Tipping on Amtrak

[Acela150]

Have times changed?

I took the Acela in First today from Boston to New York. I noticed that the five people who got off the train ahead of me didn't tip at all. I tipped the first class service attendant $10 as I thought was customary, and he seemed grateful for it.

Yes they have. The pandemic has taken a toll on tipping the LSA’s in FC. And no one really has an idea why.

 

[pennyk]

MODERATOR NOTE; Please limit your comments in this thread specifically to tipping on Amtrak. Posts have been removed as "off topic" if unrelated to tipping on Amtrak. Responses to removed posts have also been removed.

Thank you for your understanding, cooperation and participation.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Starting a trip in a few days with 5 segments and all in roomette or bedroom on VL1 or VL2. I am curious how much you would tip for my own calibration. I'll post my thoughts after I read a few replies. Do you have a set tip or does it change based on what is done with unplanned extra meals due to delays.

1. Crescent 7:30 AM to 11:0 AM. No need for bed and 1 breakfast in dinning car.

2. Cardinal 2 pm to 1:30 AM. Based on posted times we should get lunch and dinner, but might only get dinner. SCA would make our beds for us it would seem. Meals in room.

3. Cardinal 1:30 AM to 5:30 AM. No meals and bed will be made for us before we board I would assume. If running late we might have breakfast. Meal would be in our room.

4. Cardinal midnight to 3:30 PM. Two meals. Breakfast and lunch in the room. Beds will be made before we arrive on board I would assume.

5. Crescent. 9 pm to 12:30. No meals though I was going to ask about squeezing us in as me are on board right before the dinner closes, but I am thinking now to this. Bed may be made before we arrive on board, or not.

I rounded the times a bit.

 

[Brian Battuello]

I wouldn't overthink it. There are no fixed guidelines to time in room or services provided. The attendants are actually reasonably well paid union jobs. The tip is just a way of telling them that you appreciate their friendly attitude and general helpfulness. It is very different than wait staff that really need that 15-20%.

If your attendant is reasonably cheerful and helpful, a $20 as you step off is much appreciated. I don't think I've ever tipped more except if someone provided an unusual special service. One time long ago I developed a bad cold/sore throat on a long ride, and the attendant brought me meals in my room, lots of hot water for tea, and checked in on me every few hours. I wasn't bad enough to get off the train but I wasn't in any condition to leave my room. I gave him $50.

OTOH, if you get a real grump or someone you never ever see (which happens) a simple "Thank you" as you step off is fine.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

I wouldn't overthink it. There are no fixed guidelines to time in room or services provided. The attendants are actually reasonably well paid union jobs. The tip is just a way of telling them that you appreciate their friendly attitude and general helpfulness. It is very different than wait staff that really need that 15-20%.

If your attendant is reasonably cheerful and helpful, a $20 as you step off is much appreciated. I don't think I've ever tipped more except if someone provided an unusual special service. One time long ago I developed a bad cold/sore throat on a long ride, and the attendant brought me meals in my room, lots of hot water for tea, and checked in on me every few hours. I wasn't bad enough to get off the train but I wasn't in any condition to leave my room. I gave him $50.

OTOH, if you get a real grump or someone you never ever see (which happens) a simple "Thank you" as you step off is fine.

I was thinking $5 for the short segments with no food nor turn down service. $10 for the one meal in our room and $20 for the multi meal trips and or bed turn down service.. Meal in the dinner is a separate tip.

I have never had a grumpy attendant.

 

[zephyr17]

I tip at the time for meals. In the diner I tip fixed amounts, not percentages. They are not close to the 20% I generally tip in restaurants, since Amtrak OBS are fairly well compensated Union employees with a full benefit package. I do a couple bucks for breakfast, $5 for dinner, in between for lunch.

I have only had room service once when I wasn't feeling well, I think I tipped $10 at the time for that because it was more trouble.

For normal sleeping car service, I tip $10/night for adequate service, up to $20/night for outstanding service. The $10 is a cutoff, if I do not feel I have gotten minimally adequate service, I tip zero. Reasons I will stiff the attendant include not making up the berths, dictating what time they'll make up the berth ("I am making up the beds at 7 if you want yours done"), being completely MIA and never being in the car. All those have happened to me. I won't withhold a tip for poor attitude or "grumpiness" (which I've also experienced) if they otherwise do their jobs. A good attitude may get more, though.

