LAUS Metropolitan Lounge?

[leemell]

Have you ever landed at the old Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport?

Sadly, no. Coming in there must have been a real E-Ticket ride.

Photo by Daryl Chapman, Airliners.net.

How many of us got the E ticket reference ?

Great shot, thanks

Not many these days. I used to hoard mine and barter for more.

 

[AlanB]

Sadly, no. Coming in there must have been a real E-Ticket ride.

How many of us got the E ticket reference ?

Great shot, thanks

Not many these days. I used to hoard mine and barter for more.

I've got a few A's buried in a draw some place, maybe even a B. But I never came home with any E's left.

 

[sportbiker]

Metro is in the process of creating a master plan for the LAUS of the next few decades. Here's where they are in the process:

The LA Union Station Master Plan team would like to remind you of our next Community Workshop. We hope that you will join us to view and provide comments on the Draft Alternatives for the Master Plan. The Draft Alternatives will cover site planning, proposed improvements, new projects and potential development sites.

WHAT: LA Union Station Master Plan Community Workshop
WHEN: Thursday, May 2, 2013
5:30-7:30 PM
WHERE: Japanese American National Museum, Aratani Central Hall
100 N. Central Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Since we know Amtrak desperately wants a Metropolitan Lounge at the station, the meeting would be the place to find out if one is actually in the cards.

 

[MikefromCrete]

So, I guess nobody knows anything about a first class lounge at LAUS?

There isn't one. A restaurant, Trax Lounge, Stands in for the morning Coast Starlight Departure.

Aloha

You misunderstood me. I know there is currently no first class lounge at LAUS. The OP wrote that he met a contractor who seemed to know something about the construction of a lounge at the station, but no official announcement had been made. He wondered if anybody knew anything more about it. Somehow, we've devolved into photos of the old Hong Kong airport and remembering E-tickets at Disneyland. Not exactly on topic.

 

[AlanB]

Somehow, we've devolved into photos of the old Hong Kong airport and remembering E-tickets at Disneyland. Not exactly on topic.

Which is pretty much normal for this forum. :lol:

And probably a pretty good indication that no one else has heard any such news, otherwise they would be talking about it.

 

[johnny.menhennet]

While I don't have experience with it, my mom did tell me about the whole Disneyland lettering system last time we were there a few years ago. It was prompted by reminiscence of the old submarine ride

 

[the_traveler]

While I don't have experience with it, my mom did tell me about the whole Disneyland lettering system

Now I REALLY feel old!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

While I don't have experience with it, my mom did tell me about the whole Disneyland lettering system

Now I REALLY feel old!

And we're old enough to be his grandparents

 

[user 1215]

Sadly, no. Coming in there must have been a real E-Ticket ride.

How many of us got the E ticket reference ?

Great shot, thanks

Not many these days. I used to hoard mine and barter for more.

I've got a few A's buried in a draw some place, maybe even a B. But I never came home with any E's left.

When I worked the Jungle Cruise at Tokyo Disneyland, we still took tickets. The Jungle Cruise was an E-Ticket ride (sorry - without the "thrill" that gave the household moniker its reputation). One time, some guests came in and tried to use a Disneyland E-Ticket. They had already been phased out in LA and they were trying to get some more mileage out of them. I should have let them in and kept the ticket. But, alas, I was a young pup and didn't want to break any rules so I had to turn them away (which sucked because the ticket booth is just before boarding after waiting in the long queue). Tokyo Disneyland is essentially a franchise and has no cross-revenue relationship with the other parks.

Amtrak, though, since October has become an E-Ticket ride!

 

[Robert]

Reading these blogs, I'm wondering if this lounge will be where the old restaurant used to be. Back in the 60's, it was a great place to grab a meal before boarding the trains.

I think it would be ideal.

 

[yarrow]

Reading these blogs, I'm wondering if this lounge will be where the old restaurant used to be. Back in the 60's, it was a great place to grab a meal before boarding the trains.I think it would be ideal.

somehow, i don't think it would be in the old harvey house restaurant. if it were to be then i'm taking a special trip down to enjoy it

 

[leemell]

Reading these blogs, I'm wondering if this lounge will be where the old restaurant used to be. Back in the 60's, it was a great place to grab a meal before boarding the trains.I think it would be ideal.

somehow, i don't think it would be in the old harvey house restaurant. if it were to be then i'm taking a special trip down to enjoy it

No, the construction guy indicated that it was on the south side down by the Amtrak ticketing area.

