# Tipping on Starlight from Seattle to Los Angeles (newbies)



## jlynnek (Mar 19, 2016)

We've never taken the train for a trip this long, and this is our first roomette. How much, and who should we expect to tip? We have booked a roomette for the 35 hour journey.


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## the_traveler (Mar 19, 2016)

Tipping is very personal - and very debatable here on AU.

For many of us, our "base" tip to the sleeping car attendant (SCA) is $10 per person per night. From that "base" amount, you can either raise or lower the amount based on how helpful the SCA was. I once had an SCA from CHI to PDX who introduced himself shortly after departure, but the next time I saw him was him standing at the sleeper door when we arrived at PDX. (He received $-0- tip!) But most are (at least) helpful.

Tip the SCA as you're departing upon reaching your destination.

Dining car servers some say don't tip at all, some go by a set amount (like $2 for breakfast, $3 for luñch, $4-5 for dinner) and some tip on what the menu says it would have cost if you paid for it. The amount is your choice.

Some passengers tip the café attendant, others do not. Again it's your choice.

Never tip the conductor.

Enjoy your trip!


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## Manny T (Mar 19, 2016)

It's great for a new rider to be interested in this topic and to ask during his or her first LD journey. There are indeed many opinions and they can be found in other threads that deal with tipping. I can only state my opinion. Here goes:

In my opinion, the same tipping practices apply on board Amtrak as elsewhere in the USA by way of convention. This means for food and personal service one tips; for management or professional services, one does not tip. Hence on Amtrak one tips in the dining car and in the cafe car (food services), and at the end of the trip one tips the SCA (personal service), but one does not tip the conductor.

The amounts stated in the previous post are good guidelines, and one can increase or decrease from there depending on inclination and service received. I hope this is helpful!


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## AG1 (Mar 19, 2016)

jlynnek said:


> We've never taken the train for a trip this long, and this is our first roomette. How much, and who should we expect to tip? We have booked a roomette for the 35 hour journey.



Here is the answer from Julie at Amtrak !

*Tipping is 100% voluntary *, as stated. Please don't be intimidated by those who place their personal guidelines or conventions on this forum as the absolute authority for tipping. There is no law in the United States requiring you to tip anyone. Please tip if your financial situation allows you to do so and you received superior service.


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2016)

If they take care of you, take care of them.

$10 to $20/day is about right.

You get what you pay for.


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## AmtrakBlue (Mar 20, 2016)

Guest said:


> If they take care of you, take care of them.
> 
> $10 to $20/day is about right.
> 
> You get what you pay for.


Tips are given AFTER good service, bribes are given before service. Sounds like you tend to bribe service people for good service.


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## jlynnek (Mar 20, 2016)

Thank you, everyone, you have been most helpful.


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## crescent-zephyr (Mar 20, 2016)

the_traveler said:


> Tipping is very personal - and very debatable here on AU.
> 
> For many of us, our "base" tip to the sleeping car attendant (SCA) is $10 per person per night. From that "base" amount, you can either raise or lower the amount based on how helpful the SCA was. I once had an SCA from CHI to PDX who introduced himself shortly after departure, but the next time I saw him was him standing at the sleeper door when we arrived at PDX. (He received $-0- tip!) But most are (at least) helpful.
> 
> ...


Can we make this the automatic answer for every "what should I tip" question?


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## me_little_me (Mar 20, 2016)

crescent-zephyr said:


> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> > Tipping is very personal - and very debatable here on AU.
> ...


For many of us, the base tip is $5/person/night for typical service, $0/night when the SCA does nothing more than make up the beds and offers no help with baggage for us seniors. For those offering help, smiling and friendly and possibly going a little beyond (like coffee longer then the required - even though I rarely drink it except in dining car), $10/person ($20/room) is my typical.

As to meals, I reverse it giving $4/$3/$5 for the two of us which comes out to typically 15%. More only if the service is really much better than the usual which is:

"Sit there"

"Take your order"

"Deliver your drink and plop down the salad, if one"

"Bring you your food"

"Take dessert order when asked for dessert"

"Plop down dessert"

It could go higher when they offer more coffee or anything else without being asked, clean away dishes before absolutely necessary and smile and say hello. Rarely goes higher.


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## Lonestar648 (Mar 24, 2016)

I figure $10/night if the SCA does his job, more if he goes out of his/her way to make your trip great and $0 if the SCA is non existent except for his/her tip at the door. In the DC, I tip based on what we eat, so since I tip 20% in normal restaurants, I try to follow the same in the DC. Of course if service is poor as a result of the server, then little or no tip. If the service is poor because there is only one server for 10 booths, the LSA sits on their butt, I tip as if service was good, especially if the server apologizes. I do find on a long trip, tipping makes a difference since you get the same server for several meals.


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