# Crescent late causing missed dinner



## Relentless (Nov 15, 2018)

If the Crescent being late causes a passenger to miss the dinner meal, does Amtrak offer a reimbursement for the  paid missed dinner to bedroom car passengers?   ie., If your scheduled departure time is 8:00PM,  the last seating for dinner is 8:30PM, and the train running late causes you to board at 10:00PM - what can you expect for dinner from Amtrak?


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## TinCan782 (Nov 15, 2018)

Likely not. Once the diner is closed, its closed! And no reimbursement either.


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## ehbowen (Nov 16, 2018)

There are a couple of websites which do a great job of showing the progress of Amtrak trains. If you see that your train is running significantly late, grab something to eat before boarding.


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## PVD (Nov 16, 2018)

It is an area of inconsistenty. I was in Denver in June and when tthey were certain we would miss dinner due to a very late train,  we were given cash to buy food in the station. But Denver is a manned station with options. I've also heard plenty of less simple scenarios involving credits from customer relations, and sometimes, the HAL response


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## Ryan (Nov 16, 2018)

Would you expect Amtrak to charge you for a meal when a late train causes you to be on board for a meal you would ordinarily miss?

You are entitled to meals included for the time you are on board,  nothing more.


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## me_little_me (Nov 16, 2018)

Ryan said:


> Would you expect Amtrak to charge you for a meal when a late train causes you to be on board for a meal you would ordinarily miss?
> 
> You are entitled to meals included for the time you are on board,  nothing more.


No, because the cause of being late is not my fault. Neither is the reason I missed the meal if the train is late coming in. Both are Amtrak's fault. They are responsible and should collect extra costs from other parties if those other parties caused the train to be late.


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## cpotisch (Nov 16, 2018)

Ryan said:


> Would you expect Amtrak to charge you for a meal when a late train causes you to be on board for a meal you would ordinarily miss?
> 
> You are entitled to meals included for the time you are on board,  nothing more.


Actually, it's apparently standard practice in WAS to give $25 to sleeper passengers who miss dinner onboard because of a late train, so that they can buy food in the station. So apparently Amtrak begs to differ.


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## pennyk (Nov 16, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> Actually, it's apparently standard practice in WAS to give $25 to sleeper passengers who miss dinner onboard because of a late train, so that they can buy food in the station. So apparently Amtrak begs to differ.


I believe that "standard practice" is only followed for passengers in the Club Acela in WAS.  I have boarded a late train many times in Orlando (and missed either lunch or dinner) and was not offered any compensation (and never requested any).


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## Ryan (Nov 16, 2018)

Yes, in many cases Amtrak goes above and beyond what one is entitled to.

Expecting to be fed when not on the train is above and beyond what you are entitled to.


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## cpotisch (Nov 16, 2018)

pennyk said:


> I believe that "standard practice" is only followed for passengers in the Club Acela in WAS.  I have boarded a late train many times in Orlando (and missed either lunch or dinner) and was not offered any compensation (and never requested any).


Yeah, that's what I was saying - that sleeper passengers in WAS usually get compensation if they miss a meal because their train is late.


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## the_traveler (Nov 16, 2018)

I have taken the Crescent numerous times to Birmingham, where normally there is not time for lunch. However, because the train was late, I had lunch.

Should Amtrak have charged me for the “non-included” meal? :huh:  So why should they reimburse you for missing dinner?


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## the_traveler (Nov 16, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> Yeah, that's what I was saying - that sleeper passengers in WAS usually get compensation if they miss a meal because their train is late.


But ONLY those sleeper passengers who await in the CA. Those who do not go to the CA (yes, there are some) donot get the payment.


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## PVD (Nov 16, 2018)

My train was late due to speed restrictions from heat, and freight congestion, and that is clearly not Amtrak's fault. I did not expect compensation, and was checking periodically at the window as to train progress, and whether they might extend the meal service. The last time, the agent said the diner would be closed, but I can help you with a food purchase here before the "regular" place closes (I guess he meant the sandwich place). I was very happy that they offered some accommodation, if they hadn't,  I certainly would have bought some food anyway. It varies by location, and situation, that is why I used the term "inconsistency".  Transportation companies are normally not responsible for delays caused by safety issues beyond their control like a heat restriction, mudslide, hurricane blocking a ship from going to a port, storms closing an airport.....


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## PaulM (Nov 19, 2018)

the_traveler said:


> I have taken the Crescent numerous times to Birmingham, where normally there is not time for lunch. However, because the train was late, I had lunch.
> 
> Should Amtrak have charged me for the “non-included” meal? :huh:  So why should they reimburse you for missing dinner?


Because they paid for it.


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## Sauve850 (Nov 19, 2018)

My last WAS to WPB late departure ( in Acela Lounge ) we received $20 for food. Sept 2018.


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## Ryan (Nov 19, 2018)

PaulM said:


> Because they paid for it.


So they should charge for the extra meals when your train is late?


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## Acela150 (Nov 20, 2018)

me_little_me said:


> No, because the cause of being late is not my fault. Neither is the reason I missed the meal if the train is late coming in. Both are Amtrak's fault. They are responsible and should collect extra costs from other parties if those other parties caused the train to be late.


Keep in mind that when LD trains are delayed, it's very rarely Amtrak's fault. It's on then host railroad. But let's say that your LD train starts in NYP and is delayed. Then it's Amtrak's fault.


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## flitcraft (Nov 25, 2018)

Two years ago, the Coast Starlight northbound had some kind of undisclosed problem that required it to terminate in Portland instead of Seattle.  Dinner got cancelled (although we had booked the early seating in the PPC...so I missed my last chance to have those delectable lamb shanks, darn it!)  No compensation, no nothing, while we waited in Portland for Amtrak to figure out how to bustitute the northbound passengers home.  We didn't arrive back at King St Station till after midnight--a hungry and tired lot.  And no, I didn't expect any compensation, nor did I ask for anything.  But I do wish they had informed us that we wouldn't board our bus for a hour or so--I would have bought something at the station. As it was, they warned us not to wander off in the station, because if we missed the bus, we were on our own to get home!


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## ParanoidAndroid (Jan 31, 2019)

flitcraft said:


> Two years ago, the Coast Starlight northbound had some kind of undisclosed problem that required it to terminate in Portland instead of Seattle.  Dinner got cancelled (although we had booked the early seating in the PPC...so I missed my last chance to have those delectable lamb shanks, darn it!)  No compensation, no nothing, while we waited in Portland for Amtrak to figure out how to bustitute the northbound passengers home.  We didn't arrive back at King St Station till after midnight--a hungry and tired lot.  And no, I didn't expect any compensation, nor did I ask for anything.  But I do wish they had informed us that we wouldn't board our bus for a hour or so--I would have bought something at the station. As it was, they warned us not to wander off in the station, because if we missed the bus, we were on our own to get home!


Just saying, but couldn't they maybe have attached 14's cars on the back of 508, and maybe put another engine on it? Maybe having the train 'separated' by an engine in the middle would create problems?


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