Amtrak Lounges

Your next Amtrak adventure might allow you to use one of the Amtrak lounges! If you are traveling across the country through Chicago, that lounge can be a lovely oasis. This article covers what passengers can use these lounges, which stations have and offer them, and more.

Since most of my trips start in Chicago, I have had much experience with the new and old Chicago Union Station lounges. I prefer the new one, but I have enjoyed the other Amtrak lounges within the national system.

What stations have lounges?

Within the system, there are staffed and unstaffed lounges.s

Stations with Metropolitan Lounges:

Boston South	Chicago Union
Los Angeles Union	Portland Union
New York Moynihan Train Hall	Washington Union
Philadelphia William H Gray III 30th Street

More about staffed stations further down.

Stations with unstaffed lounges.

Wilmington, DE (WIL)	New Orleans, LA (NOL) Magnolia Room
St Louis, MO (STL)	St Paul, MN (MSP)

More about unstaffed stations further down.

Who is qualified to use Amtrak lounges?

To obtain Lounge access, you need a same-day ticket and one of these:

• Amtrak Guest Rewards members with Select Plus or Select Executive status.
• Amtrak Guest Rewards Station Lounge Pass.
• First-class or private room ticket, also known as a sleeper accommodation.
• Business class passengers may use the lounges in Portland and St. Louis.
• New for 2023: Business class passengers must purchase a day pass to use the Los Angeles and Chicago Union Station lounges.
• Private car owners/lessees and parties between the arrival and departure times specified in the reservation should provide their reservation number to the Amtrak representative upon entry.
  • Amtrak does not permit private car owners and their groups to use the Los Angeles-Union Station Metropolitan Lounge.
• Station lounges or first-class waiting areas do not allow pets.

Amtrak rules for the lounges

Here are a few highlights of the lounge rules: check Amtrak.com for the complete list. Most of this section is verbatim.

• Amtrak reserves the right to restrict access to family and business associates during peak periods.
• Individuals must be at least 18 years old. Passengers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult lounge customer for access.
• The attire and conduct of lounge customers and their guests must be in keeping with good taste and a dignified atmosphere.
• You cannot bring food and beverages into the lounge for consumption. Please chat with the staff if you have any questions.
• All lounge locations are non-smoking.

How to Get Amtrak Guest Rewards Lounge Passes

There are several ways to obtain an Amtrak Guest Rewards lounge pass, which grants access to the lounge regardless of your travel class. However, space could be limited.

Redeem Amtrak Guest Reward Points for passes.

You can redeem 1,500 Amtrak Guest Rewards points for a single-visit lounge pass. To do this, click here to use your Amtrak points.

Lounge passes from the Amtrak credit card.

If you open or have the Amtrak Guest Rewards^® Preferred Mastercard^®, you get free lounge passes upon opening and on the card’s anniversary date.

Check your Amtrak Guest Rewards account to see if you have a lounge pass waiting for you.

Who can purchase lounge day passes?

Business Class passengers can purchase a day pass at these lounges:

• $25 for
  • Los Angeles Union Station Pacific Surfliner Business Class passengers
• $35 for these stations
  • Boston’s South Station
  • Chicago Union Station
  • Philadelphia’s William H Gray III 30th Street Station
• $50 a day for
  • New York Moynihan Train Hall

These prices are subject to change at any time, and Amtrak may limit availability due to space constraints. If you notice a price change, please notify me.

How to buy a lounge day pass

See the lounge agent if you are in business class and want to purchase a day pass for the same-day train. They will help you get started and answer any questions you may have.

You can reserve conference rooms in an Amtrak Lounge.

Amtrak offers our travelers access to complimentary conference rooms at select locations.

• You can book conference rooms on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Usage is limited to two hours.
• Attendees may accompany customers who are reserving conference rooms.
• Meeting organizers must arrive before other participants are allowed to enter.

Reserve conference rooms in advance by calling the locations directly.

• Boston, MA – South Station: (617) 757-1520,
• Philadelphia – William H Gray III 30th Street Station: (215) 349-3090,
• Washington, DC – Union Station: (202) 906-3012.

Who can use Amtrak’s unstaffed lounge?

A few lounges do not have an agent, so see a ticket or station agent for assistance. However, they still provide a place to wait for your train and sometimes offer priority boarding.

These lounges often provide coffee and snacks, subject to availability.

Station	Sleeper Passengers	Business Class
Wilmington, DE (WIL)	Yes	No
New Orleans, LA (NOL) Magnolia Room	Yes	No
St Louis, MO (STL)	Yes	Yes
St Paul, MN (MSP)	Yes	No

My experience with the Magnolia Lounge in NOL

My only experience with an unstaffed Amtrak Lounge was the Magnolia Lounge in New Orleans.

There was complimentary coffee, comfortable seating, and a few outlets for charging.

The ticket agent provided me with the code to access the lounge, and the conductors informed us when it was time to board the train.

There was a small area designated for kids. Although the lounge wasn’t inspiring, I appreciated the reduced foot traffic and the more secure place to leave my bag temporarily. I heard Amtrak updated the lounge since my last visit.

