Amenities Being Eliminated from Long Distance Routes

[rrdude]

Geez, they take away a little flower and people are acting like by this time next year you'll be in a folding chair bolted to the deck of an autorack.

Nick, I could give a sh#% about the flower myself, I'm simply trying to point out that when "John Q Public" rides, and pays big $$$ for a sleeper, it's the little things that these travelers remember. Maybe not the 19 year old, or even the 20-something, but many people do. I've been in the hospitality industry for over 40 years, so I've heard first hand how "little things" become THEE focal point, when a guest or in Amtrak's case, a passenger, re-tells the events of their experience.

The "race-to-the-bottom" is a convoluted attempt to try and save money, and it usually ends up costing money, thru lower bookings, negative reviews, cancellations, etc.

 

[montana mike]

If this was to be a "hoax" it is well planned indeed. All of the Amtrak employees were talking about this on my last Empire Builder experience (to a person they were both saddened and dismayed).

I look at things this way. Sure some of our Forum members could care less about the W&C or a newspaper or a little bottle of Champagne, but we are slowly taking away the things that really differentiates what "First Class" train travel is and was all about. If one wants to get somewhere quickly these days it's hop on an "airbus", squeeze into 19" wide seats for 2-4 hours with little or no offerings to pass the time and you are at your destination. I still look at the train as the journey itself, with excellent attention and service my the attendant, the varied food options in the diner (yes, complete with a fresh flower at each table--most people do notice this), a morning newspaper (perhaps also served with a Mimosa or a glass of my favorite juice), the little chocolate square is indeed superfluous, but still a very nice touch if done right-and many attendants do make an effort to do so. The wine and Cheese really isn't about the wine and cheese at all-yes, for those of us who enjoy these etchings it's fine, but rather it's all about the people you meet, the fun you have and a great way to pass the time. (A suggestion could have been to offer sparkling cider to those who do not drink wine-I had made that suggestion a while back).

When we start stripping away even those little things that really can make a difference in a journey or an experience where does it indeed end? Perhaps we will be making our own beds and have to bring pillows ourselves before long? I wonder how much longer the hot coffee/tea option will be available?

I am intrigued about having various states or entities sponsor certain aspects of the journey--why not! This could be done tastefully and with good positive effect.

I also would think that if a First Class passenger is forking over $1500 for a RT ticket on an Amtrak Sleeper and extra $20 or even $40 would indeed not be a factor in any way when deciding to travel by rail.

Just my thoughts. If these amenities do indeed disappear--C'est La Vie', but this would mark a precedent that will likely not be the final word.......

 

[penfrydd]

I'm in the camp that says all these amenities did give the perception to folks that a train ride was something special. Any basic motivation textbook would tell you that price is not the only motivator. The perception of a "special ride" lasts far longer than anything else.

I would have gladly paid an extra $10 or whatever for a ticket than give them up. And I, for one, like a newspaper when I'm on a long trip; even if it's McNews from USA Today.

 

[OBS]

Isn't the most important line in the notice this:

This Food Service Notice is fulfilled on April 1, 2014.

Until I hear something official, I'm taking this to be an April Fools Joke.

The fulfilled date is coincidental. All service standards notices, issued by Amtrak, have that sentence and a date posted at the bottom of the memo. The memo's also have contact names and numbers at the top, which were (appropriately) deleted by the OP. No doubt in my mind this is real.

 

[Wise_One]

• Wine & Cheese Receptions - Effective March 31, 2014Empire Builder
• Coast Starlight
• Lake Shore Ltd.

While I don't drink much wine like others have mentioned, I am indeed an exception and I will now publically admit it, I do like cheese.

However, I do like the Receptions for the opportunity to socialize with some other passengers. Such offers a good reason to get out of our tiny little closets rooms, for at least a little while.

• Orange and Apple will continue to be offered
• Dining car will continue to offer Cranberry Juice

I never had any cranberry juice. I have never even noticed it being offered in my sleeper.

However, I strongly feel that it is being incredibly selfish to say that because you don't like it, that you support deigning it to others who do enjoy cranberry juice.

