"Prepared" but Amtrak STILL gigged me on sleeper meal

[cirdan]

According to your post above, that would also exclude a husband and wife and their 6 month old baby. (What you said was 2 seats for 3 people doesn't cut it - even though the 6 month old will always be held and sleep in the same berth as one of the parents!)

Does the dining car serve meals to 6 month old babies?

 

[cirdan]

Spoke w/ CS this afternoon, they have issued me a $40.00 travel voucher. I'm satisfied.

Pleased to hear that.

A pity it was so complicated.

 

[cirdan]

It doesn't matter what the LSA *thinks* , they are wrong and at fault.

It's not the fine print either, it's quite obvious and, not only that, it's standard procedure and there is not excuse for no following it.

There are times, and this is certainly one, where being reasonable takes persistence over procedures and the manual. That is what an intelligent person would conclude.

No where else in Amtrak, is two or more people assigned to sit in one seat. Not even in lower priced coach. One seat = one person is the rule-of-thumb. And anyone looking at a roomette would see simply two seats (and not all that wide of a seat).

There is no excuse to follow something you know is dead-set wrong. I applaud the LSA for taking the high road and using his/her brain. More people should do that.

There are two seats and a pull down bed in a roomette. It's very easy for three people to occupy a roomette - especially 2 kids and an adult. When sleeping, not too hard to get two kids to sleep in opposite directions.

There is nothing "dead-set wrong" about this policy.

Depends on the age of the kids. A 15 year old is basically adult size, whereas you can fit several 5 five year olds into the same space.

 

[cirdan]

Notice "note" I left for Sandy, the LSA. Unfortunately, I don't think the yellow copy is turned in to anyone. Anyone know?

Nope, the yellow copy is your copy. So if you don't take it with you, the odds are good that it ended up in the trash. Whether that was before or after the LSA saw it of course cannot be determined.

Isn't that carbon paper though, so if you pressed hard enough while writing, what you wrote should be visible on all sheets.

 

[Ryan]

How does that compare to the out of pocket cost for the meals you had to buy?

Spent $12.50 on 3rd pax's lunch, so not bad.

Not bad at all, then.

Still a darn shame that they can't get this right.

 

[rrdude]

Notice "note" I left for Sandy, the LSA. Unfortunately, I don't think the yellow copy is turned in to anyone. Anyone know?

Nope, the yellow copy is your copy. So if you don't take it with you, the odds are good that it ended up in the trash. Whether that was before or after the LSA saw it of course cannot be determined.

Isn't that carbon paper though, so if you pressed hard enough while writing, what you wrote should be visible on all sheets.

Except the yellow copy is the LAST copy, one isn't given a chance to sign the top, white copy, except when filling in the car #, room #' and sgnature. At that point, I didn't know the LSA would be charging me.

btw, the rep in customer relations, (took 15 minutes wait time) was stunned that the LSA did what she did.

 

[OBS]

Notice "note" I left for Sandy, the LSA. Unfortunately, I don't think the yellow copy is turned in to anyone. Anyone know?

Nope, the yellow copy is your copy. So if you don't take it with you, the odds are good that it ended up in the trash. Whether that was before or after the LSA saw it of course cannot be determined.

Isn't that carbon paper though, so if you pressed hard enough while writing, what you wrote should be visible on all sheets.

Except the yellow copy is the LAST copy, one isn't given a chance to sign the top, white copy, except when filling in the car #, room #' and sgnature. At that point, I didn't know the LSA would be charging me.

btw, the rep in customer relations, (took 15 minutes wait time) was stunned that the LSA did what she did.

Unfortunately, I bet the rep's in C/R are stunned by a lot of things they hear...LOL

 

[VentureForth]

I think that this is one of those situations where a call to CS WHILE YOU'RE ON THE TRAIN could have resulted in immediate retraining and resolution.

 

[MiRider]

I think that this is one of those situations where a call to CS WHILE YOU'RE ON THE TRAIN could have resulted in immediate retraining and resolution.

I plan on doing that in the future if any problems arise but I doubt that they'll contact the Conductor or LSA en route - they absolutely should, imo.

If anyone knows of an instance where that has happened, I'd really like to hear about it.

Has anyone had any luck complaining with a Twitter or FB post?

All I ever see is a response telling the poster to 'contact customer service at 1-800-USA-RAIL' .

 

[rrdude]

Had I been alone, n not with two teenagers who were JUST STARTING the first day of a five day trip, I wud have pushed it more. But I didn't want to make them feel uncomortable. As it was, there MAY have been some onboard training anyway, since at dinner, we did not have a repeat. Actually, I did call the AGR line while on board, but they ssid I'd have to contact Customer Relations, and that, by experience, is usually a long(er) phone wait

 

[rrdude]

Bonus to leaving my laptop: Am now earning 200 points for a BWI-WAS RT, to retrieve said computing device.

Looks like they have a few pillows left over in Chicago......

But best of all? Home safe-N-sound!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Guess theyll be using the Coach pillows for lots of other stuff stuff after Aug. 1st! The Good SCAs can add Pillows to their Duct Tape and Tool Kits they use to fix bad ordered stuff on the yet to be rehabbed Sleepers!

 

[Aaron]

According to your post above, that would also exclude a husband and wife and their 6 month old baby. (What you said was 2 seats for 3 people doesn't cut it - even though the 6 month old will always be held and sleep in the same berth as one of the parents!)

Does the dining car serve meals to 6 month old babies?

If you bought a ticket for the baby, then yes, the baby would be entitled to the meal and dining staff should serve the baby. Moot point, however, since a child under two doesn't require a ticket, so you'd be dumb to buy the ticket for them in the first place. I guess if you really wanted to get that meal you would, but it would in almost instances be cheaper to just buy the meal.

 

[Eris]

Sorry to dredge this thread up again, but since it made me a titch nervous when I read it a couple of weeks ago, being about to book myself and two children into a roomette on the Coast Starlight, I wanted to give a little unasked for followup- we are southbound on the #11, and have had no issues whatsoever in the dining car for the three meals we've had thus far. Indeed, our server this morning, when my 8 year old couldn't decide between the adult and the child portion of french toast, chose the adult portion for her.

 

[Ryan]

Excellent.

Glad to hear that your crew is able to follow the rules.

 

[TVRM610]

Thanks for the report. Glad to hear this too. Both times this year I've ridden the Starlight I've had rude dining car crews but wonderful PPC and Sleeper attendants. Sounds like you found a good diner crew!