...Or they take up an entire section for the entire trip - which is the norm on the Cardinal...
I'll say it again - I hate carts. Lousy selection never available when you want it. Europe and the rest of the world can keep that aspect of their onboard experience...
While carts are a poor substitute for a cafe car or diner, there are occasions when they are actually quite good.
Indeed! I have partaken of Cart Service that delivered hot drinks and cakes on many many rides in the UK.
Meanwhile, bring a pizza from the best place in town. You'll be the envy of all you survey.
I think I have two or three menus from the Lake Shore from the days when they listed food you would want to eat. They must be rare items at this point.
Don’t mean to sound negative but I would plan for flexible dining. Based on comments from executives at both the directors meeting and a recent webinar with the RPA the only thing Amtrak has committed to for this fiscal year is coach passengers returning to the dining cars out west and restoration of some form of more traditional dining on the silvers. I wouldn’t expect anything beyond that for this current fiscal year. They do refresh the flex meal menus about twice a year and in my opinion some of the newer options are better than the old.
I don't think that the cafe cars lose money. It's the dining cars that are the problem, financially.
I’m pretty certain cafe cars lose money as well.
I can't find the document right now, but Amtrak had stated that Cafe Cars in Corridor Services do not lose money. Admittedly that did not say much about Cafe Cars on LD trains though.
Most likely it was about whatever falls under NEC BU, since they presumably account for F&B on state supported service is part of that specific contract. But who knows?
I'd buy better wine on a LD train. The current offerings are the lowest possible. Enjoying a decent bottle with the scenery is an unforgettable no brainer.
I found it - the NEC specifically operates at a very small profit, state supported operates at a small loss, and LD F&B operates at a huge loss because of dining cars.
The mention of TV Dinners with the Texas Eaglette brings to mind the ZZ Top song by the same name:Same thing is happening on the Eaglette,CONO,Cardinal and Crescent, they're working the poor LSAs to death and Passengers pay High Prices to eat Heated TV Dinners that aren't as good as what we can buy @ the Stores!
Glad yalls trip worked out,I too like the Top Bed in VL Roomettes, but won't be riding in one till Traditional Dining returns and they are fully Equipped and Staffed!
The sale of those sleeper tickets includes meals. Silver Service sleeper tix are crazy expensive. Maybe they are undervaluing coach tix if they are still losing money on the consist. I have seen coach tix priced crazy cheap and then they jam those cars to capacity. Its nasty and dirty in those restrooms and sometimes throughout the car. If you are selling an upgrade service, then you have to actually provide that upgraded service. This flex meal thing is essentially them just calling it in. The servers are undermotivated to get off their duffs and go pull that plastic tray out of the drawer and shove it at the customer who interrupted their video stream, only to provide them an inedible pile of slop. It's ridiculous. People paying the premium expect the premium. Servers will get more and better tips with traditional dining which should improve customer service there from a motivational point of view. Amtrak needs to stop looking at this as optional. It's not. The revenue issues are in coach.
That report is from 2014, I wonder if anything changed after that.
What is proposed on the NEC is in addition to Cafe.
