Select Status - what does it get me??

[RRrich]

I am close to 5000 AGR points - just one quick station to next station run will put me over the top.

What will it get me? The info on the AGR page isn't really clear or attractive. Why should I do it?

 

[AlanB]

Rich,

You'll get a 25% point bonus for all future Amtrak trips taken for the remainder of this year, as well as next year. You may or may not get some free upgrade coupons and companion vouchers good for this year, and you will certainly get them next year. You get a new toll free number to call Amtrak with, that bypasses Julie and cuts the wait time to speak to an agent, as well as a new number for AGR customer service that also gets priority. You'll get a few passes to get into Club Acela's with. You'll get some AGR luggage tags with your name on them. And finally a few other interesting offers, like a fast track to Hilton Honors Gold membership.

 

[PRR 60]

In addition to Alan's list, you also get the ability to make outbound transfers of points to participating hotel programs and Continental Airlines (up to 50,000 points in a calendar year). That may or may not be of interest, and you get that same benefit by having the AGR Mastercard and charging $200 or more of Amtrak travel to the card in a calendar year (25,000 point limit).

Compared to most airline programs, the benefits of elite membership with AGR are, in my opinion, very thin, particularly for someone living outside the NEC. Lounge access does little good if you have no Club Acela or Metropolitan Club within 300 miles, and free upgrades to Business or First are worth about $25 each for services other than Acela. The new AGR contractor should seriously look at provide some enhancements for Select and Select+ to make attaining those levels more attractive to someone living outside the Corridor.

 

[Trogdor]

Compared to most airline programs, the benefits of elite membership with AGR are, in my opinion, very thin, particularly for someone living outside the NEC. Lounge access does little good if you have no Club Acela or Metropolitan Club within 300 miles, and free upgrades to Business or First are worth about $25 each for services other than Acela. The new AGR contractor should seriously look at provide some enhancements for Select and Select+ to make attaining those levels more attractive to someone living outside the Corridor.

They're also a lot easier to attain than airline elite programs (not that I'm complaining about that, though).

For a NEC traveler, just seven one-way trips in Acela First Class (between certain city pairs) gets you Select status. Use the upgrade coupons from your Select award to upgrade coach (err..."businessclass") tickets on Acela to First Class, and you'll get first class credit again, which could help you achieve SelectPlus.

Except for those traveling internationally, I don't think there is any airline elite program out there where someone could earn status after just 3.5 round trips.

 

[DivMiler]

The new AGR contractor should seriously look at provide some enhancements for Select and Select+ to make attaining those levels more attractive to someone living outside the Corridor.

What new AGR contractor?

 

[PRR 60]

The new AGR contractor should seriously look at provide some enhancements for Select and Select+ to make attaining those levels more attractive to someone living outside the Corridor.

What new AGR contractor?

Word has it that Carlson Marketing, which has run Amtrak Guest Rewards since it's inception in 2000, will be replaced by a new contractor in the relatively near future. Whether that means an overhaul of AGR is in the offing is not yet known. It could mean nothing more to AGR members than a change of address.

 

[transit54]

Compared to most airline programs, the benefits of elite membership with AGR are, in my opinion, very thin, particularly for someone living outside the NEC. Lounge access does little good if you have no Club Acela or Metropolitan Club within 300 miles, and free upgrades to Business or First are worth about $25 each for services other than Acela. The new AGR contractor should seriously look at provide some enhancements for Select and Select+ to make attaining those levels more attractive to someone living outside the Corridor.

Any thoughts on what sort of benefits they could offer? I just can't think of any obvious ones off the top of my head, short of some additional discounts perhaps.

 

[Trogdor]

Any thoughts on what sort of benefits they could offer? I just can't think of any obvious ones off the top of my head, short of some additional discounts perhaps.

The only other thing Amtrak could really offer of any value would be automatic upgrades for some sort of "Super Select Plus" status level. Airlines offer various elite levels automatic upgrades, on certain fares and on a space-available basis, starting a certain number of days prior to travel (highest elites, usually 5 days, then 3 for the next level, then 1 day for the next level, then day-of if anything is left). The two problems I see with that approach, though: 1) Could Amtrak's reservation system handle such a task, or would it have to be redesigned to read someone's AGR status level (as opposed to just their number, with a separate company worrying about sending coupons for status)? 2) Amtrak probably depends a lot on selling (for $$$) those upgrades, and on some routes (such as the midwest service, for example), business class sells out so far in advance that you really can't get a free upgrade anyway.

I suppose an alternative to automatic upgrades would be, perhaps, a couple of coupons good for upgrades more than two days in advance, or perhaps one good for a sleeper upgrade. Then again, since most of the AGR Select/Select Plus members ride the NEC, I doubt sleeper upgrades would be all that useful to them.