Earn United Miles by Riding Amtrak

Amtrak is a way of life in the Northeast. As a kid, I remember going to the beach and seeing the train hurdle past, as the tracks rain next to the beach. The train was a thing of beauty. It wasn't until I was a teen that I actually took my first train ride. A quick trip to NYC to see the holiday displays and a show at Radio City Music Hall. Now as an adult, I almost never take the train (too expensive). Kind of sad ;(

For those who do take the train, Amtrak and United have a partnership allowing you to earn United miles on a very limited number of tickets. Unfortunately, the earn opportunities are only available for those traveling in the Northeast. 

There are two ways two earn miles via Amtrak, which can be found on this United webpage.

First, involves flying into and out of Newark airport and take the train to/from the airport. The rules read:

Earn award miles on qualifying Coach or Business class fares per segment on Amtrak when you fly United and make a connection at Newark Liberty International Airport to or from any of the following Amtrak destinations: New Haven Rail Station, CT; Stamford Rail Station, CT; Philadelphia 30th Street Station, PA; Wilmington Rail Station, DE. See the chart below for eligible United fare classes and award mileage accrual information

The other option involves taking Acela from Washington, DC to NYC or Boston to NYC. Unfortunately,  only business and first class tickets earn miles. No connecting flight required. The rules read as followed:

Earn 500 award miles per Business class segment or 750 award miles per First class segment on Acela Express trains (no connecting flight required) between New York's Penn Station and the following train stations: Boston's South Station, MA; Boston's Back Bay Station, MA; Boston's Route 128 Station, MA; Washington D.C.

With both options, you need to call Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL and provide the with your MileagePlus credit card number. The other option is to book your rail ticket with your United Ticket. For instance, I booked a ticket from New Haven Rail Station to Washington, DC all on United and here is what I got:

United uses the following codes for the rail stations earning miles connecting through Newark's airport:

New Haven: ZVE
Stamford: ZTP
Philadelphia 30th: ZVP
Wilmington, DE: ZWI

Amtrak has its own frequent traveler program known as Guest Rewards, which can earn you free train rides with as little as 1,500 points.

Not an amazing way to bank United miles, but if you travel Amtrak on the East coast, a possible way to pad your balance.

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