New dining options (flex dining) effective October 1, 2019

[Winecliff Station]

Good article in the Washington Post about the changes to Amtrak's eastern Dining Cars.

One point that I take issue with is the idea that Millennials don't like the communal tables.
In many new city developments, common spaces are ever larger as that what the Millennial renters, or owners want, and utilize.
In my development in Boston, common areas like the Roof Deck, Community Rooms, and Demonstration Kitchen are all popular.
Further if you look at the Time Out Food Halls that have opened in a number of key cities, all the tables are communal as that's what
the infamous millennials take to, and even older people like myself.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...3cca3a-d888-11e9-bfb1-849887369476_story.html

Lol one more thing to blame on the millennials....even if I believed this was true of the entire age group, it still sounds like a convenient excuse. Right now on the short run Empire State Service trains, the cafe cars are filled with millennials even though there is no cafe service.

 

[chrsjrcj]

Blaming it on millennials is just the excuse. We all know the real reason is the Congressional mandate. I don't understand why Amtrak has to lie about it, and throw a whole generation under the bus.

 

[Skyline]

Other than some of them feeling "entitled" -- an issue with their parents more than anything -- I don't think Millennials are all that different from previous generations. Certainly, as a demographic they socialize better among their peers. Thus, communal tables on a train are likely to be well received by them. So what if some of them choose to focus on their devices instead of conversation? Is that any different than a 50 year old choosing to read a book rather than talk?

 

[bretton88]

Good article in the Washington Post about the changes to Amtrak's eastern Dining Cars.

One point that I take issue with is the idea that Millennials don't like the communal tables.
In many new city developments, common spaces are ever larger as that what the Millennial renters, or owners want, and utilize.
In my development in Boston, common areas like the Roof Deck, Community Rooms, and Demonstration Kitchen are all popular.
Further if you look at the Time Out Food Halls that have opened in a number of key cities, all the tables are communal as that's what
the infamous millennials take to, and even older people like myself.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...3cca3a-d888-11e9-bfb1-849887369476_story.html

There's a big difference between forced sharing and voluntary sharing. With the traditional dining model, you have to sit down with strangers. In places like food halls, renting, etc you go into those situations with people you know. The new model moves more towards the voluntary sharing model.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Losing the table service doesn’t bother me. Losing food that is at least slightly cooked / prepared on board is what bothers me.

The breakfast menu of the contemporary dining is the most insulting.

 

[Qapla]

throw a whole generation under the bus.

In this case they are throwing them under the train ...

A couple months ago I rode the SunRail in Orlando. They have a few tables on the upper level and a bench seating area on the lower level where the benches face each other.

I sat at both area during parts of the trip. I even sat with some Millennials and they had no problem sharing with a "senior" and engaging in conversation ... why not just say it is COngress instead of all the tap-dancing

 

[Dakota 400]

Losing the table service doesn’t bother me. Losing food that is at least slightly cooked / prepared on board is what bothers me.

The breakfast menu of the contemporary dining is the most insulting.

Losing table service does bother me. I agree with the rest of your comments.

It's unfair, I think, to single out any generation in comments about what that generation likes/does not like. It generalizes that generation too much. The bell curve exists for each generation. One's view of that generation may be due to the encounter with such a person that occupies one end or the other of the bell curve rather than a person who resides closer to the middle.

 

[Qapla]

losing "table service" doesn't bother me, either ... losing the tables all together I would not like.

 

[user 14106]

The generalizations are annoying. I am a millennial by definition and enjoy the traditional dining just fine.

 

[user 14106]

The generalizations are annoying. I am a millennial by definition and enjoy the traditional dining just fine.

And I often take the auto train that “only baby boomers” take and stay in a sleeper and go to the dining car.

 

[Winecliff Station]

The generalizations are annoying. I am a millennial by definition and enjoy the traditional dining just fine.

I hear ya.... I am on the cusp of gen X, born 1967 which puts me very close to boomers so I can identify with both, but I work with many generations of adults so the categories don't mean much to me.

 

[JRR]

At the risk of being repetitious, all the attention is being focused on the cost of F&B service and no attention to revenue. When you purchase a sleeper ticket, the meals are not free, you have paid for them. Actually, you pay for the number of meals which will be served on the trip. Additionally, since there is no additional cost for the room or roomette when two travel, the cost of the room includes all potential meals for all possible travelers in the room (except in the family bedroom, this would normally be 2 persons).

Thus when a person is traveling alone, that person had paid for all meals which would be consumed by two people, whether any meal is consumed or not.

I do not believe that AMRAK is properly accounting for revenue (whether intentional or not). Thus he whole discussion of cutting costs is a “red herring” unless the issue of revenue is addressed.

 

[user 14106]

Taking another look at the new menu, it does appear they actually are changing up the Asian Noodle Bowl meal that is the sole holdover from the previous revision. Instead of being served with a dressing, it is coming in a garlic-chili sauce. Didn't catch that one before - I am guessing the new one will always be served hot.

