New Select Plus Guest Rewards Tier

[AlanB]

November 8, 2004

Amtrak Guest Rewards Introduces New 'Select Plus' Membership Tier

WASHINGTON - Amtrak today announced it will introduce a new premium membership tier for its Amtrak Guest Rewards program - "Select Plus" - and set new minimum point award and redemption levels enabling members to earn free travel and other rewards faster than ever before.

Beginning March 1, 2005, Amtrak Guest Rewards will offer a new "Select Plus" membership tier, providing added benefits and value to frequent travelers. This new tier requires 10,000 points annually to qualify and offers:

50% bonus points for all rail travel

Unlimited access to ClubAcela, Metropolitan and First Class Lounges

A limited number of single class upgrades (excludes sleeper accommodations) with 48-hour advance bookings

A limited number of companion coach vouchers on regional and long-distance trains

The current Select Tier, which requires 5,000 rail points annually, will offer enhanced benefits to improve the value for members including:

"Your Choice Coupons" offer the selection of one-day passes to ClubAcela, Metropolitan or First Class Lounges; or coupons for 10% off regional and long distance trains.

A limited number of single class upgrades (excludes sleeper accommodations) one hour in advance of departure.

Currently, all Guest Rewards members earn two points for every dollar spent on Amtrak travel. Under the revised program, effective January 1, 2005, members will continue to receive two points per dollar, but will always earn at least 100 points per one-way trip, making them eligible for rewards faster. Members will also continue to earn 500 or 750 points (Business or First class) between select city pairs when riding Acela Express or Metroliner service. In addition, free rail travel may now be redeemed for as few as 1,000 Amtrak Guest Rewards points.

In addition to free Amtrak travel, Amtrak Guest Rewards points can be redeemed for hotel and car rental awards, airline miles and retail certificates from a wide variety of participating companies. Points for unreserved Amtrak travel, certificates and partner rewards can be redeemed online on the Amtrak Guest Rewards website (www.amtrakguestrewards.com) by logging in using the membership number and password, or by calling 1-800-307-5000.

 

[Anthony]

I think I know who one of the first Select Plus members will be. :lol: :lol:

 

[AlanB]

I think I know who one of the first Select Plus members will be. :lol: :lol:

Got my letter today, welcoming me. I started to type that up for posting and was halfway through when Amtrak put up the press release.

 

[Viewliner]

Sounds great, hopefully in a few years I'll be able to earn enough points for the select plus tier...or even the select tier. I like the amenities offered.

Anthony: I had the same reaction before I even read your post, congrats Alan. :lol: B)

 

[PRR 60]

An equally interesting change is the new minimum award of 100 points regardless of the actual cost of the travel. Particularly with the state-supported trains in California, it is possible to ride so inexpensively that the number of AGR points earned is a pittance. Now it is a little less of a pittance. Last spring, I took a one-way trip from Oakland to Sacramento and earned a grand total of 22 points. Wow. Only 4,978 more for Select status.

Next on the hit-list has to be the ridiculous “select city pair” requirement for the Acela flat 500 point award. Why should someone riding NYC to Route 128 for $77 on a weekend/AAA fare get 500 points while someone riding Philadelphia to Providence on a weekday for $152 dollars gets 304 points? Any clue? With the PHL-PVD Acela market being pillaged by Southwest Airlines (and US Airway’s GoFare response), you would think Amtrak would actually want to promote the route. I guess not.

Here is an even more interesting aspect of the AGR program. A far more cost effective way to earn Amtrak GR points than riding trains is flying Continental Airlines and transferring OnePass miles to Amtrak. Does anyone else see the irony that I could use CO from Philadelphia to Providence with the PHL to EWR segment on the Amtrak codeshare, and I would earn more Amtrak points (A LOT MORE) through One Pass than if rode Amtrak all the way? Absolutely true. Using CO I would get 750 miles each way plus and, if I booked on-line, a 1000 mile bonus. That’s a total of 2500 miles. If I take Acela I get 608 points. Over four times the Amtrak points for flying. Now, does that make any sense?

By the way: Guest Rewards has some historical significance. “Guest” Rewards. It is one of the last, if not the last vestige of the George Warrington marketing scheme to call passengers “guests”. Remember those days when “guest” was force-fit into every ad and every press release rather than use the lowly term “passenger?” Those were strange times.

 

[Steve4031]

When does that 100 point minimum take effect?

I have 750 points to go, and live in Chicago. So I think Im going railroading before the end of december.

 

[PRR 60]

When does that 100 point minimum take effect?

January 1, 2005.

 

[tp49]

That will be nice for those of us who ride the Capitol's right now if I buy a round trip from Sacramento to Fremont I get 38 points would be nice to get more considering how often I ride.

 

[saxman]

Yeah I got my letter about the Select Plus. I don't think I'll be getting that. I just barely got Select Tier. Living in North Dakota does me no good at having Select Tier though. Except the 25% bonus points. I will be coming to the Northeast often this Spring, exclusively to use my benifits before they expire.

But its true you can get more benefits using OnePass miles. Good thing I happen to get those too.

Chris

 

[Trogdor]

Oh, I think I can get the better of this deal (the 100 point minimum, that is).

$6 MKE-MKA (Milwaukee Airport, supposedly to open November 22, but strangely not even in the reservation system yet).

Old system: 12 points (well, 18 if I buy it with my credit card). New system: 100 points.

Muhahahahahaha!

 

[saxman]

Yeah i"ve done Fort Worth to Dallas for fun, and thats a whopping $8!

 

[jccollins]

Under the revised program, effective January 1, 2005, members will continue to receive two points per dollar, but will always earn at least 100 points per one-way trip, making them eligible for rewards faster.

I hope it is 100 points PER TICKET/segment and not 100 points per one way travel including the connections. Typical round trips for me from Northern Nevada to Southern California consist of about ten separate Amtrak ticket segments but the whole trip usually costs about $90 or so. Using that figure, I earn about 180 Amtrak GR Select-Qualifying points with every one of these trips. If the new program will count each segment as 100 points, 10 segments x 100 = 1000 Select-Qualifying points for each one of these trips. I only have 7100 GR Select-Qualifying points right now (highly doubt I will qualify for Select+ this time 'round) but if my math is right I should have at least twice as many Select-Qualifying points next year and easily qualify...

 

[Guest_steve4031]

When does that 100 point minimum take effect?

January 1, 2005.

Thanks, day trips on the midwest corridor trains will now start to make since. But this will not help me this year as I try to get my 750 points.