Texas Eagle Sightseer lounge discontinued

[SanDiegan]

If we're talking video, SSL's have shown up recently in some unexpected places, including Surfliners on San Juan Capistrano railcam and southern Illinois services on YouTube.

It's almost as if Amtrak doesn't know what to do with them !

 

[zephyr17]

In fairness, it also serves a fair amount of long distance passengers. The NYP lounge sees a fair amount of use by sleeper passengers on the various LD services that originate at NYP.

In fairness, they are not the target demographic. They are incidental beneficiaries of improvements primarily aimed at NEC, particularly Acela, passengers.

If they brought services in Chicago's Metropolitan Lounge to the same standards, then I would say that long distance travelers were the intended target group.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

Too bad long distance passengers aren’t even worthy of Acela meals. 2-3 years now of flex meals on the Capitol/Lake Shore and they still refuse to bring the food to that level even with Acela commissaries on the route. It’s so obvious it’s all set up to fail. Just like removing the lounges now.

 

[zephyr17]

Too bad long distance passengers aren’t even worthy of Acela meals. 2-3 years now of flex meals on the Capitol/Lake Shore and they still refuse to bring the food to that level even with Acela commissaries on the route. It’s so obvious it’s all set up to fail. Just like removing the lounges now.

Yes, it appears that Espee's Ben Biaggini is alive and well, having been reincarnated as Stephen Gartner.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I suspect the majority of riders would prefer the current iteration of flex meals than the cold salad boxes that were originally offered.

I’m not sure. If just reading a menu? Sure. If actually seeing the 2 meals, I’m going to guess a majority would choose the salad boxes. I know I would.

If they brought services in Chicago's Metropolitan Lounge to the same standards, then I would say that long distance travelers were the intended target group.

What standards? What is nyc doing that’s so special?

 

[zephyr17]

What standards? What is nyc doing that’s so special?

High quality food service.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

High quality food service.

What’s actually available?

 

[zephyr17]

What’s actually available?

 

[daybeers]

Awesome! Where's that from?

 

[crescent-zephyr]

That doesn’t seem drastically different from what was available at Chicago when the new lounge first opened.

 

[Mailliw]

Too bad long distance passengers aren’t even worthy of Acela meals. 2-3 years now of flex meals on the Capitol/Lake Shore and they still refuse to bring the food to that level even with Acela commissaries on the route. It’s so obvious it’s all set up to fail. Just like removing the lounges now.

Actually hasn't Amtrak started serving flex meals in Acela First Class?

 

[bms]

Yes, it appears that Espee's Ben Biaggini is alive and well, having been reincarnated as Stephen Gartner.

He would have loved Amtrak's recent habit of changing to a new timetable without any announcement, or even posting a timetable online. How long would it take someone to open up the document for the 2020 Crescent timetable and change the times?

 

[zephyr17]

Awesome! Where's that from?

Screenshots of pictures posted towards the end of the Moynihan Station thread in the Amtrak Guest Rewards forum at Flyertalk.

Since I knew they were over there, seemed the quickest way to answer.

 

[tonys96]

The gloom and doom on this thread seems a bit premature. Everyone thought traditional dining was good for good and tri weekly was here to say. Daily service and traditional dining are coming back (dining at least to the two nighters) but everyone is still gloom and doom - now over the Texas eagle sight seer. The reality is, as some have pointed out, the SSLs have come and gone more than once on these shorter run superliner routes - this is not a revolutionary thing. I’ve ridden the auto train recently and I have to say I thought the soft product upgrades were a step up a and if they are deployed system wide it is an improvement. And there is even talk about making some alterations to the food service in the east. I am, personally, cautiously optimistic that things for Amtrak are in a better place than they were 3 months ago. Why don’t we see the full picture of what is done over the summer before we all start jumping off cliffs?

A number of years ago, here on AU, a number of folks had the same attitude as you when Amtrak removed real plates, silverware, amenity kits and of course the flower from trains. Their attitude was "no big deal". Several others, who were more prescient, saw the slippery slope beginning and were ridiculed here.
We now see whose thoughts proved correct.
And the bottom of that slope has yet to be reached, IMHO.

