Dining Car breakfast included with sleeper price?

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National Limited

National Limited

Service Attendant
Joined
Jul 21, 2003
Messages
204
Location
Springfield, MO 65804
Have a question regarding the policy of a meal in the dining car. I took a recent trip on the Silver Meteor. I was booked in a sleeper and had breakfast only in the dining car. I ordered a breakfast entree (french toast). I asked the person who served my table if it was possible to order a side of eggs. The server said yes. I recieved my entre and eggs, completed my meal, left a tip, then left the dining car. About 30 minutes later the server knocked on my door and said I owed him $6. I asked him why and he said that I ordered two entrees--french toast and eggs and that I only get one entree with the room. I was a little suprised. I had him show me on the menu where a side of eggs was identified as an entree. There was an egg entree on the menu that included other items (hash browns and something else). I paid the $6 and asked for the other items listed on the menu.

Here are some quesitons.

1. Aren't two meals included with each room since you pay the same per room if there were one person or two?

2. Was I in the wrong to question this extra charge?

Hope you can help me understand this situation. Don't want to be taken for a fool or act like one.
 
If there is only one person booked in the room, you will only get the one meal, even if the room could be used by two people.

On the other hand, they should have told you ahead of time that you had to pay for the eggs. I don't recall if eggs is available on the side or not (I know sausage or bacon is, but not sure of eggs).

I hope you received a receipt for the $6, though. If you did not, call Amtrak and complain.
 
Just happened to have a menu laying around, the eggs are indeed considered an Entree. The only "side item" is bacon/sausage.
 
Rules are rules but they handled it incorrectly in the diner. When the server just said 'yes" to your request for eggs he or she should have added that it would cost extra. Then there would have been no confusion, and you could have decided whether you really wanted to pay extra for them.

It was implicit in your question, "May I have the eggs(at no extra cost)".

I hope they were at least polite when they tracked you down to your room.

This kind of thing disturbs me. If it was anything other than Amtrak, I would probably not go back.
 
The server definitely should have said something to you. It'd be like ordering Steak and Chicken at Dinner, and expecting no extra charge, they should say something.
 
Well, I felt stupid when he tracked me down and asked me to pay. I'm not a complete novice when it comes to train travel but of course I am as prone to error as the next person. You know, it isn't the price--$6 isn't going to kill me financially--but it is the principle. If the dining car is not able to provide a service when it is requested then it should be clearly stated.

By the way, what is the correct title for a dining car server? Is steward still the appropriate title for the "manager" of the dining car?
 
Most of the old timers still call the LSA (Lead Service Attendant) the Steward, but on paper he's the LSA. The waiters are technically the SA (service attendant), the Chef is well Chef, and the assistant is the food specialist.
 
Had almost the same thing happen on the Builder 3-4 years ago. Had 2 deluxe sleepers (almost $1000 charge). Told couldn't have eggs added to a breakfast as it was "2 entrees"
 
battalion51 said:
Most of the old timers still call the LSA (Lead Service Attendant) the Steward, but on paper he's the LSA. The waiters are technically the SA (service attendant), the Chef is well Chef, and the assistant is the food specialist.
Click to expand...
Bat, what you state here is completely true, but here in MIA there are three actual dining car stewards still on the roster! There was a forth one who just retired a couple months ago! OBS...
 
pismobum said:
Had almost the same thing happen on the Builder 3-4 years ago. Had 2 deluxe sleepers (almost $1000 charge). Told couldn't have eggs added to a breakfast as it was "2 entrees"
Click to expand...
Hopefully they gave you the option of making an additional meal purchase. I do it all the time, and many first class passengers do so! One entree per ticketed passenger is fair enough. This isn't Denny's! It would be really nice if it could be, but there is only so much food which can be stored in the back.

As far as quanity is concerned, I always get enough food with the one entree I am permitted to sign for. It usually is the same amount they give the passengers! I am never hungry after a meal. OBS...
 
National Limited said:
Here are some quesitons.1. Aren't two meals included with each room since you pay the same per room if there were one person or two?

2. Was I in the wrong to question this extra charge?

Hope you can help me understand this situation. Don't want to be taken for a fool or act like one.
Click to expand...
The roomettes qualify for two meals for two ticketed passengers, one for a single ticketed passenger. The Bedrooms qualify for up to three (maybe it's four not sure on that one) meals for up to three ticketed passengers. So the same if a single passenger traveling in a Bedroom, they would get one meal. I don't particuarly like this policy as we used to be able to feed each ticketed passenger in each room. Sometimes three people travel in the Roomette (mother and two young kids for example)! If they are all three ticketed, one still has to pay! I don't like that, but not my decision, anyway.

As far as your second question, you're not wrong to question the extra charge. If you don't ask questions you are not gonna find things out in life!

As far as the situation as a whole, being this occured on a Miami based train, I will bring this up in my next crew briefing prior to my next assignment! The crew should have let you know there would be an extra charge for the second entree allowing you to make an informed decision! Hopefully they were good to you and provided you satisfactory service. I know how some of my coworkers can be sometimes! OBS...
 
Amtrak OBS Employee said:
Bat, what you state here is completely true, but here in MIA there are three actual dining car stewards still on the roster! There was a forth one who just retired a couple months ago! OBS...
Click to expand...
Obs,

Is Doc still on the roster? Or has he retired?

I met him on 3 or 4 of my Silver runs a few years back, but haven't been lucky enough to see him lately. Of course I have done a Silver run in over a year now.
 
Yes Alan, he sure is. The last I worked with him about a month ago, he is on the #98/#91 job. These jobs on/off days rotate so it is hard to know when you are gonna catch certain people, though. OBS....
 
Amtrak OBS Employee said:
Yes Alan, he sure is. The last I worked with him about a month ago, he is on the #98/#91 job. These jobs on/off days rotate so it is hard to know when you are gonna catch certain people, though. OBS....
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. :)
 

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