I'm convinced the only Amtrak route that does Business Class right is Pacific Surfliner. $18 more for reserved seating, complimentary snacks, drinks, and alcohol
Correct - there’s no assigned seating like on the NER, but they keep track of how many passengers there are per train, so you’re unlikely to be standing for part of the trip on the Surfliner (and I’ve seen it happen in coach on the Surfliner).
When I traveled in business class on this train, I was told I had to vacate my window seat for a couple wanting to sit together and was given a downstairs aisle seat. I took the snack box and went to an upstairs coach window seat for a much better experience.
You're absolutely right. The same problems exist outside the Corridor. For years, I used to splurge for Business Class out of Chicago since I got lounge access (mostly to drop off my bag after checking out of a hotel) plus priority boarding. They took access away in Oct 2023, so I'd rather take my chances waiting in the Great Hall instead.
The regional is pretty bad for business class on other corridors you will get the half cafe and half business class cars that have a 2x1 layout that is pretty great!
That is quite extreme. Here, the Pacific Surfliner charges a 40-50% markup for business class (as opposed to the 566% you saw here). It includes unlimited free soft drinks, one free alcoholic drink, a snack box, and self-serve snacks, plus priority boarding in San Diego. The main reason to buy it is that in standard class, peak trains can become standing room only, while there are only enough business class tickets sold as the number of seats. Overall, it's worth it for what it provides. (You also get to ride in a Superliner car that's dimly lit as opposed to a Surfliner car that's brightly lit, making it great for night trains if you want to nap.)
Todays business class other than getting an assigned seat is not really worth it. In the past they provided better service. They did give you one non alcoholic drink but also included that days newspaper. In many cases it was like mentioned elsewhere half snack bar car and half business class. So it was easier to get your free drink and order any other items at the same time. It would be nice to have the station lounge service too since you could get priority boarding as well as a place to leave your luggage if you wanted to roam around the station.
A huge problem is that you don’t know what you’re buying with biz class. Sometime you get nicer seats, sometimes it’s the same seats, and sometimes it’s worse seats than coach. It depends on the route. Sometimes it’s one free drink, sometimes it’s unlimited free drinks. Some routes let you reserve seats, others don’t. That uncertainty combined with the ridiculous price increase makes it not worth it.
I feel like ymmv with the free drinks thing, depending on who is running the cafe car or how much inventory is left. I have never had any pushback on “buying” multiple free drinks (even within the same cafe car visit) while on a business ticket on the NEC (typically going between BOS to NYP) Sometimes if the trip is longer, I will make multiple trips to the cafe car - no issues! And I always try to make sure that I tip as though the drinks weren’t free 😊
Yeah, all the times I've been in Business Class over the years I've gotten multiple drinks free. I genuinely didn't know that officially you only get one drink.
Yeah you aren't missing much when it comes to the Philadelphia lounge besides that view. Lounge access lets you take an elevator directly down to the platform, but you still have to wait for the train to arrive like everyone else....so there's no point to it. The Metropolitan Lounge at Moynihan Train Hall is easily the best lounge on the NEC. The pre-Moynihan Club Acela used to be...pretty bad to say the least (symbolic of the pre-Moynihan modern Penn Station in general; the only thing good about it before Moynihan was it had the only Krispy Kreme in the entire state for a long time). So the Moynihan Metropolitan Lounge upgrade was much needed. Besides the gorgeous architecture of 30th St, something I really appreciate is the sculpture called the Angel of the Resurrection, portraying Michael the Archangel lifting up the soul of a dead soldier from the flames of war. It commemorates the 1,307 Pennsylvania Railroad employees who died in World War II and was sculpted by Walker Hancock in 1952. As my dad's father (dad's side is Irish/Russian) was a World War II veteran who served in the Western Front, seeing that sculpture when I first visited 30th St moved me. 30th Street Station was designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, a Chicago firm that was the successor to Daniel Burnham's firm. Thus besides 30th Street in Philly, they worked on many Chicago icons like the Wrigley Building, Merchandise Mart, Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, and the Civic Opera House! They helped complete Chicago Union Station as well to finish a design that began under Burnham's firm. They also worked on Philly's Suburban Station and Cleveland's Terminal Tower. Pacific Surfliner business class is a better deal. Besides guaranteed seating, there's reclining, cushioned leather seats with added legroom. Dedicated attendant. You're treated to complimentary snacks and drinks. Each morning, there is self-service coffee, tea, water, and juice, as well as pastries from a local bakery. In the afternoon, you receive a snack pack as well as a soft drink, glass of wine, or 12-ounce can of lager. Also, all Pacific Surfliner cars have overhead luggage racks for smaller items, and there is storage for larger bags as well. Oh and of course, the views of the ocean that the service is known for.
I've seen (in videos) some long-distance trains have a self-serve coffee area. Maybe just in the sleeping cars? Anyways, a self-serve snack station in the business-class car would be great for NE Regional passengers. Load it up with snacks and a mini fridge for canned drinks, and of course a coffee pot. Every train out of Boston should be loaded up with Dunkin' doughnuts.
