Amtrak Dining and Cafe Service discussion 2024 H1

[CHImdw1522]

I hate flex meals. Flex was introduced to avoid too much contact during the covid crisis. That Flex is still being used today is not acceptable for two reasons:

1. Passengers can opt to eat in their roomettes / rooms if they want to.
2. The cost of roomettes and bedrooms is going up and up.

Amtrak beginning to offer Flex meal service in the dining car on plates and tablecloths with flowers on some routes is a step in the right direction - but not enough - for the above reasons. It would be even better if roomette / bedroom patrons could choose from the cafe menu as well, but still not really acceptable.

Fortunately, I am a leisure traveler. I choose to avoid routes that offer flex meals. If I need to travel on these routes, I fly in coach class. Flying on these routes - not especially known for sightseeing - is a cheaper, faster choice. Thus, Amtrak loses my fare!

 

[zephyr17]

Flex was introduced to avoid too much contact during the covid crisis.

Actually Flex was introduced well before COVID during the tenure of the infamous Richard Anderson. First called "contemporary dining" with cold entrees, then shifting to "Flexible dining" with reheated airline food, it was intended as a cost saving measure disguised with marketing campaign that made a dubious case that "millenials" somehow preferred zapped airline food they could eat by themselves over regular meals with community seating.

Flex was extended to the western trains as a COVID response at least partly because it allowed less staff (an LSA and a heater-upper) in the close confines of a dining car. However, most of the trains where it was specifically a COVID measure on have now gone back to traditional dining, the poor Eagle and the CONO being exceptions and still on Flex. The other trains retaining Flex currently are the eastern LDs that were on Flex prior to COVID.

 

[Maglev]

Actually Flex was introduced well before COVID

I had pre-cooked food in an Amfleet Dinette when I rode the Broadway Limited in May, 1994. From the May 1, 1994 National Timetable Services listing for that train:

"Dining Car--Tray meal table service. (Full dining car service has been temporarily replaced with tray meal service. We hope to restore full dining service later this year.)"

 

[zephyr17]

I had pre-cooked food in an Amfleet Dinette when I rode the Broadway Limited in May, 1994. From the May 1, 1994 National Timetable Services listing for that train:

"Dining Car--Tray meal table service. (Full dining car service has been temporarily replaced with tray meal service. We hope to restore full dining service later this year.)"

I think that was probably what they ultimately ended up calling Diner Lite. The Cardinal had it, and the Lake Shore after it got its Heritage diners pulled. It wasn't the same as Flex. At least as it was handled on the Lake Shore, it wasn't bad at all and better than Flex.