Amtrak Dining and Cafe Service discussion 2024 H2

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I ordered a kosher meal coming back from Paris on United a year ago. I was in Polaris, business class. This was probably the dumbest thing I’ve done on an airplane. I didn’t like the first one. So I asked the flight attendant if I could just eat a regular meal for the second meal service.

The flight attendant commented that it was the worst kosher meal she had ever seen. She told me she took a picture and sent it to her boss. She asked me why I didn’t complain. I reminded her of the business class passenger who had caused a plane to be diverted because he was mad about the meal selection. I told her I wasn’t about to make an issue over airplane food.

She made sure I had snacks and that I was okay for the rest of the trip.
 
Does paying for meals in the dining car as a LD coach passenger qualify for the 20% on-board food rebate with the CC?
 
Hi all,

So, I would like to answer once and for all the question of "to toast, or not to toast" when it comes to bread in the cafe cars. As I observe, the vast majority of cafe car attendants throw the entire sandwich into the nuker, thus producing a hot sandwich with a sad, soggy bun. However, every so often you will get an attendant who take the time to don gloves, deconstruct the sandwich, toast the bun in the toaster, warm the rest of the meat (or anything else that needs warming) in the microwave, and reassemble the sandwich, thus improving quality markedly.

What is Amtrak's policy on this? I seem to remember speaking with a cafe car staffer (years ago) who said Amtrak's policy is: toast the bread. Do all cafe cars have toasters (I know for a fact the Acela and Amfleets do)? And most importantly, how do we risk the wrath of a potentially already harried cafe attendant and ask for the bread to be toasted? What if said attendant says, "we don't do that"?
 
JoeRids said:
What is Amtrak's policy on this? I seem to remember speaking with a cafe car staffer (years ago) who said Amtrak's policy is: toast the bread. Do all cafe cars have toasters (I know for a fact the Acela and Amfleets do)? And most importantly, how do we risk the wrath of a potentially already harried cafe attendant and ask for the bread to be toasted? What if said attendant says, "we don't do that"?
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Regardless of policy, the practice in the field is attendants do what they damn well please.

If the attendant said "we don't do that" and you insisted and argued, the attendant may bar you from the cafe and if you really persisted they might ask the conductor to put you off the train because you were "harassing" them. Conductors generally side with staff in most disputes, so you might get a lecture or you might find yourself off the train. If you accepted it and then called Customer Relations, they would politely note it, which would be filed and forgotten.

Finally, I do not think there are any toasters at all on Amtrak, cafe or diners. They do have convection ovens. I have seen them warm the bread/bun separately, but both in the convection oven. The results are better when they do that.
 
IMO Amtrak has no incentive to bring food service to a high service level. Amtrak is able to fill its trains with food service trains to a very close to full/ Why expense more without being able to attract more passengers? If some segments are already nearly full without reliable food service why add more expense?

Now if Amtrak is required to keep all its rolling stock on trains then to fill these extra seats Amtrak "MAY" improve food service. Although it would take an unknown number of more fares I would guess at least 10 - 14 extra riders to pay for additional OBS personnel? That is not including the additional expense of each additional revenue cars to operate its $4.00 - $5.00 per mile car operating expense.
 
west point said:
IMO Amtrak has no incentive to bring food service to a high service level.
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Your post is a bit generic so I'm not sure what you mean - no incentive to bring a higher level to traditional dining? no incentive to have traditional dining instead of Flex? no incentive to have any food service other than vending machines?

We've entered a weird time in history where every corporation has to maximize profit at all costs and that any "unnecessary" spending by the government is wrong.
 
west point said:
IMO Amtrak has no incentive to bring food service to a high service level. Amtrak is able to fill its trains with food service trains to a very close to full/ Why expense more without being able to attract more passengers? If some segments are already nearly full without reliable food service why add more expense?

Now if Amtrak is required to keep all its rolling stock on trains then to fill these extra seats Amtrak "MAY" improve food service. Although it would take an unknown number of more fares I would guess at least 10 - 14 extra riders to pay for additional OBS personnel? That is not including the additional expense of each additional revenue cars to operate its $4.00 - $5.00 per mile car operating expense.
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But Amtrak already has improved its food service drastically on every train that has reverted to Traditional Dining from Flex. I don't see how that fits your reflexively cynical narrative.
 
danasgoodstuff said:
But Amtrak already has improved its food service drastically on every train that has reverted to Traditional Dining from Flex. I don't see how that fits your reflexively cynical narrative.
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And I believe most trains that have flex are still planned to get Traditional back as equipment and staffing permits correct?
 
crescent-zephyr said:
And I believe most trains that have flex are still planned to get Traditional back as equipment and staffing permits correct?
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That's my understanding, and that the Rail Passengers are working with Amtrak on other improvements for coach passengers/cafe car users as well. I get that change here is frustratingly slow and that Flex and other less than optimal things should never have happened, but we are moving in the right direction.
 
danasgoodstuff said:
That's my understanding, and that the Rail Passengers are working with Amtrak on other improvements for coach passengers/cafe car users as well. I get that change here is frustratingly slow and that Flex and other less than optimal things should never have happened, but we are moving in the right direction.
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Whatever happened to the RPA's Dining commitee? Was there a report issued? A response from Amtrak? Are they still active?
 
