Amtrak and Checked Baggage

[battalion51]

Man RailRookie I wish I could travel like you do. It takes me at least three bags to be able to feel equipped to make a trip (backpack, laptop, and an overnight). Even on the trips where I'm forced to pack light I still work with two bags minimum. :lol:

 

[rmgreenesq]

On my own, I've got a carry on and my laptop. I fold my briefcase up in my carry on bag. Traveling with the fam is another matter althogether. I think Neil Armstrong took less stuff to the moon with him. We had seven bags for the three of us. We also checked a bag of clean clothes on the way out and dirty clothes on the way back.

Rick

 

[AmtrakWPK]

At least the cost of sending Neil's baggage up there makes a sleeper look like a real bargain! :lol: :lol: :lol:

By the by, I met him once while I was working at Goddard Space Flight Center in communications. He was making the rounds to thank some of us folks that worked in the background on Apollo. Seemed like a really nice guy.

 

[battalion51]

He got an Oscar for his green screen work on that right? :lol:

 

[rmgreenesq]

Actually, an Emmy and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Rick

 

[AmtrakWPK]

Chroma-Key didn't work real well with black and white cameras.

 

[frj1983]

OK, now that we've wandered wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy off target here,

I agree that making things easier for passengers is a must. But we can make all the suggestions we want while the passenger carrier(Amtrak) makes whatever decisions it wants. What we really need to know is who makes these moronic decisions and why they do? Not sure that we'll ever know about this.

I, however, believe that every decision Amtrak is making these days has to do with proving to Congress that it can operate within it's budget. This of course means cutting everything in sight...especially labor. Which then gets the carrier the reward of less operating money for the next budget year! Perhaps Alex Kummant was right in a speech he gave a short time ago: maybe we need to be bold and ask for more money and make the case as to why we need it. Although I don't think that will go over well with the Adminstration-picked Amtrak Bored(my emphasis).

I also think every Member of Congress(especially John Mica)should be kidnapped and forced to ride a long distance Amtrak train...maybe then they'd get the idea!

 

[AmtrakWPK]

Mica AND Bill Nelson

 

[haolerider]

OK, now that we've wandered wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy off target here,
I agree that making things easier for passengers is a must. But we can make all the suggestions we want while the passenger carrier(Amtrak) makes whatever decisions it wants. What we really need to know is who makes these moronic decisions and why they do? Not sure that we'll ever know about this.

I, however, believe that every decision Amtrak is making these days has to do with proving to Congress that it can operate within it's budget. This of course means cutting everything in sight...especially labor. Which then gets the carrier the reward of less operating money for the next budget year! Perhaps Alex Kummant was right in a speech he gave a short time ago: maybe we need to be bold and ask for more money and make the case as to why we need it. Although I don't think that will go over well with the Adminstration-picked Amtrak Bored(my emphasis).

I also think every Member of Congress(especially John Mica)should be kidnapped and forced to ride a long distance Amtrak train...maybe then they'd get the idea!

You are right about members of this forum making all the suggestions we want, but there are ways to contact Amtrak and make your feelings known. There also is a Customer Advisory Committee (Group?) that occasionally solicits volunteer members. Is anyone on this forum a member of this committee? If not, perhaps that would be a more productive way to provide assistance and suggestions to Amtrak, rather than constantly complaining about "moronic decisions".

 

[frj1983]

OK, now that we've wandered wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy off target here,

I agree that making things easier for passengers is a must. But we can make all the suggestions we want while the passenger carrier(Amtrak) makes whatever decisions it wants. What we really need to know is who makes these moronic decisions and why they do? Not sure that we'll ever know about this.

I, however, believe that every decision Amtrak is making these days has to do with proving to Congress that it can operate within it's budget. This of course means cutting everything in sight...especially labor. Which then gets the carrier the reward of less operating money for the next budget year! Perhaps Alex Kummant was right in a speech he gave a short time ago: maybe we need to be bold and ask for more money and make the case as to why we need it. Although I don't think that will go over well with the Adminstration-picked Amtrak Bored(my emphasis).

I also think every Member of Congress(especially John Mica)should be kidnapped and forced to ride a long distance Amtrak train...maybe then they'd get the idea!