Offerings at Metropolitan Lounges.

Lounges allow you to relax and enjoy comfortable seating, but that is not all.

While waiting for your train, you can enjoy:

• Free Wi-Fi.
• Attendants are available to help with reservations, ticketing, and local information.
• Most lounges give you a place to store your bags.
  • These areas are often unsupervised. So use at your own risk.
• Lounges contain bathrooms, making them convenient for quick needs.
• There are outlets, and most lounges these days have USB charging stations.
• Most staffed lounges offer red cap service to help you get to and from your train and, in some cases, connecting services.

Lounge food and drink

Typically, you will find snacks in lounges include things like:

• Food offerings vary from lounge to lounge, but standard offerings include:
  • Pretzels and chips
  • Muffins, sweet rolls, and other sweet treats
  • Fresh fruit
  • Coffee, tea, soft drinks, water, and juices
• Chicago and New York lounges offer more, including cash bars.

The food offerings are as convincing, and in most cases, are not intended as a meal, so keep that in mind.

Amtrak Metropolitan Lounges hours and locations

For unstaffed lounges, check with station agents.

Station	Hours of Operation	Location
Boston, MA (BOS) Boston South	5:30 am – 9:30 pm, daily	Between the ticket office and the information booth
Chicago, IL (CHI) Chicago Union	6:00 am – 9:00 pm, daily	In the hallway leading to the Great Hall
Los Angeles, CA (LAX) Los Angeles Union	5:00 am – 10:00 pm, daily	On the second floor, above the ticket office, walk toward the car rental booths, then take a left. From there, head up the stairs or take the elevator.
Philadelphia, PA (PHL) William H Gray III, 30th Street Station	6:30 am – 9:00 pm daily	It’s at the end of the hall behind stairway 1, then up the stairs
Portland, OR (PDX) Portland Union	9:30 am – 5:40 pm, daily	Inside the boarding area at gate 5
New York, NY (NYP) New York Penn Moynihan Train Hall	5:00 am – 9:30 pm Monday to Friday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm Saturday and Sunday full-service bar open 11:00 am – 7:00 pm daily	Mezzanine level
Washington, DC (WAS) Washington Union	4:30 am – 8:00 pm Monday – Friday 6:00 am – 9:30 pm Saturday – Sunday	Behind the information booth, between gates D and E

Here are my experiences with a few lounges; things have changed since I last visited. In case you missed it, the New Orleans lounge is in the unstaffed lounge section of this article.

Washington DC Union Station

Washington, DC’s lounge can be bustling or a ghost town. Either way, it is a great way to escape the station’s hustle and bustle.

There is, however, unsupervised luggage storage just past the front desk. It is convenient if you want to leave the lounge.

If you want a more secure place to store your luggage, you can pay a fee to hold it at the ticket counter. However, you cannot store luggage overnight.

If you are not leaving the lounge and want to store your bags, there are designated areas on the main level near the stairs where you can place them.

Los Angeles Union Station

The Los Angeles lounge is a bit tricky to find, but it’s worth it.

The lounge is located on the second floor, so you must use the elevator or stairs to reach it.

The attendant stores your luggage behind the desk or in the conference room, so it is safe if you want to walk around without lugging your bags.

In the past, the lounge had souvenirs for sale.

Often, they have cookies and fruit for snacks, along with beverages such as coffee, soda (also known as pop), tea, and water.

Depending on where you are going, “Redcaps” can often assist you in getting from the lounge to your station or bus.

Philadelphia 30th Street Station

The Philadelphia Lounge is a nice place to rest and wait. It has couch and chair seating, a table, and a desk.

As you walk to the seating area, you will pass a snack and beverage station. Feel free to find a place, drop off your gear, and return for a treat and a beverage.

One nice thing about this lounge is that the elevators lead directly to the platform, making it easy to access your train.

The staff will inform you when it’s time to prepare, assist you down to the platform to wait for your train, and direct you to your designated spot.

Portland Union Station

The Portland Union Station is neat and quaint, but still does the job.

The lounge offers an unsupervised place for your gear. The last time I was there, there was no food available, but beverages were offered.

It is a relaxing place to sit back and wait for the Empire Builder or the Coast Starlight.

This lounge is toward the back of the station and near Gate 5, where you board the train. If you are leaving this station, it is a short walk to the train.

Chicago Union Station

Chicago offers slightly more than average because it is the biggest hub for Amtrak’s long-distance trains and the Midwest corridor. This station provides a superb selection of snacks for passengers to enjoy.

The lounge features TVs and schedule boards, allowing you to monitor departure times and track information easily.

Soft drinks, coffee machines, and snacks are available on the lower level, and bathrooms are on both floors.

Chicago’s Lounge also offers showers; you can ask the attendant for towels and access. Unstaffed baggage storage is also available. The upper lounge is the “quiet area.”

The bar is located on the lower level, near the stairs to the upper level. It serves wine, beer, and basic cocktails, which you can enjoy while you wait.

Since sleeper passengers can consume adult beverages in their rooms, these prices are sometimes lower than those on the train. You can toss some non-open ones in your bag before heading out. I am not suggesting anything; I am just saying. Check out the cafe page to see the current menu process.