 

[Dakota 400]

Taking another look at the new menu, it does appear they actually are changing up the Asian Noodle Bowl meal that is the sole holdover from the previous revision. Instead of being served with a dressing, it is coming in a garlic-chili sauce. Didn't catch that one before - I am guessing the new one will always be served hot.

Wow, hot, I will be so grateful. (Doesn't quite replace the steak that I have enjoyed in the past or the Angus Burger, etc., however.)

 

[neroden]

Top five results for "Amtrak news", which I google regularly (with private browsing so that I get a "generic" search result). Scathing reviews. Specifically, scathing reviews from millennials. Harsher than I would have been. One accuses Mr. Anderson of making entirely phony excuses to make cuts; another states that millennials like the dining car (which has in fact been my experience with millennials).

https://www.eater.com/2019/9/23/20879839/amtrak-dining-car-end

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...3cca3a-d888-11e9-bfb1-849887369476_story.html

https://thetakeout.com/amtrak-dining-car-dead-millennials-1838363648

https://liveandletsfly.boardingarea.com/2019/09/23/amtrak-cuts-dining-car/

https://boingboing.net/2019/09/23/millennials-kill-amtraks-din.html

 

[Qapla]

OK ... not to sidetrack the thread - but, what exactly is

• a baby-boomer
• generation x
• millennials
• the various other designations

 

[AmtrakBlue]

OK ... not to sidetrack the thread - but, what exactly is

• a baby-boomer
• generation x
• millennials
• the various other designations

Google is your friend.

 

[SarahZ]

OK ... not to sidetrack the thread - but, what exactly is

• a baby-boomer
• generation x
• millennials
• the various other designations

These are hugely generalized approximations. Some people on the cusp tend to identify with both (or one moreso than the other) depending on the economic and technological changes that occurred during their growing years.

Baby Boomer: 1946 - 1964 (named for the "baby boom" after WWII ended)
GenX: 1965 - 1980
Millennials: 1981 - 1996

 

[Ryan]

I do not believe that AMRAK is properly accounting for revenue

How does Amtrak account for the revenue?

 

[chrsjrcj]

OK ... not to sidetrack the thread - but, what exactly is

• a baby-boomer
• generation x
• millennials
• the various other designations

Generational stereotypes that really have no value (in my opinion)

 

[chrsjrcj]

Top five results for "Amtrak news", which I google regularly (with private browsing so that I get a "generic" search result). Scathing reviews. Specifically, scathing reviews from millennials. Harsher than I would have been. One accuses Mr. Anderson of making entirely phony excuses to make cuts; another states that millennials like the dining car (which has in fact been my experience with millennials).

https://www.eater.com/2019/9/23/20879839/amtrak-dining-car-end

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...3cca3a-d888-11e9-bfb1-849887369476_story.html

https://thetakeout.com/amtrak-dining-car-dead-millennials-1838363648

https://liveandletsfly.boardingarea.com/2019/09/23/amtrak-cuts-dining-car/

https://boingboing.net/2019/09/23/millennials-kill-amtraks-din.html

On Twitter, I'm seeing some Tweeters with decent follower counts (who never Tweet about Amtrak...or transportation) attacking Amtrak for their generalization regarding Millennials and the dining car. I suspect we'll soon see Amtrak/Anderson change their rhetoric. They would be foolish not to.

 

[PaTrainFan]

OK ... not to sidetrack the thread - but, what exactly is
You'll find variations in this, but:

• silent generation -- generally those born between 1925 and 1945 (74 to 84 years old)
  
• a baby-boomer -- generally those born between 1946-1964 (55 to 73 years old)
  
• generation x -- generally those born between generally those 1965-1980 (39 to 54 years old)
  
• millennials -- generally those born 1981-1996 (23 to 38 years old)
  
• generation z -- generally those born between 1997-present (22 and younger)

 

[crescent-zephyr]

If anything millennials want healthier food options, not reheated chemistry sets. The scrambled eggs, entree salads, and grilled to order dinner entrees (steak, salmon) as well as the baked potatoes were the best options if you want to eat “natural” food.

Amtrak also doesn’t seem to get the idea of variety... we went from all salad boxes, to no salad and all re-heated entrees. A decent salad is always a good option.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

The most absurd part of the millennial blame game is that it often comes from people who played some role in raising them. Seems a little...disingenuous. My own generation played no role in raising millions of entitled scorched earth boomers so I feel little obligation to spare them of criticism.

Generational stereotypes that really have no value (in my opinion)

It's not perfect or precise but polling and statistical analysis has shown that each of these groups tends to share a range of views and positions formed by similar experiences and social mores. The primary "value" is that you have some idea what other people are talking about when they use these terms.

 

[Qapla]

The primary "value" is that you have some idea what other people are talking about when they use these terms.

Funny, since I had to ask ...

I would have thought "millennials" would apply to those born in the 2000's - guess we don't all have an idea or know what people mean when they use terms they assume everyone has an idea or knows ...