You mentioned the only real value of Business Class for me: picking out a specific reserved seat. This is especially helpful when boarding at a small station where coach passengers would’ve already gotten the good seats by then, such as Mystic. Even this is now eroded with the half-backwards layout though.
At times I've done a "Poor Bid" to avoid the search for a seat on NE Regional trips, but every time, I find myself doubting whether it's worth it An additional suggestion, regardless of measures taken to improve business class - optional seat reservation, regardless of class, for a nominal set fee (like with DB ICE & IC trains) Sent from a MARC Penn-Line train, a train of the proletariat!
I regularly travel first class on the ICE here in Germany, especially when on work trips. In my opinion the main benefit when traveling alone is the 2+1 layout, because having a window&aisle seat is just the best thing. Secondary benefits are the better availability of open seats when taking a different train then planned and the clientele is usually a bit more…aware of other passengers existing. Nicer seats, better legroom, the tiny free chocolate and seat service for drinks and food (you still have to pay, they just deliver it from the cafe car) are all nice, but nothing I’d pay the often much higher prices for on their own. The lounges are nice, but they don’t come with all first class tickets anymore and are only interesting if your station has one. Frequent travelers also get access to most of them with a second class ticket, so I’d say they are a bit situational in terms of benefit. All in all I feel the first class is a decent upgrade and I’ll pay for it sometimes myself if the price difference isn’t too big. 1st class on regional trains though, rarely worth it. The main (and often only) benefit is an almost guaranteed seat, because they’re usually quite empty.
I've taken business class on the corridor, in the Midwest, and on the Cascades and Surfliner out west. The Midwestern trains I've taken have the best set-up. Almost always business is in a 2 - 1 configuration, and as a solo traveler, I far prefer to sit in a solo seat. The number of drinks seems to vary by region. I once took the Pennsylvanian all the way from Pittsburgh to New York in business class, and I had several free drinks on that trip. In the Midwest they give you unlimited hot beverages, but only one cold drink. On the main Northeast Corridor, though, they do seem to make it clear that it's just one drink that's allowed. There used to be lounge access at Chicago, Portland, and Los Angeles, but they seem to have removed that perk--even though the lounges don't seem particularly overcrowded. I really wish they'd reinstate it. They probably don't because they don't want too many people using the over-the-top lounge at New York Penn Station. In most of the country business class isn't all that much more than coach. I travel across Illinois quite frequently, for instance, and cost of business there is usually at most twenty bucks. It does seem much more overpriced on the Northeast Corridor, though.
At the very least, Business class on the NERs should be a 1-2 seating similar to business class seating on other Amtrak routes. The downside is that it would capture Acela travelers, but it would make the upgrade worth it, especially for solo travelers (maybe just call business class on Acela "Premium Economy" or something like that).
I did business on the Pennsylvanian on its non-corridor segment to Paoli and it was worth it because I got the Capital Limited in the middle of the night and was forced to be next to a stranger who also got on there (also an Amish family got on, so abt 7 on's sounds pretty good for a rural Ohio station in the middle of the night) and I didn't sleep at all so it was nice having that guaranteed upgrade waiting in Pittsburgh after being at Sandusky for over 3hrs (+1hr because delay, but we kinda made it up and then I screwed it up with all the stuff I still had on me)
The reserved seating for 6 bucks ALMOST feels worth it to me, that's a huge perk tbh. And also, I really like the table seats - I wish Amtrak did these on more trains. I would use the hell out of that table for all of my gizmos and gadgets
Option 2 is essentially Ouigo Classic minus the asbestos - that works at all because of the separate highspeed passenger infrastructure in France - if the only difference is stopping pattern, then NEC may be better served by more/any regional rail - from memory of other YT content, certain parts of the corridor only have Amtrak NE Regional as the base option - fitting it all in, though, now there's where the fun starts \m/
I rode business class years ago a few times when it was the 2+1 seating in the back of the cafe. You could get more than one soft drink per trip, but they were little 10- ounce bottles. Now on my route, coach is never that full up to DC, (quiet car) and I just take my chances between there and Baltimore or Philly. Usually works out OK.
2:21 HEY!! Leave my commanders alone!! But glad you got to finally experience business class. IMO, the Surfliner does it the best and i stack on the butter rolls.
A couple years ago I rode business class from Boston to New London. It was only because business class was fewer "guest rewards" points than coach, I have no idea why. I wasn't aware of any free drinks. Because of the low platform at New London, only a couple of doors open there so I had to walk forward a few cars to get off. If I had gone coach I could have sat at the front of the train, which uses the short high level platform. Bottom line: all the "upgrade" did was save me a few points.
5:25 -- I'll do you one better. I've seen several occasions where Acela Business Class is cheaper than COACH on equivalent NER trains. Really makes you wonder what algorithms they are using and if they really are serving passengers well.
I only use business class when it's not an insane upgrade price for the assigned seating - especially since I typically board at RTE which can be a complete mad dash for whatever seats are left on particularly full trains. I would love an option for just assigned seating for a modest premium, I don't need a separate car or free soda.
