# Is the Chicago lounge back in full operation yet?



## MIrailfan (Apr 26, 2021)

Taking train May 18.


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## TrackWalker (Apr 26, 2021)

Today 4/26- Having just been there a few hours ago the answer is no. Seating yes. Food snacks and such no.


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## MIrailfan (Apr 27, 2021)

tats ridiculous


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## MIrailfan (Apr 27, 2021)

whens reopening.


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## PerRock (Apr 27, 2021)

When I was there a week ago, they came around and handed out little bags of chips & would get us a bottle of water, if asked. I find it odd, because that same day I was in the American Airlines First Class lounge at O'Hare & they were serving food & drinks. The staff's reason for not doing it at Union Station was due to Covid Restrictions.

peter


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## Sidney (Apr 27, 2021)

New York's new Moynihan first class lounge has a wide variety of food and drink. You are served. LA,Philly and DC have snacks and drinks. Are the laws still that stringent in Illinois? The Chicago lounge had a nice serve yourself buffet. Couldn't attendants serve the food to you as they do in New York?


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## HammerJack (Apr 27, 2021)

My hot take: The virus has become an excuse for bad service. Amtrak is doing it, hotels are doing it, airlines are doing it. At one point, okay sure we’re trying to stop the initial spread by limiting literally everything. Now, it’s just an excuse to cut costs. Amtrak could easily set out some snacks and fruit or whatever. Restaurants have been serving customers indoors for months now. There’s literally 0 risk in setting aside some food and drinks. Hotels can’t put out food for breakfast because of the virus? Not buying that excuse. Unfortunately, the virus has become an excuse to cut costs at the expense of service.


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## Steve4031 (Apr 27, 2021)

Different cities have different restrictions. I’m not sure if this plays a role in it, but the management in Chicago has been poor for years.


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## Sidney (Apr 27, 2021)

A poster earlier today said O Hare's first class lounge was serving food and drinks. Agree that Chicago's lounge at this point is using Covid as an excuse for not having their food set up. As I said,an attendant could easily serve the fruit and vegetables. It's being done in New York's Moynihan station which has the best food of any Amtrak lounge.


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## TrackWalker (Apr 27, 2021)

Union station food court in Chicago is wide open. Jersey Mike’s was awesome.


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## PaTrainFan (Apr 27, 2021)

HammerJack said:


> My hot take: The virus has become an excuse for bad service. Amtrak is doing it, hotels are doing it, airlines are doing it. At one point, okay sure we’re trying to stop the initial spread by limiting literally everything. Now, it’s just an excuse to cut costs. Amtrak could easily set out some snacks and fruit or whatever. Restaurants have been serving customers indoors for months now. There’s literally 0 risk in setting aside some food and drinks. Hotels can’t put out food for breakfast because of the virus? Not buying that excuse. Unfortunately, the virus has become an excuse to cut costs at the expense of service.



It's not like what they offered in Chicago was a high end smorgasbord, though it did have variety. Maybe, just maybe they will rethink this when daily service returns next month. Doubtful, but there's alwasy hope.


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## MARC Rider (Apr 27, 2021)

TrackWalker said:


> Union station food court in Chicago is wide open. Jersey Mike’s was awesome.


Did Gold Coast Dogs survive the pandemic? It was always my go-to place in the food court to get a real Chicago-style hot dog.


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## MARC Rider (Apr 27, 2021)

HammerJack said:


> My hot take: The virus has become an excuse for bad service. Amtrak is doing it, hotels are doing it, airlines are doing it. At one point, okay sure we’re trying to stop the initial spread by limiting literally everything. Now, it’s just an excuse to cut costs. Amtrak could easily set out some snacks and fruit or whatever. Restaurants have been serving customers indoors for months now. There’s literally 0 risk in setting aside some food and drinks. Hotels can’t put out food for breakfast because of the virus? Not buying that excuse. Unfortunately, the virus has become an excuse to cut costs at the expense of service.


Better get used to it. And it's nothing new. The airlines figured this out 20 years ago when they stopped serving meals in domestic coach (and the coach meals in international coach started declining in quality.) This actually started in the mid 1980s. They may have served meals, but the quality for coach passengers started dropping, at different rates on different airlines. Then the no-frills lines started up, and they showed you could make money by not offering service.

If they can cut the standard of service and still make money, why shouldn't they? I suspect as time progresses, those who want quality service are going to have to pay through the nose, and most of us won't be able to afford it, and that's that.


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## SarahZ (Apr 27, 2021)

MARC Rider said:


> Did Gold Coast Dogs survive the pandemic? It was always my go-to place in the food court to get a real Chicago-style hot dog.


Nope. It’s gone.


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## MARC Rider (Apr 27, 2021)

SarahZ said:


> Nope. It’s gone.


Boo-hoo.  Where can I go to to get my Chicago hot dog fix on my next trip?


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## Bob Dylan (Apr 27, 2021)

SarahZ said:


> Nope. It’s gone.


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## Eric in East County (Apr 27, 2021)

Someone commented that, with no snacks available inside, the Chicago Metropolitan Lounge is or was allowing people to bring outside food into the Lounge. This was always a no-no. We would always have to consume our takeout items in the Lounge’s outer vestibule, where the attendant holds court. If outside food IS being allowed in the Lounge, do you think this policy will continue on into the summer? It would be nice if we could bring our takeout items INTO the Lounge.

Eric & Pat


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## HammerJack (Apr 27, 2021)

MARC Rider said:


> Better get used to it. And it's nothing new. The airlines figured this out 20 years ago when they stopped serving meals in domestic coach (and the coach meals in international coach started declining in quality.) This actually started in the mid 1980s. They may have served meals, but the quality for coach passengers started dropping, at different rates on different airlines. Then the no-frills lines started up, and they showed you could make money by not offering service.
> 
> If they can cut the standard of service and still make money, why shouldn't they? I suspect as time progresses, those who want quality service are going to have to pay through the nose, and most of us won't be able to afford it, and that's that.



I’d like to think Amtrak is a little different. Speed from Point A to B is the draw of the airlines. The fact that you get crumby food doesn’t change the fact that it’s the fastest mode of transport. They can get away with it because their main draw is still intact.
Amtrak doesn’t have that luxury. People ride Amtrak (especially the long distance trains) for the experience. In my opinion, they can’t afford to cut service because that’s one of the main draws to riding Amtrak! No one gets on a plane because of the service and views; they do it for the speed. If Amtrak cuts service to pandemic levels, I think the draw towards travel will drop and it will end up biting them.
Regional business class feels like a waste without a good lounge. Sleeper fares are ridiculously expensive when you consider you get microwaved TV dinners. I’m suprised people are even buying sleepers these days.


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## Michigan Mom (Apr 27, 2021)

TrackWalker said:


> Today 4/26- Having just been there a few hours ago the answer is no. Seating yes. Food snacks and such no.
> 
> View attachment 21997


Thanks for this intel, we will be there next month and I'd rather keep everyone's expectations in check.