 

[Aaron]

Here's something else to stoke the fire:

The FY2013 budget and business plan (http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/345/484/AmtrakFY13-Budget-Comprehensive-Business-Plan-w-appx-052413.pdf) released this month has this little tidbit:

Los Angeles 1st Class Lounge Construction $0.5M - Amtrak leased space available to create a Los Angeles Metropolitan Lounge for the benefit of sleeping car and business class travel, and Amtrak’s guest rewards select plus members. This project will fund the construction of the Los Angeles First Class Lounge. The lounge will include individual seating for approximately 100 individuals to provide a relaxed, secure, and professional atmosphere for our business class customers and first class passengers while waiting for their train to depart. It will also include WiFi, work station availability to further attract regional business travelers, private rest rooms, coffee and beverage bar, baggage check-in and storage capability, widescreen monitors, exclusive pre-boarding and ticket check in, magazines newspaper racks, and concierge and personal train information services.

Note that it says "leased", not "is planning to lease" nor "will attempt to lease" or anything like that.

 

[yarrow]

Here's something else to stoke the fire:
The FY2013 budget and business plan (http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/345/484/AmtrakFY13-Budget-Comprehensive-Business-Plan-w-appx-052413.pdf) released this month has this little tidbit:

Los Angeles 1st Class Lounge Construction $0.5M - Amtrak leased space available to create a Los Angeles Metropolitan Lounge for the benefit of sleeping car and business class travel, and Amtrak’s guest rewards select plus members. This project will fund the construction of the Los Angeles First Class Lounge. The lounge will include individual seating for approximately 100 individuals to provide a relaxed, secure, and professional atmosphere for our business class customers and first class passengers while waiting for their train to depart. It will also include WiFi, work station availability to further attract regional business travelers, private rest rooms, coffee and beverage bar, baggage check-in and storage capability, widescreen monitors, exclusive pre-boarding and ticket check in, magazines newspaper racks, and concierge and personal train information services.

Note that it says "leased", not "is planning to lease" nor "will attempt to lease" or anything like that.

good deal. we plan to be down there this coming winter so should be up and running by then(we can dream anyway)

 

[Aaron]

Here's something else to stoke the fire:
The FY2013 budget and business plan (http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/345/484/AmtrakFY13-Budget-Comprehensive-Business-Plan-w-appx-052413.pdf) released this month has this little tidbit:

Los Angeles 1st Class Lounge Construction $0.5M - Amtrak leased space available to create a Los Angeles Metropolitan Lounge for the benefit of sleeping car and business class travel, and Amtrak’s guest rewards select plus members. This project will fund the construction of the Los Angeles First Class Lounge. The lounge will include individual seating for approximately 100 individuals to provide a relaxed, secure, and professional atmosphere for our business class customers and first class passengers while waiting for their train to depart. It will also include WiFi, work station availability to further attract regional business travelers, private rest rooms, coffee and beverage bar, baggage check-in and storage capability, widescreen monitors, exclusive pre-boarding and ticket check in, magazines newspaper racks, and concierge and personal train information services.

Note that it says "leased", not "is planning to lease" nor "will attempt to lease" or anything like that.

good deal. we plan to be down there this coming winter so should be up and running by then(we can dream anyway)

Well, FY2013 ends in September, and if they really are planning on spending that money during this fiscal year, it shouldn't be long now.

 

[Nathanael]

Don't expect things to move fast (though I'd love it if they did).

Amtrak's budget has included money for relocating the Chicago Metropolitan Lounge for several years running. Some of that money has actually been spent -- the target space on the southeast corner of the Great Hall has been boarded up, and if you peek in, it was ripped apart and under construction as of last August. However, there is currently no clear target date for when the lounge will actually move and open. We could see budget entries for it year after year....

So the same thing may happen with the LA Metropolitan Lounge. Don't expect it to open before September and don't be surprised if there's a budget line item for it in the FY2014 budget as well. I have no doubt that Amtrak is committed to it, but sometimes they run their projects slow (cash management is probably part of this; running into unexpected problems is probably another part).

 

[Aaron]

Don't expect things to move fast (though I'd love it if they did).
Amtrak's budget has included money for relocating the Chicago Metropolitan Lounge for several years running.

Well, Chicago seems to be a bit of a different story. The FY2013 budget doesn't mention it specifically, since it only breaks down items that are changes from previous years' budgets. But, here's how it was spelled it in the FY2012 budget (emphasis mine):

Station and Facility Improvements Program: $12.0M

o Chicago Union Station Improvements - $12.0M: This is a multi-year project. Project will relocate CUS Metropolitan Lounge to historical building, renovate the coach boarding lounge, convert lounge G to public restrooms, install 72 sets of historical building entry doors, install induction lighting, restore historical building façade, install a new HVAC system for the great hall and the 2nd and 3rd floors of the station, replace 12 escalators, replace tactile edging along the platforms, renovate pedestrian way, install historical building sprinkler system, replace both exterior and interior windows throughout the historical building, modernize elevators (4 passenger, 2 freight), and perform environmental remediation work, which will include lead based paint and asbestos removal on upper floors.

