LSL Schedule Mess Ups of Earlier This Year

[sky12065]

Yes that's right... STILL CAUSING TROUBLE!

On June 26th I was scheduled into room H/4910 on the LSL and would you believe that there was no 4910 car when I was boarding. Fortunately the problem was pre-resolved and I appeared in the manifest as being moved to H/2911.

Fast forward to yesterday, July 11th. I had tickets for H/4810 for my return trip back. Guess what folks? THERE WAS NO 4810 when the Red Cap got me out and found that out. And guess what else folks? All the 48 H rooms were filled and your's truly was NOT on the manifest despite my having tickets in hand that said otherwise. :angry:

Now what does that mean to me and my wife? Well, it meant without an H room to travel in, my goose was proverbial cooked as I have not been able to travel Amtrak for the past 11 years in anything by an H room for personal and medical reasons. And even if I could, there was an announcement prior to boarding that the train was filled with no coach seats remaining.

For 10 minutes I sat in the Red Cap transporter on the platform keeping my cool and not freaking out while a solution was sought out by surprisingly the "Red Cap" at his expense (tips) of not being able to return to help others. No hesitation on doubling his tip.

Next thing that happened was that an unlikely solution was found. (Remember that I stated that it was announced that there was no more room on the train) All the way to the front of the train directly behind the engine and baggage car was car 4820, a viewliner with an H room heading to the BOS run instead of the NYP run, that was fortunately enough for me unbooked.

So we moved in, but there was still a price to pay afterward! The price was in the form of being close to the front of the train! We constantly heard the trains whistle all night long and also in being roughly jerked left and right as well as head to toe when laying down in the bed formation. It was at least twice as bad as I ever experience in the room in the many times I've used it in the past.

Any, I can now say that we are home safe & sound and that "All's Well that Ends Well!" But I do wish I could have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night! :lol:

I can't help wondering how many others had problems this year because of the LSL schedule change snafu's!

 

[AlanB]

Wow, what a screw up on Amtrak's part. Make sure that you let them know, even as you shower praise on that red cap.

 

[PetalumaLoco]

We're boarding #48 in a roomette on 8/11 at CHI, catching it again on the 16th at BUF again in a roomette, and on the way back #449 coach on the 26th and later that day transferring to #49 and a roomette. So I hope they have all the ducks lined up by then, lots of chances for "surprises".

 

[sky12065]

Wow, what a screw up on Amtrak's part. Make sure that you let them know, even as you shower praise on that red cap.

I will, but unfortunately I didn't get the name of red cap.

With my calming down, the only thought that came to me was making sure I gave him a tip. Actually, I originally handed him a $5 bill and immediately said to him... Here! Give that back to me... and until I handed him a $10 instead he probably thought I was pieved and wanted it back! :unsure: Having worked with the public for 23 years, I'm sure that there is someone out there would have just taken back the $5 bill wrongfully blaming the RC for what happened. :lol:

I do however have the name and email address of the SA who was great and that will also be included. He's been looking for himself being mentioned in a trip report, and in his 11 years with Amtrak has not found himself mentioned once. He'd like to see what customers thought of his service. That's when I asked for his email because I'm definitely mentioning him and will send him the link once I post the trip report.

Final note... boy what a trip with 4 good SA's on the SWC, EB and LSL-E and 2 duds on the CS and LSL-W!

 

[PetalumaLoco]

Wow, what a screw up on Amtrak's part. Make sure that you let them know, even as you shower praise on that red cap.

I will, but unfortunately I didn't get the name of red cap.

With my calming down, the only thought that came to me was making sure I gave him a tip. Actually, I originally handed him a $5 bill and immediately said to him... Here! Give that back to me... and until I handed him a $10 instead he probably thought I was pieved and wanted it back! :unsure: Having worked with the public for 23 years, I'm sure that there is someone out there would have just taken back the $5 bill wrongfully blaming the RC for what happened. :lol:

I do however have the name and email address of the SA who was great and that will also be included. He's been looking for himself being mentioned in a trip report, and in his 11 years with Amtrak has not found himself mentioned once. He'd like to see what customers thought of his service. That's when I asked for his email because I'm definitely mentioning him and will send him the link once I post the trip report.

Final note... boy what a trip with 4 good SA's on the SWC, EB and LSL-E and 2 duds on the CS and LSL-W!

Curious to know the SA's name, wasn't George was it? He was a jewel on #49 last year.

 

[sky12065]

We're boarding #48 in a roomette on 8/11 at CHI, catching it again on the 16th at BUF again in a roomette, and on the way back #449 coach on the 26th and later that day transferring to #49 and a roomette. So I hope they have all the ducks lined up by then, lots of chances for "surprises".