 

[Rasputin]

And the bottom of that slope has yet to be reached, IMHO.

We will know that the bottom is near when Amtrak emulates SP and repeats "The Disappearing Railroad Passenger" ad from the 1960s in its publicity.

 

[Cal]

That doesn’t seem drastically different from what was available at Chicago when the new lounge first opened.

And since then it's been downgraded. So zephyr17's point still stands.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

And since then it's been downgraded. So zephyr17's point still stands.

You really think it’s going to last in nyc? This is the same management that wouldn’t replace the coffee maker in the club Acela in New York penn.

I guess I’m just extra pessimistic when it comes to Amtrak these days. I’m tired of hoping they will finally improve. :-/

 

[Cal]

You really think it’s going to last in nyc? This is the same management that wouldn’t replace the coffee maker in the club Acela in New York penn.

We'll just have to wait and see. I'm hopeful

 

[JoeBas]

And the bottom of that slope has yet to be reached, IMHO.

Americans are an exceptional people, and we will not allow ourselves to be beaten in this race to the bottom.

 

[Rasputin]

Americans are an exceptional people, and we will not allow ourselves to be beaten in this race to the bottom.

Some will be satisfied with a boxcar or gondola with folding chairs and will extoll on the virtues of the ventilation in that case.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

It really all comes down to voting for the right people. The cancer is so deep within Amtrak and other aspects of our country that it’s going to take more than one election to turn things around. Let’s hope Amtrak as we know it is isn’t a causality before things are stabilized.

 

[Asher]

The Cafe is operated in the small end of the Diner ( CCC) that runs on the CONO and the Texas Eagle, but Coach passengers have to eat and drink in their Seats, they're not allowed to sit in the Crews " Lounge", which is where they hang out now that the Transdorms are also not operating on the Eagles.

The other bad feature of this "hybrid" car is that the LSA and SCA gets to make up their own rules as to whether or not SLEEPER Passengers can eat in the " Diner ",or have to pick up their " Meals" in a "To Go " Bag or have it delivered by the 1 SCA on the Train and eat in their rooms.

On my last 2 trips on the Eagle (Round trips)to Dallas and San Antonio, it was 50/50 as to whether we had a choice, and also the Cafe would be Closed for Hours as the Overworked LSA would be busy heating and packing up the Sleeping Car Passengers meals, sometimes assisted by the also Overworked SCA and the 1 Coach Attendant!().

Time to stop calling us passengers.
Gondola, Boxcar, Cattle Car. Load it up, haul em down the track.

 

[PaTrainFan]

Do anyone think RPA cares about this issue? I have found little vaue to being a member in recent years. Well, maybe the 10% discount is a bit of an incentive.

 

[user 14106]

Too bad long distance passengers aren’t even worthy of Acela meals. 2-3 years now of flex meals on the Capitol/Lake Shore and they still refuse to bring the food to that level even with Acela commissaries on the route. It’s so obvious it’s all set up to fail. Just like removing the lounges now.

They are essentially the same - Acela's meals are now the same vendor and essentially same format as flexible dining. Basically the difference is no salad on acela. So if it was really setup to fail then why are they putting the same meals on their prized service?

 

[user 14106]

A number of years ago, here on AU, a number of folks had the same attitude as you when Amtrak removed real plates, silverware, amenity kits and of course the flower from trains. Their attitude was "no big deal". Several others, who were more prescient, saw the slippery slope beginning and were ridiculed here.
We now see whose thoughts proved correct.
And the bottom of that slope has yet to be reached, IMHO.

I'm not ridiculing - I apologize if anyone took offense - admittedly my post was a little sarcastic.. I'm simply stating - why not just wait and see what happens in the next couple months? There's still a lot of unknowns about a lot of these issues - we have no idea what food is going to look like. It's also possible these lounges will eventually come back on the eagle. Remember that they are beginning a refresh program on the superliner equipment and that we are soon going back to daily. To do the refresh all the equipment will at one point have to be taken out of service. They may need all the lounges available to have enough cars to get the zephyr, chief, builder, and coast starlight back to daily.