I don't know if the $12 million was just the outlay expected in FY2012, and there's an additional amount assumed in this year's and future budgets, or if $12 million was the entire expected cost of the project. But, either way, the LAUS lounge is only budgeted at $500,000 and the project's considerably smaller in scope. So, of course the LA project could run into problems or go over budget or whatnot, but I'd still wager that it'll be done before the Chicago lounge is moved.

 

[Nathanael]

Don't expect things to move fast (though I'd love it if they did).

Amtrak's budget has included money for relocating the Chicago Metropolitan Lounge for several years running.

Well, Chicago seems to be a bit of a different story. The FY2013 budget doesn't mention it specifically, since it only breaks down items that are changes from previous years' budgets. But, here's how it was spelled it in the FY2012 budget (emphasis mine):

Station and Facility Improvements Program: $12.0M

o Chicago Union Station Improvements - $12.0M: This is a multi-year project. Project will relocate CUS Metropolitan Lounge to historical building, renovate the coach boarding lounge, convert lounge G to public restrooms, install 72 sets of historical building entry doors, install induction lighting, restore historical building façade, install a new HVAC system for the great hall and the 2nd and 3rd floors of the station, replace 12 escalators, replace tactile edging along the platforms, renovate pedestrian way, install historical building sprinkler system, replace both exterior and interior windows throughout the historical building, modernize elevators (4 passenger, 2 freight), and perform environmental remediation work, which will include lead based paint and asbestos removal on upper floors.

I don't know if the $12 million was just the outlay expected in FY2012, and there's an additional amount assumed in this year's and future budgets,

I believe so.
The trouble is that that project is sequenced, and it seems to be delayed precisely at the Metropolitan Lounge relocation. They've already done:

perform environmental remediation work, which will include lead based paint and asbestos removal on upper floors.

and

install a new HVAC system for the great hall and the 2nd and 3rd floors of the station,

With great press-release fanfare.Now they have to move the Metropolitan Lounge before they can even start on:

renovate the coach boarding lounge, convert lounge G to public restrooms,

It's not clear to me what's delaying the Metropolitan Lounge portion of the project at this point. When I passed through on a weekday in August, nobody was working. Bad sign.
Hopefully you're right and the smaller nature of the LA project will mean that it will get done on time.

 

[kt1i]

Not this trip, maybe next trip.

 

[ScottC4746]

I did read SSLTD 2 has access now to TRAXX as a lounge. Nothing for SWC4 however. I'll check it out Monday as I leave on SWC4.

 

[zephyr17]

There won't be exclusive access to Traxx for 4, since that departs right at the dinner hour and Traxx would want their bar for their own customers.

Where did you hear about Traxx access for 2?

BTW-ANYONE can wait at the Traxx bar for those trains, just buy a drink. Its a public bar.

 

[ScottC4746]

There won't be exclusive access to Traxx for 4, since that departs right at the dinner hour and Traxx would want their bar for their own customers.
Where did you hear about Traxx access for 2?

BTW-ANYONE can wait at the Traxx bar for those trains, just buy a drink. Its a public bar.

In the Sunset Limited Route Guide http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/57/168/Amtrak-Sunset-Train-Route-Guide.pdf under Sleeping Car Accomodations.

 

[nferr]

Does anyone know where the 1'st class lounge is supposed to be located in LAUS. Absolutely love that station.

 

[Acela150]

Yeah but if your going East on the SL you wouldn't know about TRAXX being mentioned in the RG. Unless you went West on it and received a RG. RG's are very hard to come by on an Amtrak LD train. I've asked some SCA's and they look at me like, What are you talking about?

 

[zephyr17]

I don't know that I would take that as authoritative. Where the use of TRAXX for train 14 is mentioned prominently in the "Sleeper Car" section of the Coast Starlight's timetable, there is no mention of TRAXX at all in the Sunset's timetable, although the Magnolia Lounge is. I'd trust the timetable's listing of services more than I'd trust a blurb in the route guide. I think misunderstanding/miscommunication with the authors of the route guide is a possibility, since the use of TRAXX for one train only is unique for Amtrak's First Class lounges.

TRAXX is a privately run restaurant and bar. Amtrak was able to negotiate the use of the bar part (the bar and restaurant are not contiguous) when it is ordinarily closed in the morning for Coast Starlight sleeper passengers. I am not sure what time they close, but giving their bar over to Amtrak in the evening seems less likely.

I am inclined to believe it is a mistake until someone can confirm the "ground truth."