You are right about members of this forum making all the suggestions we want, but there are ways to contact Amtrak and make your feelings known. There also is a Customer Advisory Committee (Group?) that occasionally solicits volunteer members. Is anyone on this forum a member of this committee? If not, perhaps that would be a more productive way to provide assistance and suggestions to Amtrak, rather than constantly complaining about "moronic decisions".

Quite correct Haolrider,

I do regularly throw my 2 cents Amtrak's way, but I wonder how far up the food chain things go in "Customer Service?" How does one contact or become part of the Customer Advisory Committee?

I don't know, but I assume that someone on this forum will!

 

[Guest]

The question was asked by someone to the ACAC for the purpose of providing the feed back that has been given in this forum.

 

[Guest]

That should have been "The question was asked by someone close to the ACAC for the purpose of providing the feed back that has been given in this forum.

 

[user 683]

All;

Most of what I am going to add to this thread will probably be a repeat to what others have already stated - I just felt compelled to chime in and add my 2.5 cents worth of commentary.

Though I prefer to travel light, albeit not as light as Rail Rookie , there are times when I do need to lug a full compliment of baggage. On these occasions, I take full advantage of any baggage service that exists. I made use of the checked baggage service during a recent trip out west. On one segment, however, I was unable to check bags since the station, Williams, AZ, did not have baggage service. Actually, the station at Williams is essentially a dot-on-the-map, for lack of a better term. Let me add that I mean no disrespect to wonderful folks in Williams who thrive on the tourist industry! I enjoyed my time in Williams, but I do wish Amtrak was able to provide baggage service at your station. I certainly realize that Amtrak is not in a position to provide full service, i.e. baggage service, at all of its locations. But please consider the fact this may at times present its own set of challenges in the form of baggage ending up in the passenger walkways, as was the case in my SWC sleeper car. I must say the car attendant, Bill, did an absolutely fabulous job at orchestrating the baggage and passenger shuffles that were necessary to ensure both passengers and baggage were safely de-trained at the required time. Having baggage service at Williams would have certainly alleviated the baggage congestion in the passenger cars - in my humble opinion.

Overall, I would like to see baggage service offered on as wide a scale as possible. Obviously, this service requires resources. I wonder, as I am sure many of you do, if more widely available baggage services would then attract increased ridership revenue to help offset the resource expense.

Deimos

 

[jhguidinger]

These are some very good comments on checked baggage from people obviouly committed to making Amtrak becone more user friendly. The goal of the discussion is to explore ways to expand the use of checked baggage as a passenger convience and as a means to reduce the large number often seen on the coaches and sleepers during busy periods. Compared to an airliner, where weight is a concern, the railroad bagagge car has the capacity to handle much more baggage.

Some ideas to explore further in this dicussion are:

1. At stations without checked baggage service and a closed station building, could we institute train side checking of bags, perhaps using a baggage master who would ride the train and receive and deliver checked bags from the baggage car? Or from another location on the train so that double spotting could be avoided?

2. Or, could we add to the duties of the care taker at stations with care takers the task of checking and delivering checked bagagge. I agree that some type of secure storage would be needed for unclaimed bags. I suppose unclaimed bags would be sent back on the next train to a central location for tracing and storage. The nice thing about care takers is that they also allow the stations to be open and provide a face for Amtrak at otherwise closed stations.

3. Perhaps by instituting a checked bagage fee of, say, 1 to 3 dollars per bag to pay for checked baggage services. Perhaps this could be collected as part of the ticket price to minimize the need for additional remittances from train crews and other people in the field. The money could be used to add the baggage master on the train or open more stations with care takers.

 

[battalion51]

The problem is most people in this country are not train savvy enough to figure out where the bathroom in the car is, much less figure out leaving bags to be picked up and dropped off trainside for a baggagemaster. The other issue you'll run into is the fact that the UTU would probably require a baggagemaster to be one of their people, which means wages at minimum of $19/hour, plus benefits. And I can guarantee you that wage is way too hefty for Amtrak to want to partake in such a venture.

 

[Chatter163]

With trainside checking at ustaffed stations, I see delays being added to the mix, as well as unclaimed baggage, sometimes just because people are too slow to retrieve their bags. In their unfamiliarity with train travel, I can see some people getting off and not thinking about their luggage immediately, opting to make a cell phone call or greet cousin Ernie in the station. Only a few minutes later, perhaps after the train has left, do they remember their baggage, or perhaps realize that they took two of their bags, but left the third. Meanwhile, they traine has pulled away and another mess has been created.