Business Class Loses Access to Chicago Met Lounge

This came up on my news feed for today, from Trains News Wire...

Fair Use:

Amtrak business-class passengers no longer receive free admission to Chicago Union Station’s Metropolitan Lounge, although a $35 day pass is available.
...
The change became effective Oct. 1 — in part, Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari tells Trains News Wire, because “the new Amtrak Midwest railcars have significantly more seats in business class than we’ve been offering on the Amtrak Midwest network.”

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... assengers/

I've never used this lounge before, but I know the ones here on the NEC are limited to First Class Acela and Sleeper customers. I'd be a little miffed if I was a regular Business rider out of Chicago though; I don't quite buy into the whole blame the Venture cars capacity logic. I guess if you ride often enough and have the pay-per-year Amtrak credit card you're probably getting enough points to qualify for lounge access anyways, but I know if the Moynihan Lounge pulled the plug on Acela First Class passengers I would be pissed if I had to resort to using my card privileges for those trips the once or twice a year I take them.

It's been many, many years since I connected at CUS in coach, long enough that I recall using 25 cent lockers to stash my backpack while railfanning. Amtrak could probably make many friends by either making CUS connections tighter (dream on) or offering more support to all customers with multi-hour waits.

Lounge overcrowding and limiting access seems to be an issue with Amtrak as well as airlines.

$35 for a day pass? No thanks. Lounges are only worth it if you have nowhere better to be prior to departure.

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This is sort of interesting, considering that the Chicago Met Lounge was (still is?) probably the largest of all the Acela/Met Lounges I've experienced. They must have been getting a LOT of business class passengers paying $35 for it to become an overcrowding problem.

For the record, my wife still crows about the showers there.

The shower and luggage, storage and, the easier boarding are well worth the money.

As good as anywhere to share, my participation here will need to be curtailed into December; I had (left) hand surgery today (Dupuytren's; apparently common amongst men of Northern European descent, or so says the Orthopedist).

A well-known pianist, Leon Fleischer, lost the use of his left hand during his performing career with no restoration in sight. So who am I, to "carp" about six weeks?

But to close on topic, airline Lounges are also overcrowded, and the carriers are clamping down on passes - especially those issued by outside parties.

Hate to say it, but United"s Polaris Lounge - supposedly the "jewel" of Lounges and supposedly only for those traveling overseas in Business (uh, not Amtrak "business class" - or at least away from where they assign the former Amclubs), I noted was getting overcrowded this past August. I dread to think what their more plebian Club United looked like.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Mon Oct 23, 2023 1:34 pm As good as anywhere to share, my participation here will need to be curtailed into December; I had (left) hand surgery today (Dupuytren's; apparently common amongst men of Northern European descent, or so says the Orthopedist).

Prayers for a speedy recovery. My 90+ year old father just had surgery on his non-dominant hand for Carpal Tunnel about four weeks ago, and he was back at full speed two weeks after.

Best wishes Mr. Norman.
Your story of Leon Fleischer reminds me of one of my favorite scenes from MASH regarding piano for a single hand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijEiwBLCXeo

eolesen wrote: ↑Sat Oct 21, 2023 9:44 am Lounge overcrowding

Typical corporate-speak for "here's a reason that we all know isn't true but too bad suck it up".

Lounge overcrowding... what a laugh. The new lounge is like 5x the size of the prior lounge and a few long distance trains are running with only one sleeper.

More likely? Amtrak asked the states that ordered the Siemens corridor cars to kick in a few buckaroos to maintain the lounge, the states declined, and Amtrak tossed their passengers. Back to the Chicago dungeon.

Tadman wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2023 12:51 pm More likely? Amtrak asked the states that ordered the Siemens corridor cars to kick in a few buckaroos to maintain the lounge, the states declined, and Amtrak tossed their passengers. Back to the Chicago dungeon.

That's entirely possible. In the past back in the airline world, if Airline Q has an arrangement to use Airline A's lounge because they don't have their own, there's a behind the scenes charge between $20 and $50 depending on the level of service offered.

On a $1500+ ticket, that's nothing. But the differential between coach and business on Amtrak is only $20 to Grand Rapids, and about $50 on Chicago-Detroit. There's no way you're absorbing the cost of the lounge use with that little of a revenue premium.