As a reader of InACents, you have come to learn we are the leading website with all of the latest Audience Rewards trivia questions and answers to earn free miles and points with Delta Skymiles, US Airways Dividend Miles, and SPG Rewards. However, those are not the only partners with Audience Rewards. For a while I debated about opening an account with Amtrak, since they are partners with Audience Rewards, and I knew I could be earning free Guest Rewards points. The dilemma was we do not regularly travel via train (the last time I did was probably 10 years ago), so was it really worth the effort to collect points in another program?

The answer is yes because of a great little benefit within the Amtrak Guest Rewards account I forgot about until recently. Buried within the Amtrak Guest Rewards program is a great benefit of being able to transfer points to hotel and airlines at great transfer ratios.

Currently, members can transfer Amtrak Guest Reward points to the following programs.

– 5,000 Continental Airlines miles for 5,000 Guest Reward points
– 15,000 Choice Privileges Points for 5,000 Guest Reward points
– 10,000 Hilton Honors Points for 5,000 Guest Reward points

In addition, there are tons of other options available for redemption besides redeeming for train travel.

– $100 Hyatt Gift Card for 10,000 Guest Reward points
– Level 1, Starwood Hotels One Night Stay for 10,000 points
– Level 2, Starwood Hotels One Night Stay for 15,000 points
– Level 3, Starwood Hotels One Night Stay for 22,500 points
– Level 4, Starwood Hotels One Night Stay for 27,500 points
– $50 Hertz Gift Check for 6,000 points
– $50 Hertz Gift Check for 10,000 points
– Premium 7 or 8 Day Cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines for 175,000 points
– Superior 3 Day Cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines for 75,000 points
– $100 Celebrity Cruises Gift Certificate for 10,000 points
– $50 Gift Cards to a huge list of places for 6,000 points
– $100 Gift Cards to a huge list of places for 10,000 points

So I see collecting Amtrak Reward Points as a great opportunity to transfer points to other programs in the future. I am assuming the Continental relationship will be ending shortly as the merger with United nears closer. So I would not count on being able to transfer points to Continental/United unless you act fast.

However, there are some things to be aware of for those looking to transfer Amtrak Guest Reward points to another program.

1) You must be a Select or Select Plus Amtrak Guest Reward member in order to transfer points.

How do I earn Select or Select Plus status?
When you earn at least 5,000 points on rail travel (excluding bonus points) during the calendar year, you will automatically be promoted to Select status. When you reach 10,000 rail points, you have advanced to Select Plus. Your year-to-date rail points are indicated when you log in to the website.

2) Or you must be a cardholders of the Amtrak Guest Rewards MasterCard with an Amtrak travel spend on the card of over $200 per calendar year.

I think these are pretty fair terms. The chances of us earning Select or Select Plus status is slim considering we do not travel via Amtrak, although it is something that could be viable option for us since little boys love trains. However, the easier option would be having the Amtrak MasterCard.

Currently Chase is offering 12,000 Guest Reward points after your first use of the card.

So to begin, head over the Amtrak Guest Rewards, and create a new account. If you plan on traveling on Amtrak within the first 90 days of enrollment, please email me at justin (at) inacents.com, and I will send you a referral that will earn both of us 500 free points.

What I did not realize until now is that Audience Rewards does not currently offer the free trivia questions to earn free rewards with Amtrak. Whoops. There still is some great benefits it looks like to joining Amtrak Guest Rewards, if not even for the transfer ability of the points. Well lets hope Audience Rewards adds the trivia functionality to their website. It will add a great benefit to the entire program.

As a reminder, InACents is holding a contest through the end of this week to win a Biscoff’s Gourmet Anna’s Thins Assortment, complete with tin. Details for entry can be read in my original post. We are holding the contest because it will allow us to earn a “hit” in the US Airways Grand Slam promotion, keep the cookies out of my hands and making me fat, and to announce our new presence on Twitter. Thanks and good luck!