Upgrade/Companion/Lounge Coupons: seeking, available, questions

[Paint812]

Does anyone know where I can find the fine print/limitations/restrictions for the companion coupon? I've tried looking on the Amtrak website, but I haven't found it. Wife and I are considering a mutli-city trip out west sometime this year and we are trying to decide if it's worth getting the credit card for this pass.

Some Questions we have:

1. Will the companion pass work on a multi-city booking?
2. Will it work with sleeper cars?
3. What is the actual cost with the free tickets (I'm sure its not 100% free)?

 

[pennyk]

Does anyone know where I can find the fine print/limitations/restrictions for the companion coupon? I've tried looking on the Amtrak website, but I haven't found it. Wife and I are considering a mutli-city trip out west sometime this year and we are trying to decide if it's worth getting the credit card for this pass.

Some Questions we have:

1. Will the companion pass work on a multi-city booking?
2. Will it work with sleeper cars?
3. What is the actual cost with the free tickets (I'm sure its not 100% free)?

Below are the terms and conditions from one of my coupons:

Coupon Restrictions​

• Coupon valid for one (1) free companion rail fare with the purchase of one (1) regular (full) adult rail fare. Free companion and paying passenger must reserve at the same time and travel together at all times.
• Each coupon is valid for travel as one (1) one-way reservation.
• Travel blackouts apply: November 22-23, 2022; November 26-28, 2022; November 21-22, 2023; November 25-27, 2023.
• Valid for travel on all Amtrak service except train/Thruway series 7000-8999.
• Free companion offer is not combinable with any discount, coupon, or Amtrak Guest Rewards® redemption travel.
• The Coupon# is unique to your coupon and valid for one use only. Buying or selling this coupon is prohibited and will invalidate the coupon. Coupon may be transferred to a family member or friend.
• Offer valid for Coach class or Acela Business class. Upgrade to Business class or Acela First class is available upon full payment of applicable accommodation charges.
• Offer also valid for private rooms including Roomettes, Bedrooms, Bedroom Suites and Accessible Bedrooms; offer excludes Family Bedrooms.
• Other restrictions may apply.

 

[joelkfla]

The 10% discount coupon restrictions include, "Not valid for sleeper accommodations." Can it be used on the railfare portion of a sleeper ticket, or not at all? In other word, does "sleeper accommodations" mean the specific accommodations fee, or the ticket as a whole?

And another question, this time about the companion coupon: I know that the companion coupon can only be used with an adult full fare. But does that preclude having a child at half-fare, on the same booking as the 2 adults at 1 adult full fare?

Thanks for any insights.

 

[npower]

The 10% discount coupon restrictions include, "Not valid for sleeper accommodations." Can it be used on the railfare portion of a sleeper ticket, or not at all? In other word, does "sleeper accommodations" mean the specific accommodations fee, or the ticket as a whole?

And another question, this time about the companion coupon: I know that the companion coupon can only be used with an adult full fare. But does that preclude having a child at half-fare, on the same booking as the 2 adults at 1 adult full fare?

Thanks for any insights.

Good afternoon, I had interpreted the language in the terms and conditions related to companion coupons that reads : "Offer also valid for private rooms including Roomettes, Bedrooms, Bedroom Suites and Accessible Bedrooms; offer excludes Family Bedrooms." to mean that one could essentially get 2 bedrooms for the price of one on one leg of a journey, but when I called to make a reservation, the customer service rep said that a companion coupon was only good for the rail fare. Can anyone clarify?

 

[trimetbusfan]

Good afternoon, I had interpreted the language in the terms and conditions related to companion coupons that reads : "Offer also valid for private rooms including Roomettes, Bedrooms, Bedroom Suites and Accessible Bedrooms; offer excludes Family Bedrooms." to mean that one could essentially get 2 bedrooms for the price of one on one leg of a journey, but when I called to make a reservation, the customer service rep said that a companion coupon was only good for the rail fare. Can anyone clarify?

Reading the coupon terms, it very clearly states the following

• Coupon valid for one (1) free companion rail fare with the purchase of one (1) regular (full) adult rail fare. Free companion and paying passenger must reserve at the same time and travel together at all times.

So you can get two seats in the same bedroom or roomette for the price of one. I see in the part you quoted the coupon does say bedroom suites are OK. I suppose you might not have to pay the second persons rail fare but you would still have to pay the accommodation charge if you were to book two rooms.

 

[pennyk]

Good afternoon, I had interpreted the language in the terms and conditions related to companion coupons that reads : "Offer also valid for private rooms including Roomettes, Bedrooms, Bedroom Suites and Accessible Bedrooms; offer excludes Family Bedrooms." to mean that one could essentially get 2 bedrooms for the price of one on one leg of a journey, but when I called to make a reservation, the customer service rep said that a companion coupon was only good for the rail fare. Can anyone clarify?

Maybe someone can explain this better than I can, but I will try. The companion coupon allows the second passenger in your room to travel without charge (the rail fare). The first passenger pays his or her fare plus the accommodation (room) fare. The savings is generally fairly small.

 

[trimetbusfan]

Actually I may book a roomette for this journey. In that case, lounge access is automatically included, right?

Yes

 

[Peter Sexton]

If you get an upgrade to First Class it can only be used 12 hours before departure and in that case you'll have lounge access.

