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

[pennyk]

Again, please remember that this topic is Flex Dining. Please stay on topic. Thank you.

 

[Palmetto]

You're working overtime on this thread, Penny!

 

[tricia]

This THREAD is working overtime--1553 posts!

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

https://www.bing.com/amp/s/www.bloo...mtrak-s-dining-cars-have-a-long-grand-history

Opinion piece from Bloomberg

 

[Barb Stout]

On our recent trip from Greenville, SC to NYP on the Crescent, here are pictures of what was offered for breakfast:

View attachment 15825View attachment 15826

The Sleeping Car attendant advised that there were no breakfast sandwiches since they were all eaten by the New Orleans passengers the previous day. Note there was one banana ( we were early risers so there were none after my wife took it).

This is a far cry from the full breakfast which was being served when I bought the ticket and Amtrak received the “revenue” for the meal, whatever they chose to allocate for it.

When I get my report on our trip, I’ll report on the experience but I’ll just say now that the pictures speak volumes!

OMG

 

[Devil's Advocate]

On our recent trip from Greenville, SC to NYP on the Crescent, here are pictures of what was offered for breakfast: View attachment 15825View attachment 15826 The Sleeping Car attendant advised that there were no breakfast sandwiches since they were all eaten by the New Orleans passengers the previous day. Note there was one banana ( we were early risers so there were none after my wife took it). This is a far cry from the full breakfast which was being served when I bought the ticket and Amtrak received the “revenue” for the meal, whatever they chose to allocate for it. When I get my report on our trip, I’ll report on the experience but I’ll just say now that the pictures speak volumes!

I wonder how long it will take for some version of this to come to the Western Routes.

 

[user 14106]

I wonder how long it will take for some version of this to come to the Western Routes.

Unless Anderson is outright lying, it isn't. At least not to the CZ, EB, and CS. If anything I'd maybe be concerned they might pull shenanigans on the TE, SWC, and SL as Anderson has not listed those as trains they want to continue. Given the reaction they got to the SWC bus bridge, maybe they leave the chief alone for now. SL seems to be his next target so that's where I'd expect a dining downgrade if any. Although I doubt anything changes dining wise on any of these trains until we get through reauthorization although they have stated a menu entrée refresh is coming sometime soon for traditional dining and at least the auto train is getting complimentary wine back. After they get through that process and know whether they are going to get any of their desired route changes or not, then maybe some more changes will come.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

Is it just me or is anyone else worried about the upcoming “refresh” to the western menus?

Amtrak is still claiming people wanted the fresh choice flexible dining and in ways disingenuously claims its an upgrade to the old dining. I can’t imagine the western refresh being anything but a downgrade at this point.

 

[user 14106]

Is it just me or is anyone else worried about the upcoming “refresh” to the western menus?

Amtrak is still claiming people wanted the fresh choice flexible dining and in ways disingenuously claims its an upgrade to the old dining. I can’t imagine the western refresh being anything but a downgrade at this point.

It sounded like a menu rotation (which they used to do much more frequently) not a change to the way the service is provided. I'm sure some of the more popular staples (Amtrak Signature Steak, Land and Sea entree, etc.) will be maintained and they will just rotate some of the other items which used to be rotated more frequently. I myself don't understand why they sometimes paint flex dining as an upgrade rather than just saying they have a mandate to reduce costs and they feel this is an appropriate service model for the shorter eastern trains. At the same time they admit it's a downgrade by leaving traditional dining on the two night trains (and on the auto train which is the biggest cash cow and best performing revenue wise of all the long distance trains.)

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I’m expecting the “western refresh” to shrink the menu down. For example... entree salad, burgers, and grilled chicken is the menu for lunch and dinner and maybe add the steak for dinner.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I’m expecting the “western refresh” to shrink the menu down. For example... entree salad, burgers, and grilled chicken is the menu for lunch and dinner and maybe add the steak for dinner.

Fingers crossed, but so far the only good change IMO is Coke for Pepsi!

 

[Qapla]

change IMO is Coke for Pepsi!

.... another downgrade ! ! !

 

[cocojacoby]

.... another downgrade ! ! !

NOOOO . . . Especially if they offer Coke Zero.

 

[Qapla]

NOOOO . . . Especially if they offer Coke Zero.

a DOUBLE Downgrade

 

[Rasputin]

While dining cars and the trains on which they run decline into oblivion, some prefer to debate the benefits of certain types of flavored water, sugared and unsugared.

 

[Anderson]

While dining cars and the trains on which they run decline into oblivion, some prefer to debate the benefits of certain types of flavored water, sugared and unsugared.

Probably because if we don't distract ourselves once in a while, we'll all go mad ;-)

 

[me_little_me]

Unless Anderson is outright lying, it isn't.

So you think the western train dining is also doomed.

 

[daybeers]

So you think the western train dining is also doomed.

I think so. I'm planning a trip around the country on LD trains in summer 2020 so I hope the dining doesn't change by then.

 

[user 14106]

I think so. I'm planning a trip around the country on LD trains in summer 2020 so I hope the dining doesn't change by then.

