Coach boarding on the LSL in Chicago

[slasharoo]

I will be traveling in coach with a party of three. I have heard rumor that they assign seats before you board. Is this done in the waiting area? What time do we have to get there to be a part of this?

thanks in advance for you help

 

[June the Coach Rider]

As I have to take the LSL every time I travel home, I have become an expert at coach. Usually the conductor will come to the waiting room door and give you a ticket seat check with your destination on it. Depending on how full the train is, he may also give you a seat number. I have seen it done both ways. There is also a conductor that leaves it up to the car attendants to assign the seats at the door to the train, but you have to show your ticket to get into the waiting area before heading out to the train. They start calling the disabled and elderly around 8:45 for the 9:30 departure. Then they start letting the others into the gate area. Unless you use the red cap, you will be sitting in that area until around 9 or 9:15 depending again on the conductor and/or agent running the gate.

I hope this helps. But I would make sure you are there by 8:30 or 8:45 so you can get in line and get on the train as soon as the conductor comes and gives you your seat check.

 

[Guest]

Thanks June, you're a peach!

 

[PaulM]

I would make sure you are there by 8:30 or 8:45 so you can get in line and get on the train as soon as the conductor comes and gives you your seat check.

Is this really required? I've never heard any announcement to the effect you you have to get into those lines that snake out to the ticketing area. As far as I know, if you present yourself at the gate 5 minutes before departure, they will let you board.

 

[stntylr]

I rode the LSL out of Chicago back in April and there were no assigned seats. Of course the train wasn't full so there was really no need for them.

 

[June the Coach Rider]

Like I said, it depends on the conductor, I would say most of the conductors do not assign seats, but I have had a couple that made the Red Cap wait until he got there to give us our seat check assignments.

As far as getting there 5 minutes before the train, yes you could do that, but then you are chancing that the gate is closed. Chicago closes the gate 5 minutes before the train leaves. Plus the later you arrive, the less likely you are to get a choice of seats even if the conductor is assigning seats.