Legacy Lounge CUS

[Gilbert B Norman]

Aboard CTA Run 3773 Blue Line --

Anybody used the Legacy Lounge at CUS?

First I knew of it was today. It is located in the former Gold Lion Restaurant , SW corner of Great Hall.

It is an airline style Lounge (I'll soon see how it compares with United's) that is quiet and with much less "hub-ub" then the Metropolitan Lounge. It is operated by Amtrak and open to anyone willing to part with $20 for six hours use.

Oh well, putting otherwise unused space to use.

[Mackensen]

I think it's been open a few months at most. I used it last week and my impressions of it were favorable. It's far more comfortable than the Met Lounge, to say nothing of the main concourses. There are charging stations for laptops and phones. The WiFi is fairly fast and reliable. You get pre-boarded as well, I'd say about on the same schedule as the Met Lounge. Complimentary soft drinks (bottled, better selection than the Met) and snacks.

[Rockingham Racer]

From what I've read elsewhere, access will be fee-based in the future. IINM, there will also be a bar in there. Amtrak would do well to sell yearly subscriptions to enter, much the same as airlines do for their clubs.

[Gilbert B Norman]

From Crowne Plaza Piitter Salzburg--

I think Legacy Lounge compares favorably with United Club (yours for a Business Class flight overseas; $50 for a one shot visit for others).

Met Lounge is simply a herding pit; not a pleasant thought for one making a CHI connection.

[Rockingham Racer]

I definitely agree with the "herding pit" perception. Last year, two of us arrived at CUS to board our sleeper on the Texas Eagle. Time of day was about 12:15 PM. We had difficulty even finding a seat, and luggage was strewn all over the place. Dirty and noisy, too.

[FatNoah]

Met Lounge is simply a herding pit; not a pleasant thought for one making a CHI connection

I had the opposite experience on Sunday evening, but that was likely due to the fact that I was waiting for the LSL, which is the last train out. I did notice the Legacy Lounge, but wasn't really willing to part with the $$$. Perhaps if it offered easy track access and pre-boarding, but not for just a place to sit.

[Mackensen]

Met Lounge is simply a herding pit; not a pleasant thought for one making a CHI connection

I had the opposite experience on Sunday evening, but that was likely due to the fact that I was waiting for the LSL, which is the last train out. I did notice the Legacy Lounge, but wasn't really willing to part with the $$$. Perhaps if it offered easy track access and pre-boarding, but not for just a place to sit.

You do get the pre-boarding. The advantage is more obvious midday, when you have the crush of LD passengers getting ready for departure. If you're in the Met Lounge around 12:30 you're sharing space with passengers outbound on the Texas Eagle, the Southwest Chief, the California Zephyr, and the Empire Builder. It's a madhouse.

[EricL]

Yes, annual subscriptions are going to be available, but I don't think they've rolled that out just yet.

Maybe, if there's time on Sunday between my 12:30 arrival and 1:05 departure, I can try to pop over there to get an idea how well patronized it actually is.

I was just kind of puzzled that they took THAT space. Its last incarnation was the "Union Gallery", which had been available for event/meeting rental, and was periodically used by Amtrak for employee functions. It wasn't heavily used but then again there were PLENTY of other vacant spaces in there that could have been used instead. For example, the Relay news stand closed about 5 years ago, and the Metro restaurant/bar closed a few months back. I guess that probably they were just trying to do it on the cheap, and went for the space which was already finished.

The Metropolitan lounge was supposed to move into one of those vacancies - and then the North gate area would have been expanded with that freed-up space - but that project seems to be shelved indefinitely

[Tadman]

I toured the Legacy Lounge once. If they get a bar in there, it might be worth it. Right now, not so much.

And don't get me started on the sleeper lounge. You mean to tell me I get use of an "exclusive" lounge for my $500++ sleeper ticket that has an Arby's-style pop machine, free Doritos fun-size, no dress code (holy Toledo the jean shorts are out of control) and the typical brusque staff? Yeah, big no-thanks on that one.

[SwingMan]

I toured the Legacy Lounge once. If they get a bar in there, it might be worth it. Right now, not so much.

And don't get me started on the sleeper lounge. You mean to tell me I get use of an "exclusive" lounge for my $500++ sleeper ticket that has an Arby's-style pop machine, free Doritos fun-size, no dress code (holy Toledo the jean shorts are out of control) and the typical brusque staff? Yeah, big no-thanks on that one.

Have you been in the general (coach) seating area? I have the up most respect for you, Tadman, but you sound like a snob. Dressing up for business travel is almost non-existent outside of a small majority.

[Tadman]

Yeah, I actually spend a fair amount of time in the coach area as I travel by coach quite a bit. I don't think people should wear a suit and tie when they take Amtrak - I don't either. But if you pay for a really expensive sleeper ticket and show up to what is supposed to be a nice first class lounge and you get people in pajamas or looking like they just got done working in the yard it takes away from the experience. That's actually why I usually take coach in corridor travel even when I'm on business. There's really nothing special in biz class to justify the price.

When you look at the big picture of the first class/sleeper lounge, nothing really adds up. Other than clean restrooms, you get brusque or surly service, a falling-apart room, spotty wifi, you're cramped, and like I said earlier, a fair amount of people insist on wearing clothes that you wouldn't wear to a decent restaurant. I kind of think of sleeper like a nice restaurant - it's a lot of money and not a necessity by any means.

[Gilbert B Norman]

From Crowne Plaza Piitter Salzburg--

Volks, I'm with Mr. Tadman Dunville on this one. Even over here you see folk walking around in shorts, tank tops, and flip flops. I even have seen, and I'm sure others as well, flip flops on airplanes. At least Amtrak has parameters for acceptable footwear.

But if you are paying big bucks to ride Sleeper, I'd think you'd have enough personal pride to dress appropriately.

I went to the opera this evening - and folk really dress up for such over here. I commend the Austrians for believing that, the performers are dressing up for us, we owe them the courtesy of dressing up for them.

Nuff said

[SwingMan]

I don't think you guys are wrong in your opinions, but if things like that bother your experience I feel bad.

[AgentSkelly]

I can understand the view points of Mr. Norman and Tadman; its one thing if everyone is wearing all sorts of things across the spectrum, but there's moments where you feel overdressed because everyone else is almost in their bathrobes; people at least should take some pride in looking like they tried...

However, with that said, my observation is that the Metropolitan Lounge in CUS is a mix of originating business class passengers and more connecting-than-originating-passengers with sleeper reservations so I kind of expect there be differences in clientele's clothes. And if there's businessmen wearing jean shorts, I would assume they would work for maybe a jean company where THAT is what they wear...

But back to the subject at hand, I do like the fact the Legacy Lounge lets you buy a 6 hour pass; 20 dollars isn't too bad for such an option. I wish at least Cascades Business passengers in Portland and Seattle had a lounge just for them.

[Desertdweller]

It's been ten years since I've been in Chicago and the Met Lounge. But back then it wasn't bad at all. It was a welcome place to spend time between trains and away from the crowded rush of the rest of the terminal. The refreshments were simple but welcome. Best of all, one had free access to one's baggage.

The decline of passenger dress is lamentable. When I was in college, one of my friend's father was a pilot for a major airline. He was taught that one should "dress up" when flying on a commercial airline. Suit and tie. Nowadays, people dress better to take a LD train than they do to fly. Airliners have become flying buses and passengers dress accordingly.

Les