Skyline said:
Rather than suffering thru Flex meals, I take along some items from: https://packitgourmet.com/trail-meals/

Much better than Flex, and from a reputable source. Depending on the item -- add either cold or hot water, seal and rehydrate, eat right out of the packaging with a long spoon or spork.
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Do you boil your own water on board, or is the the hot water from the Cafe car sufficiently hot to "cook" the meal?
 
joelkfla said:
Whatever happened to the RPA's Dining commitee? Was there a report issued? A response from Amtrak? Are they still active?
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IIRC the "Committee" (the Food and Beverage Working Group) was set up by Congressional legislation (IIJA) by the Congress and IIRC managed by the FRA (or maybe Amtrak, not sure about that), with an RPA representative in a leading position on it.

They submitted their report in May 2023:

https://www.railpassengers.org/happ...year-long-analysis-of-amtrak-onboard-service/

The summary of recommendation can be found at (PDF document):

https://www.railpassengers.org/site/assets/files/31312/fbwg_one-pager.pdf

Amtrak was supposed to respond to Congress in 180 days after submission. I don't know what exactly happened between Congress and Amtrak. Apparently it has upto five years to act on all the recommendations. I am trying to remember what if any was Amtrak's 180 day response.

As far as I can tell the net visible change since May last year are:
  • restoration of traditional dining in Silver Service
  • serving of Flex meals in plated form on the Lake Shore, can't remember if this was extended to the Crescent too
  • restoring Dining Car but with Flex meals to the Crescent
  • opening up Dining Car access to Coach passengers
  • and most probably later this year by the dint of reorganization (if the rumors come true) of the Star and the Cap, most likely extension of Traditional Dining between Washington DC and Chicago.
  • as a side effect some Superliner train probably getting the CCCs now used in the Cap, though what if any food service changes that go with it is anybody's guess I suppose.
 
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jis said:
IIRC the "Committee" (the Food and Beverage Working Group) was set up by Congressional legislation (IIJA) by the Congress and IIRC managed by the FRA (or maybe Amtrak, not sure about that), with an RPA representative in a leading position on it.

They submitted their report in May 2023:

https://www.railpassengers.org/happ...year-long-analysis-of-amtrak-onboard-service/

The summary of recommendation can be found at (PDF document):

https://www.railpassengers.org/site/assets/files/31312/fbwg_one-pager.pdf

Amtrak was supposed to respond to Congress in 180 days after submission. I don't know what exactly happened between Congress and Amtrak. Apparently it has upto five years to act on al;l the recommendations. I am trying to remember what if any was Amtrak's 180 day response.

As far as I can tell the net visible change since May last year are:
  • restoration of traditional dining in Silver Service
  • serving of Flex meals in plated form on the Lake Shore, can't remember if this was extended to the Crescent too
  • restoring Dining Car but with Flex meals to the Crescent
  • opening up Dining Car access to Coach passengers
  • and most probably later this year by the dint of reorganization (if the rumors come true) of the Star and the Cap, most likely extension of Traditional Dining between Washington DC and Chicago.
  • as a side effect some Superliner train probably getting the CCCs now used in the Cap, though what if any food service changes that go with it is anybody's guess I suppose.
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Thanks. I was under the mistaken impression that it was an RPA initiative.

What is the "Just For You" program that the report wants to reintroduce?
 
joelkfla said:
What is the "Just For You" program that the report wants to reintroduce?
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It may be the pre-selection of menu items thus allowing more targeted inventory management. To some extent I am guessing. Many airlines are starting to do this.

The concept in recent history incarnation of it, was pioneered by the likes of Singapore Airlines, who actually allow customers in upper class to pre-select food from a rather huge menu which could never be fully stocked on a plane for random selection on board. I remember once having the most exquisite Mutton Biriyani on a Singapore Airlines flight in BC which I pre-selected. It was not on the on board menu. And then there was the Eggs and Lamb Chops for Breakfast with Mimosa and Coffee for drinks, in First Class on a Singapore to Kolkata flight when they used to have First Class on that route. They don't anymore.
 
joelkfla said:
What is the "Just For You" program that the report wants to reintroduce?
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On a trip we made on Southwest Chief No. 4 in 2016, while we were passing through the Santa Fe National Forest, it was announced that orders were being taken for a “Just for You” meal that was being offered “for coach passengers only.” Those who ordered this special meal, consisting of fried chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, vegetable side, large chocolate chip cookie and a bottle of water, would have it delivered to their seats.
 

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