I generally tip shortly before arrival.

 

[Rambling Robert]

The RedCaps especially in Chicago and LA are my lifelines. It would be difficult to travel Amtrak without this service. I tip $5 to $10. Have a money clip with a bunch of one and five dollar bills

To travel coach - and use the diner - BLD I tip $3/$5/$10

On the platform at Albuquerque there’s an indigenous elder woman selling new and used souvenirs and native food.. I have cash for her stuff.

 

[zephyr17]

I usually only use Red Caps at New York and only when in coach or business. That is to get early platform access more than anything else. There I tip $10 to $20 there, depending on my luggage load. When I've used Red Caps elsewhere, it's been more $5 to $10.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

The RedCaps especially in Chicago and LA are my lifelines. It would be difficult to travel Amtrak without this service. I tip $5 to $10. Have a money clip with a bunch of one and five dollar bills

To travel coach - and use the diner - BLD I tip $3/$5/$10

On the platform at Albuquerque there’s an indigenous elder woman selling new and used souvenirs and native food.. I have cash for her stuff.

Over Memorial Day we had a lounge pass at DC but did not get the bid up as the train was sold out. We used a Red Cap to get early access to the train so wife and I would have seats together. I tipped $10. I think the red cap carried two luggage pieces and I took one. My wife was so glad to have the Red Cap compared to what we dealt with the year before, that she said we should have tipped $20.

I have generally tipped when I board if I can with a few dollars and then as I exit at the end of the trip. If I don't tip when we get on board I tip when the flex meal is delivered. Our trips have generally been NC to DC so not long trips but two meals with no need for a bed. If we decide to take a nap I take care of the bed myself, which I don't mind doing. (I grew up blue collar and I get a little uncomfortable watching someone make my bed, though I know it is their job, but I feel like I should be helping. If I don't see it like in a hotel then I don't feel bad.)

 

[zephyr17]

If we decide to take a nap I take care of the bed myself, which I don't mind doing. (I grew up blue collar and I get a little uncomfortable watching someone make my bed, though I know it is their job, but I feel like I should be helping. If I don't see it like in a hotel then I don't feel bad.)

I don't like to set up Amtrak roomette lower berths because the damn things can bite. You have to push the pedal in while pushing the other way against the wall end of that half of the bed. I've know how to do it, have done it many times, and still don't like to. Hotel beds, no worries, they aren't spring loaded steel contraptions.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

I don't like to set up Amtrak roomette lower berths because the damn things can bite. You have to push the pedal in while pushing the other way against the wall end of that half of the bed. I've know how to do it, have done it many times, and still don't like to. Hotel beds, no worries, they aren't spring loaded steel contraptions.

I usually just lower the top bunk and leave the bottom as seats, though I did change into bed mode on the lower bed last trip just f to do it. It took some work. The worst part is getting the straps for the upper berth in the hooks.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

If Amtrak employees suggest or solicit tips I usually won't tip at all.

In the full service dining car I'll usually tip $2-3 for Breakfast and Lunch, $5 for dinner.

For Flex meals it was my SCA who took my order and delivered my meal, so I would tip them on the higher end.

Sleeping Car Attendants will be anywhere from $5-40 depending on the number of nights, how available they are, and how friendly they are.

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

If Amtrak employees suggest or solicit tips I usually won't tip at all.

In the full service dining car I'll usually tip $2-3 for Breakfast and Lunch, $5 for dinner.What

For Flex meals it was my SCA who took my order and delivered my meal, so I would tip them on the higher end.

Sleeping Car Attendants will be anywhere from $5-40 depending on the number of nights, how available they are, and how friendly they are.

What do you tip for a non overnight sleeper for 5-6 hours or less? I assume on the lower end nearer $5.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

What do you tip for a non overnight sleeper for 5-6 hours or less? I assume on the lower end nearer $5.

Yes, that's when I would tip $5 or $10. I used to ride the Zephyr a lot from Chicago to Omaha - beds never had to be turned down but I'd still tip $5 for basic "good" service and usually $10 because the attendants on that train were normally very friendly.

One was not only friendly, but also sympathized with me when Amtrak Chicago police "randomly" searched my room and luggage and asked details about my travel plans including "why are you taking the train and not flying?" I maybe gave him $20 on that one! haha.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Have times changed?

