Amtrak dining and cafe service

[lordsigma]

Do they need more than a freezer and a microwave to do Flex Meals?

Lately they've been using ovens for flex meals.

 

[lordsigma]

Hello all….

Newbie here. But something ‘jis’ said has me worried. When will the Texas Eagle get back traditional dining? Jis said “not slated”. Does that mean “not ever”?

I have Texas Eagle reservations for late September/early October (semi-annual trips from west coast to Albany and northern NYS). I swore off Amtrak after they went to TV dinners, but a particularly unhappy airline experience in June and the promise of better food has lured me back. What am I looking at?

thanks

It's traditional dining from LAX to San Antonio (on the combined Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle train) if you were going to do the Texas Eagle the whole way from the west coast. Another option is the Southwest Chief which is traditional dining all the way LAX - Chicago that would get you traditional dining almost the whole way except for the Lake Shore which is only a meal or two.

 

[Nick Farr]

Yes because the superliner IIs were made by bombardier. I’ve seen a lot of bombardier plates.

Right, but the Superliner I cars were Pullman-Standard. I wonder what those nameplates even looked like

 

[Leex]

It's traditional dining from LAX to San Antonio (on the combined Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle train) if you were going to do the Texas Eagle the whole way from the west coast. Another option is the Southwest Chief which is traditional dining all the way LAX - Chicago that would get you traditional dining almost the whole way except for the Lake Shore which is only a meal or two.

Thanks for the info. But I am in Tucson so it would require heading west to LAX so that doesn’t work.

 

[20th Century Rider]

That " Short Leg" from SAS to CHI is 32+ Hours!

Hey there Jim and everyone else RE the TE... the agent told me that the TE now has traditional dining... so I did a sample res between SAS and CHI and sure enough is says traditional dining between those two city pairs in the booking info. Not getting my hopes up too high... I'm thinking that although is says that... it also says in a separate section that it's still flex. Oh well... we've discussed Amtrak management having no clue about what's going on...

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Acela First Class menus are now posted. Looks good.

https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/...utes/Acela-Express-First-Class-Menus-0821.pdf

 

[Bob Dylan]

Hey there Jim and everyone else RE the TE... the agent told me that the TE now has traditional dining... so I did a sample res between SAS and CHI and sure enough is says traditional dining between those two city pairs in the booking info. Not getting my hopes up too high... I'm thinking that although is says that... it also says in a separate section that it's still flex. Oh well... we've discussed Amtrak management having no clue about what's going on...View attachment 23887View attachment 23888

Let's hope it's true, and that the Eagle gets its Sightseer Lounge back too!

 

[lordsigma]

Thanks for the info. But I am in Tucson so it would require heading west to LAX so that doesn’t work.

Understood - just so you know you would have traditional dining the first day till San Antonio - flex dining after that. Not flex dining the entire way.

 

[Bob Dylan]

It is highly unlikely traditional dining in any form will be back by then.....for the texas eagle or for the lakeshore limited...

This!

 

[20th Century Rider]

This!

Yup... I know... in that 32 hours between SAS and CHI ya get no SSL; 2 flex cardboard breakfasts, 2 flex puddle lunches, and 1 flex puddle dinner. And the price that goes with it is really something to 'stew' about!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Thanks for the info. But I am in Tucson so it would require heading west to LAX so that doesn’t work.

Could you bus or drive up to Flagstaff and take the Chief to Chicago?

20th Century Riders Post is interesting, most of us sure hope it becomes True ASAP, maybe you'll get lucky!

 

[jpakala]

Today (Aug 10) I saw the TE leaving St Louis for Chicago and as I recall there were only 4 cars behind the locomotive.

 

[Cal]

I thought the plan was for the "short leg" of the Eagle (San Antonio to Chicago), it was just gonna be Flex forever.

Yes, it is. But it never switched back to traditional so there would be no "reverting".

 

[Cal]

Why not? Most people cook food. And flex meals are not food.

You got a list of flex meal insults ready to go? Seems like it! Not that I'm complaining, or disagreeing!

 

[20th Century Rider]

Why not? Most people cook food. And flex meals are not food.

That's right! Flex meals are not food! They are chemically induced highly processed 'food product' with enhancers, extenders, expanders, and other gross stuff... served as a puddle on a carcinogenic melted plastic plate... with no texture or flavor.

If they fed this stuff to animals you can be sure animal activists would be up front and center protesting!

