New Amtrak Guest Rewards Program Revealed

Several times your web site has infected my computer with Malware. I enjoy reading your site, but I can't keep taking my computer in at $75 each time your site infects my computer. Please clean it up.

Since I am personally someone who lives in the Northeast Corridor, this is actually a good thing. I have been sitting on 5,000 points for a while, but I travel exclusively in buisness class on Amtrak since it isn't a huge expense to upgrade the ticket, and it's a much better experience.

My 5,000 points currently won't get me anyplace on a NE Regional in buisness class, need at least 6,500. The new revenue based will get me a First Class Acela Express ride, and leave me with roughly 1,000 points.

Aside from that, currently my earning is 2 points per dollar spent, no matter what. Since I travel in buisness class, the new earning structure gets me more earned points from my travel... I really don't see any downside for the NE Corridor as I travel it... that is until I move next year and then I'll probably change my tune on this one.

As an aside, I would like to second Libby's comment above about the malware. Your website is infected, and has been for quite a long long time. I've attempted to contact you a number of ways, through Lucky and Boarding Area on twitter with no response. The attack is scripting based. I really like you site and in order to read it have had to install a script blocker... be aware that me script blocking is to prevent a XSS attack that seems to be the issue here. This also means that I am blocking your ads. I'd prefer to support you by viewing ads, but I cannot do so with the current state of your website. You really need to have someone look at the breach in either your website, or your ad platform as it has been an ongoing problem.

I had the malware issue on this post as well

At 2.5-2.9c per "mile" there is no way that Amtrak will continue to be an UR partner beyond Jan 24th. Transfer your points now if you think you will have a use for them.

I should correct that to say "...no way Amtrak will continue to be a 1:1 UR partner..."

come to think of it.. I've been getting malware notifications while clicking links to this site as well…

This is in response to Nate--I am not aware of a script blocker . Could you please enlighten me?
Libby

It' useless to XSS your computer. Don't even worry about it.

So if I transfer point in jan. how far out can I book? Thanks

You can go to malwarebytes.org and load a trial version of their malware detection software. It think it last a couple of weeks, but you can download again. It removes pretty much any malware. You can also subscribe for $24.95 a year and it has more bells and whistles. There is a lot of malware out there, so it's a small investment. Not all malware does anything to show you it's there.

Not selling, but $75 for malware removal is crazy.

Travis, You mention "a single-zone family bedroom could take up to 5 people..." Could you please tell me how this is possible? I called to book a family bedroom from Chicago to Albuquerque for our family of 5 and was told only 4 are allowed on bedroom point redemptions. ?

And this is now "revenue based...except when it's not". Anthony (AGR Insider) posted over on FlyerTalk that there are some pretty glaring exceptions to this (there are still days that wind up being "blacked out" on various routes; for example, even as Select Executive, earlier I couldn't get a room on the Meteor on some days surrounding Easter and now they're showing...but at about a 100% premium to the "normal" rates; were I not Select Executive, I suspect the rooms wouldn't be available at any price). If anything, this is worse than the old blackout dates (which were straightforward and predictable) and it's a rather...substantial omission from the changes (and a deviation, at a bare minimum, from what the initial announcement above implied).

I did some back-of-the-envelope calculations for the old vs. the new redemption guidelines here: https://hopstrainsbackpacks.wordpress.com/2016/03/14/amtrak-guest-rewards-best-deal-in-travel-gets-better-for-most/

As expected, most sleeper car arrangements cost much more in points with a few exceptions, while travel in the Northeast Corridor is even a better deal. This takes away some of the incentive to save for a cross-country trip, but it makes the points much more useful for day-to-day and short trips.

@GrayAnderson, I wish they would post these dates that incur a points redemption penalty. It's a bit disingenuous to say "no blackouts" and then backtrack. I see what you mean about Easter travel, it looks like they blackout the times of highest demand but allow booking at off-peak hours at the normal rate.

Also noted, Chase has ended their relationship with Amtrak though Starwood (through AmEx) still allows 1:1 point transfers.

I just learned the hard way that the new policy with Amtrak, I guess to punish the Guest Rewards members, is to penalize you 10% of the points value of your reservation if you cancel or change it. I fail to see the 'user friendly' side of this policy, and certainly do not see how this is something that makes a member want to make a reservation anytime soon.
Oh, and calling customer service will only frustrate you. They apparently do not care. At all. The fact that having ridden Amtrak for 30 years and been a rewards member for years did not make one little tiny bit of difference to the "customer service" person I spoke with when trying to cancel my reservation that I made this morning (!). She was only too happy to tell me they were keeping 5,200 of my points and there was nothing she nor I could do about it. So beware and avoid this program!

Where is the simple little book on information about redeeming points to different places,How many to
there and how many to here? and what it includes? Dave

I'd just like to remind you that the "Costal Starlight" is actually the "Coast Starlight."