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Amtrak’s Select Plus status is their second highest tier in the Amtrak Guest Rewards program.
There are three levels to the Amtrak Guest Rewards loyalty program:
Comparable to a mid-tier status on an airline, the Select Plus status offers members the opportunity to upgrade, take companions along for free on select journeys, and access major station lounges throughout the system. That’s the level we’ll be discussing in this post.
In this post, we’ll cover:
To earn Amtrak Select Plus status, you need to earn 10,000 Tier Qualifying points in a calendar year.
Let’s break this down:
Bottom Line: To earn Select Plus status, you need to spend roughly $5,000 throughout the year with Amtrak, not including additional bonuses that you may incur from Acela travel.
These upgrade certifications are valid for one direction of travel on most local services where there’s a Business Class or First Class. These upgrades cannot be used on long-distance Sleeper Class services.
These are the trains you cannot use a one-class upgrade on:
Bottom Line: Upgrades are available to the next class of service, and only on shorter, non-long-distance trains.
To apply an upgrade, call Amtrak within 12 hours of departure and reference the coupon number of your voucher. If space is available, they’ll upgrade you. You can also seek the assistance of an Amtrak agent at any staffed station.
Unlike Amtrak Select status where you receive only 2 club passes a year, with Select Plus, you have unlimited access to all of Amtrak’s Clubs and Lounges.
These include:
Inside each of these clubs, you’ll find basic amenities such as salty or sweet snacks (think packaged goodies), soft drinks, water, coffee, restrooms, a television playing one of the major news networks, and an Amtrak agent to help with any last minute or future ticketing needs.
If you travel Amtrak regularly, lounge access is a huge benefit. With lounge access, you get to skip waiting around in the crowded terminal.
Bottom Line: Probably the biggest benefit of Select Plus status is the complimentary Amtrak lounges access.
As an Amtrak Select Plus member, you receive a 50% off point bonus on all Amtrak travel.
This is in addition to the 25% bonus you receive when you ride Amtrak Acela Express in business class, or the 50% off you get for traveling Acela in first class.
These points can add up quickly and can be used for a multitude of offerings, the best of which is redemption towards Amtrak train travel (points are a great way to travel cheaply on Amtrak).
Hot Tip: Do you know everywhere Amtrak can take you? If not, check out all of the Amtrak routes within the U.S. including both regional and long-distance options.
When you call in for any ticketing assistance, you’ll move to the top of the queue, ensuring you receive prompt service.
Generally, Amtrak’s phone lines aren’t busy enough to get full value from this benefit, but it’s nice to have in case of severe weather that may affect on-time departures and arrivals.
Every year, you’ll receive two companion coupons that can be, interestingly enough, used on any one-way or round-trip journey (so you’re best saving them when you have round-trip plans).
You can only use them for coach class seating, however, you can upgrade to Sleeper Class, or any other premium service by paying the applicable upgrade fare or accommodation charge for both people.
You cannot have one person in a Sleeper Service and the other in coach, but you can have both in coach or both in a premium seating option.
Bottom Line: If you play this benefit right, and purchase your original coach fare on an ordinarily expensive route, such as the Acela, you’ll maximize your value for your complimentary companion.
As a Select Plus member, enjoy some exclusive discounts at major retailers worldwide:
Amtrak Guest Rewards Select Plus Status is certainly a step up from the baseline Amtrak Select status.
With complimentary lounge access, this is a unique tier level, even when compared to what airlines are offering as their middle of the road option.
To earn Amtrak Select Plus status, you need to spend at least $5,000 a year on Amtrak, to earn 10,000 tier qualifying points.
You can earn these points quicker by taking Acela Express in Business Class, or Acela Express in First Class as these carry a point bonus.
Benefits include:
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James (Jamie) started The Forward Cabin blog to educate readers about points, miles, and loyalty programs. He’s spoken at Princeton University and The New York Times Travel Show and has been quoted in dozens of travel publications.
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6 comments
Jill Hurwitz
November 25, 2019
If I want to earn TQP points for Select Plus status next year, do I get TQPs only if I buy a ticket for myself in 2019 for travel in 2019? That is, do I get TQPs if I buy tickets 1) for another passenger not traveling with me and/or 2) for travel in 2020 (assuming I purchase the ticket in 2019)?
Regards, Jill
Jarrod West
November 28, 2019
Hi Jill,
You will only earn TQP for your own tickets, not tickets you purchase for others.
Thanks for reading!
David Banker
January 02, 2020
If I earn Select Plus status in June 2019, for example, how long do I remain eligible for Select Plus status? Right now, the Amtrak Guest Rewards website (via Safari browser on my iPhone) suggests my status expires in February 2020 (next month!). Makes no sense…
James Larounis
January 08, 2020
Hi David, based on this, you should have it through February 2021, it appears. My suggestion would be to call Amtrak Guest Rewards directly to see if there may be a glitch, or what may be wrong with the displayed date. Thanks for reading!
Amelia
July 02, 2023
I attained Select Plus status for one year, until 2024. However, after only one trip, my status became void. Not only that, I am required to earn over 3,000 addition points to regain my status. How may I contact Amtrak Guest Rewards directly?
Keri Stooksbury
July 03, 2023
Hi Amelia – You can shoot Amtrak an email at this link. Thanks for reading!
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