It was my misfortune to travel business class on the Coast Starlight from San Francisco to Santa Barbara. Business coach was an older, less comfortable coach than economy and I received nothing. Washroom was disgustingly dirty and there was no drinking water available. Never again!
Some cases business class can be cheaper than Coach on the Northeast Regional. My brother took it last year which he got a free drink open seating and wider seat. His was also the quiet Car from NWK to PVD
Yeah, I don’t see Amtrak making a lower class all-stop regional. Leave that to the commuter rail agencies. The way you keep things moving is more consistent stopping patterns for the regionals. Even buses want to go nonstop more often than not between larger cities.
If coach class is a seat, and sleeper car is a bed, business should give you like a slightly worse bed. Maybe it's like bunkbeds or not in your own conpartment. but I feel that that would still be an upgrade from coach that I would maybe pay for, while not being as expensive as the bedroom. That wouldn't really make sense for your trip, but all the trains in my state are overnight and I would relly benefit form it.
What I learned from this video: blah blah blah blah *BRIGHTLINE BEST RAILROAD!!!! BRIGHTLINE MENTIONED RAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!* 🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 In all seriousness though, it's good to see another upload again, as even though I frequently use business class when I'm traveling on amfleets with family, I try to tell them that coach class is cheaper and has almost the exact same seats. This was made especially noticeable after the amfleets got seat refurbs during the mid 2010s, which made coach class much more comfy when compared to the previous green seats with a white paper on them. However, most business class cars (especially for services that aren't the NE Regional), are usually located in the back half of the cafe car, usually the last car of the train. This makes complementary drinks easier to reach, and most importantly for railfans such as myself, allows for easy access to the rear window to get some amazing shots from the back of the train as it whisks by the countryside. So even though you list great points as to how business class could be improved on amfleets, it still definitely has its perks.
The primary benefit of paying for business class, regardless of the mode of transit, is always that you don't have to be around people that can't or won't pay for business class. If an extra $40 means no hollering drunks or obnoxious teenagers, there are many people who will take that deal.
Nice proposals to improve the service, but I think its time for Classy Whale to go on a big around the world trains discovery tour’ to have even more inspiration.
For your first solution, this would be as easy as the reservation system blocking out the aisle seats on one half of the train, and turning the car into a 2+1 configuration, similar to 1st class European trains. If they offered guaranteed singles and $10 equivalent voucher in the cafe car, I think it would add credence to the business class moniker.
You're right that the Business Class doesn't offer much more over Coach on the NEC. I've used Business Class on the NEC a few times and once on the Pennsylvanian to Pittsburgh. Fortunately for most of those uses, I used an upgrade ticket and for the times I did pay for the upgrade the cost of the upgrade over the regular coach fare was no more than what the cost of taking a train at a different time would have been.
The Acela is still... way too expensive but I would rather book the Acela on the trip back home on a day trip for example. The reason why, you get lounge access and bag storage. While bag storage might be "eh", it can be super useful when going on a longer trip and just visiting a city for a while. And lounge access is free snacks so... kinda worth it lol.
I suspect the reason why Amtrak NR business does not have any more things included with it is because of Acela business class. Because Acela business class is basically coach class in disguise. And if you were to try and add more things such as lounge access to NR business class then that would mean you would have to do the same for Acela business class. Therefore no one would pay more money for Acela "business class" when it offers less then NR business class.
Acela offers a faster trip and more reliable schedule. (If things get off schedule, Acela has priority.) Both of those things are well worth extra money. Now it may make sense to change the name of the base Acela service to avoid offering two different things called "Business" on basically the same route.
Just took the Pacific Surfliner from LA to San Diego in Amtrak Business Class. 50 bucks, I loved it! Comfy and spacious seats, plenty of luggage storage, free water, orange juice, coffee and pastries. Cannot ask for more for this price. A fair deal
@@ClassyWhale you’ve got to give business class on the Surfliner a shot next time you’re out here. Amtrak also usually has one car that’s an ex-Superliner coach, which I prefer to the standard Surfliner or Amtrak California cars.
Oh gosh, where to even start. As someone who does use the 5 and a half hours on the train to do some work multiple times a month, it can be a godsend of silence and a haven from weed smell. HOWEVER, since my route (Chicago to Carbondale) uses superliners, there is literally no difference in seating. Business class often faces backwards, and to add insult to injury, if the train is not sold out, they will often just seat coach passengers going to intermediate stops in business class to make it all easier I guess. And this is on top of the train usually having TWO sightseer lounges attached for axle count. You’d think maybe we could use them for business class, but no, they are just wasted space. That being said, I usually find the extra 20 or so dollars is justified.
2:20 Darn it, Caleb. Related note: Many times in the past Washington chartered Amtrak to travel to Philadelphia when they played the Eagles. Perhaps an idea for a future video.
I couldn't agree more, and I would never pay for NE Regional business class unless the price was almost the same as coach. I do, however, like to find a good price for Acela business class and then use my upgrade coupons to get into first class. Acela first class is always overpriced, in my opinion, for what you get, but it's a lot of fun if you can upgrade to it for free from a reasonably priced Acela business class ticket.
