Passenger Trains > Question about using AGR points

IIf I get a ticket using AGR points and later have to cancel the trip, is it easy to get my points back?  Anyone with a recent experience? 

Thanks

Good question - I'd like to know the same. I've got a trip booked in April on the Empire Builder with points (sleeper accommodations etc.) and if things go in the crapper for that train - more so than usual that is - I may decide to cancel the trip altogether or just part of the trip. I want to start cashing my points.........They probably don't restore all the points if one cancels right? Curious minds would like to know!

I recently booked a trip using points. The trip included using a bus connection, which was ticketed thru Amtrak as a "thruway bus" connection.

I decided to cancel the bus portion of my trip because I had decided to depart from elsewhere. My points were put back onto my account - minus the "cancellation fee" of course.

jp1822 Wrote:
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> Good question - I'd like to know the same. I've
> got a trip booked in April on the Empire Builder
> with points (sleeper accommodations etc.) and if
> things go in the crapper for that train - more so
> than usual that is - I may decide to cancel the
> trip altogether or just part of the trip. I want
> to start cashing my points.........They probably
> don't restore all the points if one cancels right?
> Curious minds would like to know!

It depends on the circumstance. If you have to cancel due to some mitigating circumstance such as Covid or something then they’ll usually refund you fully. If it is simply because you decided you didn’t want to go or didn’t want to take Amtrak then you aren’t going to get a full refund.

I changed my travel plans last week.  I was originally booked on 449 BOS-CHI in a roomette on points.  I canceled and go the points redeposited within 15 minutes.  I rebooked using the points to go one way from Chicago to NYP on points.  It was a low-bucket sleeper fare.  Then I paid for a return from NYP to Chicago.  Rooms on both segments were odd-numbered rooms.  I wanted even numbered rooms to be on the left side in both directions.  I called AGR and got the rooms switched with no problem.  Even better, on the paid portion I received a refund of 80 dollars because the agent moved me into the 11 car which resulted in a lower fare.  This was a series of transactions where I was pleased with Amtrak.  

Usually changing dates is a way to get around fees and penalties. JP1822 if you decide to change it to a later date then they probably wouldn’t charge a point penalty just the difference in price if it’s a higher fare.

For sleepers, the cancellation penalty is 10% of the points used if 14+ days out, and another 10% if closer than that.

 

lordsigma Wrote:
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> Usually changing dates is a way to get around fees
> and penalties. JP1822 if you decide to change it
> to a later date then they probably wouldn’t
> charge a point penalty just the difference in
> price if it’s a higher fare.

Ah - yes, I forgot about that! Never cancel - just re-book to the future. That's actually worked out pretty well for me in the past......Thanks!