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Silver Star: Sleeper fare/food service test (complete)


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#1 KevinKorell

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Posted 13 April 2015 - 10:33 AM


 


Silver Star Trains 91 & 92 Sleeping Car Fare and Food Service Test



Effective July 1, 2015 - January 31, 2016

 

Amtrak will test a new service aboard the Silver Star from July 1, 2015, through January 31, 2016, that will allow passengers to pay less to upgrade from coach class to our popular sleeping car accommodations. All meal service for sleeping car and coach passengers will be provided in the Café/Lounge car, where passengers can purchase a selection of hot and cold sandwiches, snacks and other items. The Café/Lounge menu is shown at right and is also available on Amtrak.com. During the test period, traditional dining car service will not be provided.

 

Amtrak will examine customer reaction and market demand for this experimental service.


 

Lower Cost Sleeping Car Accommodations

 

This test will allow passengers to pay less to upgrade from coach class to our popular sleeping car accommodations. Traditionally, Amtrak has bundled the cost of Dining car meals into the charge for the sleeping car accommodations. Under this experiment, these costs will be “un-bundled” to allow passengers to travel the New York-Orlando-Tampa/Miami route in a sleeping car at a lower cost.

 

Passengers will continue to have the option of choosing traditional dining car service aboard the Silver Meteor (Trains 97 & 98), which operates along much of the Silver Star route. Dining car meals aboard the Silver Meteor are included in the sleeping car upgrade charge.


 

Sleeping Car Amenities

 

Passengers with sleeping car accommodations will continue to have complimentary coffee, chilled water and juices, along with meals delivered to their rooms, upon request, turn-down service for their bedrooms and roomettes, private restrooms and access to shower facilities. At stations with ClubAcela®, Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge® or similar services, sleeping car passengers will also continue to have same-day lounge access and pre-boarding privileges.

 

Amtrak is launching this initiative to evaluate the operational cost savings and customer satisfaction of operating an overnight train at a lower fare and without a dining car. Amtrak will continue to explore ways to provide food and beverage service at lower cost.

Reservation and train status information is available on http://Amtrak.com/  , our free mobile apps and at 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245). Thank you for choosing Amtrak.

 



Kevin Korell


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#2 CNJRoss

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Posted 14 April 2015 - 07:08 AM

Amtrak news release, 4/13:

 

AMTRAK LOWERS SLEEPING CAR FARES TO FLORIDA
Travel in a sleeper, for less, overnight between New York and Miami

 

WASHINGTON -- Amtrak will offer passengers a lower-cost option for travel in our popular sleeping cars on one of our routes between New York and Miami. This offer will be available for travel between July 1 until the end of January 2016 on the Amtrak Silver Star (Trains 91 & 92), which operates daily between New York City and Orlando/Miami, via Washington, D.C., Columbia, S.C., and Tampa, Fla.

 

Traditionally, Amtrak has bundled the cost of dining car meals into its charge for the sleeping car. Under this pilot program, these costs will be un-bundled to allow passengers to travel at a lower cost between the northeast, mid-Atlantic and Florida.

 

All food service will be provided in a Café/Lounge car instead of a dining car. Passengers can purchase a selection of hot and cold sandwiches, snacks and other items in the Café.

 

Passengers will continue to have the option of choosing traditional dining car service aboard the Amtrak Silver Meteor (Trains 97 & 98), which duplicates much of the Silver Star route. Dining car meals aboard the Silver Meteor are included in the sleeping car charge.

 

Passengers with sleeping car accommodations on all Amtrak trains with sleeping car services, including the Star and Meteor, are provided complimentary morning coffee, chilled water and juices, meals delivered to their rooms upon request, turn-down service for their bedrooms and roomettes, private restrooms and access to shower facilities. At stations with ClubAcela®, sleeping car passengers also have same-day lounge access and pre-boarding privileges.

 

“Customers have been clear they want more options,” said Mark Murphy, Amtrak Senior Vice President and General

Manager responsible for the long-distance trains nationally. “From this summer through early next year, passengers will be able to opt for different service levels between our two daily trains to Orlando and Miami.”

 

“We are excited to be able to offer our customers real choice and value,” Murphy added. “And now this route allows you to choose between two services - sleeping cars with a traditional dining car and sleeping cars where you can choose your own meal options.”