I am as well and hope the same, but I'm trying to be cautiously optimistic it's not doomed on the trains I'm going on. Although I will get to experience flex dining on the Lake Shore. I don't think they are going to just stick flex dining on the western trains. Whether they do something to the menu to downgrade it in a different way, we'll have to wait and see.

 

[Winecliff Station]

I'll be on the Lake Shore tomorrow from NY to Syracuse, not because I need a roomette for only 6 hours but because no good deed goes unpunished.... I had coach booked on LSL from RHI to SYR but then offered to work in NY tomorrow, thinking I will just add NYP-RHI to my reservation. Wrong! Of course coach is sold out on that segment and I can't use my 10-trip NYP-RHI pass on the LSL, so it looks like another Asian noodle feast for me. Maybe it isn't such a bad idea given how crowded coach will be, plus most of the ride will be after dark so I may even sleep some.

 

[me_little_me]

She at least made it presentable! On board the Crescent on Dec 30 northbound from New Orleans. The dining attendant not only brought the coffee and Egg McRubber to the table, she plated it. At lunch, she brought both the drinks and my meal, she heated the roll in aluminum foil.
The only attendant deserving a tip for the new dining. She even understood why my wife got her meal in the café to eat in the diner.

 

[Thirdrail7]

The dining attendant not only brought the coffee and Egg McRubber to the table,

They'll probably charge her.

 

[Twinkletoes]

I tried to post last night, but I didn't have my password. I was on the same train. We may have crossed paths. I also thought the dining care attendant gave excellent service. Breakfast - I got the hot sandwich. The other available items reminded me of the available selections at work conferences held in large hotels where they serve a continental breakfast: cold cereals and dry oatmeal (for which they presumably give you hot water); plenty of bananas in edible condition, blueberry muffins (not bad. I succumbed and got one after the sandwich). On the 29th, the day I boarded, I deliberately chose to forego lunch because--as I explained to the SCA--I didn't want two dinners. Instead I brought my own sandwich and chips from home and had a soda on Amtrak. The one dinner that I had was the shrimp, rice, and sausage (Creole) meal.

After leaving the northbound train 20, I connected in New York City to the Acela and used one of my Amtrak Select upgrade coupons to take first class. I got the salmon (well cooked, but too much black rice or whatever that was, 4 peapods and one cherry tomato; not salad). The dessert was some syrup soaked "bready" thing which I didn't like and didn't finish. I mention Acela "First Class" because it reminded me that food alone isn't enough to make me choose to pay more. Specifically, I like the quiet car, so I had to put up with cell phone chatter in First Class.

I also got to experience flex dining on my southbound train (#19). I didn't bring a sandwich, but declined to have two dinners so I went to the snack bar and got a turkey sandwich, ate my own snack chips, and soda by Amtrak (I ate in my room). The one dinner that I had was the beef with green beans and polenta. The beef was OK; the polenta was dry and tasteless. The second day breakfast shows that one thing lacking is that Amtrak has no consistent service standards. Here the attendant stayed in the cooking booth and had people come to the window to get their orders. He never came out and pointed people over to the bar to get the cold items. It was clear that older people who had traditionally ridden the trains were confused about what they were supposed to do. After years of coming to the diner and sitting down and having someone take your order, the new set up is a rude awakening. Branding the new way as "flex" is a farce designed to connote an improved and positive state of affairs. In reality, it's a cutback aimed at saving money by employing fewer people.

To sum up, eating these (frozen) dinners, they were neither best thing nor the worst thing thing I've ever eaten. For those familiar with them, the experience was similar to eating one of the various frozen entrees available in the grocery stores (branded with name like Lean Cuisine, Stouffers, and others). According to ones taste preferences, some of them are more edible than others. I have a handful of supermarket entrees that I like. None of the flex entrees were anything that I would look forward to having such as the Railroad French Toast, creamy breakfast grits, or crab cakes of sainted memory.

 

[Texan Eagle]

Posting after a long hiatus, so if this has already been discussed please direct me to the appropriate thread

I just got off a journey on the Crescent from Atlanta to New York, disappointed that there is no longer a Dining Car on that train. The Cafe-Lounge attendant told me that seat-down Dining service has been eliminated from all east-of-Mississippi trains effective Oct 1, 2019. Is this indeed true? If that is the case, what happens to all the new Viewliner II Dining Cars Amtrak ordered spending a truckload of money?

Very very disappointed and angry at this whole change (as I can guess many of you must be too) so had to come here to say it out!

MODERATOR NOTE: This thread has been merged with the (long) thread on this topic.

 

[pennyk]

Posting after a long hiatus, so if this has already been discussed please direct me to the appropriate thread

I just got off a journey on the Crescent from Atlanta to New York, disappointed that there is no longer a Dining Car on that train. The Cafe-Lounge attendant told me that seat-down Dining service has been eliminated from all east-of-Mississippi trains effective Oct 1, 2019. Is this indeed true? If that is the case, what happens to all the new Viewliner II Dining Cars Amtrak ordered spending a truckload of money?

Very very disappointed and angry at this whole change (as I can guess many of you must be too) so had to come here to say it out!

MODERATOR NOTE: This thread has been merged with the (long) thread on this topic.

The new Viewliner dining cars, as of now, are still used on the Silver Meteor and the Crescent and are referred to as "Sleeper Lounges."