Marketing/Promoting Amtrak

[bms]

Cafe Car alone would be better than the current setup, but one Cafe Car LSA could not feed a packed California Zephyr, Lake Shore Limited, etc. I do think Amtrak wants to get rid of the dining car, but they should have come up with that plan before ordering a bunch of dining cars.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Cafe Car alone would be better than the current setup, but one Cafe Car LSA could not feed a packed California Zephyr, Lake Shore Limited, etc. I do think Amtrak wants to get rid of the dining car, but they should have come up with that plan before ordering a bunch of dining cars.

Does the lake shore typically have more passengers than the silver star? (In normal times obviously, who knows what the numbers are now).

 

[bms]

Does the lake shore typically have more passengers than the silver star? (In normal times obviously, who knows what the numbers are now).

Good point, looks like the annual numbers of passengers are similar for each train. I have never taken the Star, I wonder how that works. The Lake Shore is packed around the holidays and in the summer with very long consists, at those times the Cafe Car usually has long lines even with the dining car also in service.

 

[TrackWalker]

Here is a great example of Amtrak promoting itself about 12 years ago....at Seatac airport!

 

[Cal]

Here is a great example of Amtrak promoting itself about 12 years ago....at Seatac airport!

I like it!

 

[Cal]

Also!

An AMENITY kit for sleepers, or at LEAST people travelling in the bedroom.

It would at least include the following:
-Water Bottlee
-Slippers
-Eye Mask
-Earbuds
-Route Guide

Extra Items that would be Ideal:
-A small snack (pretzels, nuts, whatever)
-Some small wet wipes


Would be a great touch!

 

[njdon]

Also!

An AMENITY kit for sleepers, or at LEAST people travelling in the bedroom.

It would at least include the following:
-Water Bottlee
-Slippers
-Eye Mask
-Earbuds
-Route Guide

Extra Items that would be Ideal:
-A small snack (pretzels, nuts, whatever)
-Some small wet wipes


Would be a great touch!

I think I remember an amenity kit on the Empire Builder some years ago

 

[me_little_me]

Amtrak has terrible marketing. Reminds me of the company I worked for, when it was buying out another company. Our upper level management said the other company had products and expertise that would help us and we would be bringing our marketing expertise to the table. We field employees could only cringe because we saw how poor our marketing was and how much business we lost because of it. Of course, the buyout ended up as a disaster as two companies each with about a third of the market ended up being one company with a third of the market - and the market was shrinking, not growing. Management rewarded itself for their brilliance while those of us who were left were thankful we still had jobs. Shortly thereafter, I got rewarded because I took early retirement.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

The Parlour car showed a proper service can be done for sleeper passengers with minimal labor. How much $$ would be required to bring back Brain Rosenwald or someone similar as a consultant to right the ship. My guess not much, the right person has to have passion and the desire to see others enjoyment in their product. The corporate bean counters Amtrak have now will never “get it”. New management needs to hire someone like Rosemwald and leave them the blank alone to do their job.

What you are describing worked rather well when it was introduced in the late stage of privately run passenger service.

A while ago I described the Northern Pacific's deli buffet service on Train 408 (Lunch) and Train 407 (Supper). Train 408 was an ancestor of Amtrak Train 11, carrying the SEA>OAK sleepers. It took one person in the kitchen and one person at the counter, carrying meals for people who needed help and cleaning up. At peaks there was an extra board attendant doing the cleaning/clearing. On my last ride on the NP, going home for Christmas leave in 1968, the counter man was pleased that the GI's cleared their own tables! With a kitchen crew of one they provided fresh sandwiches, soups and salads. I think desserts were packaged (I know ice cream specialties were.).

It seemed that the customers liked it even though it had a smaller crew than the full dining car that it replaced. And it was the same size crew as on the much-hated SP Automat cars.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I think I remember an amenity kit on the Empire Builder some years ago

The Starlight had them also! ( the last one I saw was on the Cap Ltd.in the Fall of 2018)

The best ones I ever received were by VIA on the Canadian and the overnight Train from Montreal to Toronto.

 

[20th Century Rider]

Fully agree that if food is included, and the quality is not up to snuff, complaints are justified.

While debundling food from the cost of a sleeper ticket would remove some of the gripe, reasonable quality food options are still a basic necessity on longer trips regardless of how they're paid for. If the food is bad enough that I won't eat it regardless of the price, I won't take the train if the trip is long enough that I need on board food. Admittedly, the couple times I've had the flex meals I've found them to be okay if not amazing, but it's been a couple years and on at least one of them I had the option for the cold charcuterie tray, which at least had relatively fresh elements to it.