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## Michigan Mom (Apr 27, 2021)

MARC Rider said:


> Boo-hoo.  Where can I go to to get my Chicago hot dog fix on my next trip?



Shake Shack has a really good version, on Michigan Avenue (south of the river, not far from the Chicago Hilton). Although God knows if they're still there. Hope so!


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## MIrailfan (Apr 27, 2021)

well im not shelling out business class fare unless the lounge is open.


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## SarahZ (Apr 27, 2021)

MIRAILFAN said:


> well im not shelling out business class fare unless the lounge is open.


It IS open. They just aren't serving snacks.


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## MIrailfan (Apr 27, 2021)

SarahZ said:


> It IS open. They just aren't serving snacks.


isit worthit then? also what extra do you get on the train?


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## MIrailfan (Apr 27, 2021)

Maybe I'll get to see the Chief or Zephyr arrive then deadhead out from the station.


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## tim49424 (Apr 27, 2021)

Eric in East County said:


> Someone commented that, with no snacks available inside, the Chicago Metropolitan Lounge is or was allowing people to bring outside food into the Lounge. This was always a no-no. We would always have to consume our takeout items in the Lounge’s outer vestibule, where the attendant holds court. If outside food IS being allowed in the Lounge, do you think this policy will continue on into the summer? It would be nice if we could bring our takeout items INTO the Lounge.
> 
> Eric & Pat



They have been allowing outside food in the lounge since early 2019, shortly before the Legacy Club closed.

Here is a thread I started at the time I discovered the allowance of outside food.






Chicago Union Station Metropolitan Lounge Outside Food Policy Change (Feb 2019)


Outside food and drink are now allowed. I’m not sure when this went into effect but I noticed several people eating McDonalds, so when I went to get my lunch, upon re-entry I asked the attendant and verified the changes.




www.amtraktrains.com





I don’t know what the pandemic rules are as my last visit was in February 2020, but I’m assuming they have not changed.


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## MARC Rider (Apr 28, 2021)

MIRAILFAN said:


> isit worthit then? also what extra do you get on the train?


Sure it's worth it. The seats are a lot more comfortable than the main waiting area, the bathrooms are cleaner, and it's quieter.


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## jebr (Apr 28, 2021)

MARC Rider said:


> If they can cut the standard of service and still make money, why shouldn't they? I suspect as time progresses, those who want quality service are going to have to pay through the nose, and most of us won't be able to afford it, and that's that.



I think it's going to depend on the amenity and situation. For airlines and such where there's relatively little competition, and leisure travel prioritized cost quite highly, I don't see that improving substantially - at best it'll go back to some sort sort of pre-pandemic lite service level.

For hotels I think it's a bit trickier. The biggest question is going to be whether certain amenities will get people to switch to their hotel over a different one. That would mean things like daily housekeeping may not come back or come back in a much reduced fashion, but things like breakfast may come back at leisure-oriented chains. Free breakfast is a selling point for a _lot_ of leisure travelers, and I think some hotels will restore that and advertise it to win over travelers who value that.

As for the Amtrak lounge - pretty much depends on whether they think the lounge having food will win over business and sleeper passengers in a way that justifies the cost. It'll likely come back in some form (the fact that it's restored in many of the other lounges is promising) but hard to say what exactly that'll look like.


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## Sidney (Apr 28, 2021)

I know the food court is almost back to normal and it is easy access from the lounge,but it seems by now the food and drinks should be back. Every other Metropolitan/Acela lounge has food and drink offerings.


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## PerRock (Apr 28, 2021)

MIRAILFAN said:


> isit worthit then? also what extra do you get on the train?



Early boarding, extra space (I think all biz class out of Chicago is 2-1 seating), arguably more comfortable seats on the train, (a*) free non-alchoholic beverage on board.

*how many you get seems to be up to the car attendant. I've had some restrict you to 1, others you can have as much as you like, some you can have more but you have to sign your life away (ok you just sign a list). Even the service of getting your drink is random, most times you stand by the biz end of the car & they serve you as soon as they're finished with their current customer, other times (like the last time) I had to go stand in line with all the coach passengers.

peter


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## MARC Rider (Apr 28, 2021)

jebr said:


> I think it's going to depend on the amenity and situation. For airlines and such where there's relatively little competition, and leisure travel prioritized cost quite highly, I don't see that improving substantially - at best it'll go back to some sort sort of pre-pandemic lite service level.
> 
> For hotels I think it's a bit trickier. The biggest question is going to be whether certain amenities will get people to switch to their hotel over a different one. That would mean things like daily housekeeping may not come back or come back in a much reduced fashion, but things like breakfast may come back at leisure-oriented chains. Free breakfast is a selling point for a _lot_ of leisure travelers, and I think some hotels will restore that and advertise it to win over travelers who value that.
> 
> As for the Amtrak lounge - pretty much depends on whether they think the lounge having food will win over business and sleeper passengers in a way that justifies the cost. It'll likely come back in some form (the fact that it's restored in many of the other lounges is promising) but hard to say what exactly that'll look like.



1) Business travelers (especially when paid for by the corporate bean-counters) also tends to prioritize cost very highly, except, I suspect they might be willing to pay for fully flexible tickets, so it's possible that an airline might find it useful to offer amenities in addition to full flexibility in order to stand out from the other airlines. Of course, because of hubs and such, many airports are near-monopolies, so maybe it doesn't matter. And with fully flexible tickets, you are paying through the nose (though maybe not in comparison with inflation adjusted fares from 50 years ago.)

2) I can't say much about hotels, as my usual criterion for picking one is location. The point about leisure travelers highly valuing a free breakfast is well take, however, many of the free breakfast offerings, even before Covid, were not really all that great. A known "bad" free breakfast won't cause me to avoid a property if it meets my needs in other ways. When I worked, it was not a factor at all, because if the hotel offered a free breakfast, and you ate it, then my employer would deduct the imputed value of the breakfast from my daily per-diem allowance, and their imputed value was highly inflated. Thus, I would prefer to buy a bagel next door and thus have a lot more of my per-diem allowance available for lunch and dinner.

3) The main value of having food at the Chicago Metropolitan club is that there are lots of passengers who are connecting trains and staying over lunch, and maybe they are reluctant to leave the station. On the other hand, if my experience in November 2019 is an indication, even in pre-covid times, the food offered wasn't really a substitute for the meals. On the other hand, most of the clientele of the east coast lounges are riding the Acela and Northeast Regional, and usually just show up maybe 20-30 minutes before departure. If they're traveling Acela First Class, they're going to be served food on the train, why do they need it in the station? If they're select Plus and traveling coach or business, I could see that offerings similar to those served at the Met Lounge in New York might be enough to bring on the train for lunch. Anyway, most of these travelers aren't riding for more than 3 hours, so the need to feed their faces isn't as great. Furthermore, they can always go into Pret, Au Bon Pain, or Starbucks at the station and get a sandwich, if the cafe car fare doesn't tickle their fancy. In any event, the food in the lounge, or lack thereof, isn't the deciding factor to these people (who are only a small fraction of the total passenger load anyway) on whether to take the train or go to New York by some other means. 

