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

[Devil's Advocate]

Because I have food allergies, I have been trying to obtain a list of ingredients since October 1st. I was not able to obtain ingredients prior to my 10/3 and 10/7 Silver Meteor trips. I was also unable to obtain an ingredient list while on the train, thus I was not able to eat any of the lunch or dinner entrees.

What do the staff say when you ask about this? It just seems so odd that ingredients for mass produced food items would be this difficult to nail down in 2019. I can understand reluctance to speak in precise terms about certain nut allergies, but a basic ingredients list seems like such a simple request.

 

[pennyk]

What do the staff say when you ask about this? It just seems so odd that ingredients for mass produced food items would be this difficult to nail down in 2019. I can understand reluctance to speak in precise terms about certain nut allergies, but a basic ingredients list seems like such a simple request.

The crew was unable to provide with with a complete list of ingredients. On both trains, it was the LSA’s first exposure to flex dining. On train 97, there were 3 managers from the Miami crew base (2 of whom recognized me). They tried to find out the ingredients for me while I was still on the train and were unable to do so. It has been a frustrating experience. I have spoken to customer relations 3 times. Two agents tried to be helpful and one was rude. I have passed my experience on to a friend who works for RPA.

 

[daybeers]

On auto train tonight. This is the first time I’ve seen the superliner cafe/lounge car. Last time I was on it there was a sightseer lounge. A decent car but I miss the big windows of the sight seer but I guess those belong on the western trails. Seeing the cafe menu here I really hope they have additional options when the coach diner goes away.

Hoooold on...they got rid of the SSL on the Auto Train?

 

[user 14106]

What's the difference between a Superliner Cafe/Lounge Car and a Sightseer Lounge Car?

Just as the recent posts convince me to put a trip on the Auto Train back into my planning, this one makes we wonder why.

Main difference is the food service area is upstairs instead of downstairs. I think I actually like the convenience of that better for this trip than the sightseer. A lot of this trip is in the dark so I don’t think not having the big sweeping sightseer windows makes a big difference and the scenery you do see during the day you can see fine through the normal superliner windows. The sightseers should stay on the western routes where you have the big dramatic scenery .

 

[OBS]

Hoooold on...they got rid of the SSL on the Auto Train?

It never had one that I recall....

 

[Palmland]

Our A-T trip had a modified CCC car used as the lounge for the sleepers. It appeared to be recently refurbished and was attractive and comfortable. With the train only about 1/3 full it wasn’t full. Maybe a dozen passengers enjoying a glass of wine or drinks before dinner. Since there was only one dinner seating, half the car was then set for dinner. We met interesting couples and found it more enjoyable than regular Amtrak lounges for socializing. Perfect for this train where the scenery is pine trees.

 

[Manny T]

Thank you Rasputin for providing this link:
http://www.amtrakfoodfacts.com/

However, there are no ingredients listed for the meals, just the nutritional content.

So I am still looking for a link to the ingredients of the "new contemporary" dining meals.

 

[Qapla]

Amtrak is not the only place that has difficulty listing ingredients.

It took me about 5 years (or more) to find out if there was any artificial sweetener in the "no sugar added" blueberry pie at Golden Corral. No one I asked knew or could seem to find out - and that includes several different managers ant multiple locations.

I did eventually get one enterprising waitress that took the like to look in the trash and found a very fine print label from the packaging that listed the ingredients ... and she discovered that the pie does, in fact, have NutraSweet® .... and I definately cannot use that!

It would be nice if some of these places would make their actual ingredients easier to discover ... instead of only giving the "nutrition details"

 

[me_little_me]

I certainly hope conductor me_little_me reports that atrocious customer service experience to Amtrak!

Long since done! Because I had already gotten a voucher for A/C problems on the outgoing trip, I made it clear in the first sentence (IN ALL CAPS) that I was not looking for nor did I want a voucher.

By the way, I wasn't sure if the new fast-food style service was really policy or just some runaway server gone wild, I talked to an agent about modifying my December tripped and mentioned what it was like. She did indeed confirm that it was policy. I am now working on finding a short daytime method in the future (i.e. safe free parking and BC travel) to Chicago or NOL so I can limit my train rides to the ones with real meals and real service or short enough to not involve LD sleepers with garbage service and meals.

 

[pennyk]

Because I have food allergies, I have been trying to obtain a list of ingredients since October 1st. I was not able to obtain ingredients prior to my 10/3 and 10/7 Silver Meteor trips. I was also unable to obtain an ingredient list while on the train, thus I was not able to eat any of the lunch or dinner entrees. Since I have 8 upcoming trips this year on the trains providing flex dining, I am still trying to obtain ingredient lists. It should be noted that the prior version of these meals were in boxes and inside each box was a full ingredient list.

