Amtrak is offering a 30% bonus on points purchases. The purchases can be made for point amounts up to 10,000 points or as little as 500. The promotion is running from today through December 31, 2012.

I’ve taken the Acela in First Class where they serve a great line up of rail drinks and I had shared a happy hour and really enjoyed the ride. Depending on the circumstances, the train ride can be more convenient than flying. Signing up and earning with Amtrak is a must if you take train rides often. The points can add up fast and are a worthwhile endeavor since you can transfer them to hotels, airlines or redeem for car rentals or just plane old train rides.

How To Buy Points

• You can buy points through their website here

Promotion Details

If you max out this promotion, you’ll be able to buy 10,000 Amtrak points and receive a bonus of 3,000 points for a total of $275 or $0.0211 cents per mile. If you take the minimalist approach and buy 500 points, you’ll receive a 150 points bonus for a total of $13.75 or $0.0211 cents per mile.

• Valid on points purchases through December 31, 2012
• You’ll need an Amtrak Guest Rewards member number and a recipient Amtrak Guest Rewards member number
• You must have a valid credit card issued in your name with a billing address in the U.S., Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands

Terms And Conditions

Points will be posted to your Amtrak Guest Rewards account within 72 hours after your Buy Points transaction is complete. Buy Points do not count toward Select or Select Plus status. Buy Points transactions are final and non-refundable.

Transactions must be completed between 12:01 AM ET 11/14/2012 and 11:59 PM ET 12/31/2012 to be eligible for the 30% bonus. Amtrak Guest Rewards buy/gift points can be purchased in increments of 500 points. Members may buy or receive up to a total of 10,000 points in a calendar year. The 30% bonus does not count toward the 10,000 point annual limit. All Amtrak Guest Rewards program terms and conditions apply.

Bottom Line

I will not participate in this promotion due to the cost of the points. However, if you are looking to top off an account for an award, you could consider transferring points to Amtrak through a program like SPG (I wouldn’t) or use this promotion to add value to the gimmicks.

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