posted
Leaving for GA on the Crescent tonight...can't wait!
1. Does anyone know when sleeping car passengers are allowed to use Club Acela in Washington before their departure? Is it just anyone with a same-day departure or do you have to wait until X hours before departure?
2. How much should I tip sleeping car attendants? What about the dining car staff?
posted
1. I believe it's anyone with same day departure.
2. I generally tip $5/night/person to the sleeping car attendant, $3 for dinner and $2 for other meals. If the service is surly or otherwise poor (and it is the fault of the server, not the chef or train), I sometimes don't tip. If you are traveling with someone else then I would tip more than these amounts (usually 2 people tip $5 for dinner; am not sure about other meals, probably $3 would be enouogh).
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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I, too, believe that you can use the lounge at anytime on the day or travel. That includes both arrival and departure.
I usually tip $5.00 per night/person to the sleeping car attendant but have tipped both more and less depending on the service or lack thereof.
The dining car staff generally works hard and deserves their tips. I do $3.00 for dinner (perhaps more for excellent service or if I've asked for an alcoholic drink or wine with dinner) and $2.00 for breakfast and lunch. I'm always amazed by how many people leave NOTHING.
Frank in sunny SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
Wow I guess I was on the money - no pun intended - with what I gave on my trip.
Posts: 64 | From: NYC (NYP) | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
You can go into the lounge when you get to the station in D C. There have been times when we had to get there before noon for a 5p m train. The red cap takes our bags to the lounge, we sign in and then go have lunch at one of the many eating places in the station.Thenwe go back whereupom my husband settles down to read and I go browsing. They have wonderful shops.The red cap comes back on time,puts us in the electric cart and takes us out to the train. As to tipping all the avove seem
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
You can go into the lounge when you get to the station in D C. There have been times when we had to get there before noon for a 5p m train. The red cap takes our bags to the lounge, we sign in and then go have lunch at one of the many eating places in the station.Thenwe go back whereupom my husband settles down to read and I go browsing. They have wonderful shops.The red cap comes back on time,puts us in the electric cart and takes us out to the train. As to tipping all the avove seem
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
as you can see I was interrupted. I was trying to say we also tip according to the above suggestions.There have been times when we tip more to the car attendant for excellent service and for 2 of us $6 for dinner,and $4 for lunch.
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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quote:Originally posted by CHATTER: Are you THE Abe Froman, Sausage King of Chicago???
Bueller........Bueller.........Bueller
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
This is a theoredical question: I am booked in a sleeper on the Capitol Limited. I live in New York, and I am traveling coach on a regional down to DC that morning. Can I use the ClubAcela lounge in New York, with my ticket for the Capitol Limited?
-------------------- Visit my trains and subways website: www.subwaynut.com (It has more then just subways!) Posts: 38 | From: Manhattan, NY/Colorado Springs, CO | Registered: Jun 2005
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quote:Originally posted by SubwayNut: This is a theoredical question: I am booked in a sleeper on the Capitol Limited. I live in New York, and I am traveling coach on a regional down to DC that morning. Can I use the ClubAcela lounge in New York, with my ticket for the Capitol Limited?
I am not absolutely certain but my guess is that you would not be allowed to use the ClubAcela lounge in New York with a first class ticket departing another city.
You would, of course, have access to the first class lounge in Washington though. You might want to depart New York an hour or two earlier than you had planned in order to allow more time to soak up the perks in DC.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
It certainly couldn't hurt to ask at NYP. Also, I seem to remember that there is some sort of reciprocal agreement between Club Acela and Continental Airlines Presidents Club. I believe members of the P-Club can use the Club Acela no matter what class of Amtrak service they are booked in. I'm going to have to research that a bit more.
Frank in sunny but cooling SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
I did the research on the Continental website. If you have a valid Presidents Club card and are ticketed on a Continental flight for that day you can use any Club Acela. I can see how that would be handy if you were coming into Washington Union Station and going out on a CO flight from DCA or vice-versa, for example.
Frank in still sunny but cooling rapidly SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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quote:Originally posted by SubwayNut: This is a theoredical question: I am booked in a sleeper on the Capitol Limited. I live in New York, and I am traveling coach on a regional down to DC that morning. Can I use the ClubAcela lounge in New York, with my ticket for the Capitol Limited?
I am not absolutely certain but my guess is that you would not be allowed to use the ClubAcela lounge in New York with a first class ticket departing another city.
You would, of course, have access to the first class lounge in Washington though. You might want to depart New York an hour or two earlier than you had planned in order to allow more time to soak up the perks in DC.
I got to ClubAcela about 90 minutes before my train boarded last Friday; that was more than enough time for all the Goldfish I could eat and Sierra Mist I could drink.
Posts: 76 | Registered: Jul 2005
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