How many points do you need for a free trip on Amtrak?
YOUR ROUTE TO REWARD TRAVELRedeeming your points is easy and exciting—with reward travel starting at just 400 points to over 500 destinations. Ready to ride?
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Redeeming your points is easy and exciting—with reward travel starting at just 400 points to over 500 destinations. Ready to ride?
The most common way to earn Amtrak points is from your paid train tickets. Members earn 2 points per dollar spent, plus a 25% bonus for business-class travel and a 50% bonus for Acela First class. You can also earn a 500-point bonus for referring a new friend to the Amtrak Guest Rewards program.
Points will expire if your account has been inactive for more than 24 months (no points have been earned or redeemed during that time). From traveling on Amtrak® to beautiful destinations across the U.S. to earning points on shopping, check out the many ways to keep your Amtrak Guest Rewards account active.
Amtrak points are worth 1.25 cents each, on average. That means 10,000 Amtrak points have a value of roughly $125. Amtrak points are more valuable than the average travel miles, which are worth almost 1.17 cents each. It's important to remember that the value of Amtrak points depends on how they are redeemed.
As far as travel rewards points go, this is pretty exceptional value for those who enjoy taking Amtrak trains. Depending on how you choose to redeem your points, the 50,000-point welcome bonus would be worth between $1,100 and $1,400 in Amtrak tickets!
How much are Amtrak Credit Card points worth? The Amtrak Credit Card rewards points' value varies depending on where and when you use them, but they can be worth up to a little more than 3 cents apiece. At worst case scenario you can redeem points for gift cards, and your Amtrak points are worth 0.75 cents each.
Many of the lines don't make any money or are operated at a loss. To accommodate the money-losing routes, Amtrak uses profits from its popular lines, such as the Northeast Corridor. Since this is one of the most popular routes, Amtrak can charge higher prices and send those profits to other, less profitable lines.
The more you travel, the more points you'll earn toward Amtrak reward travel, hotels, car rentals and more. Plus, by earning Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) throughout a calendar year, you'll qualify for even more perks and rewards.
Elite Amtrak MembershipMembers who earn 5,000 or 10,000 points within a single year are upgraded to Select and Select Plus status, respectively. Both status tiers bring members additional discounts, unlimited lounge access, and double points on some car rentals.
If the passenger does not produce a valid ticket or proof of payment, the conductor may ask them to pay the fare or exit the train at the next station.
Before you start clicking links, make sure to check Amtrak's Weekly Specials, on sale between Tuesday and Friday each week. These are deeply discounted fares (often up to 80% off) that can be for any train in the country.
Train travel is often cheaper than flying, in part because you can generally take more with you before paying extra baggage fees. It can also be more convenient and relaxing than driving, especially if you'd be driving in an unfamiliar place or driving for many hours nonstop to get to your destination.
The average Amtrak Coach seat measures 23 inches in width (compared to around 17 inches for airplane equivalent seating) with exceptional legroom and the ability to recline for an even more comfortable sleeping position.
In almost all cases, Amtrak seats are not assigned. The exception is Acela Express route seats and business class seating on the Northeast Regional, Carolinian, Palmetto, and Vermonter. Otherwise, Amtrak has a first-come, first-serve seating policy for coach seats.
To supplement your points earnings, you can also buy points in increments of 500. The smallest bundle of 500 points will cost you $18.85. You can also buy points for family and friends. You may buy or receive up to 30,000 points in a calendar year.
Amtrak points are worth more than most other reward currencies, with each point worth about 2.9c toward most train fares (or 2.56 on Acela fares). That means that the 40K offer on the Amtrak Rewards Preferred card will buy you well over $1,000 in train tickets (nearly $1200 on non-Acela service!).
Although you can't book Amtrak tickets through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you can use Chase Ultimate Rewards to book the hotel that awaits you at the end of your journey. You can also transfer points to Chase hotel partners like IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio.
Their speed, however, will be limited by the complexities of the 457-mile route, which is old, curvy and carries a mix of freight, commuter and intercity trains. Most Amtrak trains travel between 110 mph to 145 mph in the corridor, depending on the track and proximity to stations.