Chicago Metropolitan Lounge

[D.P. Roberts]

I like the lounge, I just don't like how it's arranged.

From what I've seen, most people travel on Amtrak in pairs. The remaining passengers are either individuals or families. Groups of more than 4-5 are a small minority. Yet Amtrak set up the lounge with chairs all in "conversation groups", as if it's your living room at home & everyone will be together. That's not going to happen here. Instead, couples and families will be awkwardly & annoyingly close together.

The groups are also spaced rather far apart. I bet Amtrak could fit twice as many chairs in there if they put them in rows (more like an airline waiting area).

 

[CAQuail]

Are they planning on putting any art on the walls? I my opinion it needs something to break up the vast amounts of white wall space.

 

[D.P. Roberts]

Are they planning on putting any art on the walls? I my opinion it needs something to break up the vast amounts of white wall space.

I thought so too - especially since there's no color anywhere. Some bold Amtrak-related prints would do nicely. Plus, they could sell the prints for extra cash. Win-win.

 

[wwchi]

there are some beautiful photos out there - views from the train - that they post on instagram, etc. sunsets, rides past lakes and oceans, etc. A lot of those would add a lot of color and encourage more train travel!

 

[hermit]

Are they planning on putting any art on the walls? I my opinion it needs something to break up the vast amounts of white wall space.

I thought so too - especially since there's no color anywhere. Some bold Amtrak-related prints would do nicely. Plus, they could sell the prints for extra cash. Win-win.

I agree!!!! I would probably fall prey to buying one or ten!

 

[Lonestar648]

When passing through this week, I saw that the exit from the ML came out into a low traffic hallway now (next to the Greyhound and Rental Car counters being built) but you had to walk by the METRA gates that had a couple trains departing so the people flow might be an obstacle to cross through during peak times.

 

[wwchi]

http://chicago.curbed.com/2016/6/24/12024162/chicago-transportation-news-union-station-lounge

new article just out

 

[dlagrua]

Anytime I board at NYP and ask for a red cap to bring my bags to the sleeper, they have dropped them in the room. Maybe single level is treated differently than going up a flight of stairs.

We assume that the Red Cap hands everything over to the SCA on Superliner trains for deposit in your room. I guess that we will see how it all works in August on our Card/CZ Colorado trip. The windows (on Canal Street? ) should make things appear bright and cheerful, We can't wait to see it.

Great pictures of the interior here:

http://chicago.curbed.com/2016/6/24/12024162/chicago-transportation-news-union-station-lounge

 

[OBS]

It is interesting that it is estimated to have double the space, yet they are curtailing the eligibility of who will be allowed to use the facility....

 

[zephyr17]

Anytime I board at NYP and ask for a red cap to bring my bags to the sleeper, they have dropped them in the room. Maybe single level is treated differently than going up a flight of stairs.

I've never boarded a sleeper in NYP, only arrived there in sleepers. At all other stations I've used Red Caps boarding sleepers (Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle mainly), that has never happened on Amtrak. The Red Caps bring you out to the train, and you and the attendant take it from there. I wouldn't necessarily expect the change in location of the lounge to change that.

Boarding in NYP in coach/biz class, I always use a Red Cap to get downstairs before the frenzy starts and the Red Cap has taken the bag all the way into the train. One time the Red Cap stowed it for me, another he brought it onboard and it was up to me to stow.

That is not to say I've never had it happen, it just wasn't on Amtrak. In 1970 boarding the Super Chief at LAUPT, I essentially "checked" my bag with the Red Cap, they handed me a receipt and my bag was in my roomette when I boarded. That was the Santa Fe though, and there is nothing about Amtrak service that remotely compares to Santa Fe. The other was on VIA at Vancouver about 3 years ago, IIRC. Same thing, basically. I arrived in the morning on the Cascades and went to day-check my bag. They put a tag on it and said they'd put in in my room. However, I have ridden the Canadian from Vancouver twice since then, and they are no longer doing it.

 

[PVD]

One thing we can all agree on is the lack of consistency in how many different types of service are provided across Amtrak, whether the differences are station to station, train to train, or even crew to crew.

