Amtrak teases upgraded bedding/amenities for sleeping cars

[Skyline]

That’s the whole point Anderson doesn’t care about a law/mandate /honest accounting/etc, he’s picking and choosing bits and pieces for his agenda.

The overall system is broken and Anderson is taking advantage of it. As far as a basis for my views on the phoniness of Amtrak’s accounting. The lies and skewed facts Anderson started with on the SWC and continues to spew to this day speak volumes on his integrity and Amtrak’s “reported” performance stats.

He'll be secure on Trump's A-List. Exactly how his administration operates. Ignore laws, subpoenas, etc. and make the rest up as they go along.

 

[JRR]

Accounting. Since Amtrak credits 10 usd for a brownie to the account of a First Class Acela Passengers, but then charges 5 usd cash for the same brownie from the cafe car. The price of the food, and the internal price credit to the service is know to be flexible.

Since your doing this type of flexibility account. Then you can do the same in a full service dinner car for the meals service to sleeping car passenger. Internal credit a higher amount to the dinner from each meal served to a sleeping car passenger. Report a small profit for food service and bam you meet your mandate.

Now where’s my constant fee?

You’ve got it. As I have repeatedly said, the sleeper charge includes the amount of revenue for all possible meals times the number of possible occupants, however, here is no evidence that AMTRAK actually so credits revenue. The brownie is just a great example of this!

 

[JRR]

Yes and no. There's been a raging question as to whether Anderson has good data to make decisions on, and that is an issue. Arguably it's at the crux of this whole fiasco, since if Anderson is seeing Amtrak mark down $50-60 in "revenue" for a meal on the Acela versus $35-40 for a meal on the Meteor and he's catching hell for what's going on with the LD trains, it's going to create a bias in his decision-making process.

Now, whether Amtrak's internal accounting strictly follows GAAP or it is designed otherwise so as to give management an accurate picture of what's going on in the company? There are always multiple ways to account for distributing costs (and more than one valid way in many cases). But it seems entirely plausible that, in dealing with an mandate (and an insane one at that), something wonky might need to happen since I definitely get the feeling that some Congresscritters don't have a terribly realistic view on how certain things do/should work. The question is whether the cocked-up accounting is something that's being done to work around externally-induced insanity or whether it is a product of internal views and the like.

(To be clear, the inventory sheet should, in my view, be indicating either the retail cost of the item(s) in question or the cost to Amtrak of said items. Thinking this through, if Amtrak then adds a burden on them, they should do so after that. Frankly, this feels like it might be at the root of the F&B mess if Amtrak is burdening the sales twice (once at inventory and then a second time later on).)

It is one thing to improperly burden the cost (twice or otherwise incorrect amount) but add to that the lack of a credit to revenue from a proper apportionment of the sleeper charge, and you will understand that the Congressional mandate is not the cause of the F&B issues but improper accounting is, or at the very minimum, makes it impossible to know what the real loss or profit as the case may be in connection with F&B service.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

Back to the title of the thread. Is there any evidence new bedding and amenities are coming at all?

Or is it like the convection oven refits in the V2 diners Anderson fibbed about going on 2 years now to provide better meal service.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Back to the title of the thread. Is there any evidence new bedding and amenities are coming at all?

Or is it like the convection oven refits in the V2 diners Anderson fibbed about going on 2 years now to provide better meal service.

I’m guessing the new viewliner will have the new bedding. Maybe auto train gets it too. That’ll probably be it. The amenity kits will be the same as the previous announced amenity kits that have already disappeared

 

[SP&S]

As long as we're talking about bedding again, how about mattresses that aren't as hard a a rock for SuperLiner upper bunks?

 

[Bob Dylan]

As long as we're talking about bedding again, how about mattresses that aren't as hard a a rock for SuperLiner upper bunks?

And thicker like the Real Mattresses in the Sections on the Canadian. Most comfortable bed I've had on a Train in over 70 years of riding the Rails.

 

[Anderson]

The problem with mattress thickness is that, at least "upstairs" in the Superliners, it's not like there's a lot of extra headroom to work with as it is.

(This is one of many reasons I would not be sad to see the Superliners replaced with an all-single-level fleet outside of maybe some high-demand corridors).

 

[crescent-zephyr]

And thicker like the Real Mattresses in the Sections on the Canadian. Most comfortable bed I've had on a Train in over 70 years of riding the Rails.

if I could get an Amtrak roomette by day and a via roomette by night it would be perfect!

I agree, I think the via bedding is quite good.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

They started putting the blankets in plastic a few years ago to indicate to passengers that the blankets are clean. There had been complaints that blankets had not been laundered between trips.

I'm not against clean blankets but putting each one in a separate bag is as silly and outdated as sticking a "sanitized for your protection" sash on the toilet seat.

The blankets will be delivered in plastic either way, that’s how commercial cleaners deliver linens and uniforms.

You should still be able to choose to have items individually wrapped or grouped together and wrapped in bulk as a larger set.

The problem with mattress thickness is that, at least "upstairs" in the Superliners, it's not like there's a lot of extra headroom to work with as it is.

In my experience there is enough room to double the current mattress thickness without seriously impacting the available sleeping space up top.

 

[Palmetto]

It would be a step up if they actually put the blanket on the bed again instead of sticking it in a plastic bag and making you do it yourself. No plastic means a bit less trash. Plus, if I wanted to do housework, I would stay home.