 

Savings from typical sleeping car upgrade (“accommodation”) charges during this trial on the Silver Star schedule are between 25 and 28 percent for bedrooms and roomettes, including popular stops such as Orlando, Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale. For example, the charge is about $140 lower for a bedroom and $65 lower for a roomette than previously between New York City and Miami.

 

Since the upgrade charge is based on the size of the sleeping compartment, rather than the number of occupants, cost savings for passengers traveling alone can be significant.

 

Over the next few months, Amtrak will closely watch customer reaction and market response to this service, as well as the cost consequences of this new service concept.

 

The attached Passenger Service Notice includes further details and a copy of the Silver Star menu for the pilot program.

 

 

Online release (.pdf) w/ Passenger Service Notice



#3 KevinKorell

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Posted 13 November 2015 - 12:28 PM

And now by unpopular demand, the "experiment" has been extended another 3 months.


 

Silver Star Trains 91 & 92 - Dining Car Temporarily Removed, Resulting in Lower Cost Sleeping Accommodations Option

 

 


Effective through April 30, 2016

 

Through April 30, 2016, the Dining Car will be removed from the Silver Star, and all meals for Sleeping Car and Coach passengers can be purchased in the Café/Lounge car, which offers a selection of hot and cold sandwiches, snacks and other items. See the Silver Star Cafe Menu for available offerings.


 

Lower Cost Sleeping Car Accommodations

 

During this test, passengers will pay less for our popular Sleeping Car accommodations aboard the Silver Star. Traditionally, Amtrak has bundled the cost of Dining Car meals into the charge for the Sleeping Car accommodations. Under this experiment, these costs will be "un-bundled" to allow passengers to travel the New York-Orlando-Tampa/Miami route in a Sleeping Car at a lower cost.

 

Passengers will continue to have the option of choosing traditional Dining Car service aboard the Silver Meteor (Trains 97 & 98), which operates along much of the Silver Star route. Dining Car meals aboard the Silver Meteor are included in the Sleeping Car upgrade charge.


 

Sleeping Car Amenities

 

Passengers with Sleeping Car accommodations will continue to have complimentary coffee, chilled water and juices, turn-down service for their bedrooms and roomettes, private restrooms and access to shower facilities. Upon request, attendants will provide in room or at seat service for purchases from the Café/Lounge Car. At stations with ClubAcela,

 

Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge or similar services, Sleeping Car passengers will also continue to have same-day lounge access and pre-boarding privileges.

 

Amtrak is launching this initiative as a test to evaluate the operational cost savings and customer satisfaction of operating an overnight train at a lower fare and without a Dining Car, and will examine customer reaction and market demand for this service. Amtrak will continue to explore ways to provide food and beverage service at lower cost.

 

Reservation is available on http://Amtrak.com/  , our free mobile apps and at 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245). Thank you for choosing Amtrak.

 



Kevin Korell


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Lakewood, NJ


#4 CNJRoss

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Posted 29 January 2016 - 08:44 PM

Posted on the Amtrak Yahoo group by Gene Poon:
 

Subj:  Text, the Silver Starvation Permanent letter

 

From: (redacted)
Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 2016 9:58 AM

Subject: Silver Star Pilot (removing Diner) is now PERMANENT change
Importance: High

All,

The decision has been made to make the Silver Star pilot that removed
the Diner permanent as of today. Please update all your communications
to remove reference to the pilot and adjust them as necessary to advise
customers this change is permanent.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

(name redacted)
(Job title redacted)

 

 



#5 KevinKorell

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Posted 29 January 2016 - 09:21 PM

Definitely another case of misrepresentation by Amtrak. If they knew that the diner removal could become permanent after their test period was over, then the word "temporary" was the wrong word to use.

And now we have to live in fear about which train will be next to have its diner "temporarily" removed only to become permanent. Also I wonder if this is driven by the age of the existing heritage diners, and whether anything will change once the new Viewliner dining cars come online.


Kevin Korell


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Lakewood, NJ


#6 KevinKorell

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Posted 30 January 2016 - 12:53 PM

True to form, at the time of this writing Amtrak still has the service advisory for "temporary" removal of the dining car, with the test period to end April 30, 2016.   Apparently internal memos that leaked publicly have yet to reach intended targets within Amtrak.