 

[Lonestar648]

I know that Amtrak like most corporations its size, has a manual/book of standards and procedures. The problem is that there is no regular audit of compliance or if there is, no one is enforcing compliance. When I worked for a large corporation there were regular audits mostly internal, every so many years external auditors measured our compliance. A low rating was death for managers since non-compliance was not tolerated. Continuous improvement committees reviewed and updated various procedures in order to keep things as current as possible. This was how we were able to maintain consistency throughout North America.

 

[John Bredin]

It is interesting that it is estimated to have double the space, yet they are curtailing the eligibility of who will be allowed to use the facility....

Take this for what it's worth, as it's on a telescreen rather than a sign and thus can be changed easily, but when I was at Union Station just now, the telescreen over the check-in desk at the nearly-finished new Met Lounge says it's for Business and Sleeper Class passengers, etc.

 

[dlagrua]

It is interesting that it is estimated to have double the space, yet they are curtailing the eligibility of who will be allowed to use the facility....

Take this for what it's worth, as it's on a telescreen rather than a sign and thus can be changed easily, but when I was at Union Station just now, the telescreen over the check-in desk at the nearly-finished new Met Lounge says it's for Business and Sleeper Class passengers, etc.

That's a true statement but the question remains on how that rule will be interpreted . If you have a departing sleeper or business class train you will be permitted entrance to the lounge but if you arrive in a sleeper or business class and your next train connection is coach, you apparently will be denied entrance.

 

[wwchi]

what if you arrive in business but are not connecting to anything? Say you have a business ticket and you have a ride coming to pick you up in an hour? Will you be denied access?

 

[George K]

what if you arrive in business but are not connecting to anything? Say you have a business ticket and you have a ride coming to pick you up in an hour? Will you be denied access?

That's what I was told when we arrived from a sleeper on #8 in mid-May. No "lounging" in the lounge, unless you're getting on another train.

 

[Lonestar648]

I was there this month and was told the Lounge is only for DEPARTING Chicago Sleeper and Business Class passengers.

 

[Bob Dylan]

More of Amtraks New "Less for More" Service!

What do you mean I just spent several hundred dollars on my LD Train trip and I can't come into the Lounge to use the restroom etc?

"Now isn't that Special!"

 

[wwchi]

I've gotta agree with that especially in the case of sleepers ($$$$). But as a Select (not Select Plus) regular business class rider for over 10 years I find it a bit offensive that I would be turned away at the lounge as an inbound passenger. Granted I live in Chicago and would really have no need to stay in the lounge once I arrived, but the fact that they only accept OUTBOUND passengers is not the message they should be sending, especially to the people that keep their business going!

 

[TylerP42]

"Located behind and above one of the two grand staircases off the Great Hall, the lounge has two entrances. The primary access is located inside the station between the Great Hall and the Concourse, with a red carpet exterior entrance near the taxi stand on the west side of Canal Street. These premium customers are welcomed arriving in or departing from Chicago."

The last part is key.

From Amtrak's press release.

http://media.amtrak.com/2016/06/amtrak-opens-new-chicago-lounge-for-premium-customers/

 

[Montreal Ltd]

I saw that as well on the Empire Builder group. My comment just got a ? since their OP has not been following this thread.

 

[Greg]

Currently sitting in the newly opened Metropolitan Lounge. What a great place! It's bright light cheery and twice as big as the old one. Currently lots of sandwiches and free food but I'm sure that's only for opening day. Anybody coming through Chicago needs to try it out

 

[PaulM]

The standard station lounge page at amtrak.com now has a section headed "Chicago Metropolitan Lounge" talking about the new facility. Right above it, is the "Metropolitan Lounges" section specifically mentioning Chicago and the old, unchanged policy "... sleeping car passengers, business class passengers with a same-day travel ticket (departure or arrival) ...".

Ok, so how could so many posts from usually reliable posters be so wrong? I don't believe I've seen such poor prognostication since "Dewey beats Truman" :giggle: .

 

[zephyr17]

Well, I said right along that I wouldn't bet on the policy change until the lounge actually opened, so I am completely unsurprised.

 

[SarahZ]

From Tyler's link:

"For the rail enthusiast, there is a Pennsylvania Room located in the former Pennsylvania Railroad Passenger Department space on the upper level."

I had no idea this was a thing! Does anyone have pictures of the room? If not, I'll get some this weekend.