(There is one exception in that the Washington Club Acela hosts sleeper passengers transferring between the Capitol and the Silver Meteor who are staying there over lunch. But they have never served real food in that lounge, only chips and snacks and basic drinks.)

While, of course, I appreciate it anytime someone offers me free food, I'm not sure that the food is the main amenity offered by these lounges. I think their real benefit is that they're a quiet place to wait that has more comfortable chairs than the main waiting room used by the hoi-polloi. Plus, if the lounge attendants are doing their jobs, you can also get extra services like getting reservations modified, ordering redcaps, or maybe even get a private escort to trainside. I've had pretty god experiences with the Washington attendants, but I've never needed any help when I've been in the Chicago lounge, so I can't speak about them.


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## Steve4031 (Apr 28, 2021)

The new food hall is supposed to open this summer or this fall. Hopefully a hotdog place is in it. 

Connies pizza will deliver to union station. There is a Giordonos , and beggars pizza within walking distance. A chipotle is down the street. And Whole Foods is several blocks away. All of these options are an improvement over the mouse food served. In the lounge.


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## MARC Rider (Apr 28, 2021)

PerRock said:


> Early boarding, extra space (I think all biz class out of Chicago is 2-1 seating), arguably more comfortable seats on the train, (a*) free non-alchoholic beverage on board.
> 
> *how many you get seems to be up to the car attendant. I've had some restrict you to 1, others you can have as much as you like, some you can have more but you have to sign your life away (ok you just sign a list). Even the service of getting your drink is random, most times you stand by the biz end of the car & they serve you as soon as they're finished with their current customer, other times (like the last time) I had to go stand in line with all the coach passengers.
> 
> peter


NE Corridor/Carolinian/Pennsylvanian have 2x2 Amfleet 1 business class seating, but the seat pitch is greater than the Amfleet 1 coaches, and you have a better chance that you won't have a seatmate, though, of course, that's not guaranteed, but it has been my experience. The seats also recline farther than the Amfleet 1 coach seats. I've never had any issues with more than one free drink; on the other hand I usually only get one drink, as how many drinks can you consume during a 2 hour trip. I'd rather spend my time in my seat, not in the restroom.  It's very common, though not universal, that they want me to sign the receipt for the free drink, which the cafe attendant keeps; I think this is for accounting on how many business class free drinks are issued, and for all I know there may be internal financial transfers involved that help keep the cafe car solvent.

A final benefit of business class, if you're an AGR member, is that you get a 25% TQP point bonus, which makes reaching your Select Plus status a little faster.


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## crescent-zephyr (Apr 28, 2021)

MARC Rider said:


> On the other hand, if my experience in November 2019 is an indication, even in pre-covid times, the food offered wasn't really a substitute for the meals.



Correct. In the old lounge it was always just drinks and a basked with some bags of goldfish crackers, pretzels, chips, muffins, etc.

The new lounge would put a plate of cheese cubes and carrot sticks now and then but otherwise it was just snacks like chips, nuts etc. they did offer the free wine on occasion as well.


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## PerRock (Apr 28, 2021)

MARC Rider said:


> NE Corridor/Carolinian/Pennsylvanian have 2x2 Amfleet 1 business class seating, but the seat pitch is greater than the Amfleet 1 coaches, and you have a better chance that you won't have a seatmate, though, of course, that's not guaranteed, but it has been my experience. The seats also recline farther than the Amfleet 1 coach seats. I've never had any issues with more than one free drink; on the other hand I usually only get one drink, as how many drinks can you consume during a 2 hour trip. I'd rather spend my time in my seat, not in the restroom.  It's very common, though not universal, that they want me to sign the receipt for the free drink, which the cafe attendant keeps; I think this is for accounting on how many business class free drinks are issued, and for all I know there may be internal financial transfers involved that help keep the cafe car solvent.
> 
> A final benefit of business class, if you're an AGR member, is that you get a 25% TQP point bonus, which makes reaching your Select Plus status a little faster.



Ah but those trains to serve Chicago.

You can also consume a lot more on a 4 hour trip... especially when it's been delayed mid-route by a few more hours.

peter


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## neroden (Apr 28, 2021)

When the pandemic's over, they should just continue to let people bring outside food into the Chicago Metropolitan Lounge, and let people supply themselves from the new food court. I know it means extra cleaning, but it's the way to go. They should keep supplying free hot & cold water, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate, though.

The main thing I go to the lounge for is a quiet place between trains... which is always why I go upstairs. The UTTERLY BIZARRE policy of closing the upstairs before the rest of the lounge, and the EVEN WORSE policy of closing the lounge before the LSL departs, are my main complaints about the Chicago lounge. It needs to stay open until the last train levels. All of it needs to stay open until the last train leaves.


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## MARC Rider (Apr 28, 2021)

neroden said:


> When the pandemic's over, they should just continue to let people bring outside food into the Chicago Metropolitan Lounge, a.


They let people bring in outside food even before the pandemic. I know, I did it in 2019 on my way to the Gathering in Texas.


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## Sauve850 (Apr 28, 2021)

I rarely took advantage of the snacks in Chicago. Nice choices though. I put a little ice in my small soft side cooler and usually go upstairs for a quiet comfortable spot to relax in the lounge to wait for my boarding call. Im not really in favor of letting folks bring in outside food. My observations were many left a mess.


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## Michigan Mom (Apr 29, 2021)

Pre-pandemic I had booked BC for my Dad attending a conference in Chicago, so he'd have access to the lounge and someone to help him get a Redcap on detraining/boarding. He doesn't get around as easily any more and I didn't like to think of him navigating the station alone. That Chicago Redcap service was a godsend. 
Kids and I are taking the LSL in May but not planning to hang out in the lounge until closer to boarding time. Goal is to be outdoors as much as possible, weather permitting.


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## TC_NYC (Apr 29, 2021)

Michigan Mom said:


> Pre-pandemic I had booked BC for my Dad attending a conference in Chicago, so he'd have access to the lounge and someone to help him get a Redcap on detraining/boarding. He doesn't get around as easily any more and I didn't like to think of him navigating the station alone. That Chicago Redcap service was a godsend.
> Kids and I are taking the LSL in May but not planning to hang out in the lounge until closer to boarding time. Goal is to be outdoors as much as possible, weather permitting.


That's one thing people don't realize, Red Cap's are available for all passengers, even coach passengers. They have been a godsend for my family when we had two little kids and tons of baggage to carry up the steps of a horizon coach at Chicago. The red caps carried it up right to our coach seats.


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## Exvalley (Apr 29, 2021)

MARC Rider said:


> Boo-hoo.  Where can I go to to get my Chicago hot dog fix on my next trip?



If you don't mind a 15 minute walk, there is a Portillo's located at 520 W Taylor Street.


