Philadelphia Metropolitan Lounge access

[dlagrua]

Philadelphia has been our departing stop when we leave on long distance trips. To get to the lounge from the station you must haul your baggage up a long series of steps. We usually do that but this year myself and my wife are having back issues and am looking for an easier way to get to the lounge. There appears to be an elevator that goes up to the lounge but every time we have seen it the door is open and its not operational. Is there a way to request baggage service to the lounge. I guess that we could call a redcap but those guys are stationed a distance away. Does anyone know how we can use an elevator to get to the lounge?

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Philadelphia has been our departing stop when we leave on long distance trips. To get to the lounge from the station you must haul your baggage up a long series of steps. We usually do that but this year myself and my wife are having back issues and am looking for an easier way to get to the lounge. There appears to be an elevator that goes up to the lounge but every time we have seen it the door is open and its not operational. Is there a way to request baggage service to the lounge. I guess that we could call a redcap but those guys are stationed a distance away. Does anyone know how we can use an elevator to get to the lounge?

I believe the only people who can run the elevator for passengers are the redcaps and the lounge attendant.

I’ve asked a redcap to take me up several times to avoid those stairs with luggage, and they have been happy to do so, and they’ve also come back to the lounge to take me and my luggage to the train,

It’s true the redcaps are an equally fairly long distance from both the taxi rank door and the Lyft/Uber entrance on the other side. I’ve usually had just one rolling bag, plus sometimes a cane, so getting to the redcap area wasn’t a problem.

After the taxi or Lyft/Uber drops you off at the station, could one of you wait with the luggage while the other finds a redcap and asks them to bring a luggage cart for you and then take you to the lounge? They did that for me and a friend who has mobility issues once—he waited with the luggage while I got the redcap. Tell them you both have back issues—I imagine they will help, since the redcaps at PHL are among the best in the system.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

This seems like an ADA issue... if you have to go out of your way to find someone to run the elevator, that is an inconvenience that others don't have. Seems like there could be a simple solution to this - a call button to the lounge attendant for example.

 

[dlagrua]

Monynihan Lounge (NYC) was set up with an elevator with free access. You show your tickets at the desk when you get off. In Washington (WAS) you push a button they will open the door and again you show your tickets at the desk. in Chicago (CHI) you just walk right in and show your tickets near the door. In Philadelphia the only place that you can ring to get in is at the top of the stairs. AFAIK there is no way that you can call the lounge attendant to access the elevator. Calling Redcap seems the only way. Amtrak needs to do something to correct this, it is hard on passengers that can have or do have mobility issues. Right now rolling 40 lb luggage on wheels is not a problem but carrying them up a flight of stairs is. I would like to see a more passenger friendly Philadelphia lounge.
Thank you for those who have responded to this thread.

 

[joelkfla]

I think all stations with Redcaps should publish a phone number to request a Redcap to come to a station entrance. Ideally, that number would be for a mobile or cordless phone carried by whomever is in charge, so that it doesn't go unanswered when nobody's at the podium.

Or go old school, and place a clearly marked hotline at each major entrance.

 

[MARC Rider]

Monynihan Lounge (NYC) was set up with an elevator with free access. You show your tickets at the desk when you get off. In Washington (WAS) you push a button they will open the door and again you show your tickets at the desk. in Chicago (CHI) you just walk right in and show your tickets near the door. In Philadelphia the only place that you can ring to get in is at the top of the stairs. AFAIK there is no way that you can call the lounge attendant to access the elevator. Calling Redcap seems the only way. Amtrak needs to do something to correct this, it is hard on passengers that can have or do have mobility issues. Right now rolling 40 lb luggage on wheels is not a problem but carrying them up a flight of stairs is. I would like to see a more passenger friendly Philadelphia lounge.
Thank you for those who have responded to this thread.

You also have to go up stairs to get to the lounge in Boston. I think there's an elevator, but you need to have the redcap access it for you. Fortunately, the red caps are stationed right in front of the lounge entrance, and they will hold your bags securely if you don't want to haul them up the stairs.

 

[dlagrua]

I think all stations with Redcaps should publish a phone number to request a Redcap to come to a station entrance. Ideally, that number would be for a mobile or cordless phone carried by whomever is in charge, so that it doesn't go unanswered when nobody's at the podium.

Or go old school, and place a clearly marked hotline at each major entrance.

I believe the easy answer is to put a little phone/buzzer communicator placed at the Philadelphia lounge elevator just like the one at the door upstairs and the one in WAS. . You press a button the lounge attendant answers and you state your business. This would be a very lost cost solution and IMO brings the lounge into ADA compliance.

 

[Joe from PA]

We just turn our suitcase over to a redcap, and hand him/her $5. They take us up to the lounge on the elevator. 20 min. before the train arrives, he comes up with our luggage, then takes us down on the elevator to the platform, and takes it to our roomettes.