Chicago Metropolitan Lounge

[Bob Dylan]

Yep, it's Chicago,land of the gate dragons and that infamous Chicago 'tude that some Amtrak employees still seem to have!

 

[rtabern]

It was mass confusion and the rope was up on the south gates when we went out on #381 on Saturday morning. We and 4 other business class people were in the lounge. Sent out long hallway, past Metra gates 1-21, and to worker with the rope up. She checked we had business class tickets and let us cross the rope but not go to the train. Stayed cued up for 5 minutes. She started sending people from regular boarding area out (senior, handicapped and biz class who didnt go to lounge). I spoke up and she said you can go too... Ugh.

 

[Eric S]

Way back in this thread is was reported that only outbound sleeper car passengers would be allowed in the lounge. I cannot remember if this has now been disproved. Hearing Hiawatha announcements sounds like good news, but has anyone had any experience where inbound sleeper passengers were not allowed in?

Considering a trip to Milwaukee next year and was wondering.

I mentioned earlier that just over a week ago I arrived in CHI in Business Class on a Lincoln, was allowed to enter the lounge with no problem, and departed on the Hiawatha.

 

[printman2000]

Way back in this thread is was reported that only outbound sleeper car passengers would be allowed in the lounge. I cannot remember if this has now been disproved. Hearing Hiawatha announcements sounds like good news, but has anyone had any experience where inbound sleeper passengers were not allowed in?

Considering a trip to Milwaukee next year and was wondering.

I mentioned earlier that just over a week ago I arrived in CHI in Business Class on a Lincoln, was allowed to enter the lounge with no problem, and departed on the Hiawatha.

Great. Thanks

 

[zephyr17]

Way back in this thread is was reported that only outbound sleeper car passengers would be allowed in the lounge. I cannot remember if this has now been disproved. Hearing Hiawatha announcements sounds like good news, but has anyone had any experience where inbound sleeper passengers were not allowed in?

Considering a trip to Milwaukee next year and was wondering.

Things will probably be different next year regardless of what the policy is today.

It is Chicago afterall, the land of "we make our own rules as we please from moment to moment"!

Sounds like it is precisely the same policy it was in the old Metropolitan Lounge. The last actual change in policy was opening the lounge to Business Class a couple of years ago. Doesn't sound very volatile to me.

What has been volatile is the rash of rumors that have appeared on this board that have proven untrue.

 

[SarahZ]

From Amtrak's website:

Who is Eligible for Lounge Access?

• Amtrak Guest Rewards members with a valid Select Plus or Select Executive member card.
• Amtrak passengers with a same-day ticket (departing) or ticket receipt (arriving) in First Class or sleeping car accommodations.
• Complimentary ClubAcela Single-Day Pass holders. Same-day travel ticket not needed.
• Private car owners/lessee and party between time of arrival and departure specified in the reservation. Provide reservation number to Club representative upon entry.
• United Club Members with a valid United Club Card are entitled to access ClubAcela locations and may bring in two guests or their spouses and children under the age of 21. United Global First or United BusinessFirst passengers with a flight coupon or boarding pass with a same-day, international segment in United Global First or United BusinessFirst are also entitled to ClubAcela access.

 

[Eric S]

Unfortunately that page is somewhat jumbled and the section detailing who may use lounges seems to be focused on Club Acela. Here's the section specifically dealing with Metropolitan Lounges:

Metropolitan 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.

 

[SarahZ]

Thanks! I skimmed the wrong section and completely missed that blurb. I was looking at the section about the new lounge. You're right about it being jumbled.

 

[penguinflies]

An update from my first experience. Arrived at 6pm for 7pm departure, all south-tracked trains were running late due to a switch failure on Metra on the south tracks.

Now in attendance in the lounge was 1 Amtrak employee and 2 employees of a 3rd party cleaning service. That was in addition to 2 Amtrak employees at the desk. The 3 inside the lounge were ensuring tables were clean, sofas and trash containers were attended to as well. Great job! Areas were kept clean, tidy, it felt nice to walk around the lounge.

Upstairs remained open, though the door to the street was locked and that desk was unattended at 6pm. The upstairs coffee station was cleaned up as well; only seating was available no snacks upstairs.

Light snacks were provided downstairs, apples and a basket of veggie sticks(crisps).

Soda machine was operational and it appears the ice machine remains a problem. Hopefully, Pepsi can resolve it and we can stop jamming a coffee stir-stick up the ice machine's throat.

They have flavored coffee creamers too (hazelnut and vanilla and plain). That was a nice touch.

Big screens at the entrance did state that the showers/towel were available today.