When I rode trains 1 and 2 in late August, beds were made up by the SCAs. I did not take a blanket out of a plastic bag.

 

[the_traveler]

You should still be able to choose to have items individually wrapped or grouped together and wrapped in bulk as a larger set.

Agreed.

They could be packaged similar to how the towels are delivered for the shower rooms. They are not individually wrapped, but are combined in one package of 10-15 towels together.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Agreed.

They could be packaged similar to how the towels are delivered for the shower rooms. They are not individually wrapped, but are combined in one package of 10-15 towels together.

I suppose so. I know the dinner train I used to work on all the table cloths, aprons, and chef coats came individually wrapped. Was a mess of plastic opening all of them up!

 

[Palmetto]

Question: I am not a chemist, but is cellophane a derivative of plastic? I believe the sleeping car blankets were wrapped in cellophane, not plastic. Or am I splitting hairs?

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Question: I am not a chemist, but is cellophane a derivative of plastic? I believe the sleeping car blankets were wrapped in cellophane, not plastic. Or am I splitting hairs?

Yes you are but what else is new? It’s not silverware cause it’s not real silver, it’s not China, it’s ceramic, etc.

 

[tricia]

Question: I am not a chemist, but is cellophane a derivative of plastic? I believe the sleeping car blankets were wrapped in cellophane, not plastic. Or am I splitting hairs?

Cellophane is typically derived from wood and is biodegradable. Plastic is derived from petroleum, and isn't.

 

[MARC Rider]

During my rides to the Gathering last Fall, I found that the beds were always made up before departure. That is, the sheets were made up, wrapped very tightly around the mattress. The SCA also provided blankets in individual wrapping.

To actually fit into the tightly made up sheets, though, I had to pretty much unmake the bed when I actually went to sleep. Thus it really didn't matter to me that the blankets weren't made up with the sheets. I think using a comforter instead of a blanket would be a big improvement.

 

[bratkinson]

During my rides to the Gathering last Fall, I found that the beds were always made up before departure. That is, the sheets were made up, wrapped very tightly around the mattress. The SCA also provided blankets in individual wrapping.

That's one of my top 5 complaints about roomettes...arriving on board and finding the bed already down and made up. I last encountered that boarding a 2 hour late #20 at ATL in September. Fortunately, I have no problem putting it back to usable condition but rolling it up and putting it on one seat and moving both of them to the upright positions so I can put my rolling carryon underneath the seat. I gave up on the above-the-hall cubby in Viewliners long ago as I left a couple of items there through the years, and there's no cubby in a Superliner.

I've witnessed several times, including boarding at Atlanta, when an older couple gets on only to be surprised at how cramped everything is and there's no place to get undressed or to store their luggage. In my opinion, the SCA should wait until he makes his rounds introducing themselves and asking when would they wish to have the beds made up.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

That's one of my top 5 complaints about roomettes...arriving on board and finding the bed already down and made up. I last encountered that boarding a 2 hour late #20 at ATL in September. Fortunately, I have no problem putting it back to usable condition but rolling it up and putting it on one seat and moving both of them to the upright positions so I can put my rolling carryon underneath the seat. I gave up on the above-the-hall cubby in Viewliners long ago as I left a couple of items there through the years, and there's no cubby in a Superliner.

I've witnessed several times, including boarding at Atlanta, when an older couple gets on only to be surprised at how cramped everything is and there's no place to get undressed or to store their luggage. In my opinion, the SCA should wait until he makes his rounds introducing themselves and asking when would they wish to have the beds made up.

As typical, we all have different preferences. If I'm boarding after 10 pm I expect and hope for my bed to be down so I can settle in as quickly as possible.

 

[jis]

The only issue I have with the bed made up before I have had a chance to talk to the SCA is that they usually make up the lower berth, and I usually use the upper berth at night. So they have to undo things on the lower berth and make up the bed on the upper berth, and in that sense their original effort is wasted. But I suppose I am a rare breed, so it is probably OK.

 

[tricia]

The only issue I have with the bed made up before I have had a chance to talk to the SCA is that they usually make up the lower berth, and I usually use the upper berth at night. So they have to undo things on the lower berth and make up the bed on the upper berth, and in that sense their original effort is wasted. But I suppose I am a rare breed, so it is probably OK.

Not so rare. I too prefer upper berth--but only on the Viewliners. I'd rather avoid the coffin-like Superliner upper berth.

 

[BLNT]

The info they had at the check in desk (Lorton) indicated these changes would be "over the next six months". At the bottom it had a release date of 7/15/19, and a "remove by" date for the notice of 1/17/20.

 

[Maglev]

Who's to say that there won't be some over-zealous SCA who tucks in the comforter?

I don't understand when the SCA makes the head at the wrong end. For example, the upper berth in a Bedroom has a foot-wide gap at one end or a wall and reading light at the other end. Common sense would say that the head should be under the reading light, but the beds are often made with the head at the other end!

 

[RichieRich]

"Up-graded bedding"...Give-me-a-break. A fancy quilt spread over a piece of plywood...is still as hard as a piece of plywood. One of our beds last nite kept popping back up in to the couch position...so basically sleeping on a 45 degree angle !?!?!? It is what it is....you either accept it...or drive!!

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

Well it looks like the only upgrade coming to auto train will be the loss of the coach diner Anderson strikes again. January 15th is next week.