Silver Star has new Café menu and no diner

[AmtrakBlue]

Heading Southward, the routes of the Star and Meteor actually diverge at Selma NC and join up about ½ mile from the station in Savannah. This site... http://asm.transitdocs.com/ ...make it a lot easier to see stuff like that.

nit-picking much?

 

[niemi24s]

Here's an interesting tidbit regarding yield management: The Roomette upcharge for travel this afternoon on the Star from WAS to JAX is $496 and over the entire route is $584. Yet $584 is the high bucket upcharge for the Meteor over its entire route! Does that mean there's a diner on the Star this afternoon or is Amtrack simply charging whatever they think the traffic will bear - regardless of the previously established buckets?

FWIW, the high bucket upcharge for a Roomette on the Star between NYP and MIA was $298 about three weeks ago. Now they want $584? Don't mean to nit-pick, but HOLY COW!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Here's an interesting tidbit regarding yield management: The Roomette upcharge for travel this afternoon on the Star from WAS to JAX is $496 and over the entire route is $584. And $584 is the high bucket upcharge for the Meteor over its entire route! Does that mean there's a diner on the Star this afternoon or is Amtrack simply charging whatever they think the traffic will bear - regardless of the previously established buckets?

It's Winter in Yankee Land and the suckers, er Snowbirds, will pay Amtrak whatever they ask to head to sunny Florida!
Of course most won't know there is No Diner on the Starvation so those that book the Meteor will have a better deal!

Amtrak apologists have chastised those of us that have called this borderline dishonest, so lets just say its shady or slick Marketing. YMMV

 

[Ryan]

Yep. Super Top Sekrit.



Niemi24s, I would think with your extensive knowledge, you'd know what the regular buckets are for each train. Have they changed?

 

[niemi24s]

Niemi24s, I would think with your extensive knowledge, you'd know what the regular buckets are for each train. Have they changed?

Hi Ryan. Last time I did a bucket check on the Star and Meteor was on 29 Jan 2016. Here's what I found a scant 2½ weeks ago:



Maybe it's time to check them again. <sigh> Re-check accomplished, no changes noted for the Star or the Meteor.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Ryan: you know most older people, heck, people, wouldn't book a trip like this if told thee was No Diner on the Starvation.

And some poor souls would still pay the High Bucket to get out of Dodge on the Starvation if the Meteor was SOLD OUT.

Good for Amtrak, but a Rip off for the Customer! YMMV

 

[Ryan]

Here's an interesting tidbit regarding yield management: The Roomette upcharge for travel this afternoon on the Star from WAS to JAX is $496

No it isn't.



Looks like a low bucket to me, and there has been a price increase ($2).

Edit:

(or your data is just off - low bucket coach is off by $2 the other way)

 

[jebr]

Do we know that the phone and station agents aren't informing people of the lack of diner on the Star?

 

[Ryan]

We don't.

niemi24s, you're also introducing different city pairs into your thinking, which can change things in unexpected ways. Here's some analysis er did 5 years ago. I haven't revisited them, but it may be interesting for you to do so:

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/35761-a-look-at-fares-on-the-crescent/

 

[pennyk]

Do we know that the phone and station agents aren't informing people of the lack of diner on the Star?

They are supposed to be informing passengers.

 

[jis]

Do we know that the phone and station agents aren't informing people of the lack of diner on the Star?

They are supposed to be informing passengers.

I have been informed at great length each time to the extent that it almost sounded like they were actively discouraging Sleeper bookings on the Star. So yes we know at least in many cases they are informing people at great length. Since these days I travel exclusively by the Star when I am paying for my trip I do know.

 

[Ryan]

Do we know that the phone and station agents aren't informing people of the lack of diner on the Star?

We don't.

Now we do.

So it's just as Super Top Sekrit on the phone as it is on the website.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Thanks for the update on the Silver Starvation! Good to hear that agents are informing potential riders that there is no Diner on the train, but I still say that charging the same price for the Meteor and Star is dishonest and bad Customer Service! YMMV

 

[pennyk]

I still say that charging the same price for the Meteor and Star is dishonest and bad Customer Service! YMMV

Bob, they are not charging the same price for both trains. I travel on the Silvers quite often and I have never seen the sleepers the same price on both trains for any city pairs.

 

[jis]

In my experience I have never been charged the same as the Meteor on the Star, and even now I tend not to believe what is being claimed. I tend to think that someone misread something.

So Bob, save your blood pressure for something that is really happening as opposed to chimera.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Uncle! Uncle! Thanks to our resident Floridians whom I know to be frequent riders on the Silvers and who I believe!

Still wouldn't want to ride from NYP-MIA without a Diner,especially when the Cafe Car sells crap @ Airport Prices! (even if Amtrak claims there is a New and Improved Cafe Menu, aka a Pig by any other Name is still a Pig!)

To each their own said the Old Maid as she kissed her Cow!

 

[jis]

That's why they have a long stop in Washington, so that I can pick up my dinner from Sbarro's or some such Luckily, I don't eat a huge hot breakfast even in my normal daily life so the absence of that has never bothered me. I often miss it even on trains with Diners (either the breakfast or the lunch, depending on when I wake up). I can happily concoct together something from the Cafe to keep me happy, and I am already where I want to be by lunchtime usually. Similarly in the opposite direction I pick up dinner on the way to Kissimmee to consume on the train. Breakfast as I said . Lunch always is the Amburger and chips or the Pepperoni Pizza and a fruit cup.. So usually I can manage, and then blow the $200 dollars saved taking a few friends to the Chart House in Melbourne.

 

[neroden]

Luckily, I don't eat a huge hot breakfast even in my normal daily life so the absence of that has never bothered me.

Hypoglycemia means my fiancee *has* to eat a high-protein breakfast, or else. I seem to require it as well.

 

[niemi24s]

FYI, while doing searches using AmSnag to check for any Silver Service bucket changes, found a "1092 Silver Star" on AmSnag and Arrow for tomorrow only - and no 92 Silver Star!

 

[keelhauled]

Temporary schedule change due to CSX trackwork.

 

[Ryan]

Note that it leaves an hour later, but takes significantly longer to arrive.

 

[jis]

Luckily, I don't eat a huge hot breakfast even in my normal daily life so the absence of that has never bothered me.

Hypoglycemia means my fiancee *has* to eat a high-protein breakfast, or else. I seem to require it as well.

I had no intention whatsoever of implying whatever works for me would work for anyone else. I am a pretty unique guy after all!

 

[niemi24s]

No it isn't.

Uh-h-h.......yes it was:



This from about 1015am this morning. Looks like I simply captured it before it went away and you made your inquiry. I'm pretty fast on this here keyboard for an old fa fellow. Arrow must have had a spasm. Wonder if it ever had a "below low bucket" spasm?

 

[niemi24s]

Bob, they are not charging the same price for both trains.

Perhaps not generally, but for some unknown period of time ending this morning the Roomette upcharge on the Star for a WAS to JAX trip today was $496...



• $198 higher than the Stars high bucket upcharge of $298 for the entire route and

• Equal to the second-highest Roomette bucket for the Meteor for its entire route.

But methinks Arrow finally passed its blockage and all is well - I think.

FWIW, the Star & Meteor buckets were just checked and no changes were found from what's on the chart in Post #305

 

[niemi24s]

Not that anybody really cares, but here's the top half of the AmSnag query with the $496 Roomette made after reading Benale's Post #299:



It was captured at 1018am EDST this morning. The $496 caught my eye only because I had a paper copy of the bucket chart in Post #305 in front of me.