First Class Meals

[crescent-zephyr]

On a multi day trip I will always tip the first meal or 2, even if lousy / rude service. The servers remember you and a tip can give you better service on future meals.

After 2 or 3 meals if the service is still lousy / rude... I may stop tipping.

I think most of us know what lousy / rude on Amtrak is. If the food is slow coming up, or the LSA gets distracted on the other side and forgets to cash out my glass of wine... Those are totally understandable on a short staffed train. It's the rude service, totally ignoring tables after the entree has been plopped down, and totally unprofessional behavior that I won't continue to reward.

 

[the_traveler]

The "kitchen crew" consists of:

A chef

The only person downstairs is 1 chef! So consider this when the meals come out slow.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

The "kitchen crew" consists of:

A chef

The only person downstairs is 1 chef! So consider this when the meals come out slow.

As in all things on Amtrak... That varies from train to train. My recent ride on the Sunset Limited a few weeks ago, there were 2 "chefs" in the kitchen, 1 LSA, 1 Server.

 

[dlagrua]

The "kitchen crew" consists of:

A chef

The only person downstairs is 1 chef! So consider this when the meals come out slow.

Geeze. I sure hope that it hasn't come to that. Just a few years back on the EB when we stopped at Tacoma for the long break, three people came out of the kitchen. One actually took the hose and filled up the diner water tank. They were wearing white kitchen scrubs so it certainly seemed as though there was more than one down there. My assumption was one chef, one line chef and a assistant/dishwasher/cleanup person.

 

[zephyr17]

The "kitchen crew" consists of:

A chef

The only person downstairs is 1 chef! So consider this when the meals come out slow.

Geeze. I sure hope that it hasn't come to that. Just a few years back on the EB when we stopped at Tacoma for the long break, three people came out of the kitchen. One actually took the hose and filled up the diner water tank. They were wearing white kitchen scrubs so it certainly seemed as though there was more than one down there. My assumption was one chef, one line chef and a assistant/dishwasher/cleanup person.

Very interesting considering that the EB has never gone through Tacoma. Ever.

 

[Lonestar648]

Must have been the CS. Generally, there is one cook down stairs, except during the busy season like on the CS when there are 3 Sleepers and 4 Coaches, I have seen a helper. I have also seen a second person who is being trained.

Tipping: I have tipped always on Amtrak. There have been times when I have told by others, why am I tipping, everything is included. Others seem to think that those working on Amtrak are making mega dollars per hour, therefore do not deserve tips. Now, I have had first time riders ask me when we have been seated together about tipping because they are confused because there is not ticket with pricing to figure your tip. I understand their confusion until they understand the system. These people many times end up not tipping thinking with no ticket the amount is zero.

 

[Dakota 400]

Q: Why would you support "lousy service" with any tip ? Amtrak website says tipping is not required. Tipping is 100% voluntary in the USA. You can tip all you want, but don't try to impose your personal habits on others .

A: Working a dining car is not as easy as some believe.Besides having to juggle a tray or hands full of food on a moving train, waiters/table servers/FSA's have to work multiple meal services up to three times daily.. At times they are understaffed, overloaded and always dependent on how the kitchen crew gets the meals out. We tip more or less dependent on the level of courtesy, but we always tip. It bothers us when we see people leaving nothing on the table. Those people are just stingy cheapskates. You pay hundreds of dollars for a sleeper and can part with a few bucks? How could anyone be that cheap?

diagrua's post reflects what I think. The men and women who serve us on Amtrak are not doing so for their health. In the Dining Cars and SSL Cars on which I have traveled, I have encountered men and women who try to do the best that they can do to provide me the best possible service that they can do. (Sleeping Car Attendants' service vary from excellent to OK, however. But, in my opinion, even the "OK" SCAs deserve some additional recognition at the end of my journey on their train.)

I do think that first time Sleeper Car travelers might not understand that the service that they receive in their train's Dining Car, and maybe even in the Sleeper, if so booked, ought to be rewarded with a gratuity to the personnel that serves them. I am not sure how such information ought to be communicated to them, however.

 

[Lonestar648]

The people who work on Amtrak trains, work long hours, many times 6AM to midnight with a small break between meals in the DC or SSL. The only time I don't tip the SCA is when they are AWOL until tip time. Then I get their name and report them to Customer Service, though on one occasion I had an OBS manager traveling incognito most of the trip, taking notes of what passengers were saying in the DC and SSL. Our AWOL SCA must have been shocked when he learned who this person was. .

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Tipping: I have tipped always on Amtrak. There have been times when I have told by others, why am I tipping, everything is included. Others seem to think that those working on Amtrak are making mega dollars per hour, therefore do not deserve tips.

Compared to most tipping positions in the US Amtrak staff are paid a much higher base salary, enjoy much stronger employment protections, and receive truly exceptional benefits. Among tipping professions in the US Amtrak staff are probably at or near the top 1%. Unlike most tipping positions in the US, Amtrak staff do not need to rely on tips to cover basic needs and make simple ends meet. This isn't an assumption on my part; this is what I've heard directly from Amtrak staff.

The people who work on Amtrak trains, work long hours, many times 6AM to midnight with a small break between meals in the DC or SSL.

I'm on call 24/7, even when I'm on vacation twelve times zones away on the other side of the planet I have to be reachable by phone. If someone important can't access something critical I have to take the call and help resolve the issue no matter the date or time or other circumstances. Compared to Amtrak staff my retirement benefits and employment protections are minimal, but I don't expect (and would not accept) any tips in return for a fundamental aspect of my chosen profession.

