Amtrak volume isn't shrinking in a vacuum and likely carries more weight when vendors are hurting for cash flow.
People are telling us they want new options and the quality has gotten so bad even a minor change could do wonders.
Western route cutbacks were done after the pandemic hit.
There is only one outlet per roomette, don't know how many outlets a bedroom has.
A really big cooler isn't a practical fit in a roomette. But I bring a smallish cooler with me whenever I travel on Amtrak, and no one has ever indicated disapproval.
Only half of us drink coffee and you can find decent tea here if you go to a specialty tea shop. In the past this was difficult without a rental car but today you can use a ride sharing service instead.
I believe the main issue is not that it's a cooler so much as it's too big/heavy for the person bringing it to quickly move out of the way. In my experience people can bring what they want so long as doing so does not slow anyone down.
Being from the UK, I also prefer a cup of "decent tea". Loose leaves is a bit upscale for me, but I bring my low wattage travel kettle, and some PG teabags, my favourite.
Yes and Amtrak officially is still advertising traditional dining and saying it will return after the pandemic. Yes many people don’t believe they will follow through, but officially traditional dining will return after the pandemic.
Canadians are big tea drinkers too, and I can attest that it is certainly possible to get a good "cuppa" in the US. Tea drinking there has grown exponentially over the last few years since they got over that Boston thing in 1773.
When my Late Wife first came to the US from Canada, she had her family send her " Good Tea" since we lived in a Small town where Liptons was the only Tea available in those days.( most Southerners drink Iced " Sweet Tea".)Canadians are big tea drinkers too, and I can attest that it is certainly possible to get a good "cuppa" in the US. Tea drinking there has grown exponentially over the last few years since they got over that Boston thing in 1773.
They’ve made tons of changes since the start of Flex Dining, and I would say the consensus on this board is that very few people were happy after the changes. Why would another change similar to previous ones be received any better?
Swapping one TV dinner out for another isn’t really a change worth noting. Did Amtrak make tons of changes when they went from pancakes to French toast or Mahi Mahi to Salmon?
And lunch menus that don't just duplicate dinner menus. And a bit of variety on the desserts. And a few more choices of a hot breakfast - and better quality of the microwaved Egg McHorrible.
...and my point for this whole thread has been that until Covid is “over” - they aren’t going to make a single change to food service that anyone in this forum would be happy with.
So, we will just continue NOT riding Amtrak. Problem solved.
Do whatever you want. But, you have zero other choices when you are on the train. And, my journeys are over a number of days each time. Plus, with COVID, you have to give someone a good reason to get onboard. Cutting back on the only food you get for a few days doesn't cut it.
As do I. If my goal is to get from point A to point B, I will take everything in to consideration when choosing my mode of transit.
It’s all comes down to timing. Right now there is a friendly administration and a friendly Congress - but the evil COVID has food service on the back burner. It will remain so (my opinion) until furloughed Amtrak employees are all back at their jobs, trains are back to their pre-Covid schedules, and the consensus is that we are on the downhill glide with Covid. When all three of those things happen - I think Amtrak will return western trains to full dining - and take a serious look at the failed experiment that is Flex Dining. What replaces Flex Dining is anyone’s guess - but I’m thinking it will be better than the current implementation but fall short of full dining.
I would recommend that your friend phone customer relations and explain her situation to them. However, I think she should be prepared to bring her own food. Most likely even the food in the cafe car may not be suitable for her.
Working age passengers must forfeit extra vacation days (in a country that guarantees zero) to ride Amtrak in the best of times. Now we are expected to eat much lower quality meals while paying even more than before for the privilege. Most stations lack easy access to markets or restaurants from which to buy our own fresh meals and based on recent reports we can no longer be assured of enough ice to refill a cooler. This sounds like a legitimate complaint to me.
Some of us also know that it did not used to be and does not have to be this way.
..and we realize that if the train is late, any meal planning is out the window. 