Personally, knowing the history of bunding food into the sleeper fare (basically ensuring there's enough demand to justify food service beyond a cafe car,) I don't think debundling it will cause food service to get significantly better - if anything, it seems more likely that we'll be stuck with cafe car food alone. I'd much rather focus on making sure the food that's served is high-quality than to try and remove included meals from sleeper tickets.

Do like what you said and believe we all can agree with the most important issue of improving food quality.

It is important to note that when the flex dining concept first came out, it was a far better quality than what is offered now. For example, like you, I enjoyed the cold charcuterie tray several times... the food was fresh and tasty, and the balsa box it came in had some other delights as well. It also came with a green cloth reusable carrying bag... and there was a toilet kit in the room as part of the concept. Nice! But that's all gone now.

Fair to say we are all in agreement with the need to improve food... and that continuing to cost it into the price of the sleeper ticket can be beneficial to the traveler... and beyond the basics of making it more acceptable, give it a little flair... as is seen on all modes of first class transportation. Happy to pay more for that feeling of joyful contentment that good food brings to an enjoyable journey!

As the old saying goes... "If you want to throw a dance, you gotta pay the band!"

https://thegingerguy.com/blog/2017/9/18/virgin-trains-1st-class
https://www.insider.com/first-class-train-photos

 

[20th Century Rider]

The Starlight had them also! ( the last one I saw was on the Cap Ltd.in the Fall of 2018)

The best ones I ever received were by VIA on the Canadian and the overnight Train from Montreal to Toronto.

Amtrak has had amenity kits several times in it's history... including on the eastern trains when it first started the 'flex meal' concept. Why not bring them back again!

 

[20th Century Rider]

The Parlour car showed a proper service can be done for sleeper passengers with minimal labor. How much $$ would be required to bring back Brain Rosenwald or someone similar as a contractor to right the ship. My guess not much, the right person has to have passion and the desire to see others enjoyment in their product. The corporate bean counters Amtrak have now will never “get it”. New management needs to hire someone like Rosemwald and leave them the blank alone to do their job.

Amtrak took off this appreciated and much loved rail car to cut costs. But management can't have it both ways! If raise prices and cut service at the same time don't expect passenger loyalty to continue. First the 'bean counters' removed the complementary' from the wine and cheese tasting and started charging for it. Then they removed it entirely. Then they just took off the parlor car and no longer was first class travel on the CS any different than from any other train. And the restaurant menu in the diner became monotonously standard for all restaurant cars... before that was downgraded further on Eastern routes; then finally done away with entirely during the pandemic.

The parlor car was coveted by all Amtrak sleeper car passengers who took the CS!

 

[crescent-zephyr]

The Starlight had them also! ( the last one I saw was on the Cap Ltd.in the Fall of 2018)

The best ones I ever received were by VIA on the Canadian and the overnight Train from Montreal to Toronto.

Yes I received the Amtrak kits on both the Builder and the Starlight as well.

The Amtrak kits came in a nice cloth bag.

When I ride the Canadian, the contents were of similar quality, but they were delivered in a plastic VIA rail shopping bag so I would say the Amtrak kit was the winner.

Actually, Amtrak even wins over Pullman Rail Journeys who also delivered amenities in a paper gift bag. But those custom Pullman soaps.... priceless!

 

[me_little_me]

The Starlight had them also! ( the last one I saw was on the Cap Ltd.in the Fall of 2018)

The best ones I ever received were by VIA on the Canadian and the overnight Train from Montreal to Toronto.

I still remember a few years ago, sleeper passengers on the Crescent for a short time, had cards welcoming them aboard already placed in their room. Cost virtually nothing but added a lot to, what I had hoped Amtrak was changing to, at least make it look like they cared about their customers.

 

[Sidney]

I was on the EB last month and there were welcoming signs at our rooms. Our attendant also put out chocolates and other snacks in the area where coffee used to be available. I don't remember her name,but I thanked her for that extra touch. Sleeping car attendants range from caring and doing little extras to ones you only see when you board the train and leave it.

 

[jpakala]

One concern I have about abandoning table service is the roughness of the ride. How dining car staff managed to avoid disasters was always amazing, but they well learned the tricks. The traveling public needs both hands free even walking down a coach aisle when a rough switch or crossing or whatever is hit, if not other times as well.