Seat reservation would be an easy way to add value across all routes across the country. Depending on the length of the trip a cafe food voucher could be included. I also wonder why they don't do a researved coach car on long haul/overnight runs.
I enthusiastically agree that the business class offering on the NE Corridor is way overpriced. Business class on non-NEC trains like the DownEaster is MUCH better than anything available on the NE corridor, and doesn't cost much more. On the DownEaster, business class is half of a cafe car. It has VERY wide and comfortable seats with lots of legroom. The cafe attendant brings water, coffee or whatever. There is no limit on coffee, and I've never wanted more than one bottle of water. It's a three hour ride from Boston (North Station) to Brunswick ME. I ride Amtrak frequently, and the experience has gotten MUCH worse in the past year.
My parents split when I was 11 and I alternated weeks with each parent. Mom in NNJ and Dad in Philly and I remember that I could basically sit wherever I wanted on whatever Amtrak line I was taking from 30th St to Penn NYC. Where I lived in NJ was way faster to go to NYC and take the A or C the 1 stop to PABT than to take the 76 Newark, that took FOREVER, and transfer to the Red & Tan Line. When I was old enough to go completely by myself, I soon realized I could pocket an extra $20 by taking Septa/NJT. And even more if the I avoided the conductor or he was slow. This was in the days of buying tickets on the train and Septa and NJT Trains would wait for each other in Trenton because 90% would get off 1 train and walk directly on to the other already with the doors open. If I remember correctly they were even on the same track. There wasn't a penalty for not having pre bought your ticket either. I think I have been upstairs in Trenton station a half a dozen times out of hundreds of trips
I thought that was a Miles face inserted into the vid. 👀 But thanks for the review. I’ve never used business class and have frankly never seen the point of it, given that I find Amtrak coach class itself more comfortable than any other form of transit. But now, I see it even more pointless for myself.
Okay that's a ripoff for business class. I flew Air Canada in business class to Washington DC (DCA) in a tiny CRJ. I was served a hot breakfast (omelette, potatoes, and sausage), drinks including a hot tea and juice, and snacks just before landing. All on a flight that was 90 minutes including takeoff and landing (when their cannot be any service). Their was a a water bottle waiting for me at my seat and I could have used the Transborder Maple Leaf Lounge and Air Canada Cafe at Toronto Lester B Pearson International Airport Terminal 1 (if only US Customs and Border Protection wasn't so fucking slow). For a train ride that was a half hour longer and lacked the pain of international customs, takeoff, or landing, you got a can of soda not even in a glass!? That's worse than economy service on my flight!
Also, Adding a separate comment from my initial one for this - yeah, being seated in the back of the plane sucks (though I've done it so much that I am used to it by now). When you exit row by row (when you have competent fellow passengers) and you're in the second to last or last one near the far end bathroom -- it's rough, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. I will say, I don't think I've ever bought a business class or first class plane ticket, though. Speaking of airport lounge access, I need to do some more research on that and how I can go to/into one if I so desire.
Eh I mean the point of biz class on NEC is just for seat reservation. It' mostly for companies buying passes for their employees who will be taking the train many times a week (where cost doesn't matter). In terms of ticket prices, if you aren't really picky, I completely agree you should shoot for Acela, then bid up you can figure out over time how much is needed to be accepted especially if u check how many first class seats are left before hand. Often you can get the bid up for just like 20 bucks and end up in first class for less than biz class would have been on the NEC. I would say Amtraks real issue is just their crazy pricing sometimes you can get a $70 acela ticket, bid up 20 bucks and eat your way through the difference in first class. Other times your only option is $450 coach NEC trip, but then you change your departure station from MET to NYP and the price drops to like $50 because the entire issue was capacity on the Philly to NYC side not the NYC to Boston side. etc etc. I personally agree they should downgrade and perhaps upgrade at the same time. Taking 5 cars and turning them to 3x2 seating at much cheaper prices, increasing stops and travel time. Then take the remaining cars and bump them up to first class quality (1x1) but surcharge for any kind of service. Compare this with Kintetsu's Hinotori, where you will take a slower trip compared to a shinkansen, but it will be extremely comfortable, so many people just won't care about an extra hour. Basically, at the
IMO, the premium products in both NER and Acela are not worth it. NER Business has terrible perks, and even for longer trips (like the Maple Leaf) its still not worth the cost. Acela is worse to me. Acela First Class is branded as an exclusive thing, and is 3x the price. The space, better service, and meal is not worth 3x the price. And when I took it from Washington to NYP, they didn't pack the special meal so my companion couldnt eat and they only offered one free alcoholic drink. The lounge in NY is good, but the one is Washington is not worth the 35.00 day pass. 50.00 is not worth the cost to get into the Moynihan one. With a train, and a plane, you have to give a premium experience to justify the prince. A first class and business class passenger on an Acela train will get to their destination at the same time, at the same speed. Amtrak does not provide the experience to charge 2-3x the cost of a ticket on the NEC
