Chicago Legacy Club Possible Closure - June 2019 or sooner

[cpotisch]

I posted a web section that excludes NY and Washington a little while ago....

Well this is where I'm getting my info.

 

[keelhauled]

I posted a web section that excludes NY and Washington a little while ago....

Well this is where I'm getting my info.

That's exactly the same page where PVD's quote came from.

 

[PVD]

I know I occasionally get stuff wrong, especially when I'm in a hurry for some reason, so I went back to the section, and I still see NY and Washington left out....

 

[cpotisch]

That's what I was saying. Buying a day pass is not an option at NYP and WAS, and it is an option at BOS and PHL.

 

[PVD]

Take a look at your posting. It may have been your sentiment, but I don't see how anyone reading that would see it.

Off to watch Jeopardy! I'm off for now...

 

[cpotisch]

Take a look at your posting. It may have been your sentiment, but I don't see how anyone reading that would see it.

Off to watch Jeopardy! I'm off for now...

I don't see what was misleading here.

Whoops. Looks like that’s not an option at WAS and NYP (only PHL and BOS). I was mainly thinking about Philadelphia when I said it, but my bad.

 

[PVD]

The correction is very clear... I think everyone was responding to the lines before that......

 

[MikefromCrete]

Getting back to the Legacy Club, I think Amtrak thought that Metra riders would buy memberships in order to relax in style before catching their rides home, but commuters time their day to arrive just in time to get on the train and get out of town. Like someone said previously, most Amtrak coach riders probably aren't going to pony up $20 for the club privileges and sleeping car passengers already have their own nice waiting area so there really isn't much of a market for the Legacy Club. A nice restaurant would be a better use of the space.

 

[PVD]

Which is probably exactly the scenario unfolding. Commuter passengers are a different animal from LD passengers, It's one of the things railfans often have trouble coming to grips with. The beautiful stations of the past, no matter how glorious they were, just may not be the most appropriate way to move thousands of people to and from work.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Commuter passengers are a different animal from LD passengers, It's one of the things railfans often have trouble coming to grips with.

That's true but it also works both ways. Some of the more ignorant comments I've read came from corridor regulars who seemed to struggle with fully understanding how long distance travel differed from their typical commute or regional getaway. If there is one thing I've learned from this forum it's that Amtrak is really two different companies in one.

 

[PVD]

Sure, but I don't think that alters the validity of my statement.

 

[dogbert617]

I got wind that the Legacy Club at Chicago Union Station is likely slated to close by June 2019... if not sooner. Amtrak was planning to use this as a "model" --- and if successful --- would be emulated at other larger stations around the country. Apparently it was NOT a success. My guess is --- sleeping car passengers and business class passengers already have a free lounge (Metropolitan Lounge) no more than 200 feet away... that is pretty much the same.... and is free, so they're not going to pay $20 a head to use another lounge. Coach passengers are generally economic minded and the $20 a head was too steep for them. If I'm scraping up $30 to go to Carbondale or wherever, I probably wouldn't pay $20 for some cookies and soda... I'd use that $20 to upgrade to business class and get a nicer seat and get in the Metropolitan Lounge. Apparently, daily Metra commuters and office workers who work around the station are killing Amtrak's bottom line... buying $50 monthly passes and then coming every day between 12:30p-1:30p for the happy hour and getting 2 free alcoholic drinks every day. Hey, that's upto 40 drinks for $50 in a month. This hasn't been announced anywhere I have seen, but Amtrak is preparing to close the lounge and quietly stopped selling the yearly pass. Rumor has it, that retail will be moving in there --- quite possibly a wine shop is the buzz going around now. Won't happen for several more months though as there are other priorities and construction going on that retail might worry about hurting business. Hope they keep the room and old barber shop the same.

Haha, that's funny and interesting to read about if that is really going on! If it's mainly Metra commuters who bought a monthly pass to use Chicago Legacy Club and never a lot of Amtrak passengers, I can see why they look like they will be cutting this soon. Hard to believe this is a case of an Amtrak cut, where I'd be alright if it were cut. I hope the Metropolitan Lounges are all maintained. I'd like to see the ridership levels for those who opt to use the Portland, OR lounge, before I'd agree with them downgrading that to being unstaffed.

 

[Paul CHI]

By gradually eliminating all of the "amenities" that gave the impression of "first class travel" on the LD trains, Amtrak is alienating their upper tier of customers. Deteriorating arrival times further accelerate this trend. So the Legacy Club was aimed at a group of passengers that Amtrak is actively encouraging to find other modes of travel.

Not a surprising result.

 

[Maverickstation]

I got wind that the Legacy Club at Chicago Union Station is likely slated to close by June 2019... if not sooner. Amtrak was planning to use this as a "model" --- and if successful --- would be emulated at other larger stations around the country. Apparently it was NOT a success. My guess is --- sleeping car passengers and business class passengers already have a free lounge (Metropolitan Lounge) no more than 200 feet away... that is pretty much the same.... and is free, so they're not going to pay $20 a head to use another lounge. Coach passengers are generally economic minded and the $20 a head was too steep for them. If I'm scraping up $30 to go to Carbondale or wherever, I probably wouldn't pay $20 for some cookies and soda... I'd use that $20 to upgrade to business class and get a nicer seat and get in the Metropolitan Lounge. Apparently, daily Metra commuters and office workers who work around the station are killing Amtrak's bottom line... buying $50 monthly passes and then coming every day between 12:30p-1:30p for the happy hour and getting 2 free alcoholic drinks every day. Hey, that's upto 40 drinks for $50 in a month. This hasn't been announced anywhere I have seen, but Amtrak is preparing to close the lounge and quietly stopped selling the yearly pass. Rumor has it, that retail will be moving in there --- quite possibly a wine shop is the buzz going around now. Won't happen for several more months though as there are other priorities and construction going on that retail might worry about hurting business. Hope they keep the room and old barber shop the same.

