Legacy Lounge: What is this? In what station(s) is it?

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Dakota 400

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A current post mentions a "Legacy Lounge". First time that I have heard of this. I would appreciate more information.

Is this different than the Metropolitan Lounges in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York?
 
It's where coach passengers in Chicago can pay $20 to go sit in a lounge and get priority boarding. It is different than the Metro Lounge, as the Metro Lounge only adheres to sleeper pax. Not sure if they have this anyway else. Others, please correct if not right.
 
It's where coach passengers in Chicago can pay $20 to go sit in a lounge and get priority boarding. It is different than the Metro Lounge, as the Metro Lounge only adheres to sleeper pax. Not sure if they have this anyway else. Others, please correct if not right.

Thank you for your prompt response!
 
The Metropolitan Lounge also serves business as well as sleeper passengers. The Legacy Lounge is really a "Chicago" specialty and is open for the $20 fee for any coach type passenger including the commuters. In fact, when I was last in Chicago Union Station the Legacy Lounge was promoting subscriber type membership by the month/longer term. It is located just off the Great Hall. It should be noted that active military can use the lounge free of charge and also participate in priority boarding before the general boarding groups.
 
Coach passengers who arrive late into the check in process, therefore getting an undesirable Boarding Group and Group number, can pay the $20 for the Legacy Lounge to receive Priority Boarding.
 
https://www.amtrak.com/station-lounges

Metropolitan Lounges are available in Chicago - Union Station, Los Angeles - Union Station and Portland, OR - Union Station to sleeping car passengers, business class passengers with a same-day travel ticket (departure or arrival) and Amtrak Guest Rewards Select Plus or Select Executive members.
For example.
In May I will be arriving at Los Angeles Union Station on the Southwest Chief in the morning, on a Coach ticket.
However, I have a sleeper berth booked to leave LAUS the same night (about 14 hours later) on the Sunset Limited, which allows me access to the Metropolitan lounge when I arrive in the morning.

The same happens a couple of days later in Chicago when I arrive early afternoon on the Texas Eagle in coach, but leave that evening on a different train with a business class ticket.
 
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So, there is only one "Legacy Lounge" (aka "Legacy Club") in the Amtrak system, and it is located in Chicago? Its not simply another informal name for a ClubAcela or Metropolitan Lounge, but something physically separate?
 
So, there is only one "Legacy Lounge" (aka "Legacy Club") in the Amtrak system, and it is located in Chicago? Its not simply another informal name for a ClubAcela or Metropolitan Lounge, but something physically separate?
Correct.
 
So, there is only one "Legacy Lounge" (aka "Legacy Club") in the Amtrak system, and it is located in Chicago? Its not simply another informal name for a ClubAcela or Metropolitan Lounge, but something physically separate?
Correct.
To add to that, Chicago has both a Metropolitan Lounge (fairly recently moved from its longtime location) and a Legacy Club (fairly recently opened).
 
It's staffed by Amtrak personnel and the website says to check with Amtrak personnel at CHI for more information.
This is correct. I've been in the Legacy Club twice. Not only is personnel Amtrak, they only take credit and the charges on my card listed Amtrak as the payee.
 
Does anyone know how many Coach passengers pay to use the Legacy Lounge per day? I am wondering if this is/was an experiment by Amtrak since they had the square footage in Chicago, to determine if Coach Lounges are a viable option for other cities like LAX, NYP, WAS, etc. If 100 passengers paid $20 per day, that revenue could be $50k to $60K per month. Not sure if that is at a break even point, but if the average revenue was greater than break even, might in the future we see the expansion of the Legacy Lounge in square footage and to another city?
 
Someone from Amtrak was quoted in Trains magazine (although it could have been on their online News update section) as saying that Amtrak looked to expand the Legacy Club concept to other stations if it proved successful in Chicago.

I don't recall ever hearing anything from Amtrak as to how the concept was working out in Chicago. The two times I used it, it seemed to be relatively popular - not crowded, but probably around half the seats occupied, although this probably varied from 1/3 to 2/3 as trains departed and passengers came and went.
 
I have not been in there as I usually ride Business Class so already have the ML and priority boarding. However I've walked by it and it looks VERY nice. If you were traveling coach and had a several hour layover I would certainly pay the $20. Or if you were local and a Metra commuter I can see paying the $20 to go wait in there if there was some kind of system shut down...much better than the craziness in Union Station! :)
 
This is an excellrnt idea, especially in busy Stations that have no Lounge such as Seattle,Emeryville,Denver,Ft.Worth etc.

The main problem is finding the space and the Rent since Amtrak doesn't own most of the Stations they use.
 
