That should be a train that arrived on time and on the date shown on the ticket.I'd settle for a train that arrived at the time shown on the printed schedule
However, I do have to give credit to the return of decent dining service.
That should be a train that arrived on time and on the date shown on the ticket.I'd settle for a train that arrived at the time shown on the printed schedule
However, I do have to give credit to the return of decent dining service.
I'm worried that they would keep sleeper prices as they are and then charge the pre-paid meal price anyway...Or simply remove the dining car surcharge from sleeper fares, and give both coach and sleeping car passengers a pre-paid dining car option. That way, Amtrak would know how many people really want dining car meals, and it could stock and staff the dining cars appropriately.
I feel like they would follow the airlines lead, which was to price basic economy at the regular economy price and then raise the fare for everything else. So Amtrak would offer an unbundled sleeper option at todays price and then offer a bundled option at a significantly higher price. As always the consumer ends up paying more for less.I'm worried that they would keep sleeper prices as they are and then charge the pre-paid meal price anyway...
If I trusted Amtrak to actually lower sleeper prices by unbundling food, though, this would be a way to make the dining process more efficient for Amtrak and allow sleeper passengers to decide for themselves how much the dining car fare was worth to them.
It's slowly getting better, but we're not at ÖBB level yet: quarterly seasonal menus by a well-established and very good food-service company, identified food allergens, pre-buy and pick-up for 2nd Class (coach), order-at-seat for 1st Class and above, and decent prices.Really feels like Amtrak can’t get anything right with dining.
Idk, I recall paying just a $15 upcharge for slumbercoach in the mid-to-late 1970s. That was on the Broadway Ltd, not a western train, but I think the per-night charge in the West was similar. I think roomettes were about $45 per night. With just an increase because of inflation, it's going to be much higher now.That would make sleeper fares more like the old Slumbercoach fares, where food (other than coffee/bottled water from the coffee station in the sleeper) was an extra charge (per meal back then).
So if you had two people in a roomette on the Zephyr eastbound, that would be three lunches @ $25, two breakfasts @ $20, and two dinners @ $45 times two people makes $410 “dining car surcharge” if my math is right. That would make roomette not too much more than coach fare. Sign me up!Or simply remove the dining car surcharge from sleeper fares, and give both coach and sleeping car passengers a pre-paid dining car option. That way, Amtrak would know how many people really want dining car meals, and it could stock and staff the dining cars appropriately.
Effective October 10, 1974 the flat charge for a single Slumbercoach room between Chicago and NYC and intermediate points was $8.25. A double was $15.00.Idk, I recall paying just a $15 upcharge for slumbercoach in the mid-to-late 1970s. That was on the Broadway Ltd, not a western train, but I think the per-night charge in the West was similar. I think roomettes were about $45 per night. With just an increase because of inflation, it's going to be much higher now.
I do miss the old days.
It was about in 1980 when I rode Slumbercoach (I think NYC to Chicago, coming back from an academic conference at Yale). I don't remember exactly what the fare was, but I remember I upgraded to Slumbercoach at the last minute and thought it was pretty inexpensive, even being placed in a double instead of a single.Effective October 10, 1974 the flat charge for a single Slumbercoach room between Chicago and NYC and intermediate points was $8.25. A double was $15.00.
Slumbercoach fares on the Zephyr for singles scaled up from $7.75 for Chicago to Lincoln and $12.00 for Chicago to Denver. Doubles scaled from $14.00 to $21.00.
Any update regarding traditional dining’s return to the Silver Service trains? A return date of March 15th was one of several dates mentioned on this thread in the past.
That food looks like a long haul economy flight meal (but larger). Glad to hear the chef is returning.Just off the Silver Meteor - here’s photos of the food.
I was on SWC 3/9-3/11. It was simply first come, first served. After walking the sleepers, the LSA made an announcement for any sleeper passengers who had been missed to come to the diner to make reservations (she did not check the SSL for sleeper passengers.) A little while later, she made an announcement for any coach passengers wanting diner meals to come to the diner immediately to make a reservation for a VERY LIMITED number of available slots.The bigger question to me is how individual crews are going enforce the limit of 16 coach passengers per mealtime. If I'm going in coach, I'd like to know for certain whether I'm going to be able to buy dinner en route or not, and this sounds like it will basically be a coin toss on many trips.
I guess the LSA is too lazy and don't want to do 16, but instead 3. Go figures. LSA just lost remaining for revenue. Maybe Amtrak should add add-on options when you purchase ticket online or in app so that way they can track in real time 16 slots can easy fill up and they can be able to prepare exactly meals for everyone including sleepers.I was on SWC 3/9-3/11. It was simply first come, first served. After walking the sleepers, the LSA made an announcement for any sleeper passengers who had been missed to come to the diner to make reservations (she did not check the SSL for sleeper passengers.) A little while later, she made an announcement for any coach passengers wanting diner meals to come to the diner immediately to make a reservation for a VERY LIMITED number of available slots.
I spent all of my time in the SSL, and on one meal I went to the diner to make my reservation, and before I left, a coach passenger came in and asked for 3 dinner reservations. The LSA said, "OK, that's it then, I have no more available." So apparently, it wasn't a hard number 16, but whatever was left after sleepers, in this case just 3.
In your dreamsWhere can I get me one of them "Zephyrettes" ?
Great news! Looking forward to reading reviews from those who get to experience the change firsthand!
I will experience it in 8 days when I head out to Alexandria for the RPA Spring Meeting.Great news! Looking forward to reading reviews from those who get to experience the change firsthand!
If by "get" you mean attended to as if you were a valuable revenue-generating customer rather than a nuisance for staff then Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways, & Evergreen Airways. If you mean "get" as in date/marry you might need a time machine.Where can I get me one of them "Zephyrettes" ?
I have a 5/22 trip on the southbound Meteor booked with points. I checked with AGR, and it would cost additional points with a value of about $88 to switch to the Star, and that would be for 1 dinner + 1 bfst. I'll just stick with Flex.
Neither, actually. I was just making a joking reference to the dated job title - similar to the old "Stewardess". A lot of things have changed in our lifetimes!If by "get" you mean attended to as if you were a valuable revenue-generating customer rather than a nuisance for staff then Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways, & Evergreen Airways. If you mean "get" as in date/marry you might need a time machine.
How did you come up with that? What if the OP was right, and it is just the amount of leftover reservations available? I feel like this is speculation purely on one person's account, which seems like a great way to start false rumors.I guess the LSA is too lazy and don't want to do 16, but instead 3. Go figures. LSA just lost remaining for revenue. Maybe Amtrak should add add-on options when you purchase ticket online or in app so that way they can track in real time 16 slots can easy fill up and they can be able to prepare exactly meals for everyone including sleepers.
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