How is this going to work on the Star? When meals were included, the SA would simply get your choice of food from the Dinning Car and bring it to your compartment. But now that one has to pay for the food from the Café Car, do you just hand the SA cash? Your credit card?
The trans-Pacific flight that I am somewhat familiar with is United's Newark to Hong Kong nonstop which is 15 hours and 55 minutes. I am very familiar with some trans-Atlantic flights of almost equal length like United's Newark - Mumbai, which is 15 hours and 25 mins (about 60 miles shorter than Hong Kong), and Newark - Delhi (100 or so miles shorter than Mumbai). All the food is stored in the two galleys on the 777. All storage is in preloaded standard food containers that are rolled on board from catering service trucks, and stashed into slots into which they fit exactly. Over that period two and a half meals are served to each passenger at their seat. The two full meals typically are a dinner and breakfast, and in Business First (50 seats) they are substantial meals. Dinner includes nuts with pre-dinner drink, appetizer, salad, main entree (4 choices, western, Asian, Vegetarian) served separately in sequence followed by, fruits and cheese and ice cream sundae with individual choice of toppings plus choice of wines, after dinner liquor, tea and coffee and a choice of soft drinks etc. Breakfast in BF is also substantial with three choices. The half meal consists of an open buffet with sandwiches, dessert (several choice), drinks and fruits, which remains in place for about 8 hours mid flight. Generally the mount of food served is more than I can consume in that period of time. The general description is from what was served to us on my flight to and from Mumbai from/to Newark within the last three weeks. In Economy (217 seats) the meals are standard pre-packaged dinner (3 choice) and breakfast (3 choice) plus mid flight snacks.
I will be going to wee my parents in St. Petersburg, across the bay, in June via the Star. If the dining car stays off, I do not see myself ever riding this line again, certainly not from NYP to TPA. Even for TPA to MIA, which I used to do when I lived in FL, I would just take a bus, since I can pack better food than the shlock in the "café".
Anger doesn't come close to describing my feelings about this, so much so, that I haven't been able to express myself on this subject before now.
I am all for that. That would also force them to make the offerings in the Diner more attractive and better priced since there would be no captive users of it. At present because they believe that they have a bunch of hapless Sleeper passengers stuck with whatever they will dole out in the Diner, they have little incentive to improve anything. That is the reason that they tend to foolishly ignore the 40-50% and potentially more users from Sleepers
I think if they went back to not breaking out the salads and certain drinks from the entree orders the prices would be pretty reasonable. Maybe slightly on the high side, but I remember running the math and figuring that the price of a paid-for breakfast a few years back was a bit less than I'd pay at IHOP after taxes for about the same meal.
This is what I was thinking.
I can't remember the last trip I took where there were even any sleepers available.
Unfortunately, such reports aren't the exception for Waffle House.
There aren't really any "convenient" mid-route locations for restocking. Contracts with suppliers and procedures are set up for economies of scale at the terminals. To open up new intermediate ones will add a lot of cost - and delay the train.
