Connecting Between the Sunset Limited and the Southwest Chief on the s

[Dakota 400]

Given the very early morning arrival of the Sunset Limited into Los Angeles and the early evening departure of the Southwest Chief, what does one do with carry-on luggage in the intervening hours between trains if one wishes to do a small amount of sightseeing in Los Angeles?

I will be a Sleeping Car passenger on both trains. I will have one piece of checked luggage that I will claim in Los Angeles and re-check to Chicago after changing dirty clothes for clean clothes at the station, I assume, in the Metropolitan Lounge. But, I will have two pieces of small carry-on luggage that I will require for both trains.

Given the time information on Amtrak's web site for the hours of operation at LAX, I will be able to check my one bag that needs to be checked once I am finished with it, even during the morning. Is this understanding correct?

Amtrak's web site for station information for LAX indicates no luggage lockers. They do state something about "luggage storage" for a fee, but no details.

So, what to do with my two carry-on pieces of luggage is my concern. Can they be securely kept in the Metropolitan Lounge while I am sightseeing? Can they utilize this "luggage storage"? Or should I expect to baby-sit my carry-on luggage at LAX until boarding time for the Southwest Chief? (That will mean no sightseeing because I am not going to lug even carry-ons around a Museum.)

Thank you for your thoughts and information!

 

[neroden]

Last time I was there, the Metropolitan Lounge wasn't open. So procedures may have changed.

But when I was there, you went to the baggage claim area, and if you could catch the employees while the "storage room" was unlocked, they would store your carry-ons for you. When you come back, you have to again catch the employees while it's unlocked to get them back.

 

[Willie1946]

I'm very interested in the answer to this question as well. Don't have near the layover, arriving in the Sunset and leaving on the Starlight, but I would love to go get breakfast at Philippe's,

 

[Bob Dylan]

As a same day Sleeping car passenger u can store your luggage in the new Metro Lounge.the attendants are very helpful and professional, go grab breakfast @ Philippe, then check any luggage you don't want to carry on and go sight see till time to return to the station to catch your connecting train! No charge!

 

[SubwayNut]

Agreed!

Unlike the ClubAcela's in the East where luggage storage is unstaffed shelves, the Lounge attendant (there isn't a separate red cap staffing the baggage room like in Chicago) with accept your luggage free of charge and give you a Red Cap claim check for when you come back.

 

[caravanman]

This question seems to be already answered for folk in sleeper, with the new lounge opening. I have stored my carry on bags at L.A. in a staffed "left luggage office" which may be the same place you reclaim your checked bags? I recall it was slightly expensive, a few years back, but the guy on hearing my UK accent and finding I was on a nationwide rail ride let me store two small bags for the price of one...

Ed.

 

[zephyr17]

Yes, Ed. The Baggage Room at LAUS does accept "left luggage" for $4/bag (?-price recently had gone up to $4 I think). I've done that, connecting between the Southwest Chief and the Coast Starlight when I wanted to go to Phillipes for breakfast. If you do that, be advised that the Baggage Room accepts cash only and does not usually have much change early in the morning, so it would be best to have singles available if you know you are going to do that. I had to canvass the passengers picking up their bags off the Chief to break my $20.

If you have a sleeper, I'd use the free service at the new Metro Lounge, though. It wasn't there when I did that last.

 

[Dakota 400]

I am very thankful to learn that I can store the carry-ons in the Metropolitan Lounge! That is what I was hoping I would be able to do.

Thanks everyone for the information!