No more free pillows on Amtrak (coach)

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calwatch

calwatch

Lead Service Attendant
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Nov 28, 2010
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$8 (without tax) for the below doesn't seem too bad, although the quality is probably such that it will work maybe five or six times before being less than effective. The pillow service has always been inconsistent anyway. You can get Ikea pillows for 99 cents on sale (or $2 normally) and use them as disposable pillows, which are going to be better.

http://www.narprail.org/news/hotline/2319-hotline-819-july-12-2013

—Effective August 1, Amtrak will no longer provide free pillows to overnight coach passengers on any long-distance train.

Instead, a “Passenger Comfort Kit” (pictured below) will be available for purchase in the café car for $8.00 on all long-distance trains including the Auto Train. The kit will include an inflatable pillow, earplugs, eye mask and blanket, and will be marketed as a keepsake.
 
I always brought my own anyway. Those tiny pillows are a joke. I was pleasantly surprised when we took a sleeper for the first time and got real pillows.
 
Calling attention of all the Amtrak-defenders on this forum who used to finger point at airlines for nickel-and-diming on everything.. all quiet now? :ph34r:
 
I've always thought that the term nickel and diming applied to things you can't do without, like pay toilets on airliners.

Removing pillows that rarely appeared in the first place doesn't really fit, to me. Plus they're not really charging you for those terrible, probably filthy little things anyhow.
 
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No problems here as I'd buy one just for the blanket, especially if it has the Amtrak logo on it. As is more experienced riders already bring their own pillow, shunning the tiny Ampillow. I'll check it out in a couple weeks.
 
I'm going to disagree and say I'm not a fan. Sure, the pillows are small, but there are some instances when it was nice to just have a pillow available. For example, I've done EB runs from MSP to SCD, and it was nice to have that small pillow to take a quick nap. I really don't want to lug a pillow there. (Plus, when I go to the Gathering I don't really want to bring a pillow with, but I don't get into SCD until 12:40 AM and would like to nap...more luggage, bleh.)
 
This is the same package sold by US Airways, except US sells it for $7.

Rest easy with the US Airways Power-Nap Sack $7

Our black mesh bag contains everything you need to relax in flight, including a cozy fleece blanket, a soft-to-the-touch inflatable neck pillow, eyeshades and 3M earplugs.
 
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The small Amtrak pillow is not very useful. You can take a rolled up t-shirt and get more of a pillow than that small thing.

I am not sure how an inflatable neck pillow would be. I would think for a few dollars more a real neck pillow would be much better.
 
Sleepers still get a pillow? Hey I think I will pack extra little pillows.
 
In pre Amtrak days, most railroads charged for the use of pillows in coach. The attendant would walk through the coaches at major stops offering pillows for something like $.25 or $.50. They were actual standard feather pillows and the attended would put a freshly laundered pillow case on the pillow before they handed them to you. Pillows were offered on nearly every train even those with no Sleeping cars. The pillows were alway clean and fresh and comfortable. No one complained about the charge because you could always decline.
 
doesn't seem that bad. better then the blankets they were selling before for $15. My only question, is anything else Amtrak branded besides the bag? I have the older $15 Chevron logo blanket & wouldn't mind getting the new blue one pictured, if it had the Travelscape logo on it,

peter
 
jphjaxfl said:
In pre Amtrak days, most railroads charged for the use of pillows in coach. The attendant would walk through the coaches at major stops offering pillows for something like $.25 or $.50. They were actual standard feather pillows and the attended would put a freshly laundered pillow case on the pillow before they handed them to you. Pillows were offered on nearly every train even those with no Sleeping cars. The pillows were alway clean and fresh and comfortable. No one complained about the charge because you could always decline.
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I remember that....in fact, even Greyhound Lines offered a similar service back then. They had a concession located in major terminals across the country operated by a 'Gordon's Pillow Service'. Their agents would come aboard overnite coaches and rent pillows to passengers, They would board morning arrivals to retrieve them for the laundry....

Personally, I find the built-in headrests on Amtrak seats sufficient to sleep comfortably, but then, I am probably an exception, as I can fall asleep outside on a slab of concrete, with the sun at high noon, using only my arm as a pillow..... :D
 
railiner said:
Personally, I find the built-in headrests on Amtrak seats sufficient to sleep comfortably, but then, I am probably an exception, as I can fall asleep outside on a slab of concrete, with the sun at high noon, using only my arm as a pillow..... :D
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On Amfleet cars I would say that is true. On Superliners, I found that it wasn't enough. The pillow Amtrak gave me was useless. I had a sweatshirt I rolled up and used as a pillow.
 
Hasn't every domestic airline gotten rid of free pillows and blankets in economy class? I know that in the case of American, the motivation was mainly to free up overhead bin space.
 
PerRock said:
doesn't seem that bad. better then the blankets they were selling before for $15. My only question, is anything else Amtrak branded besides the bag? I have the older $15 Chevron logo blanket & wouldn't mind getting the new blue one pictured, if it had the Travelscape logo on it,
peter
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Some of the eyeshades I have received in sleepers on Amtrak western LD trains have the Amtrak logo on them.

With these comfort kits for sale in the lounge car, I expect many of the trips will sell out on the first night. So, if you want one, best to purchase as soon as you board the train.

I always carry my own comfort kit, which includes a read pillow plus all of the other stuff in this advert, whenever I travel overnight in Amtrak coach.
 
xyzzy said:
Hasn't every domestic airline gotten rid of free pillows and blankets in economy class? I know that in the case of American, the motivation was mainly to free up overhead bin space.
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Nope, but its hit-or-miss now. In the past six months I have received complimentary pillow and blanket on United (IAD-SFO), blanket on JetBlue (SFO-BOS redeye) and blanket on Delta (SFO-MSP redeye).
 
benjibear said:
railiner said:
Personally, I find the built-in headrests on Amtrak seats sufficient to sleep comfortably, but then, I am probably an exception, as I can fall asleep outside on a slab of concrete, with the sun at high noon, using only my arm as a pillow..... :D
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On Amfleet cars I would say that is true. On Superliners, I found that it wasn't enough. The pillow Amtrak gave me was useless. I had a sweatshirt I rolled up and used as a pillow.
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Yeah, I kinda have to balance my arm against the window frame to get it in the sweet spot for using my arm as a pillow.
 
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