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## IndyLions (Apr 30, 2021)

Exvalley said:


> If you don't mind a 15 minute walk, there is a Portillo's located at 520 W Taylor Street.



I ate there on one of my Chicago bike-train trips in the summer of 2018, 15 minutes on foot or only a 5 minute bike ride.

They have a pretty decent hot dog, but for whatever reason I went with a burger that day...




Here’s the hot dog I had later that evening in BC on the Cardinal. Not quite up to Chicago standards maybe - but after 40-50 miles of bike riding around the city - I was still pretty darn hungry!


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## MIrailfan (May 3, 2021)

Any lounge update?


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## Sidney (May 4, 2021)

I'll be at the lounge on May 20. At least they could have coffee,juice and soft drinks available. Chicago's lounge is the only one that doesn't offer food. At Portland you get a voucher for two drinks at their convenience store next to the lounge. Covid restrictions are easing up. I mentioned earlier New York's new lounge has an incredible array of food and drink. At this point,It could just be Chicago's lounge doesn't want to be bothered.


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## zephyr17 (May 4, 2021)

Sidney said:


> At this point,It could just be Chicago's lounge doesn't want to be bothered.


Assuming that some Chicago or Illinois COVID restrictions are not preventing it, that would be absolutely consistent with Amtrak's general operations in Chicago.


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## Exvalley (May 4, 2021)

I was in two airport lounges last week. Both had ample food and drink.


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## Palmetto (May 4, 2021)

Airline lounges serve cocktails gratis, if you don't call a brand. Does Amtrak do that?


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## Brian Battuello (May 4, 2021)

In a word, no.


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## Brian Battuello (May 4, 2021)

(No Amtrak lounge has alcoholic beverages, free or otherwise. I have been known to bring a bit of an additive for the free coke. Just be subtle...)


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## Mailliw (May 4, 2021)

What was the logic behind not allowing outside food & drink when the offerings inside were all free? It's not like a theater where they want you to spend money at the concessions stand.


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## Brian Battuello (May 4, 2021)

I think they just didn't want groups bringing in massive amounts of food and smelling/messing up the place. I've brought in small orders (pizza slice, etc) and no one's said a word.


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## Exvalley (May 4, 2021)

Brian Battuello said:


> (No Amtrak lounge has alcoholic beverages, free or otherwise. I have been known to bring a bit of an additive for the free coke. Just be subtle...)


Didn't the Chicago lounge sell wine? The person used to set up by the base of the stairs.


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## Brian Battuello (May 4, 2021)

Never noticed that, but no objection. Would be happy to sip corrected.

I still *really* miss the LSL wine and cheese party leaving Chicago. Cheap wine, but all you wanted!


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## Bob Dylan (May 4, 2021)

Brian Battuello said:


> Never noticed that, but no objection. Would be happy to sip corrected.
> 
> I still *really* miss the LSL wine and cheese party leaving Chicago. Cheap wine, but all you wanted!


The Empire Builder and Coast Starlight (,in the Parlor Car!)had nice ones too with Local Wines and Cheeses till the Bean Counters killed them!


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## tim49424 (May 4, 2021)

Brian Battuello said:


> no one's said a word.



No one will. Outside food has been allowed since early 2019.


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## MARC Rider (May 4, 2021)

Mailliw said:


> What was the logic behind not allowing outside food & drink when the offerings inside were all free? It's not like a theater where they want you to spend money at the concessions stand.


From my experience in the new Chicago lounge (November 2019):

1) The free offerings were not extensive enough to make any sort of meal, though the drink selection was nice.
2) The had no problem with people bringing in outside food. (I ate a Gold Coast Dog (RIP) Chicago Style Hot Dog in full view of other AU members while waiting for the Texas Eagle and had no problem at all. 
3) On my return trip, while waiting for the Cardinal, someone set up a cash bar that served alcoholic beverages.


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## BoulderCO (May 4, 2021)

Up until a couple years ago, the Chicago lounge had free wine or beer during happy hour.


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## MARC Rider (May 4, 2021)

tim49424 said:


> No one will. Outside food has been allowed since early 2019.


They let outside food in the old lounge. The only lounge where I've been hassled about outside food is the Club Acela in Washington.


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## MARC Rider (May 4, 2021)

Bob Dylan said:


> The Empire Builder and Coast Starlight (,in the Parlor Car!)had nice ones too with Local Wines and Cheeses till the Bean Counters killed them!


I participated on one of those when I rode from Havre to Chicago. It wasn't Montana wines and cheeses, it was Washington State wines and higher-end Wisconsin cheeses. They did a trivia contest to see who got one of the half-finished bottles, and I won it! The question was, what is Amtrak's official name? There are times when it helps to be a railfan!  Anyway, I had a nice half a bottle of Washington State Riesling to enjoy in my compartment that evening.


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## tim49424 (May 4, 2021)

MARC Rider said:


> They let outside food in the old lounge. The only lounge where I've been hassled about outside food is the Club Acela in Washington.



When the new Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago opened in July, 2016, they originally did not allow outside food. They lifted the restrictions in early 2019 after the closing of the Legacy Club.


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## Brian Battuello (May 4, 2021)

I may have told this story, but back in the LSL wine and cheese days, the diner served as a very small menu cafe south of Albany to NYC. I asked for a glass of wine, and one of attendants hanging around gave me a full bottle from the departure party for free. One less thing for him to carry off the train.


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## tim49424 (May 4, 2021)

MARC Rider said:


> I participated on one of those when I rode from Havre to Chicago. It wasn't Montana wines and cheeses, it was Washington State wines and higher-end Wisconsin cheeses. They did a trivia contest to see who got one of the half-finished bottles, and I won it! The question was, what is Amtrak's official name? There are times when it helps to be a railfan!  Anyway, I had a nice half a bottle of Washington State Riesling to enjoy in my compartment that evening.



I won too! My question (the final question of the session) was "As I was going to St. Ives,I met a man with seven wives,Each wife had seven sacks,Each sack had seven cats,Each cat had seven kits:Kits, cats, sacks, and wives,How many were there going to St. Ives?" I knew the answer because it was used in the movie "Die Hard With a Vengeance" which is part of my DVD collection. It helps to know movies, even though the origin of the question is centuries old. It was one of the last wine and cheese tasting sessions back in June, 2013 on the Empire Builder. My mom and I were headed back from Portland on her first trip on Amtrak.


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## crescent-zephyr (May 4, 2021)

Brian Battuello said:


> (No Amtrak lounge has alcoholic beverages, free or otherwise. I have been known to bring a bit of an additive for the free coke. Just be subtle...)



The Chicago lounge provided free wine at scheduled times. Served by an attendant. 



Exvalley said:


> Didn't the Chicago lounge sell wine? The person used to set up by the base of the stairs.



Yes. It was free. 



MARC Rider said:


> They let outside food in the old lounge. The only lounge where I've been hassled about outside food is the Club Acela in Washington.