I haven't heard of this happening to anyone else than me... yet, so hopefully you won't have a problem. One thing I can say is that from past experiences where I have had serious problems, Amtrak did do it's best to try and resolve them for me. I'll cross my fingers for you!

p.s. You can have your ducks lined up, but remember that there is not duck hunting on Amtrak! :lol:

 

[PetalumaLoco]

We're boarding #48 in a roomette on 8/11 at CHI, catching it again on the 16th at BUF again in a roomette, and on the way back #449 coach on the 26th and later that day transferring to #49 and a roomette. So I hope they have all the ducks lined up by then, lots of chances for "surprises".

I haven't heard of this happening to anyone else than me... yet, so hopefully you won't have a problem. One thing I can say is that from past experiences where I have had serious problems, Amtrak did do it's best to try and resolve them for me. I'll cross my fingers for you!

p.s. You can have your ducks lined up, but remember that there is not duck hunting on Amtrak! :lol:

You quack me up!

................................................ducking and running............................... sorry, 'nother pun. This is so cool, I just love the web.......

 

[sky12065]

We're boarding #48 in a roomette on 8/11 at CHI, catching it again on the 16th at BUF again in a roomette, and on the way back #449 coach on the 26th and later that day transferring to #49 and a roomette. So I hope they have all the ducks lined up by then, lots of chances for "surprises".

I haven't heard of this happening to anyone else than me... yet, so hopefully you won't have a problem. One thing I can say is that from past experiences where I have had serious problems, Amtrak did do it's best to try and resolve them for me. I'll cross my fingers for you!

p.s. You can have your ducks lined up, but remember that there is not duck hunting on Amtrak! :lol:

You quack me up!

................................................ducking and running............................... sorry, 'nother pun. This is so cool, I just love the web.......

Never mind getting quacked up! Worry about getting Daffy Duck for a SA and having the solution to the problem prohibited by Amtrak's anti duck hunting regulation!

Service Attendant Daffy Duck: Dat Stupidd passenger sez to me, Make up my bed! Wake me at 5! Break down the

bed! Where's my breakfast! Where's my paper? Wipe my widdle butt with dis Wittle Woll of toilet paper... and all I do is

dump his salad on his head when I had all I could take from him... and THEN WHO GETS TOSSED out of the train?

I get tossed off the train for doing it! So why did you get tossed?

Engineer Bugs Bunny: Oh... well doc! You see, all I did is take a left at Alba-coy-key while the train kept going straight!

The noyve of that Conductor to toss my butt off! Now who's gonna do the driving?

Service Attendant Daffy Duck: Yea, the noyve, the noive! I guess though that I should feel lucky that that passenger,

Petalumaloco, wasn't allowed to duck hunt (YIKES) onboard, or the SWC would be serving Duck Under Glass (YIKES)

for dinner tonight! (YIKES-YIKES)

:lol:

 

[DET63]

We're boarding #48 in a roomette on 8/11 at CHI, catching it again on the 16th at BUF again in a roomette, and on the way back #449 coach on the 26th and later that day transferring to #49 and a roomette. So I hope they have all the ducks lined up by then, lots of chances for "surprises".

I haven't heard of this happening to anyone else than me... yet, so hopefully you won't have a problem. One thing I can say is that from past experiences where I have had serious problems, Amtrak did do it's best to try and resolve them for me. I'll cross my fingers for you!

p.s. You can have your ducks lined up, but remember that there is not duck hunting on Amtrak! :lol:

So that explains why I've never seen Dick Cheney on an Amtrak.

 

[Shanghai]

I was on the 48 twice this year from CHI to NYP. No problems with sleeper reservations.

SA Tom was great on both trips.

Glad there was a H room available, even if you were disturbed by the whistle.

It could have been worse.

 

[jis]

So that explains why I've never seen Dick Cheney on an Amtrak.

Even if he was on it you are unlikely to see him

 

[wayman]

So that explains why I've never seen Dick Cheney on an Amtrak.

Even if he was on it you are unlikely to see him

Because he'd be riding in an "undisclosed" roomette

 

[the_traveler]

You can have your ducks lined up, but remember that there is not duck hunting on Amtrak! :lol:

BE VEEEEERY, VEEEEERY CAREFUL! You may not find Dick Cheney, but you may find Elmer Fudd! I don't know which is worse? :huh: :lol:

 

[wayman]

You can have your ducks lined up, but remember that there is not duck hunting on Amtrak! :lol:

BE VEEEEERY, VEEEEERY CAREFUL! You may not find Dick Cheney, but you may find Elmer Fudd! I don't know which is worse? :huh: :lol:

Make sure you're not riding Porky's Railroad, the "15th Century Limited"!!!