I just received an email in response to my second email to Customer Relations. At this time, Amtrak is unable to provide full ingredient lists to customers, but hopes to do so in a couple of weeks. However, the agent performed some research and learned that all flex dining entrees and kosher entrees contain garlic, to which I am allergic. At least I know that I will be unable to eat any of the entrees (which are pretty unhealthy in my opinion based on sodium content and likely added preservatives).
It should be noted that I have no problem eating most traditional dining meals.

 

[user 14106]

It never had one that I recall....

The two times I took it the sleeper section at least had an SSL.

 

[user 14106]

Our A-T trip had a modified CCC car used as the lounge for the sleepers. It appeared to be recently refurbished and was attractive and comfortable. With the train only about 1/3 full it wasn’t full. Maybe a dozen passengers enjoying a glass of wine or drinks before dinner. Since there was only one dinner seating, half the car was then set for dinner. We met interesting couples and found it more enjoyable than regular Amtrak lounges for socializing. Perfect for this train where the scenery is pine trees.

View attachment 15345

Got off this morning southbound. Was quite packed that trip with south bound snow birds. That car was quite full before dinner (this trip had all three seatings). These cars seem to have a new point of sale system in them that appears to have gone in in August. I wonder if that’s when these cars arrived as well. The sleeping car diner also had the new point of sale. There is also cafe car fare available in addition to the drinks and other conveniences (jimmy dean muffins, burgers, hot dogs, pizza) which I don’t recall seeing in the previous downstairs food area on the auto train but maybe they’ve always had it. Gives you the option of a breakfast sandwich if you want more than the continental breakfast.

 

[user 14106]

Also as I feared there is a lot of misinformation going around due to news articles. I talked to one couple who had heard they were “getting rid of the meals” but I explained that in fact nothing was changing in the sleepers and that coach would have to pay for meals.

 

[Anderson]

I'm a FA for Delta, we serve complimentary meals in coach on New York-JFK- LAX, SFO, PDX, SEA, SAN. Routes from SEA-Florida and RDU, there may be more from SEA but I can't recall at the moment. I'm NYC based and fly mostly JFK-LAX. We used to have 3 options in coach, this month we went down to two choices. You can also order a special meal, kosher, low fat, diabetic, gluten free, vegan, etc

When it comes to flying, I'm a Delta guy, and...well, this is in line with my experience with Delta.

Granted, it's in F, but I'm now to the point that I can route Virginia-JFK-Florida, get a decent drink (i.e. a well-made martini, not a shotgunned-together whiskey and coffee) at a lounge at JFK, dinner on the flight down to Florida, and if I pick the right airport in my area the combination of Nexus and turned-down scanners at the local airport leaves me not wanting to hand out a pink slip in thanks for the experience.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

When it comes to modern travel I've found disloyalty to be the ultimate perk. Choose any aircraft, any departure, any routing, any arrival, any car, any hotel, on any day, at any price without limitations or workarounds. It's genuinely liberating.

 

[Palmland]

This is way off topic, but since we’re talking about airline loyalty, I’ll cast my vote for Southwest. Recently we had to cancel a flight on Delta. We were out the $340 we paid for2 tickets since the fee to cancel was $400. After an already scheduled flight to ABQ next week, it’s ‘never again’ for us.

For another upcoming trip we were booked on Southwest from New Orleans to Charlotte. We decided we wanted to stay an extra day. The fee to change-$0. We had to pay the fare difference for the new departure day. The cost to us: a credit of $138! When you travel on Southwest you often have to transfer, usually for us it’s Houston Hobby. Since time isn’t an issue we’re happy to do it as their terminals are attractive with good restaurants. The last time they had a string quartet playing at the junction of two concourses. What a soothing influence it was in a normally frantic airport rat race. Of course no baggage fees either.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Just had my first experience with flexible dining. I was on the LSL yesterday and went down to the dining car, sat down, and waited for someone to tell me what the procedure was. When that didn't work, I walked up to the kitchen area and asked the LSA how this worked. He pointed at a menu on the wall, then showed me the table up front set with rolls, condiments, etc., which you took yourself. He was okay--not overly helpful, but not surly or nasty. In fact, at the end, when I asked him where to throw the trash, he took pity on me and took it himself.

I had the Asian Noodle thing, with the garlic and chili dressing or sauce or whatever, plus half of the cookie bar and half a can of ginger ale, then took coffee back to the roomette.