• Complimentary Newspapers - Effective Date TBA. Research is underway regarding existing contracts in place with current vendors

It was pretty rare to get a newspaper. I attributed such to my trains always running late and because of that, the train would not reach the station where the papers are loaded until too late. I guess the station we were suppose to reach at 6am, and the morning newspapers loaded to be ready for morning coffee, didn't actually happen until like 11am.

 

[user 1215]

Dear Mr. Boardman,

Food & Beverage/Operations Support Notice FSN 14-02 has recently come to the public attention. Whether this notice is real or a hoax is yet to be determined. That determination, however, is irrelevant to the context of Amtrak's past and continuing cutbacks as they strive in vain towards reaching the Congressionaly mandated goal to be self sufficient.

For over 100 years, the government of the United States was self sufficient. It received revenue for services rendered. In the early years of the previous century, it was determined that the United States government could no longer be self sufficient and it has since relied on the subsidies received by the general population - our taxpayers.

To demand Amtrak be self sufficient is not so much an impossible request as much as it is hypocracy from a government that is notorious for wasting more money in other countries than the paltry sum Amtrak receives in benefits.

That being all said, however, is no excuse for Amtrak to not try and increase revenue to a point where it exceeds expenses.

I'm just an average joe tax paying citizen. But it's pretty obvious that Amtrak has already cut expenses to almost the bare minimum. Yet the subsidies continue to be relatively stable, wavering around $1 Billion per year.

Nobody want to see the price of their beloved amenity increase. I, for one, was rather upset that the cost of a candy bar just went up in the vending machine at work from $.95 to $1.10. Yes - initially I rebuke the change and resist the 15% increase in cost. But eventually, I realize that if I want that candy bar right then and there, I gotta shell out the $1.10.

When real money is being spent, though, real services are expected in return. I don't mind paying more for first class sleeper accomodations if I get a first class experience. But if I'm going to shell out, say, $1000 more for a horizontal sleeping surface, I would think that the $10 in amenities from a small kit to a tiny split of champaigne and a $1 newspaper could be covered by my extraordinary increase in price. When it looks like my $1000 is going to subsidize portions of Amtrak that I'll never see or experience, I might as well spend that cash on an airplane and get to my 5 star hotel quicker. Obviously, all rail fare and "sell ups" are going to pay for more than what we see on Amtrak. As sleeper passengers we already deal with broken or ineffective personal service units in the roomettes and bedrooms (ie: air control, lack of entertainment or volume control, etc). When the little cheap stuff is eliminated, though, our perception of what we pay for is greatly diminished.

Back to my candy bar example. If they keep raising my candy bar prices to much more than what I can buy them for from my local Wal Mart, it will come to a point where I will buy my products at a cheaper price at the cost of convenience. Similarily, if I can't get first class amenities when I pay a first class price, why pay for it any more?

I encourage Amtrak to continue to find new and innovative ways to increase revenue - not cut costs where it directly affects customers.

Best Regards.

 

[user 1215]

Note: They shouldn't get rid of the wine/champaign in the West until they get rid of the free booze on Acela.

 

[nferr]

Ehhh. Much ado about nothing. Most of the time the table vases have a little sprig of artificial flowers in them from my experience. So that's what you'll see IMO. People want to drink? Pay for it. I don't drink so why should all the sleeper passengers pay for it. I'm sure if those wine and cheese parties were profitable they wouldn't be eliminated. The only thing I like that's being cut is the newspaper. And since the sleepers are running pretty much full all the time anyway all the gloom and doom nonsense is silly.

 

[montana mike]

I just wish I would have been able to spend just a few hours in front of whomever at Amtrak does their marketing. I own a marketing firm and have spent over 25 years in this business and this approach is something that will not achieve their objective-period. I could rattle off a litany of firms that decided to "go cheap" to save a few bucks and just about everyone is on the trash heap of failed enterprises.