Yes DC is by far the most strict in my experience as well. Wouldn’t even let me bring a Jamba Juice in.


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## joelkfla (May 4, 2021)

Brian Battuello said:


> (No Amtrak lounge has alcoholic beverages, free or otherwise. I have been known to bring a bit of an additive for the free coke. Just be subtle...)


The Moynihan Metropolitan Lounge has a bar, but it's not open yet.

From Amtrak Introduces Premium Dining Experience in the Metropolitan Lounge at the Moynihan Train Hall - Amtrak Media:
"Later in the year, customers can enjoy bar service with alcohol, hot food offerings and other new features."


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## Cal (May 4, 2021)

joelkfla said:


> The Moynihan Metropolitan Lounge has a bar, but it's not open yet.
> 
> From Amtrak Introduces Premium Dining Experience in the Metropolitan Lounge at the Moynihan Train Hall - Amtrak Media:
> "Later in the year, customers can enjoy bar service with alcohol, hot food offerings and other new features."


Just if Chicago (and LA) had this


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## Sauve850 (May 4, 2021)

Chicago lounge sold wine and beer in Sept 2019. Ive seen free wine offered also.


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## Brian Battuello (May 4, 2021)

I am very happy to be corrected. Cheers!


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## Sauve850 (May 4, 2021)

Mailliw said:


> What was the logic behind not allowing outside food & drink when the offerings inside were all free? It's not like a theater where they want you to spend money at the concessions stand.


Think its was just the trash. The over all cleaning up the mess.


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## MARC Rider (May 4, 2021)

Cal said:


> Just if Chicago (and LA) had this


You understand that powerful big-shots actually ride the train regularly between New York and Washington, enough so that they would qualify for lounge access on a routine basis. Some of these big shots actually have political power over Amtrak's appropriation, and if they don't have that, they might be media big-shots who can make a difference in Amtrak's presentation to the National media, or they're financial big shots who might have some influence on various financial aspects of Amtrak. If I were Amtrak, I would definitely want to make such customers happy, very happy. The only question I have is why they haven't upgraded the lounge in Washington.

On the other hand, the lounge in Chicago is mostly used by retirees and train buffs who are riding sleeper coast to coast, plus local folks riding business class, who while they may be accomplished professionals in their fields, they aren't the Masters of the Universe. There may be some west coast media moguls who ride Amtrak out of LA from time to time, but it's just not the same thing. The most practical way to get to DC from LA is by flying, so the west coast bigshots are more likely to be found at LAX, not LAUPT.

For this reason, Amtrak may have more of an interest in providing an exceptional lounge product at the New York hub as compared to their lounges in Chicago or LA.


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## MIrailfan (May 4, 2021)

MARC Rider said:


> Sure it's worth it. The seats are a lot more comfortable than the main waiting area, the bathrooms are cleaner, and it's quieter.


sweet. T hanks for the tip.


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## crescent-zephyr (May 4, 2021)

MARC Rider said:


> You understand that powerful big-shots actually ride the train regularly between New York and Washington, enough so that they would qualify for lounge access on a routine basis. Some of these big shots actually have political power over Amtrak's appropriation, and if they don't have that, they might be media big-shots who can make a difference in Amtrak's presentation to the National media, or they're financial big shots who might have some influence on various financial aspects of Amtrak. If I were Amtrak, I would definitely want to make such customers happy, very happy. The only question I have is why they haven't upgraded the lounge in Washington.
> 
> On the other hand, the lounge in Chicago is mostly used by retirees and train buffs who are riding sleeper coast to coast, plus local folks riding business class, who while they may be accomplished professionals in their fields, they aren't the Masters of the Universe. There may be some west coast media moguls who ride Amtrak out of LA from time to time, but it's just not the same thing. The most practical way to get to DC from LA is by flying, so the west coast bigshots are more likely to be found at LAX, not LAUPT.
> 
> For this reason, Amtrak may have more of an interest in providing an exceptional lounge product at the New York hub as compared to their lounges in Chicago or LA.



Ah yes... only the north east corridor matters. Where have I heard that before.


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## pennyk (May 4, 2021)

Sauve850 said:


> Chicago lounge sold wine and beer in Sept 2019. Ive seen free wine offered also.


Beer and wine was also sold in December 2019 when I was last there.


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## SarahZ (May 4, 2021)

MARC Rider said:


> ...plus local folks riding business class, who while they may be accomplished professionals in their fields, they aren't the Masters of the Universe.


*I beg your pardon.*


(I am so glad I got a chance to use this image again. I couldn't resist. It was the perfect opening.)


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## PaTrainFan (May 4, 2021)

From the Amtrak Five Year Plan, vague as it is, with no specific timeline established:

Standardize the designs and elevate the offerings of all station lounges, now branded as Metropolitan Lounges, to enhance the customer experience with the current and next generation customer in mind.


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## crescent-zephyr (May 4, 2021)

MARC Rider said:


> For this reason, Amtrak may have more of an interest in providing an exceptional lounge product at the New York hub as compared to their lounges in Chicago or LA.



So far, the only lounge that has actually provided any alcohol is Chicago. We shall see what actually opens in NYC and how long it lasts.


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## Michigan Mom (May 4, 2021)

Am I alone in thinking the Chicago lounge is very well managed? Maybe it's because I'm an infrequent visitor there. Pre-Covid, I was quite impressed with the service and offerings, however we never spent significant amounts of time in the lounge, it was more about stowing the luggage and leaving until departure time. Come to think of it, that is my one issue with the lounge. With the amount of sleeper traffic, the bag check room would get so full it was a challenge trying to find a spot, and the agents would discourage you from trying. I would get creative consolidating space, taking care not to impede egress/ingress (because the agents would not let you do that anyway) but it got challenging. If traffic returns to normal levels, they really need a larger bag room.


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## railiner (May 4, 2021)

PaTrainFan said:


> From the Amtrak Five Year Plan, vague as it is, with no specific timeline established:
> 
> Standardize the designs and elevate the offerings of all station lounges, now branded as Metropolitan Lounges, to enhance the customer experience with the current and next generation customer in mind.





crescent-zephyr said:


> So far, the only lounge that has actually provided any alcohol is Chicago. We shall see what actually opens in NYC and how long it lasts.


I think that the lounges will eventually 'homogenize' into a standard level. The new one in New York is getting a big push as part of the hype of the new train hall...that will probably fizzle in due time....


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## Bob Dylan (May 4, 2021)

MARC Rider said:


> I participated on one of those when I rode from Havre to Chicago. It wasn't Montana wines and cheeses, it was Washington State wines and higher-end Wisconsin cheeses. They did a trivia contest to see who got one of the half-finished bottles, and I won it! The question was, what is Amtrak's official name? There are times when it helps to be a railfan!  Anyway, I had a nice half a bottle of Washington State Riesling to enjoy in my compartment that evening.


I won a Bottle on the Starlight in a similar manner! It was a Washingtin State Red, and was very nice with Dinner when the Starlight still had the Parlor Car!