Boarding was still a cluster. We were rounded up and got to the platform as the last half of coach was boarding. Understand this was a rush to get us on board as trains were late. Will try one more time and if this is the norm, then one will have to make an exit before hand and wait by the tracks like those who by-pass the lounge to get pre-boarding. As the Lincoln service is open seating, I would prefer to cut my lounge experience short to get on earlier. In a sleeper car, it wouldn't matter that we were late due to assigned rooms.

 

[TylerP42]

The upstairs desk is never manned. I was there from 10am to 8pm and at no time was it manned.

 

[Ryan]

That doesn't mean that it is never manned.

 

[Steve4031]

My gf rode 22 from stl-chi on Monday. She was not connecting to another train. She remembered us using the bathroom in the old lounge after an inbound trip on 22. She showed her ticket and was granted access to the new lounge where she recharged her iPhone while calling Amtrak customer service to report her inattentive sca on 22.

 

[TylerP42]

That doesn't mean that it is never manned.

from what I've heard from employees, it is never manned.

 

[Ryan]

That doesn't mean that it is never manned.

from what I've heard from employees, it is never manned.

That doesn't mean that it is never manned.

 

[willem]

I was unable to check email while in the lounge, on either of two devices (both using Wi-Fi). Is the Amtrak router configured to block access to secure email ports?

I had no problems with the wifi.

maybe a 2 step wifi access where you have to go to amtrak.com after connecting? Just like on the train?

I had no problem using the wi-fi in Chicago Metropolitan Lounge or Washington Acela Club, but I was unable to pick up email in either place. The issue isn't wi-fi, it's email.

On the Crescent, I picked up email using the on-board wi-fi with no problem. Since none of the earlier responses addressed the question in my first post, I'll ask again: is the Amtrak router (in Chicago or Washington) configured to block access to secure email ports? If not, does anyone have an explanation consistent with wi-fi working (on two different devices) but email not working in Chicago and Washington, but email working over wi-fi on a train?

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

I cannot answer your question but have had similar gmail email problems with the public wifi in Chicago and on some trains as well as some airport wifi's notably Nashville and Dallas/Fort Worth.

 

[zephyr17]

Easy answer is if the router's firewall is blocking secure email ports, use your email provider's web UI instead of your email client. The web UI will use the https port, 443, assuming your email provider's web UI is secure. I cannot imagine any public wifi's firewall will block 443, although people do weird things sometimes so you can't absolutely rule that out. If you are really concerned with security, use a VPN too, which you should always do on public wifi anyway if you are dealing with any significant personal information, such as checking your banking sites. If the VPN ports are blocked (the ports used vary depending on VPN protocol used) wait until later and use a different connection that allows it before checking that credit card statement. Since many business users need VPN access, it is hard to visualize those ports being blocked, but like the https port, people do weird things sometimes.

 

[penguinflies]

RE:upstairs unmanned. I wonder if this was designed so that the upstairs could be rented out for functions. Like, it was never supposed to be manned, but it can be isolated from the downstairs for private parties.

 

[zephyr17]

RE:upstairs unmanned. I wonder if this was designed so that the upstairs could be rented out for functions. Like, it was never supposed to be manned, but it can be isolated from the downstairs for private parties.

My opinion is that it is a stationary version of the upstairs drinks station on Sightseer Lounge cars. Looked like a nice thing, but they don't want to pay to staff it.

 

[penguinflies]

Metro Lounge last night:
Again: clean, staffed and pleasant inside.

Loading: PA announcement called our train 30minutes to departure and gave us walking instructions, no escort to the tracks, told to exit and cut through metra to the velvet rope. We got there only to be stopped by the security guard who told us to walk around to the cattle pen (no Amtrak agent available). Then, a red cap drove up with some passengers from our train and countermanded the security guard. Others from the lounge were literally running to catch up with the carted redcap and get ahead of coach and to cut through the Metra tracks the as Amtrak was starting to board coach.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Sounds like the Chicago suits are sleeping at their desks and don't have clue about what's happening downstairs at the Lounge and during boarding!

And pasenger complaints are falling on deaf ears @ Customer Relations if this Cluster flub isn't being corrected!

Boardman and his entourage didn't have to do this while on his farewell junket, just the poor paying customers!

 

[Palmetto]

Bob, you're assuming that the suits hear about the complaints.

 

[Lazy Z]

The lounge was beautiful in Chicago. All the employees were kind and helpful. They had snacks and wine tastes too!! I saved my taste and brought it on the train with me

They have showers there, too.

I took a few pics of the lounge.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Nice pics,thanks for sharing!

 

[Dave Van]

I have been using the Chicago ML on every trip since 2011 when I started riding sleeper only. Having a mobility issue I have found all but one Amtrak employees fantastic. The odd man out was just grumpy but not bad.

Each trip I make I let Amtrak know the bad and the good.

I leave soon for another cross country trip.......hope it's as good as past trips.