Earn a boatload of bonus Amtrak points when booking hotels and car rentals
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
All aboard! For the entire month of September at The Points Guy, we'll be exploring the world of train travel with reviews, features, deals and tips for maximizing your trip by rail.
It appears that Amtrak wants in on the fun of TPG train month —they've published a promotion offering thousands of bonus points for booking hotels and rental cars through their site.
The details
- You must book and complete travel by Oct. 20, 2019, at 11:59 p.m Eastern Time
- Limit one hotel bonus and one car bonus per member
- You'll earn bonus points in addition to the normal base points you'd get from a hotel or car rental booking
- Only valid for members making their first booking on each hotel and car rental through Amtrak Hotels & Cars
- You will receive your points within two weeks of your completed reservation
Amtrak also states that if they smell anything fishy (such as creating several Amtrak accounts to get this one-time bonus multiple times), they'll retract the bonus points. They didn't just fall off the turnip truck yesterday.
Here's a rundown of the deals you can book.
Bonus points for hotel stays
- Spend $150 to $299 — get 1,000 bonus Amtrak points
- Spend $300 to $449 — get 2,000 bonus Amtrak points
- Spend $450 or more — get 3,000 bonus Amtrak points
TPG values Amtrak points at 2.5 cents each, meaning if you spend $450 on a hotel, you're essentially getting a $75 rebate in the form of Amtrak credit, on top of the base points you'd normally earn through Amtrak's portal.
You can normally buy Amtrak points for 3.77 cents each. This promotion can help you "buy" Amtrak points at a slight discount while giving you a free hotel. For example, the Conrad Chicago offers 13,600 Amtrak points per night, and costs $597.43 (after taxes). You'll get an extra 3,000 points for spending more than $450, giving you a total of 16,600 points. You've effectively purchased Amtrak points at a value of 3.6 cents each, and you've got a night at a five-star hotel.
That's a lot of Amtrak points. Again, according to TPG's valuation, 16,600 Amtrak points is worth $415. Just note that you won't earn hotel points or have your elite status recognized when booking through Amtrak.
I live in Cincinnati, so a leisurely jaunt to Chicago costs as little as 1,760 points. I can usually book a roomette for between 6,000 and 7,500 points each way. You can see how far Amtrak points can go.
Bonus points for rental cars
- Spend $150 to $249 - 500 bonus Amtrak points
- Spend $250 to $349 - 1,000 bonus Amtrak points
- Spend $350 or more - 1,500 bonus Amtrak points
If you're looking to rack up Amtrak points, this is a far less profitable angle. You've got to spend a lot of money for relatively few Amtrak points. I recommend passing on this one, and instead book directly with the rental company. They've often got some kind of promotion going on (like this latest one from Avis).
Plus, there are cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve that offer elite status with National and Avis (meaning almost certain upgrades and fast check in). But as is the case with hotels, you likely won't reap those status benefits if you book through Amtrak as there's no place to put your rental car loyalty number.
You can check out our guide on credit cards that offer elite status for car rentals.
Featured photo by Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.