Nice to hear all of this chatter about train 997;)

The Legacy Club can work if you arrive in a total meltdown at the Metropolitan Lounge (e.g. when I showed up on a combined 29-49...so there were something like 120-150 sleeper pax hitting the lounge all at once). For a while, it was also useful if the downstairs Metropolitan Lounge was overcrowded...and I've got to say, I found the staff in the Legacy Club to be nicer.
 
I have not been in there as I usually ride Business Class so already have the ML and priority boarding. However I've walked by it and it looks VERY nice. If you were traveling coach and had a several hour layover I would certainly pay the $20. Or if you were local and a Metra commuter I can see paying the $20 to go wait in there if there was some kind of system shut down...much better than the craziness in Union Station! :)
I was riding in BC to get the access to the ML. After some research, I actually found that it is cheaper to ride coach on the Pere Marquette to and from Chicago and then pony up the $20 for the Legacy Lounge than to ride Business Class round trip. The snacks and beverages are better and the attendants are friendlier in the LL. In addition, you can bring outside food into the LL where you cannot in the ML (unless you sit and eat in the entry area). It's just something for you to consider being that you travel to Chicago often.
 
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I have not been in there as I usually ride Business Class so already have the ML and priority boarding. However I've walked by it and it looks VERY nice. If you were traveling coach and had a several hour layover I would certainly pay the $20. Or if you were local and a Metra commuter I can see paying the $20 to go wait in there if there was some kind of system shut down...much better than the craziness in Union Station! :)
I was riding in BC to get the access to the ML. After some research, I actually found that it is cheaper to ride coach on the Pere Marquette to and from Chicago and then pony up the $20 for the Legacy Lounge than to ride Business Class round trip. The snacks and beverages are better and the attendants are friendlier in the LL. In addition, you can bring outside food into the LL where you cannot in the ML (unless you sit and eat in the entry area). It's just something for you to consider being that you travel to Chicago often.
That would work fine on the double deckers since coach has the same roominess. But since I am always working on the train, the single level cars are just simply too tight for me, particularly if the person in front of me would like to recline! :) I do ride the Pere Marquette inbound in coach sometimes in the winter since that's often less crowded than business class and I can get 2 seats! More a matter of space than anything in my case!
 
Someone from Amtrak was quoted in Trains magazine (although it could have been on their online News update section) as saying that Amtrak looked to expand the Legacy Club concept to other stations if it proved successful in Chicago.
I nominate Orlando.

The Orlando area seems to be a populate destination for the Silvers, and it could be a nice perk for Sleeper passengers, and Coach passengers with $20 to spend. Plus, there seems to be enough unused square footage in that station into which one could be added for little cost.
 
I have not been in there as I usually ride Business Class so already have the ML and priority boarding. However I've walked by it and it looks VERY nice. If you were traveling coach and had a several hour layover I would certainly pay the $20. Or if you were local and a Metra commuter I can see paying the $20 to go wait in there if there was some kind of system shut down...much better than the craziness in Union Station! :)
I was riding in BC to get the access to the ML. After some research, I actually found that it is cheaper to ride coach on the Pere Marquette to and from Chicago and then pony up the $20 for the Legacy Lounge than to ride Business Class round trip. The snacks and beverages are better and the attendants are friendlier in the LL. In addition, you can bring outside food into the LL where you cannot in the ML (unless you sit and eat in the entry area). It's just something for you to consider being that you travel to Chicago often.
That would work fine on the double deckers since coach has the same roominess. But since I am always working on the train, the single level cars are just simply too tight for me, particularly if the person in front of me would like to recline! :) I do ride the Pere Marquette inbound in coach sometimes in the winter since that's often less crowded than business class and I can get 2 seats! More a matter of space than anything in my case!
I can definitely understand the space issue on the Superliners vs. Viewliners on the PM. I don't work while on the train, thus it's less of an issue.

That being said, for myself, I'll do the ML only when doing LD trips, which it's part of the fare. Otherwise, it's coach/LL for me!
 
I don't believe there are any VL on the PM VLs are sleepers, bags, and one new and one older prototype diner. Single level coaches would be Horizon or Amfleet. Assuming Am-1 not Am-2 since Am-2 are roomy.
 
I don't believe there are any VL on the PM VLs are sleepers, bags, and one new and one older prototype diner. Single level coaches would be Horizon or Amfleet. Assuming Am-1 not Am-2 since Am-2 are roomy.
TY for the clarification.
 
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I'm on the East Coast, No SLs North of Washington DC typically. I'm used to the different Amfleet single level cars, but never see the Horizons. Only see Am-2 on medium distance and LD routes, most coaches are the Am-1. But the Amfleet split B/C cafe with 2+ 1 seating at one end is a traveler favorite. We also see AM-1 BC cars that have added legroom on the NEC.
 
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