 

[sky12065]

I was on the 48 twice this year from CHI to NYP. No problems with sleeper reservations.SA Tom was great on both trips.

Glad there was a H room available, even if you were disturbed by the whistle.

It could have been worse.

And you're not just whistling Dixie there (no pun intended) and don't think for a moment that I wasn't extremely aware of that! Anyway, all's well that ends well now and as said at the end of Warner Cartoons....

 

[printman2000]

We were originally booked into the 4810 car for our trip on June 26. However, with the addition of the Boston sleeper, they dropped the 4810 car (and I assume the 4910 car) and the two NY sleepers were 4811 & 4812. We were rebooked automatically into the 4811 car. Not sure why yours did not get rebooked automatically like ours did.

 

[sky12065]

HOLD THE BOAT (OR TRAIN) EVERYBODY!

I just brought up an email I received from Amtrak just 24 days before our trip began that included schedule changes. Our departure on June 26 went off as indicated on the schedule without a hitch probably because our new room assignment was indicated on that trips manifest despite our tickets indicating differently. Possibly because of that, I had forgotten about the changes that were indicated for July 11th.

When we boarded in Chicago on July 11, things were different for sure. As you can see from the schedule segment below, we were actually rescheduled to be in the 4812 (and again not the 4810 like our tickets indicated) and it is NOW apparent to me what was not apparent before... just what the problem was.

When we were taken to our car, there was no 4810 in the consist and in their checking the manifest our names did not appear in any room, or that showed that we even belonged on the train. It's a good thing that bearer tickets are required or I'd have had no proof that we were issued tickets and to an H room!

To help confuse things even further, the 4812 car that we were legitimately scheduled in already had someone in the H room. Was it accidental double booking of the room? Was it something else? Your guess is as good as mine on that one!

Departure: Chicago (Union Station), Illinois

Saturday July 11, 2009 9:00PM

Arrival: Albany-Rensselaer, New York

Sunday July 12, 2009 2:40PM

Accommodation: Viewliner Accessible Bedroom H In Car 4812

So in the end it does appear to be an Amtrak screw-up, presumably caused because of the LSL scheduling fiasco that went on back in April, which led to the LSL's eastbound manifest error for July 11th.

Many times when there is bad news there is also good news to go along with it. Because of the problem and our ending up in H/4820 we got to meet a sleeper attendant named Mark Parker.

Mark is the type of attendant that we would be happy to have anytime, any train when we are traveling on Amtrak. His service was efficient and good nature and he even got what happened to us on the platform at CHI off my mind without even trying! I'd give Mark two thumbs up for the service, but as for the tip... well he's already gotten all he's getting from me! :lol:

 

[PetalumaLoco]

HOLD THE BOAT (OR TRAIN) EVERYBODY!
I just brought up an email I received from Amtrak just 24 days before our trip began that included schedule changes. Our departure on June 26 went off as indicated on the schedule without a hitch probably because our new room assignment was indicated on that trips manifest despite our tickets indicating differently. Possibly because of that, I had forgotten about the changes that were indicated for July 11th.

When we boarded in Chicago on July 11, things were different for sure. As you can see from the schedule segment below, we were actually rescheduled to be in the 4812 (and again not the 4810 like our tickets indicated) and it is NOW apparent to me what was not apparent before... just what the problem was.

When we were taken to our car, there was no 4810 in the consist and in their checking the manifest our names did not appear in any room, or that showed that we even belonged on the train. It's a good thing that bearer tickets are required or I'd have had no proof that we were issued tickets and to an H room!

To help confuse things even further, the 4812 car that we were legitimately scheduled in already had someone in the H room. Was it accidental double booking of the room? Was it something else? Your guess is as good as mine on that one!

Departure: Chicago (Union Station), Illinois

Saturday July 11, 2009 9:00PM

Arrival: Albany-Rensselaer, New York

Sunday July 12, 2009 2:40PM

Accommodation: Viewliner Accessible Bedroom H In Car 4812

So in the end it does appear to be an Amtrak screw-up, presumably caused because of the LSL scheduling fiasco that went on back in April, which led to the LSL's eastbound manifest error for July 11th.

Many times when there is bad news there is also good news to go along with it. Because of the problem and our ending up in H/4820 we got to meet a sleeper attendant named Mark Parker.

