Chicago Metropolitan Lounge

AmtrakBlue said:

RRRick said:

leacrane said:

I'm concluding from the thread that they've eliminated the baggage check room entirely. So if i have a 4 hour layover and want to explore Chicago w o all my luggage is there any solution other than leaving it in an unsecured area?

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There is a baggage room. It is now "self service", however.

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I wonder if the mods should hide/delete all the posts where people are saying there is no baggage room in the new ML - so that newcomers to the thread don't get the wrong info since this thread is now 22 pages long and they probably stop reading at the first mention of no baggage room.

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Well there isn't a baggage room like there used to be. which is a major negative to the new lounge in my opinion.

Enough ambiguity.

There is a baggage room. It's behind the desk. It has a door.

The **only** difference is that it does not have a redcap attending to it.

When various posters say the lounge "doesn't have a baggage room like it used to", that statement confuses people, who then assume that there is NO baggage room.

Well you've made that clear now! Simple and done.

If I'm going sightseeing all day in Chicago the fact that it's not checked with a red cap makes a difference to me. the reason I go on this forum is to keep track of the changes. That's a major change for me.

Bag storage fees at amtrak and curbside check in fees at airports do not include the tip. When airlines started charging $2 a bag at the curb, it hurt the baggage handlers because all the money went to the airline, some people thought it included the tip, and some cheap POS always look for an excuse not to tip anyway and got one.

SarahZ said:

Enough ambiguity.

There is a baggage room. It's behind the desk. It has a door.

The **only** difference is that it does not have a redcap attending to it.

When various posters say the lounge "doesn't have a baggage room like it used to", that statement confuses people, who then assume that there is NO baggage room.

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Thanks, Sarah. When I last was there (about 6 weeks ago), I had my baggage stored there while waiting for my ride home. I received a claim check from the attendant (I didn't realize it was a Redcap) for my suitcases, which I had to present to claim them.

Without this minor security protocol, what ensures the safety of my belongings?

PVD said:

Bag storage fees at amtrak and curbside check in fees at airports do not include the tip. When airlines started charging $2 a bag at the curb, it hurt the baggage handlers because all the money went to the airline, some people thought it included the tip, and some cheap POS always look for an excuse not to tip anyway and got one.

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Are amtrak baggage agents even allowed to take tips? (Not talking about redcaps). I've never tipped my ticket agent either... Should I?

George K said:

SarahZ said:

Enough ambiguity.

There is a baggage room. It's behind the desk. It has a door.

The **only** difference is that it does not have a redcap attending to it.

When various posters say the lounge "doesn't have a baggage room like it used to", that statement confuses people, who then assume that there is NO baggage room.

Click to expand...

Thanks, Sarah. When I last was there (about 6 weeks ago), I had my baggage stored there while waiting for my ride home. I received a claim check from the attendant (I didn't realize it was a Redcap) for my suitcases, which I had to present to claim them.

Without this minor security protocol, what ensures the safety of my belongings?

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Nothing. Like riders in WAS have been doing for years, you leave them at your own risk. The same happens in the Legacy Lounge. The desk attendants (in all three lounges) are right there, but they don't verify if you're leaving with the same bags you entered with.

There are racks in the baggage room; some have chosen to use bike locks to secure their bags to the racks. If you use a bike lock and a luggage lock, you should have no need to worry, and it's better than paying for the lockers.

Personally, I've left my bags in the lounge at WAS and the Legacy Lounge and have not experienced any issues. I keep my valuables and medication in my purse, and if I have my laptop in my backpack, I just keep my backpack on my back. If anyone steals my suitcase, they're just going to end up with a bunch of plus-sized clothing and various toiletries. Joke's on them.

I actually did leave my backpack in the Legacy Lounge once. It was a touch nerve-wracking, but it was there when I came back.

Thanks for the comments, Sarah.

Though I've been in the old Metropolitan Lounge many times, I've never, other than the last time, had occasion to put my luggage away in the room. I've always been waiting for a train, keeping my suitcase (and that of my bride) at hand.

For me, it's a non-issue, but I can see how, for others, it might be.

I'm not sure about the baggage agents, or the combo baggage ticket folks. I have always used red caps at larger stations and am not qualified to answer. Perhaps someone from "the company" on this board can clarify.

How about some more details on the free wine?

1. Thanks for the info on the racks and using bike locks. I would never leave my stuff unattended on a long trip. Not that I'm carrying a fortune in belongings but losing them is a huge pita.

2. On the tipping. The only tips I give 100% of the time is to the Red Caps. They save my wretched back from more pain and everyone I've had in NYC BOS and chi busts his ass to help move my stuff and me. I say his because I've never had a female red cap. As far as other Amtrak staff they range from a zero to 10 and I tip accordingly. I have no guilt about not tipping because compared to other service workers in the dreaded private sector they have decent salaries and benefits

I've just used some AGR points to book a weekend round trip to Chicago and then back to Trenton (the main purpose is to ride on a couple of trains I've never been on before and catch some good scenery during the summer). I am arriving in coach on the Capitol Limited and leaving in business class on the Cardinal. So, my understanding of the new lounge rules are that as an outgoing business class passenger I have access to both the lounge and a place to store my luggage for the day if I want to go out and explore a bit around the area. Is that correct? I never visited the old lounge and with all the talk about it on this board I'm interested in seeing the new one.

