Amtrak has submitted a request to Congress for a supplementary appropriation of roughly $1.5 billion for the year 2021, bringing the 2-year total requested to $3.54 billion. This second request has long-time Amtrak observers scratching their heads. Why? Because while Amtrak says they need the additional money, at the same time they say they are…
Think for a minute about the last flight you took. What do you remember about that experience? Anything? If it was anything like my most recent flight, there was probably nothing memorable or special about it. And therein lies the difference between choosing to fly or taking one of Amtrak’s long-distance trains. People…
My late father-in-law was once asked what I did for a living. He replied, “Jim labors in the murky world of advertising.” He sure got that right. Because everyone is a consumer of advertising, everyone feels competent to pass judgement on what is or is not effective advertising. It drives advertising people crazy and…
For several years now, Amtrak has been in a cost-cutting mode. Any of us who ride regularly, especially in a sleeper on long-distance trains, are well aware of the lengths to which Amtrak has gone in order to save money. A classic example—one of many, I regret to say—is the complimentary hot coffee for…