Acela FC meal question

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Guest234

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Longtime lurker here, first time posting. First, really appreciate the thoughtful discussions on this board. Second, I apologize if this is a redundant question. Tomorrow morning i am taking the Acela from NYP - BBY. I used a Select upgrade to move into FC. The train leaves just after 10:00 AM and gets into BBY at 1:40 PM. Will I be offered breakfast or lunch? Do I get a choice? Many thanks in advance for your info!
 
You'll get two meals going the full route (the food carts are exchanged during the layover in NYP):

WAS to NYP is a Breakfast Train

NYP to BOS is a lunch/dinner train (same menu).

A layover in NYP means you get two meals!
 
George K said:
the_traveler said:
Any train that departs from BOS, NYP or WAS serves breakfast. Any after 11 am serves lunch or dinner (same items). Since you depart NYP at 10 am from NYP, breakfast is served.
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Hmm. I'm traveling WAS to BOS on the Acela. Leaving at 9 AM. Breakfast or lunch?
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The entire trip? Breakfast should be loaded out of DC, and then they will have lunch loaded in as well in NYP.

I can't speak to how WAS based trains work for sure, but in Boston we staff 2151, 2153, 2155 (and corresponding return trains 2168, 2170, and 2172), so I can shed some light on those. 2151 departs BOS at 5:05am, and NYP at 9:00am. This train only has breakfast loaded the entire trip. 2153 departs BOS at 6:15am, and NYP at 10am, and 2155 depart BOS at 7:15am, and NYP at 11am. If memory serves me correctly (and I apologize, it's been months since I've worked the Club Car on 2153), both 2153 and 2155 leave BOS with breakfast, and receive lunch as well in NYP. So you may choose between either lunch or breakfast after NYP, and breakfast only out of WAS.

Enjoy the new menu that just came out on Wednesday! Just worked the Club Car on Thursday and have had a chance to see the menu, and the breakfast is much better. The lunch/dinner can go either way in my opinion, depending on the cycle. But this current cycle is awesome! (Also, we now serve margaritas. ;) )
 
I should add that Sunday I was on 2255 BOS-PHL. It seemed that the FCA's didn't order from the Commissionary at NYP. They were out of almost everything except for 1 or 2 dishes after less then half the car was served. I was in the middle of the car and by the time they got to me they were out of the dish I was going to have.
 
Acela150 said:
I should add that Sunday I was on 2255 BOS-PHL. It seemed that the FCA's didn't order from the Commissionary at NYP. They were out of almost everything except for 1 or 2 dishes after less then half the car was served. I was in the middle of the car and by the time they got to me they were out of the dish I was going to have.
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Just to clarify, NYP for some reason will rarely fill back orders for first class meals. Last week I begged them to bring me 10 cheese trays, and they only brought me 2. They tend to only bring us liquor, beverages, or support items (cups, crackers, condiments, etc).
 
Acela150 said:
I should add that Sunday I was on 2255 BOS-PHL. It seemed that the FCA's didn't order from the Commissionary at NYP. They were out of almost everything except for 1 or 2 dishes after less then half the car was served. I was in the middle of the car and by the time they got to me they were out of the dish I was going to have.
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In my experience, Sundays on Acela FC are always very full. I would say that I am often disappointed and do not get my first choice dish on Sundays.
 
Triley said:
Acela150 said:
I should add that Sunday I was on 2255 BOS-PHL. It seemed that the FCA's didn't order from the Commissionary at NYP. They were out of almost everything except for 1 or 2 dishes after less then half the car was served. I was in the middle of the car and by the time they got to me they were out of the dish I was going to have.
Click to expand...
Just to clarify, NYP for some reason will rarely fill back orders for first class meals. Last week I begged them to bring me 10 cheese trays, and they only brought me 2. They tend to only bring us liquor, beverages, or support items (cups, crackers, condiments, etc).
Click to expand...
You need to have what you need filled in BOS. If you call NYP enroute to back fill, 10 cheese trays or any food item and they only bring you 2 cheese trays it is because that is all they could fill. You are lucky you got those. They don't have to bring you anything. They are set up at all locations to fill, not back fill food. Of course they can bring non perishables like liquor, beverages and

cups........ those don't have to be prepared.
 
Guest said:
Triley said:
Acela150 said:
I should add that Sunday I was on 2255 BOS-PHL. It seemed that the FCA's didn't order from the Commissionary at NYP. They were out of almost everything except for 1 or 2 dishes after less then half the car was served. I was in the middle of the car and by the time they got to me they were out of the dish I was going to have.
Click to expand...
Just to clarify, NYP for some reason will rarely fill back orders for first class meals. Last week I begged them to bring me 10 cheese trays, and they only brought me 2. They tend to only bring us liquor, beverages, or support items (cups, crackers, condiments, etc).
Click to expand...
You need to have what you need filled in BOS. If you call NYP enroute to back fill, 10 cheese trays or any food item and they only bring you 2 cheese trays it is because that is all they could fill. You are lucky you got those. They don't have to bring you anything. They are set up at all locations to fill, not back fill food. Of course they can bring non perishables like liquor, beverages and

cups........ those don't have to be prepared.
Click to expand...
I am aware of how backordering works, as I've placed more than my fairshare. Just so you know, in the example I gave from last week it was involving a train from DC to Boston, and we saw over 70 passengers in first class over the course of the trip (with several passengers on-board for prior to NYP who stayed with us to NHV or further, so being entitled to a second meal), yet we had no more than 65 meals loaded. I was simply trying to make sure that everyone was fed and taken care of to the best of my abilities, and nothing less. So please do not try to lecture me on how they don't have to bring me anything, because I know and understand that. I know Aramark has a limited supply, and they don't even make them themselves (in NY they get trucked over from LGA). I was only trying to let Acela150 know that the crew on 2255 may have tried to place a backorder, and Aramark said no or said okay and simply didn't show up trainside. That's all.

And I called out NYP specifically on this issue because it is the only place I will attempt to backorder first class meals from, because the passenger load on Acela trains is highly volatile and passenger loads can more than double by the time we travel from BOS to NYP, for example. And then some won't eat, but they'll go through liquor quickly, etc. Some may ask for the cheese tray and something heavy later. Some may taste one meal option and not like it, and require another. So in other words, it's impossible to know ahead of time what to attempt to order extras of for first class, prior to departure from the origin. Not to mention it was only day two of the new menu, so I hadn't worked with it yet and seen what items are the ones to go more quickly than others.
 
Acela150 said:
attachicon.gif
ImageUploadedByAmtrak Forum1430513226.252624.jpg

The latest and greatest in Amtrak Cuts. This one peeves me a bit. The price one pays for that upgrade to get bagged snacks.
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I've never liked their "snack" but that was a personal preference. This one appears to be an affront to good taste.
 
The original snacks on Acela were actually quite tasty. While it was still a nut mix, they were first warmed in the convection oven, before being served to the passengers. Things have only gone downhill since then. :(
 
Triley said:
Last week I begged them to bring me 10 cheese trays, and they only brought me 2.
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Would the request for 10 cheese trays, or 10 of any single item, be considered reasonable enough that the Service Attendant would actual be expected to honor it?
 
Guest said:
Triley said:
Last week I begged them to bring me 10 cheese trays, and they only brought me 2.
Click to expand...
Would the request for 10 cheese trays, or 10 of any single item, be considered reasonable enough that the Service Attendant would actual be expected to honor it?
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This poster is a service attendant. S/he was requesting more stock because s/he was running out of items.
 
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