New to this program

[penfrydd]

The zone map is just a bit confusing. Is the Northeast zone part of the East zone, or is it a separate zone?

Also, it looks like I can force the system to let me take the trains I want by putting together several single trips. For example: If I wanted to go from NYP to PDX, but not on the EB, it looks like I could do NYP to Denver, and then Denver to PDX. Is that correct?

 

[Ryan]

It's a subset of the East zone.

If you stay in it, stuff is cheaper. If you leave it, it's a 1 zone.

You can force routings in the way you describe, but only if you use multiple redemptions. In your example, NYP-DEN would be one trip, and DEN-PDX would be another.

But in that particular case, that's unnecessary - if you put in NYP-PDX, you get 43/29/5/14 and 43/29/3/14 as possibilities (along with 49/5/14 and 49/3/14, and regionals to WAS and then 29/3/14 or 29/5/14).

 

[the_traveler]

The northeast zone is only counted if BOTH the originating and destination stations are within that zone. If one is outside that zone, it is considered the eastern zone.

Examples:

1) Washington to Buffalo are both in the northeast zone. Use the northeast zone rates.

2) Boston to Miami has only Boston in the northeast zone but not Miami. Only use the eastern zone rates..

3) New York to Denver has only New York in the northeast zone but not Denver. This is a 2 zone award, eastern and central zones.

 

[jersey42]

Also, it looks like I can force the system to let me take the trains I want by putting together several single trips. For example: If I wanted to go from NYP to PDX, but not on the EB, it looks like I could do NYP to Denver, and then Denver to PDX. Is that correct?

As Ryan pointed out, either one three-zone reward or a one-zone and a two-zone reward works for your trip. There are other examples where putting together two trips is either necessary or desirable. For roomettes here are the points:

• One zone - 15,000
• Two zones - 20,000
• Three zones - 35,000

So, if you are going coast to coast, you can redeem one three-zone reward or a one-zone and a two-zone reward for the same 35,000 points. If you choose the one-zone + two-zone and split the trip at a border city, you can stay over one or more nights, and you can force a route that may not otherwise be available. To use your NYP-PDX example in reverse, here is a trip I have coming up shortly:

• PDX to LAX via Coast Starlight - overnight in LAX on my dime
• LAX to ABQ via Southwest Chief - two nights in Albuquerque/Santa Fe (these first two segments combined are a one zone redemption)
• ABQ to CHI via Southwest Chief - Short layover in Chicago
• CHI-NYP via Cardinal (these second two segments are a two zone redemption)

I could not have gotten the Southwest Chief routing with a three zone redemption. Plus, I could not have stayed a couple of days in New Mexico.