 

[RRrich]

When I started riding Amtrak each train had its own menu which changed daily. Riding Amtrak was enjoyable and meals were something to look forward to. That was a long time ago as was my last time on Amtrak. Do you think those two things are related???

 

[zephyr17]

Hey there Jim and everyone else RE the TE... the agent told me that the TE now has traditional dining... so I did a sample res between SAS and CHI and sure enough is says traditional dining between those two city pairs in the booking info. Not getting my hopes up too high... I'm thinking that although is says that... it also says in a separate section that it's still flex. Oh well... we've discussed Amtrak management having no clue about what's going on...

Another example of how the reservations agents are clueless about actual conditions in the field, and Amtrak's woeful state of IT. The Schedules tab shows traditional dining. On the booking tab under amenities it says flex dining and traditional dining between LA and San Antonio only. But the amenities on the booking tab also says it has a Sightseer Lounge.

Until there is a field report that traditional dining or a Sightseer has returned, I would assume no Sightseer and inedible meals on the Eagle. Unless it is a fare quote, I don't trust reservations agents to have accurate info about anything.

 

[20th Century Rider]

Another example of how the reservations agents are clueless about actual conditions in the field, and Amtrak's woeful state of IT. The Schedules tab shows traditional dining. On the booking tab under amenities it says flex dining and traditional dining between LA and San Antonio only. But the amenities on the booking tab also says it has a Sightseer Lounge.

Until there is a field report that traditional dining or a Sightseer has returned, I would assume no Sightseer and inedible meals on the Eagle. Unless it is a fare quote, I don't trust reservations agents to have accurate info about anything.

You are absolutely correct. IT dysfunctionality on the Amtrak Site is an ongoing problem. Don't believe anything until you have experienced it... and when booking... take that provided 'info' with a grain of salt. If it's too good to be true...

What most believe, and are experiencing on the TE between SAS and CHI... is bare bones service.

 

[Bob Dylan]

You are absolutely correct. IT dysfunctionality on the Amtrak Site is an ongoing problem. Don't believe anything until you have experienced it... and when booking... take that provided 'info' with a grain of salt. If it's too good to be true...

What most believe, and are experiencing on the TE between SAS and CHI... is bare bones service.

Yep, riding on the Texas Eagle between SAS and CHI in Coach is like the Locals( aka "Milk Runs") in the Old Days, and booking a Sleeper is similar to riding in a SlumberCoach but @ Ultra High Prices without a Lounge and Crappy Food!

 

[me_little_me]

You got a list of flex meal insults ready to go? Seems like it! Not that I'm complaining, or disagreeing!

No! It's just some subjects (ala flex dining or a past unnamed president) that make jokes so easy.

 

[me_little_me]

... served as a puddle on a carcinogenic melted plastic plate... with no texture or flavor.

Actually, the "carcinogenic melted plastic plate" was the best part of the meal and definitely had more texture and flavor than what was inside. I dumped the flex stuff in the garbage and, with a little salt/pepper and getting a requested butter from the SA, I ate the plate.

So while I agree with the rest of your post, please don't insult the texture or flavor of the plate without first trying my recipe.

 

[JayPea]

I, on the other hand, didn't find the flex meals all that bad on my trips from last year. Certainly nowhere near as good as salmon and steak, and I'm most certainly looking forward to traditional dining when I go on my next trip in six weeks. But to me flex dining wasn't horrendous.

 

[20th Century Rider]

When I started riding Amtrak each train had its own menu which changed daily. Riding Amtrak was enjoyable and meals were something to look forward to. That was a long time ago as was my last time on Amtrak. Do you think those two things are related???

Absolutely they are!

What was once such a high quality fun experience... lifted by the wings of eagles into the heavens of a dreamy rail adventure... is now a 'Texas Eagle' with its wings clipped.

 

[lordsigma]

I, on the other hand, didn't find the flex meals all that bad on my trips from last year. Certainly nowhere near as good as salmon and steak, and I'm most certainly looking forward to traditional dining when I go on my next trip in six weeks. But to me flex dining wasn't horrendous.

I have to concur with this assessment. Flex dining isn't as good as salmon and steak but I can certainly handle it for a one night trip - not that I'd object if they made improvements but to me its not going to kill you either and I don't find it inedible.

 

[Cal]

I have to concur with this assessment. Flex dining isn't as good as salmon and steak but I can certainly handle it for a one night trip - not that I'd object if they made improvements but to me its not going to kill you either and I don't find it inedible.

Even though I joke about it, I agree.