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Writing briefly from gate B16 at Chicago Midway having just ridden the Crescent from Atlanta to Washington Friday evening and the Capitol Limited arriving in Chicago this morning..... albeit not without a little last minute drama.
The basics - food aboard both trains continues to improve. It has been speculated here (and face to face now) by GBN that Amtrak has finally gotten a handle on what can be catered and what can be prepared on-board with minimal effort and maximum reward.
Crescent's plastic dinnerware and the Capitol's china were of identical pattern. Enhanced dining on the Capitol means cloth tableclothes (as opposed to butchers paper) and real glasses. Nice touch.
Service - erratic but never rude. Overall better than in recent years. The serving staff on the Crescent struggled to deliver salad, dinner rolls, and the entree in a timely manner. Example - my table companions had salads immediately. Mine came 20 minutes later followed immediately by a dinner roll..... which my companions never received. The entrees rolled out a full 30 minutes after that. All told, five tables of four spent a full ninety minutes in the diner on last call departing Atlanta. Fine if you want to linger over great conversation (which we did not have Friday evening) but not fine if you have a six-year old child trying to reign in their behavior at the dinner table.
Sadly - (or not) dinner conversation on the Capitol was fabulous..... the best one could hope for in community seating BUT the meal service was efficient and spot on...... 52 minutes start to finish.... and the salads were fresher.
The Crescent operated with sleepers and baggage car on the rear resulting in a quiet, smooth ride. I had one of the best nights sleep I have had on a train in years. The Capitol was not a bad night but a little more fitful owing to the more mountainous terrain.
The car attendant told me that the sleepers would go back to the front when the weather gets warmer. Apparantly the feelings at Amtrak Consist Central must be that the Amfleet coaches better withstand winter conditions. They 'break the ice' so to speak for the more fragile Viewliners.
Diner on the Capitol was standard configuration and not the oft-maligned Cross Country Cafe.
All on-board equipment functioned properly. I was shocked that I was actually able to adjust the temperature in my Capitol roomette making the room warmer as we travelled further north.
The sleeper attendant on the Crescent was gregarious and helpful.....paused for conversation but not too much. Did the beds. Brought me ice when there otherwise was none to be found.
On the Capitol the attendant was pleasant but not overly outgoing. He made the beds down, made an announcement about being on-call until we reached Pittsburgh and then disappeared to his roomette, began playing video games on a handheld device, and closed the door shortly after that. He did appear to make the beds while we were delayed for an hour (by the Calumet River drawbridge) in Hammond, IN but that was the only other time I saw him.
Today was highlighted by a lunch meet-up with venerable Chicagoland ambassador and Railforum regular GBN who gave me a brief tour of Clarendon Hills and dropped me at the Midway entrance in his newest POV.
Signing off now as the least interesting conveyance of the trip, a Southwest Airlines 737 is about to board now.
Chat with you all soon..... though I may be offline for the next 48 hours or so..... hectic days at work will greet my return.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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David, what do you mean by that reference to GBN's "newest POV"? Is he driving something other than "Lex Noir"?
Posts: 1530 | From: Ocala, FL | Registered: Dec 2006
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The temperature control thingy in your room worked? That's a first! I've always wondered what is on the other side of that little knob. My guess has always been "nothing". Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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Great report, David. I have had the same exprience with the dining crews on the Crescent. It's odd that the same train(s) can offer porr dining service and the problem is never rectified. Overall, though, sounds like a fine trip which is great news.
Posts: 561 | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Originally posted by smitty195: The temperature control thingy in your room worked?....
Well Mr. Smith, I see you have been taking "Sojournerese".
Otherwise Mr. Presley, thank you very much for agreeing to come to me rather than I to you for our meet-up. The "health issues" as of this morning appear to be in the past.
I hope you "survived Southwest" and weren't stuck in the middle between two "blubberbuddies". Also hope that the pre-flight safety briefing was straightforward. If the latter has become the case, who knows, maybe I'll someday "fly 'em by choice" rather than by default as did I returning from my '08 Denver joyride where their rate for a one way KDEN-KMDW last minute Fourth of July weekend was something like $165; United would have been about $550.
Finally, presumably you got more of a view of whatever is left of the old terminals at KMDW than can I or any other passers by on Cicero Ave.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Mike - still a Lex....... just newer and shinier.
A funny thing - I climbed down from the Metra train at Clarenden Hills and headed in the direction of the first Lexus I spotted...... only to realize a few seconds later that every other vehicle in the lot was a Lexus of one sort or another!
Smitty - yes. The temperature 'thingy' spun to warmer near Connellsville, PA and when I stirred during the Pittsburgh station stop there was warmer air flowing from the vents beneath my berth. Whether coincidence or not, I was honestly shocked and I did not need the heavier sweatshirt which I had packed just in case my room was cold.
I didn't need to stuff wads of paper into my door to silence a rattle either. The guy across the hall did. We do what we must!
Star092 - the Crescent's dining service was equally chaotic (if not worse) when I rode that train north from Atlanta in November. The food is good and, if anything, improving. The staff is actually borderline pleasant....... BUT the delivery of service is, at best, random and erratic.
I'm guessing that a contributing factor is that the traditional last call upon departure from Atlanta doesn't come until after 8:00pm on the current schedule hours after dinner service begins..... but that alone doesn't explain the 'consistent randomness' two trips in a row.
Suffice to say that things were much different the first time I dined on the train upon departing Atlanta....... aboard Southern Railway's #2 in the 1970's.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Southwest - Yes - I rated only a middle seat but with reasonably normal-sized row mates. Had the flight lasted longer it could have been really uncomfortable.
