Amtrak Guest Rewards can offer excellent value in exchange for its points towards train travel, assuming you’re looking to take the train, that is.

Trains aren’t the fastest mode of travel

Let’s get this out of the way first, as it’s perhaps the biggest inhibitor to people taking the train. Trains are slower than planes. If you need to get somewhere in a hurry, trains aren’t going to be the top of everyone’s list. If the journey is short enough, you might decide to drive a car. Or if the trip is a cross-country jaunt, it might take days to reach your destination by train.

For a flight that takes an hour to travel, train travel might ultimately be a wash. Take an example of New York to Boston. It’s blocked at 1.5 hours, but boarding typically starts 45-60 minutes before departure. And then you’ll need to clear security and deal with congestion at the airport. Checking a bag on top might add more time both before and after your flight. Suddenly that quick flight is looking more in the range of 3.5 to 4 hours.

And wouldn’t you know it that the train on this route takes up 3.75 hours. There is less of a rigmarole for trains than for planes, but we can round it up to 4 hours to recognize you need to get on the train with time to spare.

This doesn’t also consider productive time. If I had work to do (this blog doesn’t write itself), I’d rather camp out for that time to do my work in one spot. Meanwhile, the flight option would result in a good amount of time waiting in line, walking, or unable to do work on takeoff or landing. But that argument doesn’t apply to everyone (some might prefer to be mobile rather than spend too long sitting).

Amtrak Guest Rewards adds value for train travel

Anyways, let’s jump back into talking about the value of train travel by using Amtrak Guest Rewards points. Let’s look at both shorter and longer options.

Short distance

I’m sure those living in the Northeast would know that there are times when train travel comes in handy. Take, for instance, going from New York to Philadelphia. The distance is too short for nonstop flights (and who wants to connect on a journey that short?). So your instinct might be either to rent a car or to take the train.

Looking at amtrak.com, you can trains that are pretty darn inexpensive. Only $25 for a coach ticket or as little as $60 for business?

What does this cost with Amtrak Guest Rewards points? How about just 938 points for coach or 2,250 points for business? If you wanted to ball out and go with first class, it’s just 7,463 points instead of the $199 cash fare. In all cases, you’re looking at an impressive 2.67 cents per point in value. Try getting that from your airline miles these days.

For avoidance of doubt, there are no hidden fees or cash copays with using points. It’s just the points–not even that $5.60 fee you might be accustomed to paying when using your airline miles on flights.

Long distance

First, the value of your Amtrak Guest Rewards points are fixed–you’re going to get 2.67 in value on longer journeys too. But what changes on longer journeys are the options you get for rooms. I’d guess that if you were looking to take a longer trip–like Los Angeles to Chicago, a two-day adventure–you’d want more space and a real bed. And I’m assuming you’re doing this for a fun adventure to see the countryside.

Well, traveling on your own, you’re looking at $725 for a roomette, which includes meals, bedding, and lounge access.

Want to use points? That will cost you 27,188 Amtrak Guest Rewards points. Remember, you’re not only getting transportation covered by this rate, but also two nights of sleep and meals. That’s not bad.

Bringing the whole family? Two adults and two kids will fit in the family room. The price jumps up to $2,056 when you add in the other passengers. Honestly, it’s not much of a jump from the price for just 1 passenger in the room ($1,466).

The Amtrak Guest Rewards points price is therefore 77,100 points. Not necessarily a cheap journey, but again not bad for a family train adventure that includes room and board for two nights.

Your Amtrak Guest Rewards balance goes even further during sales

Amtrak runs periodic promotions where you can bring along a companion for free in the private rooms. Take the below example where you can have a buddy come along for free in a roomette.

The best part about these promotions on cash fares is that they also apply when using your Amtrak Guest Rewards balance. The price for two people in a roomette is less than double the price one person, so don’t think of this as a true BOGO deal. But finding ways to stretch your points balance is helpful.

Also, don’t fall into the fallacy of thinking your points are worth more during these deals. The cash price and the points price are modified consistently, so the points don’t hold extra value. That being said, you will use fewer points during the sale, so it’s still worth it to book during these periods if train travel interests you.

So how do you pad your Amtrak Guest Rewards balance?

There used to be a way many moons ago where you could backdoor pad your points balance using JetBlue as the willing victim. Unfortunately, there is no backdoor method currently available. The only available transfer partner is Audience Rewards, where you can earn points for watching Broadway shows.

Your best way to earn Amtrak points is to sign up for their credit card (not a referral link). I wouldn’t sign up for just any bonus. There are periodic promotions where you can earn a substantially higher amount of rewards (upwards of 50,000 points). I’d hold out for those. And indeed, that’s what we have done and why we’re sitting on a decent balance of points.

Closing thoughts

One important caveat in all of this is to note that not every train has Wi-Fi. This is especially important if you’re taking a longer train, like the Southwest Chief between LA and Chicago. Please, please, please check if the train has Wi-Fi before booking, if that’s an important factor and you wish to be productive.

Additionally, Amtrak Guest Rewards points expire if there is no activity within 24 months. It’s simple enough just to buy a small amount of points to extend the validity of your balance if you otherwise have no chance to ride on Amtrak.

Do you collect and use Amtrak Guest Rewards points?

Suggested reading:

• Taking the Train in Germany with Kids
• Secret Trip Transit – Zermatt, Switzerland to Zurich, Switzerland
• Exploring New York City with Kids