Haha, that's funny and interesting to read about if that is really going on! If it's mainly Metra commuters who bought a monthly pass to use Chicago Legacy Club and never a lot of Amtrak passengers, I can see why they look like they will be cutting this soon. Hard to believe this is a case of an Amtrak cut, where I'd be alright if it were cut. I hope the Metropolitan Lounges are all maintained. I'd like to see the ridership levels for those who opt to use the Portland, OR lounge, before I'd agree with them downgrading that to being unstaffed.

 

[Thirdrail7]

They are probably looking at maximizing their potential for real estate. If they can get money for the space, why use it as a duplicate amenity?

 

[the_traveler]

By gradually eliminating all of the "amenities" that gave the impression of "first class travel" on the LD trains, Amtrak is alienating their upper tier of customers. Deteriorating arrival times further accelerate this trend. So the Legacy Club was aimed at a group of passengers that Amtrak is actively encouraging to find other modes of travel.

Not a surprising result.

I do not see how this (possible) closing is an elimination of amenities. A sleeper passenger or a business class passenger on Amtrak has 2 options for a Lounge in Chicago.
#1) They can chose to go to the Legacy Lounge during their layover or wait and pay ANOTHER $20, or

#2) They can chose to go to the Metropolitan Lounge during their layover or wait and pay NO EXTRA.

 

[DevalDragon]

FWIW, I have used the Legacy Club as a Metra passenger. Those 2 hour headways on Sunday can be brutal.

 

[MARC Rider]

Which is probably exactly the scenario unfolding. Commuter passengers are a different animal from LD passengers, It's one of the things railfans often have trouble coming to grips with. The beautiful stations of the past, no matter how glorious they were, just may not be the most appropriate way to move thousands of people to and from work.

I'm a daily commuter who finds the glorious stations of the past (through which I travel every day) to be quite appropriate for my commute.

Since the latest trackwork started, and i now need to take a MARC train that gets me into WAS a half hour before I need to be there, I've become a regular at the Club Acela, where I read the paper and have a cup of coffee before I go out and brave the Metro. By the way, most of the patronage at the Club Acela are Corridor riders (regional and Acela), not long distance riders.

 

[jis]

Specially at that time of the day?

 

[dogbert617]

They are probably looking at maximizing their potential for real estate. If they can get money for the space, why use it as a duplicate amenity?

Exactly! Maybe Amtrak has encouraged a rumored tenant to lease out this space, and they'd make more money leading it to the tenant vs. operating the Legacy Club? Though who knows the real story here....

 

[tommylicious]

Commercial rents have skyrocketed in Chicago. Amtrak will realize the opportunity cost of running the Metro lounge, shut it down, and book the rent from a new tenant. There will be a Potbelly or similar in that space.

 

[cpotisch]

Which is probably exactly the scenario unfolding. Commuter passengers are a different animal from LD passengers, It's one of the things railfans often have trouble coming to grips with. The beautiful stations of the past, no matter how glorious they were, just may not be the most appropriate way to move thousands of people to and from work.

I'm a daily commuter who finds the glorious stations of the past (through which I travel every day) to be quite appropriate for my commute.

Since the latest trackwork started, and i now need to take a MARC train that gets me into WAS a half hour before I need to be there, I've become a regular at the Club Acela, where I read the paper and have a cup of coffee before I go out and brave the Metro. By the way, most of the patronage at the Club Acela are Corridor riders (regional and Acela), not long distance riders.

How do you get in there without a qualifying ticket? You Select Executive or something?

 

[PVD]

I am not coming down in favor of utilitarianism in design, but there is a nostalgic note in many people that tends to ignore the fact that these stations need to move thousands of people i short periods of time. Their primary purpose is not what it used to be. Grand Central is one of the most beautiful public spaces, but it isn't a place where people sit and wait for trains anymore. The retail space is more geared towards a commuter and local worker crowd.

 

[the_traveler]

Commercial rents have skyrocketed in Chicago. Amtrak will realize the opportunity cost of running the Metro lounge, shut it down, and book the rent from a new tenant. There will be a Potbelly or similar in that space.

Nobody ever said the Metropolitan Lounge would close, and I personally think it will not. Amtrak even found out the old Lounge was too small and they needed more room.

 

[caravanman]

By closing all the checked baggage options, Amtrak would "save" money on paper, but it would be bonkers, as it would cut the numbers of passengers considering using their trains.

Same with closing Metropolitan lounges... It may bring in revenue from rents, but that won't increase sleeper passenger's bookings, most of whom are mature, and value the amenity. Amtrak are not in the business of being landlords, they are in, or a least should give a passing nod, to the business of attracting and retaining train passengers!

I love the grand old station designs, and would much rather pass slowly, with less convenience, through a 1930's artistic building than whizz through a modern design. When did anyone notice the beauty of an airport?

Earth without art is Eh, as the saying goes...

Ed