Interestingly - two paying customers on the sold out flight were bumped after boarding the plane because Southwest needed to fly two mechanics from their Chicago Operations Center to work on a plane stranded in Atlanta. Have never seen that before on any airline anywhere. I do not know how or why these two 'volunteers' were selected. The stewardess simply stepped to the PA, called out two names, and asked them to gather all of their belongings and come to the front of the aircraft where they were sent packing up the jetway.
Safely at home and in my office...... now let's go prepare to administer the ACT to 195 junior high schoolers tomorrow.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Well Mr. Presley, I hope that those two bumped passengers were "paid well' for their inconvenience hardly of their making.
I guess I should defer to some of our "airnuts' on this point, but considering that KATL was Air Tran's hub, I'm surprised there were no mechanics right there to fix whatever ailed that aircraft. But on the other hand as I recall, Airtran's fleet was pretty much a cobbled together collection of Douglas DC-9's, as well as ordered new Boeing DC-9's renamed the 717, mostly from defunct ValueJet (one crash has a way of doing in those small players - especially when they were found to be quite negligent).
So much for SWA's business model of a standardized "737" fleet.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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I was near enough the rear of the plane to overhear the rear stewardess explain to another passenger that AirTran's mechanics were not yet under Southwest's contract and, as such, an AirTran mechanic cannot yet work on a Southwest aircraft.
Our departure from Midway was delayed by 20 minutes while the baggage crew loaded into our hold whatever parts the mechanics flying to Atlanta would need upon arrival.
While waiting to push back I thought wistfully of my cozy roomette watching the snow fall outside on Hammond, IN.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Interesting Mr. Presley, and with my railroad Labor Relations background, I should have figured that they are still playing the "two separate airlines" game such as United-Continental did for almost two years, and to my knowledge USAir and America West still play today.
To your knowledge, did they ask for "volunteers' at KMDW or was it the Army (AF as well be it assured) way "you and you, sorry 'bout that".
Oh and finally, Aft vice Rear; but be it assured since aviation is a "blend" of land and nautical terms, I can understand the confusion.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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It seemed to be "you and you" though the two passengers, already buckled in with luggage stowed in the overhead bin, were called by name.
One possibility, as they did not protest visibly, is that they may have been asked at check-in whether they would surrender their seats for a pre-arranged bonus if neccessary.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Another possibility is that they were "non-revs" (Non-revenue passengers -- either employees of Southwest or another airline.) Those of us who sometimes travel that way are not sure we are "go" until the main cabin door is closed and the aircraft has pushed from the gate. And sometimes not even then.
Were you able to check in 24 hours before your flight? You probably didn't have access to the internet so it might have been worth the extra $10.00 to have SW check you in. That pretty much guarantees you will be in the "A" group for boarding and can get a window or, my preference, an aisle.
Frank in sunny but cool SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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I aboard the Capitol Limited 24 hours before my flight and was not able to check in online in advance...... though I knew going in that I was likely settling for a middle seat.
Had not considered the possibility of the two folks being non-revenue passengers...... this may well have been the case.
I would consider the extra $10.00 for priorty boarding consideration the next time I fly Southwest.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Back in the days, say 1996, when it seemed Southwest, or for that matter any airline, was a little more customer service oriented, I did fly them KMDW-KLAS. However the morning we were to leave my then-girlfriend (who now is with my beloved Lucky looking down on us) who lived in 'Mayor Daley Country' overslept and I wasn't going to leave without her. They were happy to handle us without a fare penalty on a later flight, but "standby". This later flight's itinerary was KMDW-KOMA-KLAS and the disclaimer sheet handed to standby passengers said you could be removed at an intermediate stop. I expressed my concern to someone sitting next to me and who appeared to be a "Southwest regular' (she was elsewhere on that first segment) to which he said to me, "they'll never do that; maybe to a non-rev, but not a paying passenger".
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Apparently the $10.00 fee has proven to be popular. On my last two Southwest flights I didn't use it but did call in exactly 24 hours before the flight and barely made it into the "A"group. They do, I believe, hold out the first 15 spots for "full fare" passengers and their most frequent fliers.
It's a system that works very well most of the time.
Mr. Norman--
That's the life of a non-rev. Most of the time things go great although we don't see F/C domestically much anymore because of all of the complimentary upgrades.
My partner got on the 8:06AM SBA-SFO flight this morning even though it was showing full. (The Brasilia has 30 seats but they can only use 28 because of weight restrictions.) Getting home this afternoon looks a little more problematic. It will probably involve flying to LAX and then trying to fly back up to SBA. Or taking the SB Airbus or train.
The switch to Continental's computer system (Shares) has not been entirely without glitches. They have an agent from CLE at our airport helping out and mentoring. She said, with a big grin, "It's tough duty but someone had to do it." She's only had time to go to the beach twice...
Frank in sunny and cool SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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While Southwest/Airtran is hardly the scope of United/Continental, the displaced passenger issue on Mr. Presley's KMDW-KATL flight is indicative of what any company in any line of business is faced with after a merger. Here's more from Saturday's Journal regarding UCH:
Just as glad my road (MILW) never really merged with anyone; it just went bust - and I was gone before someone (SOO) came in and picked at the carcass.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Already in recent months, when planning future excursions real or imagined, I have noticed some shrinkage in the frequency of AirTran flights which I might have considered in the past. Some entire routes have been canned as well...... including AirTran's only flight into Asheville, NC. The reason cited was that Asheville is within 60 miles of GSP where Southwest already offers parallel service.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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