posted
When I was on the Chief a few weeks ago, the sleepers were on the rear, and the transition car was up front behind the baggage car. I know for fact that several roomettes in the transition car on the way out to LA had been sold, even thought there were a number of empty ones in the car we rode in. It really teed off the sleeper car attendants when a couple of people insisted they had tickets for that car number. I'm not sure exactly why they would have been upset though...
-------------------- Chuck
“Adventure is just bad planning.” - Roald Amundsen Posts: 80 | From: Wisconsin | Registered: Feb 2007
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quote:Originally posted by Doodlebug: ....on the Coast Starlight, Southwest Chief and California Zephyr, on which six to eight rooms in the transition sleeper will be sold, sleepers have been moved to the rear so that a coach attendant is adjacent and can serve those passengers. During the summer there is an extra coach attendant on these trains because of increased passenger load and this procedure doesn't over-burden the sleeper attendants.
Good use of labor, I think, but I'm wondering if the transition sleeper passengers get all the benefits of regular sleeper passengers if they're isolated from the other sleepers. Will dining car servers assume they're coach passengers and charge them for meals? Or are transition sleeper passengers getting a discount with no included meals? If they do this on the Starlight, will they have access to the Parlour Car?
Posts: 2649 | From: California's Monterey Peninsula | Registered: Dec 2000
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quote:Originally posted by Mr. Toy: I remember when the sleepers were always at the rear. But it really doesn't make sense to put them there if Amtrak is (as it should be) using part of the Transition Sleepers for revenue space. Why would a coach attendant, who is already responsible for one and a half to two cars with up to 70 people each, want to take on the added responsibility of half a sleeper?
Right you are, Mr. Toy. The move is controversial among the regularly-assigned attendants of the Southwest Chief; possibly other trains as well. One senior coach TA told me he will bid to the coach job that is next to the lounge, in order not to be the guy who has to service the new "revenue dorm." So there will be a flurry of bidding and bumping when all this happens (if it hasn't already.)
Posts: 588 | From: East San Diego County, CA | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
I thought that the selling of the Trans/Dorm sleeper space was only for the summer peak travel months. During this time period, there is an extra coach attendant assigned to these trains. Sorry if I upset some people with my next comment, but geez, if the on-board Amtrak employees get all upset over putting a bed up or down in 6 to 8 roomettes, they're just whining. Give me a break. Half the time (or more) I can't find the attendants anyway, except when they magically appear to open and close the door at station stops. If they're upset because this takes away from their hours and hours of kicking back, snoozing, drinking coffee, and chit-chatting with their pals, so what? They're getting paid really good money for the job. And they'll make some really good tip money (*if* they do their job!) this summer. They need to relax and just do the darn job. That's my feeling and opinion.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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posted
I was on the EB westbound last week in the Seattle sleeper which was, of course, located up front. Our attendant also had to handle the rooms in the transition dorm. Since we were late (unusual for the EB but true) she was up most of each night loading and unloading passengers, making up rooms, etc. When we left her at Essex at midnight she had more hours to go, plus the transition rooms. She looked exhausted. Although I am sure there are times for relaxation for these crew members there are also times of non-stop activity, no sleep and hard work. During our over 6,000 mile trip we had no "disappearing" sleeper attendants.
For those who are interested, my trip report will be soon, just need to get my notes together.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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posted
On the Empire Builder, I think they are in a unique situation because of the splitting/joining of the train in Spokane, which puts the Trans/Dorm car next to another sleeper (instead of a coach on other trains). I completely agree that one sleeper attendant is being overworked if they have to handle not only their sleeper, but another sleeper as well. Additionally, someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Amtrak OBS employees have a contract/agreement that gives them a certain amount of down-time for sleeping. For example, on the Coast Starlight going northbound, the sleeper attendants go off-duty after Sacramento and are not responsible for loadings/unloading until Dunsmuir. During their down-time, the Conductor handles passengers getting on and off. The bedrooms are already made up (by the sleeper attendant) with the beds put down so that a passenger getting on in the middle of the night has their bed ready to go for sleeping.
Another train where the sleeping car attendant goes off-duty at a certain time is the Southwest Chief going east. The attendants make it crystal clear to their passengers that they go down at 10PM----after that, you're on your own.
So again, I agree that asking a sleeping car attendant to handle MORE duties in another sleeper is completely unreasonable. And Vicki, if you have never had any disappearing sleeper attendants, you are very lucky. I travel Amtrak frequently, and this is a common problem.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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