Kevin Korell


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#7 KevinKorell

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Posted 01 February 2016 - 06:54 PM

And now, straight from the horse's, um, well you know...... 


 


Silver Star Trains 91 & 92 Dining Car Removed - Sleeping Accommodations Offered at Lower Fares


A Dining car will not be offered on the Silver Star, and sleeping car and coach passengers can purchase all meals in the Café/Lounge Car, which offers a selection of hot and cold sandwiches, snacks and other items. See the Silver Star Cafe Menu for available offerings. In addition, passengers pay less for Silver Star Sleeping Car accommodations, as a result of the Dining Car being removed.

 

Over a seven month test period, Amtrak operated the Silver Star without a Dining Car and offered sleeping accommodations at a lower cost. After reviewing customer comments and evaluating the operational cost savings, this change has been made permanent. Amtrak will continue to explore ways to provide food and beverage service at lower cost.

 

Passengers have the option to choose traditional Dining Car service aboard the Silver Meteor (Trains 97 & 98), which operates along much of the Silver Star route. Dining Car meals aboard the Silver Meteor are included in the Sleeping Car upgrade charge.


Lower Cost Sleeping Car Accommodations

 

Traditionally, Amtrak has bundled the cost of Dining Car meals into the charge for the Sleeping Car accommodations. These costs have been “un-bundled” to allow Silver Star passengers to travel the New York - Orlando - Tampa/Miami route in a Sleeping Car at a lower cost.


 

Sleeping Car Amenities

 

Passengers with Sleeping Car accommodations will continue to have complimentary coffee, chilled water and juices, turn-down service for their bedrooms and roomettes, private restrooms and access to shower facilities. Upon request, attendants will provide in-room or at-seat service for purchases from the Café/Lounge Car. At stations with ClubAcela, Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge or similar services, Sleeping Car passengers will also continue to have same-day lounge access and pre-boarding privileges.

 

Thank you for traveling with Amtrak. Reservations are available on http://Amtrak.com/  , our free mobile apps and at 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).



Kevin Korell


OTOL Board Leader


Lakewood, NJ


#8 steve4031

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Posted 02 February 2016 - 08:36 AM

Rest assured that the silver star is no longer a viable option for me.

#9 CNJRoss

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Posted 06 February 2016 - 12:26 AM

Amtrak service advisory issued 2/5:

 

Silver Star Trains 91 and 92: Sleeping Car Accommodations Offered at Lower Fares Without Dining Car 

 

Dining Car Service Continues on Silver Meteor Trains 97 and 98

 

Amtrak is offering a lower cost travel option on our popular Sleeping Cars between New York and Miami, following a 10-month test on the Sliver Star (Trains 91 and 92), operating daily between New York City and Orlando/Miami, via Washington, DC, Columbia, SC and Tampa, FL. A Dining Car will not be operated on the Silver Star, and passengers can purchase meals in the Café Car, which offers hot and cold sandwiches, snacks and other items. The Café menu is also available on Amtrak.com.

 

Customers traveling to and from Florida can continue to choose traditional service aboard the Silver Meteor (Trains 97 and 98), which offers Dining Car service. Meals are included in Silver Meteor Sleeping Car fares. The Silver Meteor serves many of the same cities as the Silver Star.

 

Lower Cost Sleeping Car Accommodations

 

Traditionally on all Amtrak trains, the cost of Dining Car meals was bundled into the charge for the Sleeping Car. On the Silver Star, Amtrak Sleeping Car customers save up to 25% on the cost of a ticket, and can purchase food in the Café Car for a separate charge.

 

Sleeping Car Amenities

 

Passengers with Sleeping Car accommodations will continue to have complimentary coffee, chilled water and juices, turn-down service for their bedrooms and roomettes, private restrooms and access to shower facilities. Upon request, attendants will provide in-room service for purchases from the Café Car. At stations with ClubAcela, Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge or similar services, Sleeping Car passengers will also continue to have same-day lounge access and pre-boarding privileges.

 

Thank you for traveling with Amtrak. Reservations are available on Amtrak.com, our free mobile apps and at 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).

 

PSN 0216-59

 






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