 

[tricia]

Amtrak has had amenity kits several times in it's history... including on the eastern trains when it first started the 'flex meal' concept. Why not bring them back again!

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I'm gonna dissent here. Amtrak already generates WAY too much waste, and most of what's in these (and most other) amenity kits is going to be discarded unused.

My queasiness about flex meals isn't just about the food either--the amount of single-use plastic packaging involved is appalling.

 

[20th Century Rider]

I'm gonna dissent here. Amtrak already generates WAY too much waste, and most of what's in these (and most other) amenity kits is going to be discarded unused.

My queasiness about flex meals isn't just about the food either--the amount of single-use plastic packaging involved is appalling.

Those amenity kits came in reusable containers... and I found all the contents useful. Still have the container and use it when traveling. And... rarely have I ever ever seen any such unused amenities discarded. They are extremely handy and useful when traveling... especially the sewing kit for buttons etc. I gave one away as a gift to a friend and it was really appreciated. This added a little 'class' to the trip and I am hoping they will bring them back!☺

The greater issue was when Amtrak went to using plastic ware for all its food services... and as confirmed by Amtrak management... none of it is recycled and all just goes to landfill. BTW before they took off the CS parlor car they were serving meals on real china.

Pics of an amenity kit saved... which is a momento of the trip and has value!

 

[Willbridge]

Amtrak took off this appreciated and much loved rail car to cut costs. But management can't have it both ways! If raise prices and cut service at the same time don't expect passenger loyalty to continue. First the 'bean counters' removed the complementary' from the wine and cheese tasting and started charging for it. Then they removed it entirely. Then they just took off the parlor car and no longer was first class travel on the CS any different than from any other train. And the restaurant menu in the diner became monotonously standard for all restaurant cars... before that was downgraded further on Eastern routes; then finally done away with entirely during the pandemic.

The parlor car was coveted by all Amtrak sleeper car passengers who took the CS!

It also was a reason to pay for Business Class in the 2+2 seating Superliner version.

 

[joelkfla]

Those amenity kits came in reusable containers... and I found all the contents useful. Still have the container and use it when traveling. And... rarely have I ever ever seen any such unused amenities discarded. They are extremely handy and useful when traveling... especially the sewing kit for buttons etc. I gave one away as a gift to a friend and it was really appreciated. This added a little 'class' to the trip and I am hoping they will bring them back!☺

The greater issue was when Amtrak went to using plastic ware for all its food services... and as confirmed by Amtrak management... none of it is recycled and all just goes to landfill. BTW before they took off the CS parlor car they were serving meals on real china.

Pics of an amenity kit saved... which is a momento of the trip and has value!

View attachment 20881

View attachment 20883

View attachment 20882

For what did you use the shower bonnet?

 

[20th Century Rider]

For what did you use the shower bonnet?

Comes in handy to wrap climbing clamps in so they stay in one place. Clamps come in handy for hanging bags etc. on hangers at your seat or in your room. When on the road it is helpful to make use out of gadgets.

 

[20th Century Rider]

I was on the EB last month and there were welcoming signs at our rooms. Our attendant also put out chocolates and other snacks in the area where coffee used to be available. I don't remember her name,but I thanked her for that extra touch. Sleeping car attendants range from caring and doing little extras to ones you only see when you board the train and leave it.

There is such variance in the abilities and attitudes of attendance... and conversely to how good this one was, I had an attendant on that train who rolled his eyes when I requested to have meals in the room. It was mid winter and there was hardly anyone in that sleeper car. He could be found in room 1 across from the coffee playing games on his computer.

When he brought me the meals he often got everything wrong... no salad dressing, no drink, melted ice cream on the bottom of the bag under the hot entre. Of course I didn't tip and complained... but if I ever see this guy again, I will go directly to the conductor and ask to switch to a different car.

 

[flitcraft]

For what did you use the shower bonnet?

I like to use them at home when I'm taking a shower and don't want to have to wash and dry my hair. And, on the road, I carry them to stash my portable umbrella in after a rain shower--so that the other things in my day bag don't get soaked.

 

[20th Century Rider]

I like to use them at home when I'm taking a shower and don't want to have to wash and dry my hair. And, on the road, I carry them to stash my portable umbrella in after a rain shower--so that the other things in my day bag don't get soaked.

And for these and so many other reasons... Amtrak needs to honor their loyal first class customers who are willing to pay more for a little pampering... bring back those comfort packs!