Without the tablecloths, the atmosphere was similar to the cafe cars, except the view of the Hudson was lovely the whole time I was eating.

I did not bother with salad dressing, since the salad was so tiny. I don't like salads, anyway, so that didn't bother me. But the Asian noodle thing was just a TV dinner. For some reason, I had a headache and my stomach didn't feel great, either, but I will not jump to conclusions that the food caused that. However, it certainly didn't help.

When I got to ALB, I went to the coffee shop and got a turkey sandwich on wheat and a slice of cake and had those watching the baseball game and felt much better.

Nobody was happy with the meal--one lady stopped at my table and said "This is awful. Who do we complain to?" Then she said, "Are they trying to lose customers?"

As many of you know, I have a pretty cast iron stomach and very low standards--I've gotten stuff from some really questionable convenience stores and been just fine. But I won't do the flexible dining again.

 

[user 14106]

Nobody was happy with the meal--one lady stopped at my table and said "This is awful. Who do we complain to?" Then she said, "Are they trying to lose customers?"

As many of you know, I have a pretty cast iron stomach and very low standards--I've gotten stuff from some really questionable convenience stores and been just fine. But I won't do the flexible dining again.

Given that they are copying the airlines, I wish they’d look to some of the ones doing a decent job with it. As I said in a previous post if Aramark can’t deliver a decent product find another commissary operator. It is possible to make this dining arrangement at least acceptable to 90% of people without bringing back traditional dining if they put more effort into it and make sure they are sourcing decent products. I’d encourage you to submit a complaint to customer relations. Comments did at least get them to move from cold meals to hot meals and get rid of the boxes. Seems like they need to make a few more steps forward before getting to acceptable.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I remember not feeling well after a meal on the CZ a few years ago. Guess I shouldn't eat in a traditional diner. I've had two flexible meals so far (both on the CL pre Oct 1) and they were both fine with me. To each his own.

 

[user 14106]

I remember not feeling well after a meal on the CZ a few years ago. Guess I shouldn't eat in a traditional diner. I've had two flexible meals so far (both on the CL pre Oct 1) and they were both fine with me. To each his own.

It’s always possible to get a “bad meal” as far as that goes from any restaurant or grocery store for that matter. It doesn’t always mean it’s the foods fault either sometimes your stomach can just be in a funk and some people react to certain foods or sudden changes in what they are eating. I do encourage anyone who truly thinks the new meals are gross to send in comments rather than never riding a train with that style dining again. Preparation is also a key thing. If these meals are being prepared in a microwave, an eventual move to convection ovens could make a big difference.

 

[Winecliff Station]

So here's an interesting question.....right now the Star bookings, still listed without meal service, go into mid September. Flex dining is supposed to be added to the Star "sometime next year" if I recall reading earlier in the thread. If you book early enough out, and then in the interim flexible dining is added, does this mean you would get these so-called meals free of charge? I'd hate to pay extra for them if the fare goes up to match the Meteor.

 

[PVD]

I've worked in plenty of facilities where Aramark was responsible for food service. They are quite capable of providing food at all levels of selection. It boils down to what you contract and pay for, and whether the contracts are written effectively, and enforced. Asking for the right items and holding feet to the fire when things are done improperly is the key.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

By the way, I did not tip, considering I did half of the work myself. I didn't see anyone else leaving tips, either. So the OBS crews might start to get a bit annoyed about that and perhaps put in their two cents about bringing real dining back?

 

[user 14106]

I've worked in plenty of facilities where Aramark was responsible for food service. They are quite capable of providing food at all levels of selection. It boils down to what you contract and pay for, and whether the contracts are written effectively, and enforced. Asking for the right items and holding feet to the fire when things are done improperly is the key.

They have claimed they are actually spending more now on the actual food than they were. I guess you just have to take them at their word with that claim. But if it’s true and if people are reacting negatively across the board they should hold them accountable and make sure they are delivering the best product possible for the format. But I guess again the question is, is it simple a matter of lousy quality meals being delivered or is it the on board preparation that’s the problem when people have had bad experiences? Obviously some are going to go into it with a bad taste simply because they don’t like the new format and aren’t going to like it no matter what.

 

[tricia]

They have claimed they are actually spending more now on the actual food than they were. I guess you just have to take them at their word with that claim. But if it’s true and if people are reacting negatively across the board they should hold them accountable and make sure they are delivering the best product possible for the format. But I guess again the question is, is it simple a matter of lousy quality meals being delivered or is it the on board preparation that’s the problem when people have had bad experiences?

I think it's pretty clear that the quality of the meals provided is not good--certainly a dietary nightmare. On-board preparation might, or might not, be making the problem worse.