First timer, not impressed with Amtrak

[tonys96]

So the OP did not like his experience on Amtrak?

So what? Everyone has an unpleasant experience at one time or another.....

I was really irritated on my first Amtrak trip in the 1980s, in coach, and we had actually gotten off the train and were walking back to the station when the conductor asked us what the problem was...........and proceeded to fix it.

I have had very hit and miss experiences since that, but still enjoy the trips I take. I firmly believe a passenger gets pretty much what s/he expects.........if I expect a crappy trip, and am in a crappy mood....I get a crappy trip! If I am ready to roll with the punches and enjoy my excursion......I nearly always do!

 

[tonys96]

Chicago to Emeryville, lowest price available in Sleeper in the month of March, 2016 = $474 for one person in Roomette.

Chicago to San Francisco, lowest first class airline ticket in the month of March, 2016 = $382 for one person, First Class on United.

If you were going to have more than one carry-on piece of luggage, the cost would be about the same after luggage fees.

But I doubt very much that you could find a reputable hotel for $75-100 for the extra 2 nights! (Maybe $100 for 1 night, but not $100 total plus meals for 2 nights!)

I've never stayed in a youth hostel, but I think the Roomette was the closes thing to it. A meal at Chipotle will beat out any dish served on the train. So maybe $25/night for a comparable experience.

You can have your Chipotle E. coli food.

"Chipotle" is a Spanish word for "uh-oh" :wacko:

 

[Devil's Advocate]

It's one thing to suggest dealing with unavoidable adversity by rolling with the punches on your way back home from a rough trip. It's quite another thing to suggest that intentionally paying fancy hotel prices for campground level service makes any logical sense whatsoever. Why is it the customer's responsibility to sell Amtrak staff on the concept of doing a proper job? How is that any different than suggesting new passengers just keep lowering their expectations until Amtrak can't possibly let them down? Now that the backdoor AGR path to reasonable sleeper fares is finally starting to close I wonder how many of the campground club will be able to continue rationalizing Amtrak's widening disparity between costs and service levels.

 

[me_little_me]

Sodium....

I do reccomend a trip on both the Cumbres and Toltec and the Durango and Silverton. Durango is slightly more commercial (more touristy) but both offer stunning scenery, use historical equipment, and only operate steam.

I'm still baffled that you were disappointed with the scenery on the zephyr. But to each his own. I personally travelled on the zephyr 4 times last year and two of those times I went out of my way to travel that amazing route. You are correct you don't see the arches park from the train, but you see the Ruby Canyon, which you can't see from any road! Likewise the path the zephyr takes through the Rockies is nowhere near any roads. Over the times I have taken the zephyr I have gotten very lucky with wildlife and saw a big horn sheep, small herds of elk, a red fox, and dozens of Eagles.

I agree with your comments on the C/T and S/D tourist trains having done both, the former many times.

Also, having taken the Zephyr, I agree with you about the scenery. Much better than even airline first class scenery (unlike the old days when the scenery on planes was much better looking). I never see a lot of scenery while driving - she screams when I turn around to look and we go off the road.

Excellent thread, one of the best on AU and we didn't even talk about toliet paper!

Speaking of which, I think the toilet paper ...

Lastly, F/C air from Greenville, SC to Portland, OR was $450 each. Bedroom back via ABQ would have been a lot more had it not been for the old AGR point system I reserved in January. But I still love the trains even if the service and timeliness is inexcusable.

 

[keelhauled]

Personally if I wanted to go camping I would pitch a tent in my backyard. I don't need to spend thousands of dollars to do that, and I definitely don't want to. When I pay to be transported somewhere, I expect to be treated courteously and respectfully, to have clean and functioning accommodations, and to arrive at my destination with sufficient timeliness to be able to safely schedule activities within a reasonable time after arrival (where reasonable varies depending on trip length but definitely is less than 24 hours). I very much do not expect to bring supplies to fix my accommodations, to be prepared for food to be unavailable, or to accept that preventable mechanical failures should be accepted as a matter of course. I don't think any of these are unreasonable. In fact, I don't think that they are even a premium experience, I think that they are basic expectations that any transport provider should meet.

 

[inspiration100]

Most of us on here enjoy riding trains, but we need to be honest about the condition that first time riders are getting. Amtrak has some serious problems that aren't getting addressed. I don't care who is at fault, whether it be the politicians, the people running Amtrak, or the bogeyman. People on this forum are tired of the complaining because there are funding issues, but some of us are tired of folks backing up the clear problems with Amtrak. The food is better in my work cafeteria than on the train and my work cafeteria isn't very good. The service can be downright insulting (throws a paper at you... put your name and car number on the bottom and don't touch anything else attitude). Amtrak customer service is horrible. I can't stand the pre-written responses they provide whether it be positive or negative feedback. They also have no systematic approach as to what to offer for negative experiences and it can be insulting. The continual cut of amenities such as morning newspapers, flowers on the table, real dishes, parlor car (for at least 3 months of the year), sparkling cider, amenity pouch for showering is not a positive either. If you assume your hotels will have shampoo, why shouldn't the train?