It’s quite frankly disappointing that Amtrak has taken a bad direction with their business class product. I have used to prefer taking business when I travel on their interstate trains, but nowadays I don’t think I’d ever do it for the foreseeable future. A lot of interstate trains (especially in the Midwest don’t have reserved seating in business class like out east). Further, on these state supported trains under the Midwest brand, the comfort and recline of the seats are arguably way more of a downgrade on their newer venture cars (the same family of coaches Brightline uses), than what you could expect the seats on the way older Amfleet and Horizon coaches to have, which despite their age I have found super comfortable for long trips. The venture cars are by no means bad cars, they’re alright for comfort, but having experienced the three, I wouldn’t opt for the new equipment. What I found very confusing is that they even end up using the venture cars meant for business class as regular coach cars, which I’ve found in the middle of all sorts of Midwest trains, especially on the Hiawatha which is a coach only train. Amtrak’s choice to also discontinue metropolitan lounge access more than a year ago to business passengers was ultimately the final nail in the coffin for me and likely a lot of other people. The lounge is in fact very nice with free snacks and beverages (which I like to take some with me on my trips). Their argument to “reduce crowdedness” is something that confuses me as having taken their sleeper trains, with multiple being usually scheduled to leave Chicago Union Station around the same time, I’ve ultimately found the patronage to not be very busy. The only benefit you get in business class is a single free beverage, which compared to a lot of the downgrades this class has gotten, by no means justifies the cost anymore. It’s a real shame, but I remain hopeful that they may take at least a little inspiration from exemplary services like Brightline to better improve what should be a premium product.
The NER business class defs doesn't seem like a good deal. I haven't ridden the NER (am Canadian) but have done Cascades on business in the old Talgo sets, which were super comfy, 2x1, although service was a coupon for the Cafe car. Looking elsewhere: Business class on VIA Corridor (Windsor/Toronto/Ottawa/MTL) is great though, the NER can learn a few things.... it has full meals, alcoholic drinks, etc and starts at $130 CAD. Even then, looking to Europe, I've done DB ICE, which brings the buy on board to your seat; and Czech Railways, which the conductor comes and hands out bottles of water to first class passengers upon boarding. Small touches that could make the NER business better.
The Northeast Regional should just switch to single-class service like the Keystone. They're fundamentally the same sort of service. The Regional's just longer. The only amenity it needs that the Keystone doesn't is a cafe car for those longer trips. At most, there's potentially merit in having an optional seat reservation fee with regular coach seating, but that would be enough of a hassle to organize that unless the Airo sets have digital seat number displays that could indicate if a seat is reserved, it's not worth it. Having business class on the NER when there's a dedicated business class train on the same route and coach seats are already that comfortable just doesn't make sense. Honestly, even outside the NEC, there's pretty much never a reason to pay for Amtrak business class. The coach seats are already the most comfortable seating on any train out there (aside from the Ventures, but even then, once the Venture business class cars fully replace the Horizons and Amfleets, the only real difference is that the seats are a bit further apart, and the issue with the Venture seats is the seats themselves, not the spacing) and unlike the Acela, you're not paying to actually get there faster.
Dude, the main benefit of business class is seat selection m. I’m willing to pay extra if it means being able to choose a seat. My worst nightmare is having to sit in a backwards aisle seat.
See with business class for future High-Speed rail in this country we can look to.... Oh! Brightline! I was gonna look for something in Europe that could be a good model but Brightline shows how to have your trains.
I haven't tried Business class on the Northeast Regional, but I did get a Coach class ticket on it and a business class ticket back on the Acela about 2 years now. I was wanting to go from Boston to New York but I didn't have time to go all the way to New York, so I only went as far as Rhode Island (Providence) and spent a little under 2 hours there before coming back to Boston when I was visiting MA again in the springtime. I think personally if I did go for Business class on the Northeast Regional, it's a lot quieter, and less obnoxious (or at least supposed to be). My coach experience wasn't too bad - it was early evening and not a lot of people were boarding, or if they were, they already boarded, and I had access to a pretty decent seat. I'm shocked you've had to sit in the Cafe Car before while booking Coach somewhere. I thought cafe car staff/attendants/whichever werent too keen on that? But I guess if its a 'if you have to you have to' situation. Honestly - I know that Coach and Business both can be rough, and if it were me, I much rather book a roomette or a bedroom, but I know that most folk can't always afford that. I will say though, I wouldn't like being in Coach or even Business for 28+ hours!
I'm convinced the only Amtrak route that does Business Class right is Pacific Surfliner. $18 more for reserved seating, complimentary snacks, drinks, and alcohol
I didn’t think that business class on the surfliner had researved seats.
Correct - there’s no assigned seating like on the NER, but they keep track of how many passengers there are per train, so you’re unlikely to be standing for part of the trip on the Surfliner (and I’ve seen it happen in coach on the Surfliner).
*was the only route, I think is what you mean. It used to be even better with the parlor cars.
