Amtrak Enters the Departure Lounge Game — Skift Business Traveler
Photo Credit: The Amtrak Acela lounge at Chicago's Union Station. Amtrak
Skift Take
Perhaps the hardest part for Amtrak will be to make travelers at New York Penn Station forget that they are in the fourth or fifth level of hell. Pretty lights and a good paint job can only take you so far when the infrastructure is literally crumbling around you.
What to Know Now
The current boom in departure lounge development moved from the airline to the train industry last week with news that Amtrak plans to overhaul its current offerings. Starting in Chicago, a major hub for the network, Amtrak's new lounge features a range of amenities similar to an airline counterpart, including free snacks, Wi-Fi and dedicated assistance. Like the airline model as well, the new Amtrak lounges will also be only available to premium passengers.
Amtrak's improvements can't come soon enough as the beleaguered national train service continues to struggle to compete with air carriers and maintain a modern spectrum of products. And though new lounges won't fix the constant delays that plague the Amtrak network, it may get business travelers to give the product a second look before defaulting to the sky. Perhaps soon, it'll be a serious consideration for professional travelers.
Social Quote of the Day
Looks nicer than some of the United Clubs I've been