I love the train because I was practically raised on it with my mom and dad. Back when I was young, the Coast Starlight used to have a clown or a magician on board in the coaches (remember that?). That was a lot of fun while being a little kid on a train. We also had a coast starlight mug that got unlimited coffee/cocoa refills during the trip; I doubt they have those anymore. I love the sound of the train passing over the railroad switches and the faint blowing of the horn while I sleep. I love waking up at dawn and watching the small towns waking up as we pass by. From what I remember in the early 1990's, the service used to be impeccable compared to today. If I didn't have the fun Amtrak childhood experiences as a kid ingrained in me, I'm not sure I'd want to travel by train. With all the cuts, at least we're lucky the views haven't changed. For the price, you need to provide better service and amenities. I'm sympathetic to what first time riders are reporting and I know exactly what they're talking about.

 

[R Johnson]

With the grand total of one round trip from Connersville to Staunton a few years ago to my credit, I will be the first to admit that I am unqualified to say much about service on any train.

Maybe I'm just easy to please. The trip was coach and all I really expected was a seat. About the only contact with any of the staff was when getting on and getting off. I found no fault with the conduct of any of them.

I have to wonder how many of the folks complaining about this or that have ever had jobs where they had to deal with the public. I have worked for contractors, as maintenance manager at a large nursing home, and, most recently, for a natural gas supplier. In all these occupations I encountered customers who hated my employer for one reason or another and decided to take it out on me. Until my mid-fifties, I was always able to bite my lip and move on. After that, if someone was excessively rude I would treat them in kind. This was particularly true if they were swearing at me. I didn't swear back, but I would certainly let them know if they wanted the job done they would show me the same respect they would expect themselves.

I'm sure that there are Amtrak employees who are pretty much worthless. Every workplace and occupation has 'em. But the next time you deal with someone on a train staff that doesn't seem to be on top of his game, try treating and addressing him with the respect you expect him to give you. It's quite possible the person has just had an encounter with a complete ***. You have the opportunity to put their mood in a 180, and both of you may benefit from it.

To quote Elwood P Doud, "You can either be oh so smart, or oh so pleasant. I tried smart, I recommend pleasant."

 

[MARC Rider]

It would be interesting to know if the decline in the value proposition of the Amtrak sleeper has resulted in a drop-off in ridership, revenue, or both. I would guess if we start seeing more low-bucket fares during busy seasons that might suggest something. So far, though, it seems that Amtrak is keeping most of its sleeper customers.

I wonder how high fares would have to go before they start affecting ridership and revenue. My main Amtrak experience is riding the NEC -- the service is more than adequate, the travel experience beats any of the other competing modes, but the fares are ridiculously high, even counting for inflation. In 1970 I could ride from Baltimore to Philadelphia for $4.50, which is the equivalent of about $28 in today's money. The current Regional fare is as follows: $39 saver fare (2 week advance purchase non refundable), $48 low bucket value fare, and then going up from there. God only knows what it is Thanksgiving weekend. The upcharge for the Parlor Car was $1.50 or about $9 in today's money. Today, Business class is $25 extra. (I should have taken the Parlor Car when I was a kid.) I've heard that NE Regional ridership is down. Maybe they need to cut the fares?

 

[Eric308]

With the grand total of one round trip from Connersville to Staunton a few years ago to my credit, I will be the first to admit that I am unqualified to say much about service on any train.

Maybe I'm just easy to please. The trip was coach and all I really expected was a seat. About the only contact with any of the staff was when getting on and getting off. I found no fault with the conduct of any of them.

I have to wonder how many of the folks complaining about this or that have ever had jobs where they had to deal with the public. I have worked for contractors, as maintenance manager at a large nursing home, and, most recently, for a natural gas supplier. In all these occupations I encountered customers who hated my employer for one reason or another and decided to take it out on me. Until my mid-fifties, I was always able to bite my lip and move on. After that, if someone was excessively rude I would treat them in kind. This was particularly true if they were swearing at me. I didn't swear back, but I would certainly let them know if they wanted the job done they would show me the same respect they would expect themselves.

I'm sure that there are Amtrak employees who are pretty much worthless. Every workplace and occupation has 'em. But the next time you deal with someone on a train staff that doesn't seem to be on top of his game, try treating and addressing him with the respect you expect him to give you. It's quite possible the person has just had an encounter with a complete ***. You have the opportunity to put their mood in a 180, and both of you may benefit from it.

