Legacy Club: New BC Lounge in CHI?

[amtkstn]

The only thing wrong with the Amtrak first class lounge is not enough wall outlet to charge electronic devices. Other wise I enjoy my time in there.

 

[Manny T]

^ When you enter the Legacy Club, the first thing you encounter are two rows of high top tables with continuous strips of electrical outlets. No hunting for wall outlets.

^^ The Legacy Club is both roomier because of the high ceilings, and has more square footage than the Metropolitan Lounge. I would estimate the main room of the Legacy Club is 2x or 3x the square footage of the Metropolitan Lounge. Plus there is a side room that is currently unfurnished but beautifully tiled--I think I read somewhere it was originally the barber shop at CUS. It has been beautifully restored.

On the larger issue, folks might want to reserve judgment on which is "better" (however defined) until they have seen both.

I have seen both, and the Legacy Club is better imo. It is undeniably a "first class" facility, whereas the Metropolitan Lounge is only "first class" in comparison to Amtrak's coach waiting areas, which are over-crowded and subpar.

At the same time, I realize people have different needs, and for many the Metropolitan Lounge may be quite satisfactory. Myself, I always preferred waiting for departures in the Great Hall.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Chicago's Metropolitan Lounge is practical and functional but it's also extremely generic. Worn and tired furniture, ancient departure screens, no windows or sunlight, lack of any architectural flourishes, and surprisingly surly staff make the Chicago Metropolitan Lounge an extremely forgettable experience. If you enjoy the Metro Lounge then by all means keep using it.

 

[Railroad Bill]

One of the prime advantages for us in using the Metro Lounge is the baggage room for storage. I like the security in the Red Cap room when we want to venture around Chicago between connections. It is far better than even the Acela Lounges in NYP or WAS for that purpose. I have not found the personnel in the Metro Lounge to be "surly" but found many patrons to be a bit "obnoxious" toward them when they are doing their jobs. Enjoy the sunlight from the Great Room and its ambiance.

Snacks and restrooms are o.k. and there are enough separate sitting rooms to avoid some of the rush around the counter area. And I kind of like the kindergarten walk. Reminds me of my teaching days with the kids..

I think I will save our $20 for a pizza at Giordannos

 

[neroden]

FWIW, Amtrak apparently continues to have long-term plans ("long-term" meaning "supposed to have been finished two years ago") to relocate the Metropolitan Lounge to the *southeast* corner of the Great Hall. Areas which are currently unused.

Metra, Amtrak, and the City of Chicago all want the Metro Lounge out of the concourse due to overcrowding in the concourse.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I have not found the personnel in the Metro Lounge to be "surly" but found many patrons to be a bit "obnoxious" toward them when they are doing their jobs.

I have a hard time imagining Chicago's lounge dragons allowing anyone who was truly obnoxious with them to remain in the lounge.

I kind of like the kindergarten walk. Reminds me of my teaching days with the kids.

I kind of like walking with my own two feet. Reminds me of when I became a functioning adult.

 

[Railroad Bill]

I guess that is why life is so interesting. We all have different perspectives on what makes us happy.

 

[dlagrua]

Try to get in and out of the Chicago US Metro lounge during rush hour. If you are carrying luggage it can be a terrible experience. People are stacked in that station hall area, shoulder to shoulder. At the very least Amtrak needs to move what they already have.

We are there just about every summer and I will agree that the lounge has an old time appearance and could use an upgrade. The WiFi works once in a while but the soda machine is usually operable. For the time being it is acceptable and the redcap room is a convenience but for the prices we pay it could be better. We have not found the staff rude. We often have 3-4 hours catching trains west so we drop off our carry on luggage and walk four blocks to Greektown for a great lunch at the Greek Island restaurant on So. Halsted St. You can buy gourmet carry on snacks at Mangiano's market 2 blocks North on Halstead and there is a Starbucks and a CVC pharmacy there too.

As for the Legacy Club and the $10 admission; I guess that gets you a brighter, easier to get to room, and a newer chair. At $10 a pop I cannot see this lasting. The company that runs this will need high traffic just to pay the rent and utilities. When they go bust then Amtrak takes over for free!!!! What could be easier?

 

[hessjm]

The Legacy Club, as I understand it, is not run by Amtrak.

But staffed with Amtrak employees! A Red Cap and I had a good laugh about that.

 

[iggy]

"I have a hard time imagining Chicago's lounge dragons allowing anyone who was truly obnoxious with them to remain in the lounge."