When I traveled in business class on this train, I was told I had to vacate my window seat for a couple wanting to sit together and was given a downstairs aisle seat. I took the snack box and went to an upstairs coach window seat for a much better experience.
Alcohol on the NEC would be a problem with so many different states' liquor laws along the route, on PS the staff only needs to know California's.
You're absolutely right. The same problems exist outside the Corridor. For years, I used to splurge for Business Class out of Chicago since I got lounge access (mostly to drop off my bag after checking out of a hotel) plus priority boarding. They took access away in Oct 2023, so I'd rather take my chances waiting in the Great Hall instead.
The regional is pretty bad for business class
on other corridors you will get the half cafe and half business class cars that have a 2x1 layout that is pretty great!
But you still only get 1 can of pop in the Midwest. The extra bucks are not worth it at all.
That is quite extreme. Here, the Pacific Surfliner charges a 40-50% markup for business class (as opposed to the 566% you saw here). It includes unlimited free soft drinks, one free alcoholic drink, a snack box, and self-serve snacks, plus priority boarding in San Diego. The main reason to buy it is that in standard class, peak trains can become standing room only, while there are only enough business class tickets sold as the number of seats. Overall, it's worth it for what it provides. (You also get to ride in a Superliner car that's dimly lit as opposed to a Surfliner car that's brightly lit, making it great for night trains if you want to nap.)
Todays business class other than getting an assigned seat is not really worth it. In the past they provided better service. They did give you one non alcoholic drink but also included that days newspaper. In many cases it was like mentioned elsewhere half snack bar car and half business class. So it was easier to get your free drink and order any other items at the same time. It would be nice to have the station lounge service too since you could get priority boarding as well as a place to leave your luggage if you wanted to roam around the station.
A huge problem is that you don’t know what you’re buying with biz class. Sometime you get nicer seats, sometimes it’s the same seats, and sometimes it’s worse seats than coach. It depends on the route. Sometimes it’s one free drink, sometimes it’s unlimited free drinks. Some routes let you reserve seats, others don’t.
That uncertainty combined with the ridiculous price increase makes it not worth it.
I feel like ymmv with the free drinks thing, depending on who is running the cafe car or how much inventory is left. I have never had any pushback on “buying” multiple free drinks (even within the same cafe car visit) while on a business ticket on the NEC (typically going between BOS to NYP) Sometimes if the trip is longer, I will make multiple trips to the cafe car - no issues! And I always try to make sure that I tip as though the drinks weren’t free 😊
Yeah, all the times I've been in Business Class over the years I've gotten multiple drinks free. I genuinely didn't know that officially you only get one drink.
Yeah you aren't missing much when it comes to the Philadelphia lounge besides that view. Lounge access lets you take an elevator directly down to the platform, but you still have to wait for the train to arrive like everyone else....so there's no point to it. The Metropolitan Lounge at Moynihan Train Hall is easily the best lounge on the NEC. The pre-Moynihan Club Acela used to be...pretty bad to say the least (symbolic of the pre-Moynihan modern Penn Station in general; the only thing good about it before Moynihan was it had the only Krispy Kreme in the entire state for a long time). So the Moynihan Metropolitan Lounge upgrade was much needed.
Besides the gorgeous architecture of 30th St, something I really appreciate is the sculpture called the Angel of the Resurrection, portraying Michael the Archangel lifting up the soul of a dead soldier from the flames of war. It commemorates the 1,307 Pennsylvania Railroad employees who died in World War II and was sculpted by Walker Hancock in 1952. As my dad's father (dad's side is Irish/Russian) was a World War II veteran who served in the Western Front, seeing that sculpture when I first visited 30th St moved me. 30th Street Station was designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, a Chicago firm that was the successor to Daniel Burnham's firm. Thus besides 30th Street in Philly, they worked on many Chicago icons like the Wrigley Building, Merchandise Mart, Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, and the Civic Opera House! They helped complete Chicago Union Station as well to finish a design that began under Burnham's firm. They also worked on Philly's Suburban Station and Cleveland's Terminal Tower.
Pacific Surfliner business class is a better deal. Besides guaranteed seating, there's reclining, cushioned leather seats with added legroom. Dedicated attendant. You're treated to complimentary snacks and drinks. Each morning, there is self-service coffee, tea, water, and juice, as well as pastries from a local bakery. In the afternoon, you receive a snack pack as well as a soft drink, glass of wine, or 12-ounce can of lager. Also, all Pacific Surfliner cars have overhead luggage racks for smaller items, and there is storage for larger bags as well. Oh and of course, the views of the ocean that the service is known for.
Yeah the only lounge that is the most worth it is New York Penn Station.
I've seen (in videos) some long-distance trains have a self-serve coffee area. Maybe just in the sleeping cars? Anyways, a self-serve snack station in the business-class car would be great for NE Regional passengers. Load it up with snacks and a mini fridge for canned drinks, and of course a coffee pot. Every train out of Boston should be loaded up with Dunkin' doughnuts.
You mentioned the only real value of Business Class for me: picking out a specific reserved seat. This is especially helpful when boarding at a small station where coach passengers would’ve already gotten the good seats by then, such as Mystic. Even this is now eroded with the half-backwards layout though.
