Up-Grade The CZ

Courtesy of AAPRCO...
http://www.aaprco.com/Experience/Glossary/glossary.html

http://www.aaprco.com/Experience/Glossa ... mette.html

http://www.aaprco.com/Experience/Glossa ... ction.html

AMTRAK is bastardizing the term "roomette."

John Perkowski

Mr. Toy wrote:As for the original topic, the most probable service upgrade (though not likely in the immediate future), would be the addition of a Mountain Parlour Car, much as we have on the Starlight. The CZ could certainly use a second lounge car, as the one Sightseer lounge is inadequate to handle the demand on this most scenic of routes. IMHO, Amtrak's ultimate goal should be to have a Parlour Car on every LD train.

First, Amtrak ought to focus on getting the existing trains back to full amenities. Due to equipment shortages and last-minute bad-ordering of cars, a couple of City/Eagle trainsets are loungeless. At least one had a coach-cafe in its place.

Colonel, SIR--

I must disagree.

I think that Amtrak's revisit of the term Roomette lessens the liklihood that unknowing passengers, which includes many met over the years on Auto Train that could well afford any accomodation they want, will be stuck in that little shoebox. Hopefully the rebranding will cause Amtrak reservationists to clearly note that while it has two beds, it really is a one adult accomodation.

To whatever extent Roomette was a service mark owned by anyone such as the railroads, they surrendered such pursuant to Article One of the May '71 Agreement.

I welcome the rebranding as truth in advertising.

GBN,

It's ok to agree to disagree

Changing the subject slightly, I have to agree with Mr Madison on his most recent post. Amtrak has no business thinking about expanding premium services of any sort until it has the basics in order.

To Mr Toy's comments about hardware ... I counter with...

Priority one: Super-premium service must be part of an upgrade. This includes porters and dining staff.

Priority two: Food service must be upgraded to justify super-premium rates.

Priority three: The equipment allocated to super-premium service must be pristine.

Only then should Amtrak worry about additional new equipment.

John

While "roomette" in the Amtrak sense may not be true to the original (and in some circles, current) definition of the term, I hardly think it is going to matter to 99% of the traveling public who use Amtrak (which, as we know, is only a fraction of the travelling public at large)

I don't really know what other options the marketing department had. "Section" would be even more meanlingless, and not really accurate either. "Enclosed Section" - what the heck is that? It sure doesn't sound very appealing.

But back to the Zephyr: A "Mountain Parlor Car" would be a nice amenity -especially if they could be upgraded Sightseer Lounge Cars. But there aren't enough of those to go around, and there's no money for the extra labor. Alas, much more pressing issues weigh upon Amtrak.