To quote Elwood P Doud, "You can either be oh so smart, or oh so pleasant. I tried smart, I recommend pleasant."

Great advice. Having recently retired as a hotel concierge I can totally relate....I have seen it all. Maybe that's why I've never had a bad experience with any Amtrak employee. Obviously, some are better than others, but I always show respect to all of them. If you tend to "bellyache", whine, and complain it gets you nowhere. I hope I don't eat these words as I have a EB trip coming up in a month.

 

[zephyr17]

I am a frequent and long time rider, and I will tell anyone that Amtrak's biggest problem within its control is the lack of consistency in onboard service. I warn new Amtrak travelers about it, I don't apologize for it. It isn't a funding issue, it is a management issue.

I always show respect, and I have had more good to great experiences than bad ones, but the bad ones are out there. The worst are the disappearing attendants, in my view, the second worst are the attendants that want to run their car on their schedule, dictating when they will put the beds down for the whole car, etc. I am fine with some attitude as long as the job is performed.

The mid-90's Starlight was a high point in Amtrak service. They'd never done as well before or since and it shows that Amtrak can do better. With that exception, though, I wouldn't say the general run of Amtrak service is much different now than it was in the 80s or 90s. It isn't on a particular downward trend in my view. It isn't improving, either.

Eric, your EB experience may be influenced by whether you are the Portland or Seattle sections. The Portland section is crew-based in Chicago, while the Seattle section is crew-based in Seattle. As a general rule, I find the Chicago-based OBS staff less, well, customer service oriented than crews out of Seattle or Los Angeles. However, that is a very general rule. The lounge car LSA on my last Builder trip, a position based out of Chicago, was about the best lounge LSA I've seen. Her meal breaks were just meal breaks, not 2 hour siestas, she was always cheerful and efficient. And one of the worst attendants I've ever had was based in LA.

 

[Eric308]

I am a frequent and long time rider, and I will tell anyone that Amtrak's biggest problem within its control is the lack of consistency in onboard service. I warn new Amtrak travelers about it, I don't apologize for it. It isn't a funding issue, it is a management issue.

I always show respect, and I have had more good to great experiences than bad ones, but the bad ones are out there. The worst are the disappearing attendants, in my view, the second worst are the attendants that want to run their car on their schedule, dictating when they will put the beds down for the whole car, etc. I am fine with some attitude as long as the job is performed.

The mid-90's Starlight was a high point in Amtrak service. They'd never done as well before or since and it shows that Amtrak can do better. With that exception, though, I wouldn't say the general run of Amtrak service is much different now than it was in the 80s or 90s. It isn't on a particular downward trend in my view. It isn't improving, either.

Eric, your EB experience may be influenced by whether you are the Portland or Seattle sections. The Portland section is crew-based in Chicago, while the Seattle section is crew-based in Seattle. As a general rule, I find the Chicago-based OBS staff less, well, customer service oriented than crews out of Seattle or Los Angeles. However, that is a very general rule. The lounge car LSA on my last Builder trip, a position based out of Chicago, was about the best lounge LSA I've seen. Her meal breaks were just meal breaks, not 2 hour siestas, she was always cheerful and efficient. And one of the worst attendants I've ever had was based in LA.

zephyr17...I'm always on the Portland section out of Columbus. I remember two great SCA's of the past...Stan and Stephanie. I think Stan retired a couple of years ago. He was just a fantastic, memorable guy. I miss him. Also, Stephanie and I really hit it off and I remember helping her unload all the baggage from the storage area in the sleeper in PDX. I return through Seattle after taking the Cascades out of PDX. I really enjoy seeing Puget Sound on the left upon departure, and then of course over the Cascades. I'm going to miss the wine and cheese, darn it.

 

[sodium]

The airlines run a tight ship while I felt the Amtrak staff to be like the local public transit.

But please do take the time to express you concerns to Amtrak if you have not already done so - none of us here can do anything at all about them.

I was sent a survey by Amtrak. My submission should throw some flags or will get tossed out :hi:

 

[JoeBas]

Thanks Sodium! So, you're one of the "One or Ten, nothing inbetween" kinda folks that surveyors love. Gotchya.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Good grief.... What on earth would warrant that type of response? And what is your ideal train then? Considering my rides on VIA, Iowa Pacific, and many private excursions Amtrak ranks at least a 5 on average for my "ideal train."

 

[jis]

Depending on how the surveys are processed, it will either get thrown out as an outlayer, if it indeed is, or it will get folded into the statistics. Unless some specific points were mentioned in the sections where such are requested, there is not much that one can do other than incorporate it in overall statistics.