This lounge does not have direct access to the tracks. When it is time to board your train, the staff will announce, have you and others line up by the doors, and someone will lead you and your fellow passengers to the tracks. If you need red cap service, the staff will tell you where to meet them; often, the spot is by the front doors.

This lounge features a shower for your use, along with towels and washcloths.

New York

The New York lounge is the flagship of all Amtrak lounges.

This lounge provides amenities that are unparalleled elsewhere. While you wait, you can enjoy a variety of hot and cold food options, including sandwiches and snacks. Additionally, a selection of brewed coffee, espresso drinks, and both hot and cold teas is available. Alternatively, a cash bar is also available.

There is casual seating, tables with outlets, and USB ports for those who need to work while traveling. There is also a balcony where you can sit and people-watch.

Additionally, there are lockers for you to store some of your valuables in, although I did not see any locks.

The boarding process for this lounge is similar to that of Chicago, but the leader will guide you to the line of passengers boarding and help you cut the line to access the sleepers.

How to Use Amtrak Lounges

Using an Amtrak lounge is not tricky, but knowing is power, which can help you prepare.

Getting into an Amtrak-staffed lounge

Using an Amtrak lounge is easy. Here are a few tips I use when visiting Amtrak Lounges that may help you.

You can walk into most lounges, but Washington Union Station requires you to use a doorbell for access.

Before I walk in, I have my boarding pass, also known as my ticket, ready. I often print out my tickets.

You can print your ticket at the ticket desk or Quik-Trac Machines in any station with a lounge. Alternatively, you can also use your app ticket or the ticket sent to your email.

Upon entering the lounge, I checked in with the agent at the desk by showing them my ticket, and they verified that I had access. They may mark your ticket or give you a pass to make it easier for them to identify you as a checked-in passenger.

Once in the Amtrak lounges

After check-in, I often walk around to familiarize myself with the amenities and find a spot.

You are welcome to partake in the food and drinks.

There is free WI-FI, and speeds may vary.

Watch the time and arrival/departure monitors as you wait to see how your train is doing. If no screens are up, I use my phone to check the status, which is more so for Philadelphia or Washington, DC.

Pay attention to boarding calls!

If you are at the train’s originating stop, keep an ear out for any early boarding announcements, or at least one person in your travel party should.

Amtrak can start boarding early, like 30-45 minutes, which can sneak up on you.

It is not uncommon for me to work while I wait, so my computer and charger are out,

An hour before the scheduled departure time, I pack up my chargers and big headphones, so when the time comes, I need to slide my computer or iPad into my bag and start walking to the train or meeting area. I often switch to my smaller headphones.

Trains can load early at Portland (PDX), Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago (CHI), New York Penn (NYP), and Boston South (BOS).

What happened to Club Acela?

It appears that Amtrak has rebranded all the Club Acela lounges as Metropolitan lounges—Club Acela was typically located at most stations, with lounges along the Acela route.

What not to do in an Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge

Most of this is common sense, and some is my opinion, but I will still present it for your consideration. I hope this section does not come across as judgmental, but the story’s moral is to be considerate of your fellow passengers and the staff.

Remember, Amtrak lounges are shared spaces.

Be respectful of others when using this shared space.

You may need to rearrange your bag, which is fine if you do not leave your belongings scattered or occupy a lot of seating space when the lounge is busy or for an extended period.

Lying on the couch while wearing shoes is uncouth, especially when the lounge is busy.

Also, please refrain from placing your feet on the furniture. We might do this at home—I do—and there is no judgment, but it’s not cool in a public space, especially when others would like to use the sofa.

Besides, people don’t want to put their food and drink on a table where you just placed your feet or dirty shoes.

Please clean up after yourself; it doesn’t take much effort. It is incredible how many people leave messes.

Remember that the food in the lounge is for more than just you; it is not there for you to stockpile for your trip.

Using Electronics in Amtrak Lounges

When it comes to electronics, use headphones!

Keep phone calls brief or find a quiet area where you won’t disturb others.

Using the speakerphone option on your phone is disruptive to others; headphones can help.

Video calling (e.g., FaceTime) is acceptable if it follows the same rules as other phone calls.

People sometimes do not realize how loud they are when talking on the phone and what information they accidentally share with others.

Sadly, I base this section on my experience with other passengers.

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Amtrak Lounges wrap up.

Amtrak lounges are great places to wait for the next part of your Amtrak adventure, and if you are prepared, things should go smoother and faster.

Remember to consider others when thinking about the space you take up and the snacks you grab.

Listen to announcements and ask questions if you have them. Also, get ready so that if your train is ready to board early, you are ready to go.

Please remember that delays and disruptions can occur, and many are beyond the lounge staff’s control. The team will do their best to assist you and provide updates based on the information they have. If your train is delayed, it’s not the fault of the lounge staff—placing blame won’t improve the situation. They may be unable to resolve issues in the way or timeframe you’d prefer. Your patience and understanding go a long way, as the staff genuinely wants to help you catch your train just as much as you want to board it.

Remember, if I can travel, you can too!

Safe travels!

Kev