I use a very simple trick,,,, taking wire tires for the zips, i have also been known to wire tire the bag to something fixed. Not that more than a pocket knife is needed (make sure you have something to cut them with yourself) it they tug on one they have to drag two or three. We also have a Kyss back (locking chain in the handle) most often used in hotel rooms, not Amtrak.

Meat Puppet said:

How about some more details on the free wine?

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According to a couple of posts on this site and the one I referred to from Flyer Talk, the Lounge staff serves the wine from tables set up in the lounge ( over 21 please!).
If you want more than one glass a punch card is issued upon request and you can have up to 4 glasses poured.

PVD said:

Bag storage fees at amtrak and curbside check in fees at airports do not include the tip. When airlines started charging $2 a bag at the curb, it hurt the baggage handlers because all the money went to the airline, some people thought it included the tip, and some cheap POS always look for an excuse not to tip anyway and got one.

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I really take offense to this. I have chosen not to tip some people.... That does not make me a pos. A tip is 100% optional.

It shouldn't, the comment was "some people" if you are not one of the people who look for excuses not to tip, and use a fair criteria to make a judgement as to whether to tip or not, the statement would not apply. There are people who it certainly does apply to.

For several years, the old Metropolitan had same non-redcap attended baggage room behind the checkin desk. I used it several trips to store my bags all day with no problems. I am sure the numbers of passengers outgrew the size of that room thus the room across from checkin desk with a redcap resulted. I have no qualms about leaving all my bags in such a room and have done so in the Los Angeles Lounge(just store behind the attendant's desk). Been to the ML in Penn Station last time over 15 years ago and don't remember much about it.

Tennessee Traveler said:

I have no qualms about leaving all my bags in such a room and have done so in the Los Angeles Lounge(just store behind the attendant's desk).

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I don't either. I was there last fall and subsequently took a day trip to San Diego on the Surfliner and left my baggage in the LA ML, didn't have a second thought about leaving my stuff there.

Dropped bags off at about 9 AM at lax ML. This was last Nov.. Left them all day until about 9PM. No problem. Dropped bags signed in and went to Santa Monica for the day.

SarahZ said:

George K said:

SarahZ said:

Enough ambiguity.

There is a baggage room. It's behind the desk. It has a door.

The **only** difference is that it does not have a redcap attending to it.

When various posters say the lounge "doesn't have a baggage room like it used to", that statement confuses people, who then assume that there is NO baggage room.

Click to expand...

Thanks, Sarah. When I last was there (about 6 weeks ago), I had my baggage stored there while waiting for my ride home. I received a claim check from the attendant (I didn't realize it was a Redcap) for my suitcases, which I had to present to claim them.

Without this minor security protocol, what ensures the safety of my belongings?

Click to expand...

There are racks in the baggage room; some have chosen to use bike locks to secure their bags to the racks. If you use a bike lock and a luggage lock, you should have no need to worry, and it's better than paying for the lockers.

Click to expand...

Thanks for offering the solution Sarah. A bike lock should do the the trick and provide some peace of mind. while it won't prevent opening your luggage it will prevent taking theft. For a few hours in a closed room, it shouldn't really be a problem.

I have qualms, big qualms, about leaving luggage in any unattended storage room in any major urban transportation facility. Who wouldn't? It's not an answer to say that 99.99% of the time, it's perfectly fine. You worry about that .01% of the time when it's not and it could be your luggage that gets taken. By definition, unattended luggage is subject to being stolen, even if most of the time it's not. Why would anyone risk losing their luggage?

It follows that the elimination of the attended luggage storage in the new Chicago ML is a decrease in the amenities offered. Obviously Amtrak is cutting costs by eliminating this position and shifting the risk to passengers using the facility. The lounges in NYC and DC are similarly unattended and unusable by me for the same reason.

Sarah's solution of a bicycle lock is interesting. I will now add a bicycle lock to the duct tape, electrical cord, miniature reading light, tool kit, and neck brace recommended for successful journeys on Amtrak's LD trains.

I leave mine unattended at Penn, did so in Chicago when they had it and never had a problem. Could there be? Of course, but for that matter I could get hit by a cab outside the station too. I don't live my life worrying about every possible bad consequence. It's very convenient to just leave the bags and pick them up at my own leisure rather than checking them and having to pick them up early, etc. etc.

nferr said:

I leave mine unattended at Penn, did so in Chicago when they had it and never had a problem. Could there be? Of course, but for that matter I could get hit by a cab outside the station too. I don't live my life worrying about every possible bad consequence. It's very convenient to just leave the bags and pick them up at my own leisure rather than checking them and having to pick them up early, etc. etc.

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I agree. I'd rather risk the low probability of inconveniences of a stolen bag (I do keep my valuables with me) than deal with the inconveniences of trying to keep my bag safe, like dealing with a bike lock or denying myself "freedom" during a layover.

Indeed, a bag that I am willing to check in with any airline is one that I have no problem leaving in the Amtrak lounges in Chicago, new York or Washington, or for that matter in United, BA Lufthansa or SIA Lounges almost anywhere.

Manny T said:

I have qualms, big qualms, about leaving luggage in any unattended storage room in any major urban transportation facility. Who wouldn't? I

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I don't. I have been leaving my bags unattended in Metropolitan Lounges (including Chicago before they introduced the Red Cap controlled room in the old lounge) and Club Acelas for years and years. And in airline club unattended storage rooms as well.

I also put my suitcase on the equally unattended lower level rack in Superliners.

I am SUCH a daredevil.