Chicago Metropolitan Lounge

[tim49424]

No rope when I was there.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

... you could always try to walk through the opening in the rope (I know it isn't a "rope" but don't know the word for it)

It's called a "velvet rope".

You can buy them on the Net, along with the stanchions. Bouncers not included. LOL.

 

[neroden]

So the Amtrak section of the South Concourse is no longer roped off and you can go directly to the gate through the concourse now?

This is Amtrak Chicago. As I mentioned earlier, when I recently boarded the Capitol Limited, there was no barrier or guard; I walked right to the gate and through to the platform. A few days later while boarding the Illinois Zephyr, there was a rope; and a guard sent be back around to the pen, just like the old days.

So the only consistency is inconsistency? Sigh.

 

[SarahZ]

The velvet rope is near Track 21-ish. Sometimes the Wolverine boards from the tracks before the rope, so it's easy to avoid the bouncer.

I suppose it will depend on what track the train departs from, but they really do need to figure something out if they aren't going to escort people anymore.

Perhaps, if people have their check-in cards from the Met Lounge, they can show that to the bouncer and gain access.

Hopefully, the remodeling of the concourses will ease these shenanigans. The velvet rope might disappear once and for all. I certainly hope so, as it creates a HUGE bottleneck when people stand there waiting for people to detrain. The rope forces the detraining passengers into one lane, and the people waiting for passengers will NOT FREAKING MOVE and create this awful clog, like human cholesterol.

 

[ceo418]

I'm currently in the lounge and was told when I arrived that the showers weren't available yet. Too bad, because my ticket home is in business class on the Cardinal and a shower would have been useful. Otherwise, it's a nice place. I do kind of wish there was an area where I really felt comfortable taking a nap, though. I didn't get a lot of sleep in coach on the Capitol Limited last night.

 

[jis]

Maybe they should build a replica of the interior of a Section Car upstairs and sell berths in them

 

[PaulM]

I'm currently in the lounge and was told when I arrived that the showers weren't available yet.

Will the showers become the new Viewliner II's or Albany track work?

 

[jis]

We could start a betting pool! Add to that the placement of the Acela II orders.

ESPA just deletes any comment I post in response to their posts about Albany asking which decade they are talking about.

 

[ceo418]

I even overheard one woman asking the front desk employee if she could use the showers with her own towel. The answer was no.

They did have the wine tasting available for 1 hour, with 4-punch cards. Fresh veggies and dip and cubes of different cheeses were out for awhile, and now it's back to just fruit.

 

[tim49424]

I even overheard one woman asking the front desk employee if she could use the showers with her own towel. The answer was no.

They did have the wine tasting available for 1 hour, with 4-punch cards. Fresh veggies and dip and cubes of different cheeses were out for awhile, and now it's back to just fruit.

I heard showers won't be ready until August.

Wine, veggies, cheese and fruit were available when I was there plus a few breakfast bars that didn't last very long. I also saw a few people with pretzels but don't know where they got them.

 

[ToniCounter]

can CONO sleeping car passengers use the Metropolitan Lounge after arrival in Chicago? Or is it only reserved for departing passenges?

 

[tim49424]

can CONO sleeping car passengers use the Metropolitan Lounge after arrival in Chicago? Or is it only reserved for departing passenges?

If they are connecting to another train, yes.

 

[willem]

I arrived in the new lounge about an hour ago; the desk attendant told me the showers would be available for customers on Monday. He said there would be no charge for sleeping car passengers. We didn't discuss nuances such as arriving in a sleeper and departing in coach because there was a line of people desiring to enter the lounge.

 

[tim49424]

We didn't discuss nuances such as arriving in a sleeper and departing in coach

As I said earlier, when I was there Sunday, there were boarding announcements in the lounge for the Hiawatha trains all day.

 

[willem]

We didn't discuss nuances such as arriving in a sleeper and departing in coach

As I said earlier, when I was there Sunday, there were boarding announcements in the lounge for the Hiawatha trains all day.

Yes, but I was talking about shower usage.

Also, I was unable to check email while in the lounge, on either of two devices (both using Wi-Fi). Is the Amtrak router configured to block access to secure email ports?

 

[tim49424]

We didn't discuss nuances such as arriving in a sleeper and departing in coach

As I said earlier, when I was there Sunday, there were boarding announcements in the lounge for the Hiawatha trains all day.

Yes, but I was talking about shower usage.

Also, I was unable to check email while in the lounge, on either of two devices (both using Wi-Fi). Is the Amtrak router configured to block access to secure email ports?

I had no problems with the wifi.

 

[wwchi]

maybe a 2 step wifi access where you have to go to amtrak.com after connecting? Just like on the train?

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

You do have to use an Amtrak password to connect to Amtrak Connect even in the Metropolitan Lounge. I was posted above the public PC's in the old Metropolitan Lounge.

 

[tim49424]

You do have to use an Amtrak password to connect to Amtrak Connect even in the Metropolitan Lounge. I was posted above the public PC's in the old Metropolitan Lounge.

I got online in the new lounge without a password.

 

[Eric S]

You do have to use an Amtrak password to connect to Amtrak Connect even in the Metropolitan Lounge. I was posted above the public PC's in the old Metropolitan Lounge.

I got online in the new lounge without a password.

Pretty sure I saw signage somewhere in the new lounge stating that no password is needed, similar to connecting on a train.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

You do have to use an Amtrak password to connect to Amtrak Connect even in the Metropolitan Lounge. I was posted above the public PC's in the old Metropolitan Lounge.

I got online in the new lounge without a password.

Are you sure? Modern mobile phones remember previous signons and associated passwords and, thereafter, connect automatically. Amtrak Connect on the trains do require you to go through a login page similare to McDonald's and other similar hotspots.

 

[tim49424]

You do have to use an Amtrak password to connect to Amtrak Connect even in the Metropolitan Lounge. I was posted above the public PC's in the old Metropolitan Lounge.

I got online in the new lounge without a password.

Are you sure? Modern mobile phones remember previous signons and associated passwords and, thereafter, connect automatically. Amtrak Connect on the trains do require you to go through a login page similare to McDonald's and other similar hotspots.

Absolutely sure. I didn't even have to go through a page like on train. I always had to login with a password in the old lounge. In the new lounge, all I had to do was find the wifi in my network list (it was shown as a non secure connection), choose it and I was connected. Yes, I was surprised it was so simple.

 

[printman2000]

Way back in this thread is was reported that only outbound sleeper car passengers would be allowed in the lounge. I cannot remember if this has now been disproved. Hearing Hiawatha announcements sounds like good news, but has anyone had any experience where inbound sleeper passengers were not allowed in?

Considering a trip to Milwaukee next year and was wondering.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Way back in this thread is was reported that only outbound sleeper car passengers would be allowed in the lounge. I cannot remember if this has now been disproved. Hearing Hiawatha announcements sounds like good news, but has anyone had any experience where inbound sleeper passengers were not allowed in?

Considering a trip to Milwaukee next year and was wondering.

Things will probably be different next year regardless of what the policy is today.

 

[jis]

Way back in this thread is was reported that only outbound sleeper car passengers would be allowed in the lounge. I cannot remember if this has now been disproved. Hearing Hiawatha announcements sounds like good news, but has anyone had any experience where inbound sleeper passengers were not allowed in?

Considering a trip to Milwaukee next year and was wondering.

Things will probably be different next year regardless of what the policy is today.

It is Chicago afterall, the land of "we make our own rules as we please from moment to moment"!