Chicago Union Station - New Boarding Process for Coach Class Customers

[wwchi]

anyone have any recent reports on how this is working? Curious about Bus Class as well as Coach

 

[jis]

An e-ticket nay become a boarding pass after you check in, even if that is from home. Many airlines don't have seat assignment for some classes of passenger until check in, regardless of whether you have a ticket. Unless you have special boarding status, your boarding group won't be on your ticket until you check in. Even with a ticket, if you don't check in by a designated time, they may give your seat away with little recourse to you.

That is correct. In case of all airlines the "ticket" is actually a document sitting in the computer. You can obtain a boarding pass(es) for specific segments listed in the ticket a limited time before the first departure of a set of connected segments. You use the boarding passes(es) to board the corresponding flight segments. If you don't obtain a boarding pass by checking in before a cutoff time you may forfeit the ticket if the rules of the fare makes it so, or you may be able to adjust the itinerary for a fee or not, again depending on the rules that apply to the fare for which the ticket was purchased. Even if you have a boarding pass, if you do not show up at the gate by a cutoff time, you may forfeit as if you had never obtained the boarding pass, unless it was the fault of the airline due to the late arrival of a connecting segment and such.

So no, the ticket is never the boarding pass on any airline these days. The ticket has a completely separate existence and lifecycle from that of a boarding pass.

 

[gatelouse]

This evening at the Met Lounge, the front desk attendant marked our paper e-ticket receipts with a marker upon entering. Show the marked eticket to re-enter. One paper eticket per person; I had to get mine reprinted at the desk.

Didn't pay enough attention to the Great Hall boarding procedure. The Hall has signs for lines marked C, D, E and F. Each line has signs for boarding pass numbers 1-25, 26-50, and so on. A large, circular kiosk in the middle of the hall appears to be where the boarding passes are issued. It was closed when I walked by.

Earlier, I heard a snippet of a boarding announcement, "...numbers 1 to 50, line up at C..." Later, a boarding call, and passengers from the line(s) walked, kindergarten style, toward their gate.

Also, the train status monitors state that Great Hall boarding operates 8:30am-8:30pm only. The Lake Shore Limited at 9:30pm boards from the south lounge.

Edit: open access to the south lounge at 8:30pm; no evidence of boarding passes for the LSL. I see that the boarding "gates" at the south lounge are now labeled as Gates C, D, E, and F. Clearly this is not a coincidence.

Edit: eticket receipts for the Met Lounge, not boarding passes

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

Edit: open access to the south lounge at 8:30pm; no evidence of boarding passes for the LSL. I see that the boarding "gates" at the south lounge are now labeled as Gates C, D, E, and F. Clearly this is not a coincidence.

When I boarded business class for the Carl Sandburg Octobe 4 the south lounge doors were already labeled C, D, E, and F. I think this has as much to do with which track numbers the gate serves more than a boarding position. In fact, I was directed from Metropolitan lounge to gate C from which I still had priority boarding.

 

[wwchi]

the south boarding gates have been C D E and F for over 10 years at least. That's not new, though there may be something to them naming the lines in the great hall C D E and F. Thanks for the update. Sounds like that system may work well for coach.

 

[KmH]

as I read the policy, you can show up five minutes before departure and get on. The whole boarding pass thing is for those who want to be first on the train to grab the best seats, etc.

Maybe.

"Note that the boarding gates will close five minutes before train departure."

If you're there 5:01 before departure, would you still get to board?

 

[wwchi]

as I read the policy, you can show up five minutes before departure and get on. The whole boarding pass thing is for those who want to be first on the train to grab the best seats, etc.

Maybe.

"Note that the boarding gates will close five minutes before train departure."

If you're there 5:01 before departure, would you still get to board?

Over the years I have seen them pretty much stick to the 5 minutes, meaning I've seen people arrive just at the 5 minute mark and be allowed to board and I've seen people arrive just after the 5 minute mark and be denied. I've never seen them turn someone away before the last 5 minutes, though others may have.

 

[Thirdrail7]

as I read the policy, you can show up five minutes before departure and get on. The whole boarding pass thing is for those who want to be first on the train to grab the best seats, etc.

Maybe.

"Note that the boarding gates will close five minutes before train departure."

If you're there 5:01 before departure, would you still get to board?

I think it largely depends on if the person controlling the gate has the same time as you.