I can give one example of paying attention to the "little details" pays off-big time--one word: APPLE. My firm is a "Mac house", as most marketing firms are, and one of the main reasons why we stay with Apple products is not because they are cheap--they are not, in fact they are more expensive than most other options. But we stay because of Apple's amazing attention to all the details of not just the sale, but the superior performance of their products and their service. The very few times we have had any issues with our equipment their CS people were prompt, professional and fast in rectifying the issue. The old adage of you get what you pay for is still true-whether it is a train ride or a smartphone!

 

[rrdude]

Note: They shouldn't get rid of the wine/champaign in the West until they get rid of the free booze on Acela.

Shhhhhhhhh!

[SIZE=10pt]Joe Boardman 5 February 2014[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]President, Amtrak[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]50 Massachusetts Avenue[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Washington, DC 20002[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Dear Mr. Boardman:[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] It has come to my attention that very soon, Amtrak intends to eliminate or cut several “amenities” on certain long-distance trains. As a semi-frequent business traveler, and a frequent family-vacation traveler, I would like to express my displeasure with this plan.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] I am a former OBS employee myself, though many, many, years removed. I am fortunate enough to have met several of your predecessors, and have been an ardent Amtrak supporter, NARP member, and, truth-be-told, critic, for the last 40 years or so.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] The cuts I am talking about, on the surface, really seem rather trivial in nature. But taken in the larger context of things, seem to be part of Amtrak’s “race-to-the-bottom” when it comes to providing service for sleeping car passengers. The elimination of wine & cheese receptions/tastings on a few trains, the elimination of daily newspapers, the elimination of the amenity bags on selected trains, and the elimination of fresh-cut flowers on the table in the dining car are a few of the specific planned changes I am referring to.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] In the greater scheme of things, topics which you and your board concern yourself with on a daily basis, (funding, service cuts, work rules, funding, congressional report cards, funding………..) are vitally more important to the overall operation of Amtrak.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] However, having spent the better part of my adult life and career in the hospitality field, I’ve become an avid believer in many of J.W. Marriott’s beliefs that it’s often the “small things” that can make or break a guest’s experience. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] While there are many within Amtrak, and many among the legions of Amtrak’s “fans”, that view changes such as this as trivial, and “no big thing”, I am more concerned as how the elimination of these very inexpensive amenities will impact the “John & Jane Q. Public” Amtrak travelers. The travelers who try Amtrak for the first time, and decide to either come back, or not.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] I worked onboard during the first congressionally mandated “modified meal service” cuts back in the 1980’s. I experienced first-hand the negative public reaction to the elimination of food freshly prepared on board, and served on china, with linen, glassware, and flatware. I, along with many other LSA’s at the time, purchased carnations with our own money on the way to report for work at the Chicago Crew Base. I couldn’t with good conscious provide meal service to extra-fare paying passengers, without having a flower on the table.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] Trivial, I know. But it’s just one more thing that passengers remember. Think about dining experiences that you personally have had, where maybe the food itself was sub-par or average, but the service and attention that you received during your dining experience was off-the-chart great, and made you remember that experience.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] That’s what the chocolates, wine tastings, amenities bag, and flower-on-the table, contribute to the Amtrak overall travel experience.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] These services should be expanded to all LD trains, not removed from the few that still offer them. But that’s another story…………[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] Thank you for taking time to read this. Overall, I firmly believe you are doing a fantastic job, in an often thankless, and frustrating position. Know that W. Graham Claytor most likely agrees with me![/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Sincerely,[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Jerry B. Pilcher[/SIZE]

 

[Walt]

The wine and cheese events are not just about the wine and cheese. They are a fantastic way for First Class passengers to socialize and enjoy some camaraderie with the sleeping car attendants. At least that is how is has been on the Empire Builder. It's a pleasant way to pass some of the afternoon hours on board the train.

Passing other passengers in the isles of the sleeping cars doesn't quite equal being able to sit down in an informal atmosphere with fellow passengers and enjoy some time together.

As far as those who don't drink—so what. Come anyway and meet some new friends. I've seen more than a few folks attend the wine tasting events who didn't partake in any wine. As I said, these are the things that make First Class travel aboard a train more enjoyable, especially when the adventure of the trip begins with getting on board and not just when you reach your destination.