At times I've done a "Poor Bid" to avoid the search for a seat on NE Regional trips, but every time, I find myself doubting whether it's worth it
An additional suggestion, regardless of measures taken to improve business class - optional seat reservation, regardless of class, for a nominal set fee (like with DB ICE & IC trains)
Sent from a MARC Penn-Line train, a train of the proletariat!
I regularly travel first class on the ICE here in Germany, especially when on work trips. In my opinion the main benefit when traveling alone is the 2+1 layout, because having a window&aisle seat is just the best thing. Secondary benefits are the better availability of open seats when taking a different train then planned and the clientele is usually a bit more…aware of other passengers existing. Nicer seats, better legroom, the tiny free chocolate and seat service for drinks and food (you still have to pay, they just deliver it from the cafe car) are all nice, but nothing I’d pay the often much higher prices for on their own.
The lounges are nice, but they don’t come with all first class tickets anymore and are only interesting if your station has one. Frequent travelers also get access to most of them with a second class ticket, so I’d say they are a bit situational in terms of benefit.
All in all I feel the first class is a decent upgrade and I’ll pay for it sometimes myself if the price difference isn’t too big. 1st class on regional trains though, rarely worth it. The main (and often only) benefit is an almost guaranteed seat, because they’re usually quite empty.
I've taken business class on the corridor, in the Midwest, and on the Cascades and Surfliner out west. The Midwestern trains I've taken have the best set-up. Almost always business is in a 2 - 1 configuration, and as a solo traveler, I far prefer to sit in a solo seat.
The number of drinks seems to vary by region. I once took the Pennsylvanian all the way from Pittsburgh to New York in business class, and I had several free drinks on that trip. In the Midwest they give you unlimited hot beverages, but only one cold drink. On the main Northeast Corridor, though, they do seem to make it clear that it's just one drink that's allowed.
There used to be lounge access at Chicago, Portland, and Los Angeles, but they seem to have removed that perk--even though the lounges don't seem particularly overcrowded. I really wish they'd reinstate it. They probably don't because they don't want too many people using the over-the-top lounge at New York Penn Station.
In most of the country business class isn't all that much more than coach. I travel across Illinois quite frequently, for instance, and cost of business there is usually at most twenty bucks. It does seem much more overpriced on the Northeast Corridor, though.
i only b class so i can get away from crying babies
I took it from Springfield back to DC coming home from the Amherst train show and I agree, the product is incredibly mid.
At the very least, Business class on the NERs should be a 1-2 seating similar to business class seating on other Amtrak routes. The downside is that it would capture Acela travelers, but it would make the upgrade worth it, especially for solo travelers (maybe just call business class on Acela "Premium Economy" or something like that).
I did business on the Pennsylvanian on its non-corridor segment to Paoli and it was worth it because I got the Capital Limited in the middle of the night and was forced to be next to a stranger who also got on there (also an Amish family got on, so abt 7 on's sounds pretty good for a rural Ohio station in the middle of the night) and I didn't sleep at all so it was nice having that guaranteed upgrade waiting in Pittsburgh after being at Sandusky for over 3hrs (+1hr because delay, but we kinda made it up and then I screwed it up with all the stuff I still had on me)
The reserved seating for 6 bucks ALMOST feels worth it to me, that's a huge perk tbh. And also, I really like the table seats - I wish Amtrak did these on more trains. I would use the hell out of that table for all of my gizmos and gadgets
Option 2 is essentially Ouigo Classic minus the asbestos - that works at all because of the separate highspeed passenger infrastructure in France - if the only difference is stopping pattern, then NEC may be better served by more/any regional rail - from memory of other YT content, certain parts of the corridor only have Amtrak NE Regional as the base option - fitting it all in, though, now there's where the fun starts \m/
9:17 Miles jumpscare
I rode business class years ago a few times when it was the 2+1 seating in the back of the cafe. You could get more than one soft drink per trip, but they were little 10- ounce bottles. Now on my route, coach is never that full up to DC, (quiet car) and I just take my chances between there and Baltimore or Philly. Usually works out OK.
2:21 HEY!! Leave my commanders alone!!
But glad you got to finally experience business class. IMO, the Surfliner does it the best and i stack on the butter rolls.
A couple years ago I rode business class from Boston to New London. It was only because business class was fewer "guest rewards" points than coach, I have no idea why. I wasn't aware of any free drinks. Because of the low platform at New London, only a couple of doors open there so I had to walk forward a few cars to get off. If I had gone coach I could have sat at the front of the train, which uses the short high level platform. Bottom line: all the "upgrade" did was save me a few points.
5:25 -- I'll do you one better. I've seen several occasions where Acela Business Class is cheaper than COACH on equivalent NER trains. Really makes you wonder what algorithms they are using and if they really are serving passengers well.
@@A350flyernyc that's how I got married (long story)
It's basic yield management. If the regional starts booking up, it gets more expensive. They want people to decide to take that Acela instead.