 

[PVD]

There are jobs where tipping is traditional in this country there are jobs where it isn't. Income is not the only criteria.

 

[tricia]

Tipping: I have tipped always on Amtrak. There have been times when I have told by others, why am I tipping, everything is included. Others seem to think that those working on Amtrak are making mega dollars per hour, therefore do not deserve tips.

Compared to most tipping positions in the US Amtrak staff are paid a much higher base salary, enjoy much stronger employment protections, and receive truly exceptional benefits. Among tipping professions in the US Amtrak staff are probably at or near the top 1%. Unlike most tipping positions in the US, Amtrak staff do not need to rely on tips to cover basic needs and make simple ends meet. This isn't an assumption on my part; this is what I've heard directly from Amtrak staff.

The people who work on Amtrak trains, work long hours, many times 6AM to midnight with a small break between meals in the DC or SSL.

I'm on call 24/7, even when I'm on vacation twelve times zones away on the other side of the planet I have to be reachable by phone. If someone important can't access something critical I have to take the call and help resolve the issue no matter the date or time or other circumstances. Compared to Amtrak staff my retirement benefits and employment protections are minimal, but I don't expect (and would not accept) any tips in return for a fundamental aspect of my chosen profession.

I'm with DA on this. I'm a farmer, and thus not overly impressed with how difficult the working conditions are on a train. Lots of folks work in difficult condtions, and neither expect nor accept tips for that.

I do tip Amtrak staff who provide exceptional service; I don't tip (as I do in restaurants) simply to make up what's lacking in a sub-minimum wage.

 

[JayPea]

I tip according to the level of service and to show appreciation for that service. Whether I choose to tip (or not) is at my discretion and my discretion only and should be considered my business and my business only.

 

[jis]

I tip according to the level of service and to show appreciation for that service. Whether I choose to tip (or not) is at my discretion and my discretion only and should be considered my business and my business only.

I agree. I find the, what feels like, attempted indoctrination towards tipping no matter what, that goes on at AU somewhat distasteful. But such is life.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

It's nowhere near as distasteful as the food whose service we are discussing.

 

[niemi24s]

Wish some kind soul would post links to the other 4 or 5 recent threads dealing with gratuities. Same blather repeated every 6 months or so begins to wear thin after a while - but that's just me. Carry on if you must.

 

[zepherdude]

Wish some kind soul would post links to the other 4 or 5 recent threads dealing with gratuities. Same blather repeated every 6 months or so begins to wear thin after a while - but that's just me. Carry on if you must.

I totally agree with you! How many times I have read about lousy service.....

 

[wallylegs]

It is extremely confusing for OS travellers, to tip or not to tip.

When on the SWC we asked our SCA what was the norm, and he explained to us that it was not necessary,

however if we very happy with the service, a few dollars would suffice. Steven was a great SCA.

So on that journey Dining Car staff were tipped according to our level of satisfaction

When on the EB, my level of satisfaction declined somewhat, so I was less forthcoming.

When on the CS , my level of satisfaction dissolved completely and I did not tip anyone

on that train at all. As I was alone on the last two journeys it just fell to me decide, I decided I wanted them to know

I was not happy with the service at all.

 

[Ryan]

Wish some kind soul would post links to the other 4 or 5 recent threads dealing with gratuities. Same blather repeated every 6 months or so begins to wear thin after a while - but that's just me. Carry on if you must.

It's a shame you have someone holding a gun to your head forcing you to read this blather.

Or maybe you exercise from free will and refrain from reading content you don't find worth your time?

 

[niemi24s]

Wish some kind soul would post links to the other 4 or 5 recent threads dealing with gratuities. Same blather repeated every 6 months or so begins to wear thin after a while - but that's just me. Carry on if you must.

It's a shame you have someone holding a gun to your head forcing you to read this blather.

Or maybe you exercise from free will and refrain from reading content you don't find worth your time?

<Yawn!>

 

[user 1215]

There is no "first class" on Amtrak long-distance trains. Do you mean the meal included with a sleeper ticket? That would be served in the dining car.

It's obvious that's what he's asking about. The pedantry about terminology is uncalled for.

Not it wasn't. There's first class on Acela with true first class meals. And there is sleeper class on the long distance trains which used to be called first class.
So the question, being vague, called for a bit of pedantry - though the answers are similar with the exception of the inclusion of adult beverages.

 

[Ryan]

Acela doesn't have anything that can be called a "dining room". Was clear with a little bit of interpretation that he was talking about a LD train.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Technically Amtrak dining car menus still refer to "first class meal packages" in the fine print about alcoholic beverages, although I would presume that the reference is little more than an anachronism at this point.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

Acela doesn't have anything that can be called a "dining room". Was clear with a little bit of interpretation that he was talking about a LD train.

+1

Plus, I got a bit of a chuckle with the passing thought that any meal served by Amtrak, would be called a "First Class Meal" by any sane person. :giggle:

 

[Lonestar648]

Back when Sleepers were called First Class, the Amtrak Meals were totally different. I remember meals like the 2" thick juicy pork chop dinner, or the thick Prime Rib.

 

[crabby_appleton1950]

There is no "first class" on Amtrak long-distance trains. Do you mean the meal included with a sleeper ticket? That would be served in the dining car.

Thank you for the clarification. I thought perhaps there was a class of service with which I was unfamiliar.