Amtrak Lounges - Priority Pass Access

[Exvalley]

If Amtrak wants to attract more business travelers, why don't they allow Priority Pass access to their lounges for people departing on a same-day train ticket? I am not certain what Priority Pass pays per visit, but the consensus online is that it is in the mid to low $20 range. Given the paltry amount of food and lack of booze that Amtrak offers, it seems like they would do pretty well financially if they joined with Priority Pass.

The downsides I see are:
1) Overcrowding. However, a standard condition is that lounges have the right to refuse entry to prevent overcrowding. In Chicago, business class passengers already can use the lounge, so would there be a lot more demand? I can see this being an issue in New York - but Amtrak can always pick and choose which lounges will participate.
2) A perceived reduction in value to elite Guest Rewards members.
3) Amtrak's lounges lack in what they offer compared to most airport lounges - which could result in a lot of complaining and negative publicity.

I know that Priority Pass is planning on adding railway and seaport lounges this year. Something tells me that the railway lounges will be overseas, but hopefully Amtrak is at least considering it.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Hmm, Chicago already sells day passes to their lounge. And if you’re a Select member of AGR you get 2 single use passes. I believe higher Select members get access.

 

[me_little_me]

They should just kick out the sleeper passengers. After all, why not add insult to high prices and worse scheduling along with never-ending flex meals?

 

[PaTrainFan]

They should just kick out the sleeper passengers. After all, why not add insult to high prices and worse scheduling along with never-ending flex meals?

Shush!! You're giving them ideas!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

How many Amtrak customers spend $450 or more on annual maintenance fees for airline and hotel-focused credit cards with no other means of accessing Amtrak lounges? How many Priority Pass members even know that Amtrak lounges exist? Seems like a pretty niche target to chase. Priority Pass pitches a reasonable value when travel is down but if they actually pay $20 for each visit how do they explain being dropped like a hot potato as soon as business picks up again? Maybe it's a sliding scale or they're too cheap to maintain access after owners are no longer hurting for cash.

They should just kick out the sleeper passengers. After all, why not add insult to high prices and worse scheduling along with never-ending flex meals?

I'd rather separate Business Class and Sleeper Class. LAUS has no showers and is overrun with commuters for some reason. If I was commuting I'd only use the lounge if my inbound was early or my outbound was late. The Legacy lounge seemed like a great commuter pit stop and then Amtrak changed gears and closed it forever.

 

[Hytec]

I was a bi-monthly business traveler on 19/20 from 1988 until 1998 when I retired. Then semi-yearly until the pandemic. I'd estimate there was a high percentage of "business" travelers in the WAS lounge every time I was there. They were recognizable by their non-concern for the surroundings or if they would be boarding on time. They few "leisure" couples or families on their once in a lifetime train vacation journey were awed, antsy, and kept asking the desk when they should be ready to board and were their bags safe.

My point is that commuters have their daily departure routine down to minutes, if not seconds. They don't need a lounge. (Encourage the commuter lines to bring back the Bar Car that lasted over 100 years until 1970.) Let the vacationing families have their once in a lifetime experience. But encourage Amtrak to recognize there are many business travelers who are sick and tired of the flying hassle and enjoy relaxing day or overnight trips. Amtrak might just get increased revenue from their under 500 mile trips.

All it took for me to convince my Finance Manager in 1988 was comparing $1650 flying (airfare+2 motel nights in WAS) versus 19/20 sleeper 2-way for $750, 1988 prices. His response, "Oh, have a nice trip". LOL

 

[Cal]

I'd rather separate Business Class and Sleeper Class. LAUS has no showers and is overrun with commuters for some reason. If I was commuting I'd only use the lounge if my inbound was early or my outbound was late. The Legacy lounge seemed like a great commuter pit stop and then Amtrak changed gears and closed it forever.

However that also means that the lounge is useless between the hours of 10 AM and 5 PM, and between 6 PM and 9 PM. I think that having lounge access is a nice plus for business class.

I do think that the LAUS lounge should be expanded. It got/gets really crowded for the Starlight departure, and I'm sure it was far from empty for the Chief and Sunset/Eagle.

 

[jebr]

How many Amtrak customers spend $450 or more on annual maintenance fees for airline and hotel-focused credit cards with no other means of accessing Amtrak lounges? How many Priority Pass members even know that Amtrak lounges exist? Seems like a pretty niche target to chase.

On the NEC, likely quite a few would hit that target demographic. Most of those cards come with benefits that help make up for that annual fee regardless, especially in larger cities where the benefits are more useful. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is $550, but there's a $300 travel credit (so if you use that the "effective" fee is $250/year) and it comes with a DoorDash membership and credit, Lyft Pink membership, and a few other benefits along with the Priority Pass membership. Given that Amtrak doesn't sell the membership at all, and you need ~$5000 in Amtrak spend to get Select Plus and membership that way, there's probably a fair amount of people who travel Acela business or on the Northeast Regionals somewhere between a couple times a month and a few times a year that wouldn't have lounge access, but might be able to justify a card with Priority Pass access.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

However that also means that the lounge is useless between the hours of 10 AM and 5 PM, and between 6 PM and 9 PM. I think that having lounge access is a nice plus for business class. I do think that the LAUS lounge should be expanded. It got/gets really crowded for the Starlight departure, and I'm sure it was far from empty for the Chief and Sunset/Eagle.

I feel like the the lounge has an identity problem of sorts. As a sleeper pax I feel like an afterthought, while as a commuter I would prefer a quiet place to get work done or an entertaining place to meet over drinks, neither of which seem applicable to this particular lounge. In the end it just leaves me feeling confused as to the purpose and intent.

Given that Amtrak doesn't sell the membership at all, and you need ~$5000 in Amtrak spend to get Select Plus and membership that way, there's probably a fair amount of people who travel Acela business or on the Northeast Regionals somewhere between a couple times a month and a few times a year that wouldn't have lounge access, but might be able to justify a card with Priority Pass access.

You make a valid point and perhaps it makes sense to join Priority Pass when traffic is low to make ends meet. That being said I cannot help but think the long term benefits of Priority Pass affiliation must be rather minimal having seen so many lounges sever ties once on-network traffic returns and they're back in the black again (presumably). If anything the really curious part is that Amtrak still doesn't sell membership directly like the other lounge networks.