Very well put!

 

[Railroad Bill]

Note: They shouldn't get rid of the wine/champaign in the West until they get rid of the free booze on Acela.

Shhhhhhhhh!

[SIZE=10pt]Joe Boardman 5 February 2014[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]President, Amtrak[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]50 Massachusetts Avenue[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Washington, DC 20002[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Dear Mr. Boardman:[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] It has come to my attention that very soon, Amtrak intends to eliminate or cut several “amenities” on certain long-distance trains. As a semi-frequent business traveler, and a frequent family-vacation traveler, I would like to express my displeasure with this plan.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] I am a former OBS employee myself, though many, many, years removed. I am fortunate enough to have met several of your predecessors, and have been an ardent Amtrak supporter, NARP member, and, truth-be-told, critic, for the last 40 years or so.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] The cuts I am talking about, on the surface, really seem rather trivial in nature. But taken in the larger context of things, seem to be part of Amtrak’s “race-to-the-bottom” when it comes to providing service for sleeping car passengers. The elimination of wine & cheese receptions/tastings on a few trains, the elimination of daily newspapers, the elimination of the amenity bags on selected trains, and the elimination of fresh-cut flowers on the table in the dining car are a few of the specific planned changes I am referring to.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] In the greater scheme of things, topics which you and your board concern yourself with on a daily basis, (funding, service cuts, work rules, funding, congressional report cards, funding………..) are vitally more important to the overall operation of Amtrak.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] However, having spent the better part of my adult life and career in the hospitality field, I’ve become an avid believer in many of J.W. Marriott’s beliefs that it’s often the “small things” that can make or break a guest’s experience. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] While there are many within Amtrak, and many among the legions of Amtrak’s “fans”, that view changes such as this as trivial, and “no big thing”, I am more concerned as how the elimination of these very inexpensive amenities will impact the “John & Jane Q. Public” Amtrak travelers. The travelers who try Amtrak for the first time, and decide to either come back, or not.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] I worked onboard during the first congressionally mandated “modified meal service” cuts back in the 1980’s. I experienced first-hand the negative public reaction to the elimination of food freshly prepared on board, and served on china, with linen, glassware, and flatware. I, along with many other LSA’s at the time, purchased carnations with our own money on the way to report for work at the Chicago Crew Base. I couldn’t with good conscious provide meal service to extra-fare paying passengers, without having a flower on the table.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] Trivial, I know. But it’s just one more thing that passengers remember. Think about dining experiences that you personally have had, where maybe the food itself was sub-par or average, but the service and attention that you received during your dining experience was off-the-chart great, and made you remember that experience.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] That’s what the chocolates, wine tastings, amenities bag, and flower-on-the table, contribute to the Amtrak overall travel experience.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] These services should be expanded to all LD trains, not removed from the few that still offer them. But that’s another story…………[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] Thank you for taking time to read this. Overall, I firmly believe you are doing a fantastic job, in an often thankless, and frustrating position. Know that W. Graham Claytor most likely agrees with me![/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Sincerely,[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Jerry B. Pilcher[/SIZE]

Jerry,

An excellent letter that focuses on the real problem with this amenity cuts. Where can we sign our names?

 

[D.P. Roberts]

I'm somewhat ambivalent about this. Personally, I don't care about the particular amenities being cut, but I agree that getting "something" extra for the enormous cost makes the trip feel more special.

On the other hand(s):

1) I've ridden the CS & EB & several other western trains numerous times, and have received an amenity kit exactly ONCE. Since I can't rely on it, I have to bring my own shampoo, etc. anyway, thus defeating the purpose of even offering the kit, at least for me. As others have said, "under promise and over deliver", and the lack of this kit was just a frustration. I do wonder whether Amtrak could strike a deal with a soap/shampoo company to give out samples of the amenity kit for free.

2) Chocolates? Not only have I never received chocolates, I've never even heard that I was supposed to get them.

3) In my experience, the flower vases in the dining car were filled with pens attached to fake flowers. You use the pen to fill out your dining ticket. Works for me.