 

[dlagrua]

I don't understand why the OP would say that Amtrak pales in comparison to airline travel. With an airline they frisk you like a criminal, squeeze you into a sealed capsule like an animal, and you sit in a tiny cramped seat. The seats and restroom is smaller than anything that Amtrak has.

 

[greatcats]

Amtrak pales in the inconsistency of service and condition of the equipment. While the airlines in some respects are not as comfortable and nobody likes security, it is more consistent. My flights on United to Hawaii a few months ago were very pleasant, with the exception of the security setup at LAX. I certainly have had pleasant trips on Amtrak, but with too many glaring exceptions. Let's see how United does in a few weeks going to Europe.

 

[Eric308]

Amtrak pales in the inconsistency of service and condition of the equipment. While the airlines in some respects are not as comfortable and nobody likes security, it is more consistent. My flights on United to Hawaii a few months ago were very pleasant, with the exception of the security setup at LAX. I certainly have had pleasant trips on Amtrak, but with too many glaring exceptions. Let's see how United does in a few weeks going to Europe.

"While the airlines in some respects are not as comfortable" is a classic understatement. I fly all the time and unless you can afford big bucks for a first class or business upgrade you are stuck in an extremely uncomfortable coach seat. I recently flew from Atlanta to Madison with Delta....just a basic coach seat. I'm just a pretty standard size guy...5'11 180 or so. I was cramping the whole way with the limited legroom. Next trip I'm upgrading to "Delta Comfort" which basically just adds a couple of inches in legroom, and you get cocktails. Anyway, headed out on the EB in about 4 hours for a loop to PDX-SEA and home. Will report back with any inconsistencies of service and condition of equipment. Then again, who knows? I might end up having a nightmarish trip like Sodium...then I'll probably get off in Wolf Point and hitchhike home.

 

[jis]

Well, one of the advantages of truly flying "all the time" is to get status, which leads to comp upgrades on domestic flights. I get upgraded about 70% of the times. So I can't really complain too much. The first class seats, whether standard ones or lie flat ones, are pretty nice and the food is good and improving these days.

 

[greatcats]

I agree about the understatement of coach comfort. But in most cases the flight is a much shorter duration than a train trip. I. Would not want to sit in an airline coach seat from Arizona to Chicago. I usually fly United Economy Plus, with the additional legroom and had no complaints on my last trip.

 

[Eric308]

Well, one of the advantages of truly flying "all the time" is to get status, which leads to comp upgrades on domestic flights. I get upgraded about 70% of the times. So I can't really complain too much. The first class seats, whether standard ones or lie flat ones, are pretty nice and the food is good and improving these days.

I suppose "all the time" is stretching it. Maybe 6-8 times a year. With Delta I accrue a lot of Skymiles for "free travel", but not enough miles for me to book first or business. I also get a "free" companion ticket each year for my wife...pay full fare and she rides along. There again, you can't upgrade. Don't get me wrong, flying is still in my cards and I'll just have to pay up a bit for comfort. I'm glad you are having great experiences.

 

[MiniMax]

When leaving your roomette you should have walked toward the back of the train where the 1st class lounge/restaurant/bar features a live jazz trio and international cuisine. The marble lined restrooms are enormous. Did you even see the barber shop?

 

[crescent-zephyr]

When leaving your roomette you should have walked toward the back of the train where the 1st class lounge/restaurant/bar features a live jazz trio and international cuisine. The marble lined restrooms are enormous. Did you even see the barber shop?

well... the marble lined restrooms and barber shop weren't present... but pretty much exactly what you described was available on the back of the City of New Orleans with Pullman Rail Journeys. (International cuisine is a stretch... but freshly cooked on board with fresh ingredients served on real china, with real flowers on a linen table cloth.... close enough for me!)

 

[NETrainfan]

It is always interesting to read the different experiences of Amtrak train travel on this forum.

Also good to see differing opinions respected. Thank you for your review, OP.

Although my first Amtrak trip was good, my first travel by ship was not- so I can relate to the experience.

(Tried going by ship again and it was fine. You never know until you try.)

Amtrak trips- however good or imperfect, have provided us with lasting memories of amazing views out West (CZ and SWC)

and a first hand track-side education of a good portion of the U.S. These positive experiences far outweigh the negative-

and we continue to ride the imperfect trains- knowing they can be improved- but also knowing that they will never be perfect.

 

[erierail]

I am approaching old age and I don't mind sharing my trains with younger type people. What I have notice that seniors often have the discretionary income and the time to ride trains, take long cruises and take it easy. Retirement is looming finally for me, so get ready Amtrak.