Passenger Trains > Coach Pax in western dining cars-pre Covid

Mainly coach passenger here who doesn’t get west of Chicago too often. On western LDT, were coach passengers allowed to dine right up until the commencement of flex dining? TIA. 

Yes.

          Heavens yes. We ate in the dining car many times ( as coach passenegers ) on 3 and 4 before Amtrak got stupid. Now there in no point in anyone eating what they serve in the dining car.

Thanks. Good to know. It’s interesting to note that the Covid relief bill which mandates daily service includes a proviso that furloughed employees be recalled. I guess that would include dining car personnel, which could point to resumption of western dining. Or maybe not, as I fear Amtrak wants permanent flex dining. 

Indeed, yes.  The dining car steward would walk the entire train giving riders reservations for lunch, dinner.   It always enhanced the mix of people sharing a table (I am usually solo)   The decision to wreck dining car  service is further indication that the bosses don't understand the riding public.   Few would spring for a roomette in daylight between LA and Oakland, Grand Junction and Denver, or Emeryville to Reno, yet the trips bracket lunch time.   Getting coach pax to shell out for meals increases productivity.

I think Amtrak has gotten quite comfortable with the Flex Dining across the long distance system. They also figured out how to stock the commissaries that provide the food across the network to the LD trains. The Flex program on Eastern LD trains reduced the dining car staff down to ONE (1) Person. One person who would "receive the orders" (a number of ways for that to occur, varying by train), and that same person who would heat the food and "serve the order (again, a number of ways for that to occur, varying by train). Previously there were three to four people in a Eastern LD diner. So Amtrak got quite a cost savings by going to Flex meals. Whether or not they procure the best product for serving at the best wholesale price is suspect. One would think with such cost savings in the diner - effected through those with sleepers (and thus the higher end revenue) - that should quiet a LOT of critics that said how costly the dining car operations are. What's the number look like now - on a direct cost basis though. I'd be curious to know what that number is.

And if the Superliner Sightseer Cafe received an enhanced food and beverage fare offering (sandwiches, salads, specials, and more fresh food that existed on the menu prior to COVID - even the Flex Meals) for coach passengers, what does that number translate into. 

These are all new revenue and cost numbers for Amtrak to apply and revise in their accounting. I think one may find that some LD trains are not losing as much money as Amtrak and most think that they are! Rather it's going to show how cost hungry the NEC is!!!!  

jp1822 Wrote:
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>  The Flex program on
> Eastern LD trains reduced the dining car staff
> down to ONE (1) Person. One person who would
> "receive the orders" (a number of ways for that to
> occur, varying by train), and that same person who
> would heat the food and "serve the order (again, a
> number of ways for that to occur, varying by
> train). Previously there were three to four people
> in a Eastern LD diner. So Amtrak got quite a cost
> savings by going to Flex meals.

Yes, this is what concerns me. When they see how much is saved by the decreased manpower, they very likely may figure the end justifies the means and leave things as they are permanently. After all, in their minds they are not eliminating food service, just changing it. The inconvenience to the passengers is trumped by the cost savings. We shall see. 

41bridge Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> When they see how
> much is saved by the decreased manpower, they very
> likely may figure the end justifies the means and
> leave things as they are permanently. After all,
> in their minds they are not eliminating food
> service, just changing it. The inconvenience to
> the passengers is trumped by the cost savings. We
> shall see. 

On the other hand, if the same folks send their lackey out to get lunch for the meeting and the lackey comes back an hour and a half later because the deli was being worked by one person so management could save money....

(Oh, right, they'd take it out on the lackey.)

TAW

What if the lackey comes back after an hour and a half with a nuked cheeseburger or pepperoni pizza, and another one or the other will be dinner too ? 

Actually, what's needed is to replace the cafeteria in the Capitol Building with Amtrak food exactly as served in the dining cars and cafe cars.  Then require everyone to eat there ONLY for 3 consecutive days.  Lock THEM in for a change!  See if THEY would put up with that garbage like Amtrak passengers have no choice but to do so.

BRAtkinson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Actually, what's needed is to replace the
> cafeteria in the Capitol Building with Amtrak food
> exactly as served in the dining cars and cafe
> cars.  Then require everyone to eat there ONLY
> for 3 consecutive days.  Lock THEM in for a
> change!  See if THEY would put up with that
> garbage like Amtrak passengers have no choice but
> to do so.

Yes, because the food served on Amtrak trains is the most pressing matter our nation faces now.  Glad to read your priorities in the right order.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/21 04:57 by RuleG.

Covid has become an excuse to evade customer service and responsibility, not only at Amtrak.

How come after a year of the pandemic, I still cannot find a can of Lysol aerosol spray ? Do we need to invoke the Defense Production Act to make them do so, or have they bought off somebody, and diverted their chemicals to something more profitable ?

I have yet to hear an accounting of how much money Amtrak saved with "Flex" dining in the east, or whatever it is called, and its impact on ticket revenues and CSI scores. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/21 03:45 by joemvcnj.

If Flynn is committed to the LD trains, restore dining car service throughout the whole system!

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