Also, The Metropolitan Lounge is open Monday to Friday from 5:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to. 9:00 p.m. The lounge is available for Amtrak Guest Rewards® Select Executive and Select Plus members, Acela First Class and private room customers and Single-Day Pass holders, with same-day reservations. Amtrak Business Class passengers can also buy day passes for $50.

Maybe you'll be lucky and someone with an expiring coupon will gift you.

 

[jis]

If you get an upgrade to First Class it can only be used 12 hours before departure and in that case you'll have lounge access.

Also, The Metropolitan Lounge is open Monday to Friday from 5:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to. 9:00 p.m. The lounge is available for Amtrak Guest Rewards® Select Executive and Select Plus members, Acela First Class and private room customers and Single-Day Pass holders, with same-day reservations. Amtrak Business Class passengers can also buy day passes for $50.

Maybe you'll be lucky and someone with an expiring coupon will gift you.

There are different types of upgrade coupons. They are variously usable 12, 24 or 36 hours before departure that I am aware of. There may be others.

 

[pennyk]

There are different types of upgrade coupons. They are variously usable 12, 24 or 36 hours before departure that I am aware of. There may be others.

there are 48 hour coupons also

 

[PaTrainFan]

Apologies for starting a new thread if the answer is buried somwehere in previous posts. I have never used a companion coupon before and have questions. Can it be used with Business Class (non Acela)? If not for the full fare, can it be used for coach and then either in combo with the upgrade coupon or paying the extra for BC out of pocket? I'm guessing no, but spent more than 30 minutes on hold with AGR and gave up.

 

[daybeers]

Unfortunately no; it's only valid on regular coach and Acela Business (coach).

Contrary to what the coupon says, it is valid on Saver fares, but cannot be used with any other discount, ie senior, student, RPA, with an upgrade coupon, or points.

 

[trimetbusfan]

Unfortunately no; it's only valid on regular coach and Acela Business (coach).

Contrary to what the coupon says, it is valid on Saver fares, but cannot be used with any other discount, ie senior, student, RPA, with an upgrade coupon, or points.

Apologies for starting a new thread if the answer is buried somwehere in previous posts. I have never used a companion coupon before and have questions. Can it be used with Business Class (non Acela)? If not for the full fare, can it be used for coach and then either in combo with the upgrade coupon or paying the extra for BC out of pocket? I'm guessing no, but spent more than 30 minutes on hold with AGR and gave up.

That is not my understanding of the terms.. your part about saver fares/other discounts is correct from my experiance though.

A companion coupon gets you a free rail fare for basically anything (other than family bedrooms), however, if you want to use it on business class (non-acela) or Acela First class, you won't have to pay for the second person's rail fare but you will have to still pay the accommodation fee.

• Coupon valid for one (1) free companion rail fare with the purchase of one (1) regular (full) adult rail fare. Free companion and paying passenger must reserve at the same time and travel together at all times.
• Each coupon is valid for travel as one (1) one-way reservation.
• Travel blackouts apply: November 22-23, 2022; November 26-28, 2022; November 21-22, 2023; November 25-27, 2023.
• Valid for travel on all Amtrak service except train/Thruway series 7000-8999.
• Free companion offer is not combinable with any discount, coupon, or Amtrak Guest Rewards® redemption travel.
• The Coupon# is unique to your coupon and valid for one use only. Buying or selling this coupon is prohibited and will invalidate the coupon. Coupon may be transferred to a family member or friend.
• Offer valid for Coach class or Acela Business class. Upgrade to Business class or Acela First class is available upon full payment of applicable accommodation charges.
• Offer also valid for private rooms including Roomettes, Bedrooms, Bedroom Suites and Accessible Bedrooms; offer excludes Family Bedrooms.
• Other restrictions may apply.

 

[dlagrua]

Planning our trip to the gathering to Philadelphia in Oct. It looks like we will book the the Acela business class but hopefully we can use the upgrade coupon on my account to move up to first class. The ticket will have both my wife and myself listed as passengers so I am not sure how this will work. I am a senior and usually take advantage of the senior fare but in this case we would like to use the upgrade coupon and believe it is valid only on an adult fare. From what I can tell the upgrade coupon is good for a single trip but can I use it on a ticket for two or do I need two coupons? Never used the upgrade before so replies are appreciated

 

[Acela150]

Two coupons will be needed. It should also be noted that coupons can not be used with discounted fares.

 

[dlagrua]

Two coupons will be needed. It should also be noted that coupons can not be used with discounted fares.

Thank you for the clarification. So if we intend to use the upgrade coupon then we should book as two adults and not take the RPA and/or senior discounts. The caveat is that if there is no room for upgraded seats 12 hours prior to departure then it looks like we get stuck with tickets having no discounts?

 

[Acela150]

Correct.

 

[D E K E R]

Thank you for the clarification. So if we intend to use the upgrade coupon then we should book as two adults and not take the RPA and/or senior discounts. The caveat is that if there is no room for upgraded seats 12 hours prior to departure then it looks like we get stuck with tickets having no discounts?

But again, if I followed all of these replies and responses correctly, there is one upgrade coupon being offered and two of you traveling. So, one person would get upgraded (if available 12 hours prior to departure), not both travelers.

 

[dlagrua]

It looks as though the companion coupons have now been used on our 2024 trip. Still have two upgrade coupons and two 10% discount coupons. It seems that we can use the 10% discount on the trip going but on the return trip we can't use the discounted fair in the hope that we use the upgrade.