4) Are there any sleeper car amenities left? The only things I can think of are bottled water and coffee. They're not getting rid of those, are they?

 

[SarahZ]

4) Are there any sleeper car amenities left? The only things I can think of are bottled water and coffee. They're not getting rid of those, are they?

No, and they're keeping the apple and orange juice.

 

[reefgeek]

I'm sorry to see all of this go too, although as others have pointed out, many of these things were implemented in a haphazard manner (What's this? A bag with shampoo? What a surprise!). Everybody in business has heard the story of the guy who eliminated the olive in the airline salads and saved American a million dollars yadda yadda, but look at the airline coach foodservice now! It is a race to the bottom. I could see the coffeemakers and juice going next.

I like the newspaper when it's not USA Today, but I'm old fashioned. I sometimes run into the station to buy one if none has been provided or it's USA Today, that's certainly doable.

One thing I take issue with is the elimination of the "wine and cheese reception" on the eastbound Lakeshore Ltd. There's no other food served that evening, I thought it was kind of to make up for the lack of dinner, and the experience is more of a cocktail party than wine appreciation class!

I don't know who's been eating the chocolate squares. Never seen one.

 

[Anderson]

I've had one or two of the squares. They were a nice surprise, but I was genuinely surprised by them. I want to say they were an experiment in the last few years that just didn't pan out in terms of adding value to the experience.

I can get behind the letter in question, but given the wave of folks mentioning how erratic the amenities (other than the wine and cheese tasting) have been, I'm tempted to blame erratic implementation for them ending up on the block.

 

[tim49424]

I don't know who's been eating the chocolate squares. Never seen one.

The ones I've had were provided when the bed was turned down for the night, somewhat like what I've heard about a five-star hotel providing. They were not given out very consistently, probably about 50% of the nights I've been in a sleeper. This was in the Portland sleepers on the Empire Builder.

 

[RalphCT]

4) Are there any sleeper car amenities left? The only things I can think of are bottled water and coffee. They're not getting rid of those, are they?

Amenities when traveling in a sleeping car that I've experienced in the past on the Empire Builder, not necessarily in any particular order:Coffee, water, juice (cranberry, Apple, orange)

Actual cloth washcloths

Hot Showers with soap and a nice towel

Champagne upon boarding (sort of like a toast to the new adventure)

A chocolate Square on the bed when it is made up for the evening

Morning newspaper

Fresh Flowers in a vase in the upper level washroom

Assistance with luggage by the attendant

Other assistance and service by a pleasant sleeping car attendant

Meals in the Dining Car served on china by friendly and fun staff and linen table cloth (diner only)

Wine and Cheese event in the afternoon

Okay what did I miss?

A Montanan who enjoys trail travel.

 

[Blackwolf]

I will be drafting a letter, as has been done in the past with previous issues, and sending copies along to the appropriate places.

In true YMMV style, I've both received all the amenities being cut on a single trip, and none of them at all.

• When received as advertised, the small "little touches" part goes a long ways. As was experienced on a cold, nasty, sleet-plagued night in Buffalo where the west-bound LSL was living up to its not-so-nice nickname being over an hour behind schedule, those tiny additions went a long way to making what had been a not so nice experience a full recovery. Things like, asking the sleeping car passengers (all of which were booked into the NY sleepers) to wait inside the station where it was warm while the coach passengers loaded, and then to double-spot the train so that the sleeper car vestibule was lined up with the small shelter awning to keep us from the weather as much as possible. To have a smiling SCA welcome us aboard by name, and have our bedroom made up with an extra blanket on the bed, two chocolates on the pillows, a small card with her name on it nested between them, and a carnation beside it all. She asked us before turning in if we would desire a wake-up knock in the morning, and while not a 'reservation', a preferred time for breakfast in the Dining Car if we'd not instead like it taken in our room.