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## Devil's Advocate (May 5, 2021)

Palmetto said:


> Airline lounges serve cocktails gratis, if you don't call a brand. Does Amtrak do that?


Depends on the lounge I suppose. UA charged me but CX and JL were inclusive while mixed use locations provided vouchers based on affiliation. Amtrak has never provided cocktails in my experience.



Michigan Mom said:


> I was quite impressed with the service and offerings, however we never spent significant amounts of time in the lounge, it was more about stowing the luggage and leaving until departure time.


This task is handled by lockers in other countries whereas we require premium lounge access for basic needs like putting luggage away, cleaning up after a trip, or using a functional restroom.


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## IndyLions (May 5, 2021)

Don’t forget that most airline lounges are not included with your ticket, First Class or otherwise. You need some sort of membership. My Delta membership costs a relative fortune.

At least with the Amtrak lounge and its limitations, as long as you have a Business Class or First Class ticket It includes access.

Except the Northeast of course, where Business Class doesn’t buy you anything, but First and Sleeper do.


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## Palmetto (May 5, 2021)

IndyLions said:


> Don’t forget that most airline lounges are not included with your ticket, First Class or otherwise. You need some sort of membership. My Delta membership costs a relative fortune.
> 
> At least with the Amtrak lounge and its limitations, as long as you have a Business Class or First Class ticket It includes access.
> 
> Except the Northeast of course, where Business Class doesn’t buy you anything, but First and Sleeper do.




Not true. Business class and first class tickets get you into a lot of airline lounges, especially the international ones. American domestic first class does not, but international first class does with them. Jis could correct me, but I believe it's the same with United.


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## Exvalley (May 5, 2021)

Palmetto said:


> Not true. Business class and first class tickets get you into a lot of airline lounges, especially the international ones. American domestic first class does not, but international first class does with them. Jis could correct me, but I believe it's the same with United.


Since Amtrak is a primarily domestic network, I believe the comparison was to domestic first class on the airlines.


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## railiner (May 5, 2021)

That's what I recall...at least in major international airports. Besides the usual membership Admiral's Club's, AA also has "Flagship Lounges" for F and J class traveler's. The best thing about those is the nice shower after arriving on a 'redeye'...


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## tim49424 (May 5, 2021)

Michigan Mom said:


> Am I alone in thinking the Chicago lounge is very well managed? Maybe it's because I'm an infrequent visitor there. Pre-Covid, I was quite impressed with the service and offerings, however we never spent significant amounts of time in the lounge, it was more about stowing the luggage and leaving until departure time. Come to think of it, that is my one issue with the lounge. With the amount of sleeper traffic, the bag check room would get so full it was a challenge trying to find a spot, and the agents would discourage you from trying. I would get creative consolidating space, taking care not to impede egress/ingress (because the agents would not let you do that anyway) but it got challenging. If traffic returns to normal levels, they really need a larger bag room.



No you're not alone.....and I was a frequent visitor pre-covid. There are many many times where I did a day trip just to ride the train and didn't plan to do anything but veg out in the lounge from arrival until preboard at around 6 to head home. I love people watching. Dan the lounge attendant is absolutely great and very friendly. Being I was there all day, I'd take advantage of the 12:30 veggie and cheese buffet. The seating is comfortable and if all of a sudden I get antisocial, I can head upstairs where it's more isolated. When I'm on longer trips, I utilize the bag room, which I agree, they should expand. I never have troubles finding room myself, because the Pere Marquette arrives at a little after 9 AM when the lounge is almost completely empty, but I can see where others, like you, would have that issue of finding space. I'd say the lounge is managed excellently.


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## MARC Rider (May 5, 2021)

Michigan Mom said:


> Am I alone in thinking the Chicago lounge is very well managed? Maybe it's because I'm an infrequent visitor there. Pre-Covid, I was quite impressed with the service and offerings, however we never spent significant amounts of time in the lounge, it was more about stowing the luggage and leaving until departure time. Come to think of it, that is my one issue with the lounge. With the amount of sleeper traffic, the bag check room would get so full it was a challenge trying to find a spot, and the agents would discourage you from trying. I would get creative consolidating space, taking care not to impede egress/ingress (because the agents would not let you do that anyway) but it got challenging. If traffic returns to normal levels, they really need a larger bag room.


At the old lounge in Chicago, you could actually check your bags with a redcap, and they were stored in a reasonably secure space. None of the other lounges had that, and the Chicago lounge doesn't have it any more, either. The new lounge in New York has lockers where you can put your bags, so at least no one sees a tempting bag lying around. Unfortunately, these have no locks, though they are in full view of the lounge attendant, who might question someone opening many locker doors and looking inside. 

I guess if you're really worried about securely storing your bag, you have to bite the bullet, go down to the baggage desk, and day-check the bag for $10. However, on my last trip, I stowed stuff there for the day and had no problems.


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## PaTrainFan (May 5, 2021)

Pre-covid, I had no issues with the Chicago lounge. I thought the food and drink offerings were fine and appropriate, though the one time I used the old Legacy Lounge I thought what they offered was slightly better. Nevertheless, I don't expect a smorasbord. If what is reported in the 5 Year Plan holds, it will be interesting to see how Amtrak standardizes their lounges. But we also know Amtrak's credibility is suspect.


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## Dakota 400 (May 5, 2021)

Palmetto said:


> Not true. Business class and first class tickets get you into a lot of airline lounges, especially the international ones. American domestic first class does not, but international first class does with them. Jis could correct me, but I believe it's the same with United.



A Delta domestic First Class ticket does not get one entry into a Sky Club. A passenger can purchase a Day Pass. (Unless the rules have changed.)


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## Devil's Advocate (May 5, 2021)

railiner said:


> That's what I recall...at least in major international airports. Besides the usual membership Admiral's Club's, AA also has "Flagship Lounges" for F and J class traveler's. The best thing about those is the nice shower after arriving on a 'redeye'...


In Japan airport showers are available to nearly anyone for around $10. Giving everyone the option to clean up before or after a long flight benefits the bather and everyone in their vicinity. It also helps keep the airport and aircraft facilities cleaner and less soiled. Ask yourself if basic cleanliness should really be limited to a few customers with flagship lounge access the next time your nose gets tweaked on a long flight or waiting in line for immigration.


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## Mailliw (May 5, 2021)

Seoul-Incheon has a small Korean spa airside.


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## 20th Century Rider (May 5, 2021)

Brian Battuello said:


> (No Amtrak lounge has alcoholic beverages, free or otherwise. I have been known to bring a bit of an additive for the free coke. Just be subtle...)


The Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago had free wine tasting as recently as 5 years ago... and continued on with a pay bar service which was discontinued. I remember that for the wine tasting, 'adults' were allowed two tastes carefully measured out at 2 oz per taste. That's so that no one would have to be carried out of the lounge inebriated. [Gimme a break!]