Mark is the type of attendant that we would be happy to have anytime, any train when we are traveling on Amtrak. His service was efficient and good nature and he even got what happened to us on the platform at CHI off my mind without even trying! I'd give Mark two thumbs up for the service, but as for the tip... well he's already gotten all he's getting from me! :lol:

Awww, you had the tickets sent and didn't print them at the station, didn't you? Tsk tsk.

 

[sky12065]

HOLD THE BOAT (OR TRAIN) EVERYBODY!
I just brought up an email I received from Amtrak just 24 days before our trip began that included schedule changes. Our departure on June 26 went off as indicated on the schedule without a hitch probably because our new room assignment was indicated on that trips manifest despite our tickets indicating differently. Possibly because of that, I had forgotten about the changes that were indicated for July 11th.

When we boarded in Chicago on July 11, things were different for sure. As you can see from the schedule segment below, we were actually rescheduled to be in the 4812 (and again not the 4810 like our tickets indicated) and it is NOW apparent to me what was not apparent before... just what the problem was.

When we were taken to our car, there was no 4810 in the consist and in their checking the manifest our names did not appear in any room, or that showed that we even belonged on the train. It's a good thing that bearer tickets are required or I'd have had no proof that we were issued tickets and to an H room!

To help confuse things even further, the 4812 car that we were legitimately scheduled in already had someone in the H room. Was it accidental double booking of the room? Was it something else? Your guess is as good as mine on that one!

Departure: Chicago (Union Station), Illinois

Saturday July 11, 2009 9:00PM

Arrival: Albany-Rensselaer, New York

Sunday July 12, 2009 2:40PM

Accommodation: Viewliner Accessible Bedroom H In Car 4812

So in the end it does appear to be an Amtrak screw-up, presumably caused because of the LSL scheduling fiasco that went on back in April, which led to the LSL's eastbound manifest error for July 11th.

Many times when there is bad news there is also good news to go along with it. Because of the problem and our ending up in H/4820 we got to meet a sleeper attendant named Mark Parker.

Mark is the type of attendant that we would be happy to have anytime, any train when we are traveling on Amtrak. His service was efficient and good nature and he even got what happened to us on the platform at CHI off my mind without even trying! I'd give Mark two thumbs up for the service, but as for the tip... well he's already gotten all he's getting from me! :lol:

Awww, you had the tickets sent and didn't print them at the station, didn't you? Tsk tsk.

Tsk tsk! wrong wrong! In well over 30,000 Amtrak miles I have never ever had any tickets sent to me by mail! I had a voucher and because of that I had the tickets printed at the ALB station on Oct. 8, 2008. If there was no voucher involved I would have paid by CC and wait until about a week or two before travel and stop in at the station for the printing. The stations not that far away for me to do that!

 

[PetalumaLoco]

Tsk tsk! wrong wrong! In well over 30,000 Amtrak miles I have never ever had any tickets sent to me by mail! I had a voucher and because of that I had the tickets printed at the ALB station on Oct. 8, 2008. If there was no voucher involved I would have paid by CC and wait until about a week or two before travel and stop in at the station for the printing. The stations not that far away for me to do that!

My bad!

 

[sky12065]

Tsk tsk! wrong wrong! In well over 30,000 Amtrak miles I have never ever had any tickets sent to me by mail! I had a voucher and because of that I had the tickets printed at the ALB station on Oct. 8, 2008. If there was no voucher involved I would have paid by CC and wait until about a week or two before travel and stop in at the station for the printing. The stations not that far away for me to do that!

My bad!

Did you get spanked yet for it? If not, you're not forgiven until that punishment has been completed! :lol:

 

[Bob Dylan]

Enjoyed the report Joe, had a similar experience a few years agoin the East but thats

another story!Glad the SCAs took good care of yall,on the SSL to LAX the LSA in the diner

made an announcement that the SCAs needed to remembet to take care of their paxs in

the H rooms, that they were starving and needed attention immediately!One of the better LSAs

Ive had the pleasure of meeting(yes Amtrak will receive a cudo from me for her)! Jim

 

[sky12065]

Enjoyed the report Joe, had a similar experience a few years agoin the East but thatsanother story!Glad the SCAs took good care of yall,on the SSL to LAX the LSA in the diner

made an announcement that the SCAs needed to remembet to take care of their paxs in

the H rooms, that they were starving and needed attention immediately!One of the better LSAs

Ive had the pleasure of meeting(yes Amtrak will receive a cudo from me for her)! Jim

Thanks for the comments on my trip report.

As for the comments by the LSA in the diner, we need (as well as the SLA) to remember that it is not primarily the responsibility of the sleeper attendant to solicit the passengers for in-room meal service - especially non H room passengers, but it is our responsibility as users of the H room or others to request the service and not expect it to automatically happen. Besides not all H room users need to have meals in room and may be able to have them elsewhere on the train. I must say though that it does make for a better attendant to inquire with the H room occupant if the service is needed because that shows more care about doing their job as best they can.

