steve4031]

I should be close to select status with close to 5000 points by the end of July. In past years, there was a period of time in the fall where Amtrak ran a double points promotion where the bonus points also counted towards select or select plus status. I just missed select plus status one year because I screwed around and did not read the small print. So this year, I want to be more careful.

What I want to do is to make a points run on the Acela on a Saturday and Sunday. What I intend to do is to break the trip into segments to get points on each segment. I know one cannot do this for the same train. Would I be able to book an Acela from Washington to Philly, hang out an hour in Philly, and then continue on to NYC or Boston and gets points for 2 segments on the same day?

Thanks

 

[Trogdor]

Keep in mind that the 500-point (or 750-point) minimum for Acela only applies to certain city pairs (basically, to compete with the airline shuttles). I don't think that Philadelphia is part of any such city pairs.

 

[wayman]

Keep in mind that the 500-point (or 750-point) minimum for Acela only applies to certain city pairs (basically, to compete with the airline shuttles). I don't think that Philadelphia is part of any such city pairs.

Philadelphia to Boston (any of its stations) counts.

 

[Steve4031]

So Washington DC to Philly would not? !@#$$%&^%^**^ it I just did that round trip last week thinking I was getting points.

 

[tj722]

I had to point that out to several frequent Acela riders in the WAS Club Acela. They were businessmen that started out together in WAS--half of them always get off at PHL and the rest at NYP. They NYP travelers were all wondering why they had so many more points than the PHL bunch. A couple of the riders had not even signed up for AGR. :blink:

That being said, it's not guaranteed that you will be able to get the "double points count towards Select/Select Plus"... and, as I did, you will likely have to fight them to get you your status and Select package come early 2009.

 

[AlanB]

So Washington DC to Philly would not? !@#$$%&^%^**^ it I just did that round trip last week thinking I was getting points.

Well you will be getting points, just not the special 500 or 750 amount. You'll only get 2 points per dollar spent for that ride Steve, just like a normal Amtrak ride elsewhere.

 

[AlanB]

That being said, it's not guaranteed that you will be able to get the "double points count towards Select/Select Plus"... and, as I did, you will likely have to fight them to get you your status and Select package come early 2009.

Correct. First there is no guarantee that you will be given the special offer where the double points will count towards status. Not everyone gets that offer, it is by invitation only.

And then since it is a manual process, not automatic, one does often have to contact AGR to get promoted to the proper level.

Finally of course all of the above assumes that Amtrak actually runs the double point promo in late fall. That has been the tradition for the past several years, but there is no guarantee that they will do it this year.

 

[Steve4031]

Well since I'm not picking up 1000 points from this last trip it is a moot point.