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## Bob Dylan (May 5, 2021)

20th Century Rider said:


> The Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago had free wine tasting as recently as 5 years ago... and continued on with a pay bar service which was discontinued. I remember that for the wine tasting, 'adults' were allowed two tastes carefully measured out at 2 oz per taste. That's so that no one would have to be carried out of the lounge inebriated. [Gimme a break!]


More than 4 Ounces of Wine is gonna cause you to be "carried out"?


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## 20th Century Rider (May 5, 2021)

Yes... Amtrak will take good care of you and that's the absolute truth! Silly isn't it!


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## Michigan Mom (May 5, 2021)

MARC Rider said:


> I guess if you're really worried about securely storing your bag, you have to bite the bullet, go down to the baggage desk, and day-check the bag for $10. However, on my last trip, I stowed stuff there for the day and had no problems.



Not at all worried about anyone wanting to steal my 20 yo suitcase, or the clothes and toiletries in it. (On the return leg the clothes will need washing). The problem is more that if the bag check room is full, the employees discourage you from leaving your bag in it. Which is one of the best perks of the lounge. The agent will actually tell you there's no more room, and I've gone in there and rearranged a few items to make more room. In these instances, the agent simply cautioned me not to block the floor space, which I wouldn't do, in fact other people had left their bags on the floor and I ended up moving those too. 
They really, really need a bigger storage room. Maybe not right now, but when traffic rebounds to pre-Covid levels, they do.


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## 20th Century Rider (May 6, 2021)

Michigan Mom said:


> Not at all worried about anyone wanting to steal my 20 yo suitcase, or the clothes and toiletries in it. (On the return leg the clothes will need washing). The problem is more that if the bag check room is full, the employees discourage you from leaving your bag in it. Which is one of the best perks of the lounge. The agent will actually tell you there's no more room, and I've gone in there and rearranged a few items to make more room. In these instances, the agent simply cautioned me not to block the floor space, which I wouldn't do, in fact other people had left their bags on the floor and I ended up moving those too.
> They really, really need a bigger storage room. Maybe not right now, but when traffic rebounds to pre-Covid levels, they do.


It is my hope that employee attitudes towards customer service will improve as the pandemic recedes. The Chicago lounge has some 'real characters' that have been with Amtrak for many years and are quite jaded. Over recent years the customer service problem has increased... management doesn't do enough to motivate and inspire respect for the passengers.

But it is also important to recognize those who go above and beyond for customers... be sure to tip them!


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## Cal (May 28, 2021)

Snacks are back. This is from Simply_Railways Instagram story, hes on the Zephyr right now.


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## Sidney (May 28, 2021)

Bob Dylan said:


> More than 4 Ounces of Wine is gonna cause you to be "carried out"?


The late lamented Legacy lounge had a beer and wine tasting. If I recall you could get up to four beers or four wines. $20. That was the price to get in. Well worth it.


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## neroden (May 30, 2021)

railiner said:


> I think that the lounges will eventually 'homogenize' into a standard level. The new one in New York is getting a big push as part of the hype of the new train hall...that will probably fizzle in due time....


So, before changes in recent years, the New York lounge was the shabbiest, followed by Boston, followed by DC.

Boston was upgraded, then NY was upgraded; they are both rather similar in physical style and quality to the Chicago lounge now. Since Amtrak plans to replace the DC lounge (which remains small and cramped), I think the standardization is going to make them all similar to the current NY, Boston, and Chicago lounges, which is really quite fine.


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## Cal (May 30, 2021)

neroden said:


> So, before changes in recent years, the New York lounge was the shabbiest, followed by Boston, followed by DC.
> 
> Boston was upgraded, then NY was upgraded; they are both rather similar in physical style and quality to the Chicago lounge now. Since Amtrak plans to replace the DC lounge (which remains small and cramped), I think the standardization is going to make them all similar to the current NY, Boston, and Chicago lounges, which is really quite fine.


I hope an upgrade comes to LA and Seattle, which doesn't even have a lounge! 

Having something like the Magnolia Room in NOL put into place at places such as Albuquerque, Denver, Sacramento, and other large cities along LD routes would also be nice.


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## Sidney (May 30, 2021)

neroden said:


> So, before changes in recent years, the New York lounge was the shabbiest, followed by Boston, followed by DC.
> 
> Boston was upgraded, then NY was upgraded; they are both rather similar in physical style and quality to the Chicago lounge now. Since Amtrak plans to replace the DC lounge (which remains small and cramped), I think the standardization is going to make them all similar to the current NY, Boston, and Chicago lounges, which is really quite fine.


I've been in the Moynihan lounge three times. Hands down,the best of any Amtrak lounge and by far the best selection of food and drink.


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## Sidney (May 30, 2021)

Cal said:


> I hope an upgrade comes to LA and Seattle, which doesn't even have a lounge!
> 
> Having something like the Magnolia Room in NOL put into place at places such as Albuquerque, Denver, Sacramento, and other large cities along LD routes would also be nice.


Excellent idea. Seems so obvious and something sleeper passengers would really enjoy. Seattle should be the first.


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## Cal (May 30, 2021)

Sidney said:


> Excellent idea. Seems so obvious and something sleeper passengers would really enjoy. Seattle should be the first.


Not just sleeper passengers, but also Business passengers on the Cascades and Surfliner. But of course, that would require Amtrak putting effort in to make sleeper travel a better experience.


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## crescent-zephyr (May 30, 2021)

Sidney said:


> I've been in the Moynihan lounge three times. Hands down,the best of any Amtrak lounge and by far the best selection of food and drink.



Philadelphia still wins in my book with the direct to platform elevators!


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## jiml (May 30, 2021)

Cal said:


> I hope an upgrade comes to LA and Seattle, which doesn't even have a lounge!
> 
> Having something like the Magnolia Room in NOL put into place at places such as Albuquerque, Denver, Sacramento, and other large cities along LD routes would also be nice.


You're right about L.A., Seattle and Sacramento. Denver a maybe if the proposed corridors through there become reality. With one train a day, hard no on Albuquerque.


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## Brian Battuello (May 30, 2021)

I already posted a Moynihan Lounge review, but I still have fond memories of the attendants practically forcing extra food on me to take on the train. They even asked if I wanted to take some brownies for the kids at home. Big change from the previous NYP lounge, where they would wrestle you to the ground if you tried to take out a pretzel bag.


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## Bob Dylan (May 30, 2021)

Brian Battuello said:


> I already posted a Moynihan Lounge review, but I still have fond memories of the attendants practically forcing extra food on me to take on the train. They even asked if I wanted to take some brownies for the kids at home. Big change from the previous NYP lounge, where they would wrestle you to the ground if you tried to take out a pretzel bag.


I thought the Folks working in the Lounge ( and downstairs in the Train Hall) were the Friendliest and most Proffesional I've ever experienced during my times @ Penn Station in the past 50 Years!( actually longer than that since I used to pass through the Old Penn Station often while Stationed in Conneticut while in the Navy!)