Some may disagree with that statement, but in support what I've said I do remember seeing (although I can't remember where at the moment) on the Amtrak website advise that you should make the request for this special service at the time when you are making your reservations. If course this is not mandatory and the request can be made onboard if one forgets or doesn't realize it on booking.

 

[haolerider]

Enjoyed the report Joe, had a similar experience a few years agoin the East but thatsanother story!Glad the SCAs took good care of yall,on the SSL to LAX the LSA in the diner

made an announcement that the SCAs needed to remembet to take care of their paxs in

the H rooms, that they were starving and needed attention immediately!One of the better LSAs

Ive had the pleasure of meeting(yes Amtrak will receive a cudo from me for her)! Jim

Thanks for the comments on my trip report.

As for the comments by the LSA in the diner, we need (as well as the SLA) to remember that it is not primarily the responsibility of the sleeper attendant to solicit the passengers for in-room meal service - especially non H room passengers, but it is our responsibility as users of the H room or others to request the service and not expect it to automatically happen. Besides not all H room users need to have meals in room and may be able to have them elsewhere on the train. I must say though that it does make for a better attendant to inquire with the H room occupant if the service is needed because that shows more care about doing their job as best they can.

Some may disagree with that statement, but in support what I've said I do remember seeing (although I can't remember where at the moment) on the Amtrak website advise that you should make the request for this special service at the time when you are making your reservations. If course this is not mandatory and the request can be made onboard if one forgets or doesn't realize it on booking.

Actually, it is the responsibility of the sleeping car attendant to solicit the passengers for in-room meal service - not only in the H room, but in all accommodations. It is also their responsibility to solict drink orders or anything else the passengers might want. This is all spelled out rather clearly in their standards manual.

 

[sky12065]

Enjoyed the report Joe, had a similar experience a few years agoin the East but thatsanother story!Glad the SCAs took good care of yall,on the SSL to LAX the LSA in the diner

made an announcement that the SCAs needed to remembet to take care of their paxs in

the H rooms, that they were starving and needed attention immediately!One of the better LSAs

Ive had the pleasure of meeting(yes Amtrak will receive a cudo from me for her)! Jim

Thanks for the comments on my trip report.

As for the comments by the LSA in the diner, we need (as well as the SLA) to remember that it is not primarily the responsibility of the sleeper attendant to solicit the passengers for in-room meal service - especially non H room passengers, but it is our responsibility as users of the H room or others to request the service and not expect it to automatically happen. Besides not all H room users need to have meals in room and may be able to have them elsewhere on the train. I must say though that it does make for a better attendant to inquire with the H room occupant if the service is needed because that shows more care about doing their job as best they can.

Some may disagree with that statement, but in support what I've said I do remember seeing (although I can't remember where at the moment) on the Amtrak website advise that you should make the request for this special service at the time when you are making your reservations. If course this is not mandatory and the request can be made onboard if one forgets or doesn't realize it on booking.

Actually, it is the responsibility of the sleeping car attendant to solicit the passengers for in-room meal service - not only in the H room, but in all accommodations. It is also their responsibility to solict drink orders or anything else the passengers might want. This is all spelled out rather clearly in their standards manual.

Seeing that I have never seen, let alone know that there is "standards manual," I'll have to take your word for that! I wonder just how often an SA actually does solicit passengers in rooms other than the H room. I'd bet not often! Even in the H room I haven't always been asked but had to take the responsibility of asking on a few occasions!

On my recent trip I was told by one of the SA's that they are always required to give priority the H room in the area of service. I also have to wonder just how often that doesn't happen! When I've ordered a meal I've been told that it could take awhile because they had several other rooms to take care of, and there can't be several other H rooms! At times we've had to wait up to an hour or more after ordering before we actually got our meals. We've even had to wait like this just to have our order taken.

I would therefore say that IMO that this manual you mention is in reality less of a requirement to be adhered to on a day to day basis and more of a justification tool to be used when disciplinary actions are desired for whatever reason. I've seen it that way with the usage of job descriptions in my career and it would be no surprise if the same practice exists with Amtrak.

Anyway, required or not, I'll take the initiative or responsibility of asking for needed services or making notification upon reservations as suggested and not rely on some "standards manual."

On Edit: In light of what has been stated about SA service above, I want to make clear that for the most part I do give high grades to the service my wife and I have received in the past, and what I have mentioned are only isolated incidents and few in number.