Yes they have. The pandemic has taken a toll on tipping the LSA’s in FC. And no one really has an idea why.

The pandemic period was a net positive for consumer tipping that temporarily reversed a long downward trend in the US. Rather than being the catalyst for fewer/lower tips the end of the pandemic simply brought us back to the same tipping trends that predated it.

I grew up blue collar and I get a little uncomfortable watching someone make my bed, though I know it is their job, but I feel like I should be helping. If I don't see it like in a hotel then I don't feel bad.

I grew up blue collar as well and when I started booking fancier hotels and premium airline cabins I noticed that sometimes it was slightly uncomfortable while other times it was no problem at all. In many cases the better I was treated and the more I was pampered the less it bothered me, which was confusing and counterintuitive. So I started paying more attention to see if I could figure out why this would be the case. Over time I realized the difference had very little to do with how much staff did for me (or how much I saw them doing) and was mostly affected by their demeanor and body language. Well trained staff took a lot of pride in their work, were much better at anticipating my needs and expectations, and put me at ease by making their tasks seem easy and effortless. Poorly trained staff struggled to be proactive or deal with guests in a friendly and efficient manner. They also had a penchant for making their tasks seem like a tedious chore.

 

[Jdub]

Long ago someone gave me an idea for how to calculate tips. For a small service, tip the equivalent of a local beer. That might be schlepping your suitcase from the reception to your room. More suitcases = more beers. On an overnight sleeper, I tip $20 -- for luggage help, a call or two, turn down, maybe a meal brought to the room.

 

[Eric in East County]

This is probably asking too much, but do the SCAs maintain some sort of private, unofficial means for sharing information among themselves as to which passengers are good tippers and which are not? For example, if we give a generous tip to our SCA, will that SCA make a notation in some confidential file that is only available to other SCAs and which flags us in advance as generous tippers?

 

[Rasputin]

This is probably asking too much, but do the SCAs maintain some sort of private, unofficial means for sharing information among themselves as to which passengers are good tippers and which are not? For example, if we give a generous tip to our SCA, will that SCA make a notation in some confidential file that is only available to other SCAs and which flags us in advance as generous tippers?

I doubt that this occurs. I have found that many sleeping car attendants don't seem to give a hoot about the tips probably because they are well paid and the tips do not add much to their income. Others may have had different experiences.

 

[zephyr17]

I doubt that this occurs. I have found that many sleeping car attendants don't seem to give a hoot about the tips probably because they are well paid and the tips do not add much to their income. Others may have had different experiences.

As I have said before, my experience with Amtrak OBS staff is that they pretty much follow a bell curve. Some really excellent most in the mediocre to okay category, and some really terrible. Amtrak management makes no effort to shift the curve.

There also seems to be variations in crew base "culture". Seattle and Los Angeles based OBS often exhibit a better attitude and approach. Chicago based OBS, not so much. That doesn't mean there aren't great individuals working out of Chicago or bad ones out of Los Angeles, there are. In fact, single worst OBS crew member I ever encountered was out of LA. But the trend is there nevertheless.

As I have said in this thread, any attendant that does their basic job will get $10/night from me, attitude notwithstanding. One that is attentive, available and witg really good customer skills gets more. An attendant that doesn't do their job, never in the car, doesn't make up the berths or dictates when they're going to make up berths (for some reason, that's particularly annoying to me), gets nothing.

I also doubt that a master naughty-and-nice list of tipping passengers exists. For one thing, some attendants wouldn't bestir themselves to maintain it.

 

[OBS]

This is probably asking too much, but do the SCAs maintain some sort of private, unofficial means for sharing information among themselves as to which passengers are good tippers and which are not? For example, if we give a generous tip to our SCA, will that SCA make a notation in some confidential file that is only available to other SCAs and which flags us in advance as generous tippers?

That answer would be no....

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Not sure what this means. I'm just a rube with less than zero insight on what happens at MSG--or why.

A basic beer at an NBA arena can cost $15 or more, so if every minor kindness requires another $15 payoff it would get tedious and expensive quickly. NYP also had/has "features" such as locked elevators that could only be opened with tipped Red Cap service.

I doubt that this occurs. I have found that many sleeping car attendants don't seem to give a hoot about the tips probably because they are well paid and the tips do not add much to their income. Others may have had different experiences.

Indeed. Overhearing SCA's talk about their own views on tipping is what changed my mind about it.