Passenger Trains > more on the missing 91/92 sleepers

I received a response to my inquiry to Amtrak about the sleepers on 92 being listed as "none left"  beginning July 1:

Thank you for contacting us regarding train 92.[/i]Sleeper accommodations on train 92 will be closed from July 1, 2015 - Jan. 31, 2016 because pricing  [underlining mine] adjustments are being made. 

This bolsters my thought that a new line of sleeper accommodations is being developed with different amenities . . . otherwise, with the exception of two stations  (Lakeland and Tampa) Florida tariffs should be the same as for 97/98 subject to the same yield management.  

I am intrigued by the English used ... the tense used ("will be" as opposed to "are") implies something quite ominous - no sleeper service in that period - which I suspect is not the case. 

Why not just continue under the old system and then when the "pricing adjustments" are ready to go, put them into effect? It seems as if they're not going to run sleepers for the six months it takes them to work their "magic." Why only this train? Very strange.

I agree it is strange. I wonder if it means they are working on the adjustments now, and are just holding off on bookings until finished? I guess time will tell.

B&OB

RevRandy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I received a response to my inquiry to Amtrak
> about the sleepers on 92 being listed as "none
> left"  beginning July 1:
>
> Thank you for contacting us regarding train
> 92.Sleeper accommodations on train 92 will be
> closed from July 1, 2015 - Jan. 31, 2016 because
> pricing   adjustments are being made. 
>
> This bolsters my thought that a new line of
> sleeper accommodations is being developed with
> different amenities . . . otherwise, with the
> exception of two stations  (Lakeland and Tampa)
> Florida tariffs should be the same as for 97/98
> subject to the same yield management.  
>
> I am intrigued by the English used ... the tense
> used ("will be" as opposed to "are") implies
> something quite ominous - no sleeper service in
> that period - which I suspect is not the case. 
>
>
>
>
>
>

They are doing Baggage Car and Dorms, Diners, then lastly the sleeping cars are probably will last New Cars, I don't think will have new sleeping cars on star until summer 2016. It has taken 5 long years to get New Baggage cars in service.

Silly you, thinking that Amtrak's writer actually knew the difference "will be" and "are."  Fat chance!  

RevRandy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I received a response to my inquiry to Amtrak
> about the sleepers on 92 being listed as "none
> left"  beginning July 1:
>
> Thank you for contacting us regarding train
> 92.Sleeper accommodations on train 92 will be
> closed from July 1, 2015 - Jan. 31, 2016 because
> pricing   adjustments are being made. 
>
>

I tried to make a reservation for February 3, 2016 and there are no sleepers left then, either.  One can book the Meteor, however.  Just in case you are planning that far in advance.  :-)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/15 11:35 by Chessie1963.

Availability of sleeping car space on Trains 91 and 92 is blocked beginning for
travel beginning July 1 until the last date for which Amtrak.com can be used to
make reservations...today, that's Feb. 28, 2016.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/15 12:14 by GenePoon.

RevRandy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I received a response to my inquiry to Amtrak
> about the sleepers on 92 being listed as "none
> left"  beginning July 1:
>
> Thank you for contacting us regarding train
> 92.Sleeper accommodations on train 92 will be
> closed from July 1, 2015 - Jan. 31, 2016 because
> pricing   adjustments are being made. 
(snip)

Perhaps this will be the experiment of pricing Sleepers without including meals as was suggested a while back on another thread.

Jim

Yes, startup of the new Automat service !

Jimbo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RevRandy Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I received a response to my inquiry to Amtrak
> > about the sleepers on 92 being listed as "none
> > left"  beginning July 1:
> >
> > Thank you for contacting us regarding train
> > 92.Sleeper accommodations on train 92 will be
> > closed from July 1, 2015 - Jan. 31, 2016
> because
> > pricing   adjustments are being made. 
> (snip)
>
> Perhaps this will be the experiment of pricing
> Sleepers without including meals as was suggested
> a while back on another thread.
>
> Jim

I think this is the more logical answer. Amtrak wanted to "test" a LD train with sleeper and dining car prices divorced. But I think this to really work, Amtrak really needs to make sure supply is matched with demand. For example, sleeper prices will drop. This may lead to more bookings in sleeper. A third sleeper line should be added. Then the variable becomes who will use the diner....and will this increase dining car revenue. 

However I don't think the problem is with marrying sleeper and diner revenue/costs. It's how to get more coach passengers to use the diner. Amtrak should be analyzing who uses the diner the mist during this "test" time. 

Why not have something VIA has in place. Some classes of service have meals included, others do not. I think this should be done for sleeper and coach passengers. Emulate the Auto Train dynamics.....or Acela First Class.....

It should be interesting to see how much Amtrak prices the sleepers at with NO meals. 

And why not offer an early dinner before arriving into Miami on Silver Service trains. The staff is onboard....biggest cost of the diner - labor. This to me means Amtrak needs to offer meals as often as possible! Lake Shore Limited (eastbound), Silver Star (north and southbound), Silver Meteor (southbound) - all should be offering dinner. Crescent offers dinner southbound (arrival of 7:30 pm to NOL) and lunch northbound (arrival of 1 pm northbound). 

There's still something fishy about this situation from the getgo!

Coach passengers will hardly use the diner, I predict.  The prices are just way too high for most meals, other than breakfast.  While it is easy to spend the same amount in the cafe, the perception of pricing is different when you get three items for $20 for dinner in the cafe vs the menu price of $20 for dinner in the diner.  
 
I predict diners will not be very well patronized on many trains if the plan is to divorce the pricing from the sleeper fare.  And it WILL increase food service losses.  The current strategy is to charge a lot for meals, bill that to sleeper fares, and in so doing generate more revenue for the diner than it would see otherwise.  Some on here have noted that there are meals they would skip if it were not included.  And those who travel sleepers--how often do you share a table with someone from coach?  I did on a recent SW Chief trip, but it is not the norm.  And it was breakfast, the cheaper meal.

So I don't see Amtrak pursuing this strategy.  It just won't work unless diner prices come down.  Even then, most diners are wall to wall at dinner, so that may not work either.  If you cannot serve more people, lowering prices just lowers revenue.

Out west the Dining cars routienly sell out and as far as I can remember the Diner on the Cap also developed a waiting list for coach passengers. 

Regarding prices, both Lunch and Breakfast are affordable if you don't go crazy.  $10 for a meal is par for the course at Chipoltle.