Why is that sleeping car passengers are not served in diner first? After I paid 1400.00 to travel last week, I waited to eat while people in coach ate before me ( because they got on list/heard announcement before me etc).
Why is my tummy better than a coach passenger? Because I PAID in advance and alot of money too. My meal should be guaranteed. And my meal should not be what is "left over".
Why is it that the trains highest paying customers, ( in my biz we call them "priority customers") not treated any better? Why can't the dining car announcement go out to first class/sleepers, prior to coach.
My last snobby comment: my last train going east was filled with drunk college agers swigging drinks from cafe car. If you get stone cold drunk in a sleeper no one knows. But to carry about the train like an idiot is terrible. Also there was an annoying kid that kept making lamb noises all through the lounge car( his mom thought it was cute!). And another teen that told my teen daughter all about his dreams of killing people! Scarry!....we stayed in our sleeper!
Posted by CK (Member # 589) on :
My wife & I travel in a sleeper but I really don't think that should mean with have the right to eat first. Yes, we have paid in advance for "a" meal but that doesn't give us a right to necessarily "choose" the meal if they have ran out of selections. However, when the crew makes an announcement that they are going to take dinner reservations it is the passengers "responsibility" to return to their room. The Dining car person starts in the sleepers and works their way back to the coach passengers, so in fact, first class passengers do get first choice. We can't "blame" everything on the employees.
Posted by David (Member # 3) on :
I don't think yummykaz is being snobbish at all. It's a matter of business. If Amtrak is charging people in advance for their meals then they have an obligation to make sure that these passengers get what they have paid for. It is only good business to ensure that premium-fare customers receive premium service. If a business is not going to do that, then they should stop using the term First Class.
Here in Canada, Via Rail makes sure that sleeper passengers on the "Canadian" get booked first for dinner. Lunch reservations are given only when the Service Co-ordinator (dining car steward) feels it is necessary. For at least half of the year, coach passengers are not permitted in the dining car(s) simply because there isn't any room when there are up to 12, and sometimes more, sleepers operated. A coffee shop service (serving cooked food) is offered in the Skyline car at that time. During the period of time when the train is short, all passengers are fed in the dining car. On the "Ocean" between Montreal and Halifax, all passengers pay directly for their meals in the dining car. There are no reservations taken and no priority given to sleeper passengers. This has only occasionally been a problem.
[This message has been edited by David (edited 03-23-2002).]
Posted by KA6BGJ (Member # 662) on :
David, You bring out an excellent point here and I agree with you 100%. If in making reservations for a sleeper accomadations which includes meals, you are expected to fork out your hard earned money in advance, AMTRAK knows in advanced (by their passenger manifest) exactly how many passengers have paid for their meals in advanced.
I feel it is Amtrak's obligation then to make sure that enough food is stored on the train for these passengers paying for their meals in advanced. Assumed that meals are served at the appropriate times of the day, (breakfast 6:30-8:30AM, Lunch 11:30AM -1:30PM, and Dinner 6:00PM-8:00PM) all but one or two tables (at the most) should be made available to the passengers for their dinning pleasure.
Posted by CK (Member # 589) on :
Perhaps the reason some first class passengers maybe getting left out of the reservations is because they think that their paid in advance meal also includes the tip! There have been times that I have seen 1st class passengers get up from the table leaving $0.00 behind despite being waited on in a professional manner. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what type of service that passenger will get for the rest of their journey!
Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :
As CK pointed out, but everyone seems to have missed, sleeping car passengers DO get first choice of reservations. That does not necessarily mean they eat first, it means they get to choose their seating time first. They may choose an earlier or later seating at their discretion. To do that at least one person in your party must be at your room when reservations are taken so you are not missed. I don't know of a better way to do it.
I wouldn't like it if sleeping car persons were all fed before coach passengers. I prefer late meals myself.
------------------ Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth. -Mr. Toy
I believe that everyone has a different opinion as to what they can expect to receive in consideration of paying the HEFTY prices on the ACCOMMADATIONS part of the train fare on long distance trains.
Posted by KA6BGJ (Member # 662) on :
quote:Originally posted by KA6BGJ: David, You bring out an excellent point here and I agree with you 100%. If in making reservations for a sleeper accomadations which includes meals, you are expected to fork out your hard earned money in advance, AMTRAK knows in advanced (by their passenger manifest) exactly how many passengers have paid for their meals in advanced.
I feel it is Amtrak's obligation then to make sure that enough food is stored on the train for these passengers paying for their meals in advanced. Assumed that meals are served at the appropriate times of the day, (breakfast 6:30-8:30AM, Lunch 11:30AM -1:30PM, and Dinner 6:00PM-8:00PM) all but one or two tables (at the most) should be made available to the passengers for their dinning pleasure.
The second paragraph of my previous post says the point I was trying to make. Please re-read carefully. TNX
Posted by royaltrain (Member # 622) on :
David is correct when he says that premium service should be provided to passengers who pay a premium fare, otherwise what is the point of using the term "first class." Via Rail is particularly good at making sure that its first class passengers have priority in the dining car when the meals are included in the fare. My experience on Amtrak, where I pay a considerable premium for exclusive occupancy of a deluxe bedroom, is that I can pay $800 to $1000 extra for first class and have no priority in the dining car (other than dinner reservations being taken first in the sleepers). Now on occasion, I have seen all the sleeping car passengers escorted to the diner for a special sitting and coach passengers having to wait(I had this experience once on the Texas Eagle some years ago). So it is certainly possible for Amtrak to treat its premium fare passengers with extra consideration if they wished to do so, but as others have pointed out on this board, service on Amtrak is very inconsistent. One can never predict how good or bad a trip will be--it's simply the toss of a coin.