I must be a lucky one then. But now person I've had drama with goes out of her way not to hassle me when I'm in town. I have seen where lounge employees have been unduly rude and making people's days less than pleasant. Past few visits I have seen this less.

I didn't see it mentioned with a quick glance. Entry fee for Legacy Lounge is now $20 - I wasn't present when it was $10. Promotional announcement was made other day when I was there. Priority boarding, free Wi-Fi and complimentary snacks were promoted.

Video of outside of lounge. Link to previous photos of what Union Gallery looked like before Legacy Club update. Also link to my video of Jeff Sriver presentation about ongoing and future Union Station upgrades.

Legacy Club for Amtrak Metra passengers Union Station Chicago

For all you "pros" that kindergarten walk might be an annoyance. But it shows an effort at customer service. Comments here definitely show that many long time riders do not pay attention to other passengers experiences. That kindergarten walk helps a lot of people who may not be as experienced as all of you. It is appreciated by many riders.

 

[jis]

The issue is not that there is kindergarten walk for those that need it. The issue is forcing everyone else that do not need it to partake in it. Enforced customer service is appreciated by very few that do not care for such tender care.

Can you imagine at an airport for each flight the airline arranging a kindergarten walk from each lounge to the designated gate, and then forcing everyone to participate in it if they wish to get on the flight? Yes there are customers who need the little extra hand holding and providing that service is a fine thing to do. but it could be done more effectively if the people were not consumed by herding customers that don't need it and sometimes actively hate it.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

The issue is not that there is kindergarten walk for those that need it. The issue is forcing everyone else that do not need it to partake in it.

Agreed. If Amtrak merely offered kindergarten walks for those who desired them instead of holding everyone back, regardless of ability or desire, I could see the case for it being a function of customer service. As currently implemented it appears to be more of a nanny leash for ninnies, just like you might see in kindergarten, hence the term.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Re: The Kindergarten Walk

In the five places that I have seen the Kindergarten Walk used, CHI,WAS,STL,LAX and NYP, you are not required to participate!

You can use a Red Cap for pre-boarding, you can walk on your own to the Platform or you can participate in the walk from the Lounge.

I always utilize a Red Cap in NYP and WAS but since I am familiar with LAX and CHI I usually walk on my own to the train.

I have no trouble with it for those that are new or like hand holding/group togetherness, but jis is right, it would be a clusterflub @ Airports!

My biggest gripe about Station Service is the Coach Waiting Areas amd the Gate Dragons, especially in CHI, but since I seldom ride Coach anymore from such Stations, it doesn't really effect me!

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

As a semi regular sleeper passenger departing Chicago, I appreciate the privilege of exiting the Metro Lounge via the rear door and following the line of passengers to the appropriate gate. In no way do I consider it a "kindergarten" walk but instead it is the least congested path to my waiting train. Identifying and finding the appropriate gate in Chicago can be a challenge. Heck, I use the Metropolitan Lounge escort when riding Business Class on the Illini/Saluki to Champaign and Carbondale in Illinois.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

In the four places that I have seen the Kindergarten Walk used, CHI,WAS,LAX and NYP, you are not required to participate! You can use a Red Cap for pre-boarding, you can walk on your own to the Platform or you can participate in the walk from the Lounge. I always utilize a Red Cap in NYP and WAS but since I am familiar with LAX and CHI I usually walk on my own to the train. I have no trouble with it for those that are new or like hand holding/group togetherness, but jis is right, it would be a clusterflub @ Airports! My biggest gripe about Station Service is the Coach Waiting Areas amd the Gate Dragons, especially in CHI, but since I seldom ride Coach anymore from such Stations, it doesn't really effect me!

NYP has problems that go far beyond any kindergarten walk. Due to the dungeon style construction you can't see where you're going until you get there, the signage that would normally get you sorted is mindbogglingly confusing and unintuitive, and even basic functions like using an elevator or escalator are either locked down or blockaded by the staff. WAS and CHI aren't nearly the clusterfork that NYP has become but they still suffer from Amtrak's Forbidden Platform Syndrome. Out of the four stations you've mentioned the only one that allows you to find your own way and set your own pace is LAX, which just happens to be my favorite Amtrak station in the country.

 

[Kat314159]

While doing the Kindergarten walk in STL I saw a flyer up for the CUS legacy club advertising annual passes coming soon. The boarding process in STL seems to rob everyone of any brain cells they had left. Every time they pile up stopped for the first coach car directly in front of the escalator. You know the machine that is actively moving people down onto the platform in a herd.