StayingHomeIsBetter

On a NE regional train in business class this evening.

Went to cafe car to get my complementary non-alcoholic beverage and was told that they were no longer permitted to provide club soda.

Really?

I can get a cola (bubbly water with more expensive stuff like sugar and flavors added to it) but the bubbly water itself is forbidden?

Not a big deal on the cosmic scheme of things, but one is left wondering whether this is a idiotic policy change or a case of grievously poor training.

hi55us

Possibly because they don't have it in the smaller business class cans... only the full size cans for purchase...

StayingHomeIsBetter

Every complementary beverage I received this week was in a 12 oz can, including the club soda when I was able to get it.

Are you saying that the complementary beverages are supposed to be in smaller than 12 oz cans?

That has never been my experience.

Perhaps they just want to reserve the club soda for mixing with their overpriced liquor.

GoAmtrak

I've experienced this to varying degrees in all of Amtrak's food service settings over the years. Often the LSA or waiter will claim that they only have two or three cans and that they're "non-revenue" (i.e. mixer items). Some find a workaround to sell it to me, some say it would be "free" with the purchase of a whiskey, and some even just quietly give it to me at no charge even when I wasn't entitled to a free beverage. The best chance of getting served club soda is towards the end of the run, when staff are less concerned about future cocktail orders. The only setting where I've ever had consistent success ordering more than one can of club soda is Acela F.

It's such a petty thing, but I've told my friends at Amtrak many times that they're leaving revenue on the table by not consistently selling some kind of sparkling water or club soda as a national revenue item. Maybe it's market-specific, but I've been on many, many flights where club soda was the first catering item to run dry. The only other beverage that even comes close (from my anecdotal experience) in terms of demand is champagne or sparkling wine. People like bubbly beverages, especially water, and Amtrak should be in the business of saying yes to taking our money for it.

StayingHomeIsBetter

I was speaking to an Amtrak customer service agent and he was dumbfounded to hear that people actually drank club soda without mixing something with it.

Perhaps if Amtrak representatives traveled a bit in Europe, they would learn that rails don't have to be bumpy and people actually do drink sparkling water all by itself.

physioprof

Acela F is always well-stocked with both Perrier and club soda.

Often1

J can be spotty. Sometimes, iced tea is free, sometimes not.

If there's a non-alcoholic beverage available and they won't serve it without charge, make a point of sending a complaint in to Amtrak. It's not as though J gets you that much in the first place.

hi55us

The few times I booked BC on the Northeast Regional they served the free beverages in the smaller slim 8 oz cans...

diesteldorf

This thread reminded me of a few times that I've ridden in Business Class from Chicago to St. Louis or Pittsburgh to New York.

I really like tomato and/or V8 juice, but Amtrak has never carried it.

A few times I've asked for some Bloody Mary mix.

As it is a non-revenue item, sometimes I've been lucky, while other times I've been told they are not allowed to serve. As always, it depends on who you speak to.

I've also noticed that Amtrak always seems to stock Ginger Ale but never lists it on the menus in the dining car. It may be that it is intended for mixers and not heavily stocked.
However, I've never been refused when I ask for it, though it must be more common in the Northeast, since I see it in Club Acelas all the time.

seat38a

Business Class on Amtrak is all over the place. The State sponsored routes offer more enhanced or less depending on the route. Amtrak California's Pacific Surfliner offers:

Afternoon routes:
IMG_0452 by Brian H, on Flickr

Morning Breakfast Setup Next To Coffee Machine:
IMG_0063 by Brian H, on Flickr

Then on Amtrak Cascades:
$3.00 Coupon for the bistro car.
DSC00775 by Brian H, on Flickr

Amenities are all over the spectrum but at the minimum, I think they all offer a beverage.