• Alternately, having the reverse happen is a good way to have a sour taste left in your mouth. Having the PPC be bad-orderd and get a CCC instead. The wine-and-cheese tasting be cancelled because the PPC had been loaded with the supplies before going bad and was left in Seattle. No amenity kit in the room, because the commissary had neglected to load them, which happened to coincide with the one time I was actually needing to use it. A broken heater knob in the bedroom, making it unbearably hot since it would not turn off. And the surly SCA who only appeared to load us up in Portland, and then to promptly kick us off at 4:30 AM because the train was early into Sacramento and would not allow us to sleep in until the actual listed arrival time.

So, yes. Small potatoes to some, but really an important little perk here and there for full-fare paying First Class passengers. I, for one, happen to think service trumps all else. When you no longer have service standards as your signature, all that is left is functionability. And we know that, when it comes to functioning (OTP, good-state-of-repair equipment, fast transportation, reliability, etc) Amtrak has been troubled since 1971.

 

[brentrain17]

They can't take away the scenery

 

[montana mike]

With no windows they can--this would save money by eliminating the need to replace windows-which they do on a regular basis! I have flown in many military transport aircraft over the years--some for up to 12 hours. And NO windows on any of them. Makes an already long trip really long!!

I am being somewhat tongue in cheek here, but the point is valid, Amtrak's "bean counters" could indeed get to the point that it is cost, cost, cost above all else with NO regard to the customer's experience at all. This is pretty much what the domestic airline experience is now.

:-(

 

[tim49424]

They can't take away the scenery

Absolutely and positively THIS.

 

[Aaron]

As far as those who don't drink—so what. Come anyway and meet some new friends. I've seen more than a few folks attend the wine tasting events who didn't partake in any wine. As I said, these are the things that make First Class travel aboard a train more enjoyable, especially when the adventure of the trip begins with getting on board and not just when you reach your destination.

I was specifically disallowed on my last trip. I like cheese and wanted to see what it was like, so I asked if they'd be providing any non-alcoholic beverages. I was told that the wine tastings are usually full, and if I wasn't there for the wine tasting, I couldn't come because I'd be taking up a spot that someone else who did want wine could use. I was disappointed, but I can't really disagree with that logic.

 

[montana mike]

4) Are there any sleeper car amenities left? The only things I can think of are bottled water and coffee. They're not getting rid of those, are they?

Amenities when traveling in a sleeping car that I've experienced in the past on the Empire Builder, not necessarily in any particular order:Coffee, water, juice (cranberry, Apple, orange)

Actual cloth washcloths

Hot Showers with soap and a nice towel

Champagne upon boarding (sort of like a toast to the new adventure)

A chocolate Square on the bed when it is made up for the evening

Morning newspaper

Fresh Flowers in a vase in the upper level washroom

Assistance with luggage by the attendant

Other assistance and service by a pleasant sleeping car attendant

Meals in the Dining Car served on china by friendly and fun staff and linen table cloth (diner only)

Wine and Cheese event in the afternoon

Okay what did I miss?

A Montanan who enjoys trail travel.

The little amenity pouch containing soap, shampoo and lotion!

 

[yarrow]

4) Are there any sleeper car amenities left? The only things I can think of are bottled water and coffee. They're not getting rid of those, are they?

Amenities when traveling in a sleeping car that I've experienced in the past on the Empire Builder, not necessarily in any particular order:Coffee, water, juice (cranberry, Apple, orange)

Actual cloth washcloths

Hot Showers with soap and a nice towel

Champagne upon boarding (sort of like a toast to the new adventure)

A chocolate Square on the bed when it is made up for the evening

Morning newspaper

Fresh Flowers in a vase in the upper level washroom

Assistance with luggage by the attendant

Other assistance and service by a pleasant sleeping car attendant

Meals in the Dining Car served on china by friendly and fun staff and linen table cloth (diner only)

Wine and Cheese event in the afternoon

Okay what did I miss?

A Montanan who enjoys trail travel.

a few years ago, for a few trips we took on the eb, in the evening the sca would bring to each person in each room a bag containing 2 big, warm freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. i agree with some posts above about small things being memorable and adding up to repeat business for amtrak. just as a check on my senility, does anyone else remember the warm cookies on the eb?