Nick Art

Hello there,

I haven't found a fitting topic so I've created a new thread.

I have an upcoming trip in Acela First departing from NYP and as far as I understood with this ticket comes lounge access. I and a friend, who is not travelling, have a meeting we have to attend online before I travel.

I've checked the Amtrak website for the guesting rules and it seems to imply that I can bring one non-family guest. They way it is worded makes me think that this guest does not need to be travelling with me so I could bring along my ticketless friend that will be staying in NYC. Is this correct?

schriste

I invited a non-traveling friend into the lounge back in February without issue.

paytonc

Yes, as did I in March.

WeekendTraveler

NO. Please do not attend an online meeting in the Metropolitan Lounge. There is no private area so you'd be in the main part of the lounge, with other lounge visitors around you. You'd have no privacy and, even worse, other lounge guests might find this extremely irksome. When I was there, a few people had loud cellphone conversations and I could hear every word from across the lounge, which was really irritating.

I would stop by a Regus or something and get a private space for an hour or whatever. It can't be that expensive.

Mr. BoH

I have lately noticed (perhaps new?) signs at the entrance to the clubs that say something like “must show same day ticket to enter”. So I think technically you may not be allowed to bring a non-traveling guest. But pragmatically, they rarely check my ticket and have never asked for a ticket for a guest of mine, so 99% you’d be ok.

Not sure I understand the strenuous objection above to taking a virtual meeting in the club. It’s still not usually very crowded; I am sure you could find a quiet corner. As long as you use headphones and speak in a normal voice, it is no more disruptive to others than two people having a conversation.

WeekendTraveler

Because cell phone conversations are really distracting:

Why People’s Cell Phone Conversations Annoy Us (webmd.com)
Why Overheard Cell Phone Conversations Are So Annoying | TIME.com

It's one thing to be in the lounge and to need to make a quick call before boarding a train or plane. That's understandable.

But to come to the lounge for the specific purpose of using it for a lengthy cellphone call? NO. That is rude and inappropriate. It disrupts an entire large room of people.

Mr. BoH

Agree to disagree. A big reason airline lounges and the like exist is to help business travelers do business. If I have a business call just before or after a train/flight, sorry, I am taking it in the lounge.

Now why people seem to think they need to yell into their cellphones rather than just using a normal voice? That baffles me and would agree it’s rude. But I’d say the same thing about two people having a loud conversation.

WeekendTraveler

First, one person in the original post isn't a business traveler, and the meeting isn't just before or after a train/flight...because he's not traveling. That's Reason #1 why using the Amtrak lounge for a meeting in this case is out of line.

Second, plenty of airline lounges have limits on use of devices without earphones, and plenty of airline lounges have cell-free zones and designated places for cell calls (the Admirals Club in Newark has "phone booths" for them).

As long as people follow those rules, I cannot complain. But very few people follow those rules; recently, for example, a guy at the Admirals Club was screaming at someone on his phone, pacing in front of the phone booths.

But common courtesy is to act in ways that minimize irritation to others.

If someone needs to hold a meeting, particularly if the person isn't even an Amtrak passenger, the person should find a place to hold the meeting that will minimize disruption to others. That's just basic courtesy.

Going to the lounge for the purpose of having a meeting--particularly if the person isn't an Amtrak passenger- is NOT using the space for its intended purpose (to provide lounge space for Amtrak customers) and is NOT acting in a way that minimizes disruption to others.

That's not the same as going to the lounge before a train or flight and having a quick call that has to be done then, which is fine, as long as people follow rules about noise.

Nick Art

Thanks for the responses, worked like a charm, friend was allowed in, no questions asked. (I was already in the lounge).

Nick Art

Indeed we were.
I would like to comment on the above discussion. I agree with both standpoints and I respect different opinions, but the way you worded your objections and voiced them was quite irritating and aggressive and imho rather rude, especially since you do know very little about how I behave and act.

From my original statement you jumped to quite a few conclusions which I would like to address and rectify. First of all, the circumstances: I did hold an Amtrak ticket for right after said meeting, while my friend did not. Time wise there was very little alternative to our chosen solution. I and the friend of mine needed to do some work while listening in on the meeting. While in the meeting we probably each said a single sentence and occasionally had a few discussions among ourselves.
Second of all, irritating other lounge guests: I can assure you disruption was kept to a minimum and headphones were used to ensure this. If I thought my actions would lead to discomfort and irritation among fellow guests, I would not act this way.
Third of all, I think nobody actually noticed: There are different ways to have a conversation or zoom meeting, the reasonable way, where one tries to minimise noise and other distraction to a minimum, which I find quite acceptable in a lounge and most people usually act this way. Then there are the people that are not considerate of their surroundings, using lounge space as their personal living room. I dread this. In fact, I doubt anybody even noticed me, my friend, our work and the meeting, since there was a lady loudly talking on here cellphone on speaker, to various people about her various problems, which was quite obnoxious. I try to be part of the first group.

Ultimately, I believe a lounge will always generate some noise and as long as you have your call or zoom meeting in a reasonable (not just for you, but for your surroundings) way, it is perfectly acceptable.

WeekendTraveler

I apologize for having been rude. Yes, you correctly point out that I jumped to conclusions, for which I apologize.

When I see a post about someone using a lounge for an online meeting, I just expect it to be as I constantly see in Admirals Clubs- some loudmouth parking in the middle of the lounge and yelling on a cellphone. The rulebreaking, and lack of enforcement of rules, just drives me bananas. I appreciate that you did not act like that.

Nick Art

Thank you, I appreciate this.
I do feel with your sentiments and agree that some people just lack common curtesy and I understand your frustration with those people. As Mr. BOH rightfully pointed out, sometimes it is just necessary to take a call in a lounge, but I do believe it is possible to do so in a reasonable way and respect the other patrons in said lounge. And I do believe the most people are considerate and respectful. I think this constructive interaction in this thread is proof for this.

As previously mentioned, one of these bad examples was present during my stay in the Lounge and she loudly berated not one, but several call agents, while one speaker, over the course of several calls. Those of us who had the great misfortune to listen to her story and various problems were left quite confused, because with each call, her story made less and less sense. For one of the several stories, I am still trying to figure out how exactly somebody stole a check worth several K $ from her, cashed it and then the bank refunded her the amount to a *wrong* bank account of yet another person or not at all and, according to her, all agents she spoke to are lying. I want to know more, but I suppose we shall never find out what this was about. Rest assured, I did not appreciate this glimpse into her life.

schriste

Although that is bad, I think I hate the ones even more that yell into their phone and pace back and forth while doing it !

rittenhousesq

FWIW there is this somewhat segregated area in the lounge that would provide a bit of privacy for a Zoom (or similar) meeting.