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## Dakota 400 (May 30, 2021)

Sidney said:


> . Seattle should be the first.



I agree. For those Amtrak guests transitioning in Seattle from an Alaskan cruise, they will be arriving at Seattle's station in mid-late morning and have quite a wait until the EB departs, if they are using that train. Having a pleasant lounge in which to wait would be appreciated. However, I found my wait in the station to be quite acceptable without that amenity.


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## Cal (May 30, 2021)

Dakota 400 said:


> I agree. For those Amtrak guests transitioning in Seattle from an Alaskan cruise, they will be arriving at Seattle's station in mid-late morning and have quite a wait until the EB departs, if they are using that train. Having a pleasant lounge in which to wait would be appreciated. However, I found my wait in the station to be quite acceptable without that amenity.


The Seattle Station is pretty nice. However having a lounge would be great for passengers on the Starlight, Builder, and Cascades.


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## neroden (May 31, 2021)

There is consensus that Seattle needs a first class lounge. A transfer point between trains, a major city on a corridor with business class, the origin point of two trains with sleepers, a transfer point from other one-a-day forms of transportation (ships and ferry)... and the waiting room is small and hard-benched without easy access to food.

(By contrast, Denver's main waiting room is so nice I doubt anyone would go to a first-class lounge unless it was full.)

Emeryville and Sacramento are other candidates for first-class lounges, as are Tampa, Miami (which station, though?), Orlando (which station, though?), Charlotte (new station), Raleigh, and Richmond. But Seattle seems like the station with the most overspecified reasons why it needs one.


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## Cal (May 31, 2021)

neroden said:


> There is consensus that Seattle needs a first class lounge. A transfer point between trains, a major city on a corridor with business class, the origin point of two trains with sleepers, a transfer point from other one-a-day forms of transportation (ships and ferry)... and the waiting room is small and hard-benched without easy access to food.
> 
> (By contrast, Denver's main waiting room is so nice I doubt anyone would go to a first-class lounge unless it was full.)
> 
> Emeryville and Sacramento are other candidates for first-class lounges, as are Tampa, Miami (which station, though?), Orlando (which station, though?), Charlotte (new station), Raleigh, and Richmond. But Seattle seems like the station with the most overspecified reasons why it needs one.


The Emeryville Station is pretty small, I have on idea where they would fit a lounge in there.


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## jebr (May 31, 2021)

I was just in the Chicago lounge earlier today. There were a couple of baskets out, but they were empty. About 30 minutes later they had simply removed the baskets instead of refilling them. It appears that the soda machine is also removed, and the coffee machine is still out of service - so there's just a choice of sparkling or still water. It's definitely nowhere close to what the new lounge was like just before the pandemic (although it is pretty close to what it was like in the old lounge - especially the lack of stocking snacks!)


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## Bob Dylan (May 31, 2021)

jebr said:


> I was just in the Chicago lounge earlier today. There were a couple of baskets out, but they were empty. About 30 minutes later they had simply removed the baskets instead of refilling them. It appears that the soda machine is also removed, and the coffee machine is still out of service - so there's just a choice of sparkling or still water. It's definitely nowhere close to what the new lounge was like just before the pandemic (although it is pretty close to what it was like in the old lounge - especially the lack of stocking snacks!)


Chicago, it's always Something!


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## bratkinson (May 31, 2021)

jebr said:


> I was just in the Chicago lounge earlier today... It appears that the soda machine is also removed, and the coffee machine is still out of service - so there's just a choice of sparkling or still water.



I think the soda machine was on its way out pre-COVID. The last couple of times I was there, it was completely out of order. It seemed to 'die' one function/flavor at a time over the last 6-8 months of 2019 and then 'dead'. If I were to speculate, given that lounge has, by far, the most sleeper passengers, Amtrak likely decided the cost of all the freebies there was too high so they cut-cut-cut. Perhaps to better be 'in line' with the cost of providing 'free' dog food' in the dining cars.


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## Bob Dylan (May 31, 2021)

bratkinson said:


> I think the soda machine was on its way out pre-COVID. The last couple of times I was there, it was completely out of order. It seemed to 'die' one function/flavor at a time over the last 6-8 months of 2019 and then 'dead'. If I were to speculate, given that lounge has, by far, the most sleeper passengers, Amtrak likely decided the cost of all the freebies there was too high so they cut-cut-cut. Perhaps to better be 'in line' with the cost of providing 'free' dog food' in the dining cars.


All Amtrak Lounges should copy the New Metro Lounge @ the Moynihan Train Hall by getting rid of Soda Machines by offering Bottled Drinks, and also having a Person serve the Snacks and Food to Passengers Cafeteria Style.


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## west point (May 31, 2021)

If Atlanta gets all the possible service in the report. A new station required will need a lounge.


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## crescent-zephyr (May 31, 2021)

bratkinson said:


> I think the soda machine was on its way out pre-COVID. The last couple of times I was there, it was completely out of order. It seemed to 'die' one function/flavor at a time over the last 6-8 months of 2019 and then 'dead'. If I were to speculate, given that lounge has, by far, the most sleeper passengers, Amtrak likely decided the cost of all the freebies there was too high so they cut-cut-cut.



The same thing happened in nyp didn’t it? I know the coffee maker was broken (one of the easiest things to replace ever...) for quite some time.


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## Steve4031 (Jun 1, 2021)

There is a lounge in the Miami station. It’s upstairs. I don’t know if it’s still in use. It was dusty and empty when I used around 2014.


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## MIrailfan (Jun 14, 2021)

updates?


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## pennyk (Jun 14, 2021)

Steve4031 said:


> There is a lounge in the Miami station. It’s upstairs. I don’t know if it’s still in use. It was dusty and empty when I used around 2014.


The Miami lounge has closed. I am not sure when, but it was closed the last few times I was in MIA.


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## MIrailfan (Jun 14, 2021)

Rising demand should be followed by the lounges reopening.


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## Steve4031 (Jun 15, 2021)

In the case of Miami the lounge may have been closed and not maintained because Amtrak anticipated moving to the airport station. Then that was discontinued because the platform wasn’t long enough to accommodate the train and not block a grade crossing. So the Miami lounge is in limbo.


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## Just-Thinking-51 (Jun 15, 2021)

Chicago lounge is open, the baggage room is too small, coffee machine still broken (or something cover up with a broken sign.) Some snack were available. I when thur on a Saturday. Limited staff. Seem to recall a shower, but did not see anything. Left on the Texas Eagle so unknown if they would restock or just run out of things.


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## jis (Jun 15, 2021)

Steve4031 said:


> In the case of Miami the lounge may have been closed and not maintained because Amtrak anticipated moving to the airport station. Then that was discontinued because the platform wasn’t long enough to accommodate the train and not block a grade crossing. So the Miami lounge is in limbo.


And at the MIC at the Airport, the Amtrak facilities did not have enough space for regular passengers let alone space for any separate lounges. So even with the move there was no plan to have a lounge at the new location.


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