mtuandrew wrote: ↑Mon Mar 23, 2020 3:59 pm
Tadman wrote: ↑Mon Mar 23, 2020 8:17 am
Here's an idea that wouldn't take even 10% - build out good wifi on all corridor trains. Invest in top notch stuff with high speed and large bandwidth. Perhaps use the same stuff the airlines use. Then charge for it. Get at least part of the money back.
The notion that everybody should have free wifi that can do anything is a fool's errand, because now the first ten guys on the train stream netflix, the rest of us get squat, and it's no more attractive than it was before wifi.
Also, Amtrak currently treats wifi as an expense like everything else. That means wifi gets in line behind all the other non-safety expenses for repair and upgrade.
If it were a profit center, even a minimal one, they'd assign a few dedicated guys to the system and it would work well. And it would be a genuine feature to attract riders.
Add a decent coffee bar/bar car to each train while you’re at it. If it means spending $50m to rebuild your Horizons, Amfleets, and Superliner cafes (also to spec such a setup on the Viaggios) and giving up some business class seating in order to sell $6 lattes, $10 draft beers, and $15 mixed drinks, even staffing an extra cafe attendant you’ll still come out way ahead in total profits.
Music to my adjunct instructor for military entrepreneurship transition program ears!
Revenue Drivers is what it's all about.
Yes, charge for WiFi "Premium Access". The only places I know with free WiFi in the travel industry are hotels, and that often depends on frequent guest status. On planes, it's almost always extra. Amtrak could build Guest Rewards status into that offering.
For Andrew's suggestion, how about some automation? Tad's been moaning about cafe car attendant breaks LOL; why not vending machines? For coffees, cokes, snacks, etc. Allow the attendant to concentrate on more lucrative items.
European trains, at least back in my time, had snack and beverage carts that went up and down aisles.