I only use business class when it's not an insane upgrade price for the assigned seating - especially since I typically board at RTE which can be a complete mad dash for whatever seats are left on particularly full trains. I would love an option for just assigned seating for a modest premium, I don't need a separate car or free soda.
It was my misfortune to travel business class on the Coast Starlight from San Francisco to Santa Barbara. Business coach was an older, less comfortable coach than economy and I received nothing. Washroom was disgustingly dirty and there was no drinking water available. Never again!
Honestly, I’m mainly doing it for the bonus points when I do it.
The best thing about business class is that it's not coach. That's pretty valuable, especially on trains that fill up.
Some cases business class can be cheaper than Coach on the Northeast Regional. My brother took it last year which he got a free drink open seating and wider seat. His was also the quiet Car from NWK to PVD
The new Airo trains should fix the hard product issue by moving to a 1x2 seat layout.
Yeah, I don’t see Amtrak making a lower class all-stop regional. Leave that to the commuter rail agencies. The way you keep things moving is more consistent stopping patterns for the regionals. Even buses want to go nonstop more often than not between larger cities.
If coach class is a seat, and sleeper car is a bed, business should give you like a slightly worse bed. Maybe it's like bunkbeds or not in your own conpartment. but I feel that that would still be an upgrade from coach that I would maybe pay for, while not being as expensive as the bedroom. That wouldn't really make sense for your trip, but all the trains in my state are overnight and I would relly benefit form it.
What I learned from this video:
blah blah blah blah *BRIGHTLINE BEST RAILROAD!!!! BRIGHTLINE MENTIONED RAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!* 🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
In all seriousness though, it's good to see another upload again, as even though I frequently use business class when I'm traveling on amfleets with family, I try to tell them that coach class is cheaper and has almost the exact same seats. This was made especially noticeable after the amfleets got seat refurbs during the mid 2010s, which made coach class much more comfy when compared to the previous green seats with a white paper on them. However, most business class cars (especially for services that aren't the NE Regional), are usually located in the back half of the cafe car, usually the last car of the train. This makes complementary drinks easier to reach, and most importantly for railfans such as myself, allows for easy access to the rear window to get some amazing shots from the back of the train as it whisks by the countryside. So even though you list great points as to how business class could be improved on amfleets, it still definitely has its perks.
Seat comfort wise, it will be interesting to see how Airo coach and business compare to Avelia business when both enter service
Select sound good. congratulations on the wedding.
The primary benefit of paying for business class, regardless of the mode of transit, is always that you don't have to be around people that can't or won't pay for business class.
If an extra $40 means no hollering drunks or obnoxious teenagers, there are many people who will take that deal.
Yeah, but that's quite the stereotype and classist to say everyone who can't/won't pay for that are all like that
@lyingelephants absolutely. I'm not defending it, I'm just saying that's a giant part of the appeal for people who do travel business class.
Nice proposals to improve the service, but I think its time for Classy Whale to go on a big around the world trains discovery tour’ to have even more inspiration.
Join my patreon and that might just happen!
For your first solution, this would be as easy as the reservation system blocking out the aisle seats on one half of the train, and turning the car into a 2+1 configuration, similar to 1st class European trains. If they offered guaranteed singles and $10 equivalent voucher in the cafe car, I think it would add credence to the business class moniker.
You're right that the Business Class doesn't offer much more over Coach on the NEC. I've used Business Class on the NEC a few times and once on the Pennsylvanian to Pittsburgh. Fortunately for most of those uses, I used an upgrade ticket and for the times I did pay for the upgrade the cost of the upgrade over the regular coach fare was no more than what the cost of taking a train at a different time would have been.
It all about reserve seating and being in a car without the rift raft. In coach its like the hunger games in finding 2 empty seats.
The Acela is still... way too expensive but I would rather book the Acela on the trip back home on a day trip for example. The reason why, you get lounge access and bag storage. While bag storage might be "eh", it can be super useful when going on a longer trip and just visiting a city for a while. And lounge access is free snacks so... kinda worth it lol.
The fact that a coach ticket could be $15 and business $80? That's one expensive can of soda.
I suspect the reason why Amtrak NR business does not have any more things included with it is because of Acela business class. Because Acela business class is basically coach class in disguise. And if you were to try and add more things such as lounge access to NR business class then that would mean you would have to do the same for Acela business class. Therefore no one would pay more money for Acela "business class" when it offers less then NR business class.
Acela offers a faster trip and more reliable schedule. (If things get off schedule, Acela has priority.) Both of those things are well worth extra money. Now it may make sense to change the name of the base Acela service to avoid offering two different things called "Business" on basically the same route.
Just took the Pacific Surfliner from LA to San Diego in Amtrak Business Class. 50 bucks, I loved it! Comfy and spacious seats, plenty of luggage storage, free water, orange juice, coffee and pastries. Cannot ask for more for this price. A fair deal
They get coffee and pastries??
@@ClassyWhaleindeed - nothing fancy but absolutely fine. A self service coffee station and a selection of packed pastries in the business car
@@ClassyWhale Only during breakfast time. All other times of day it's a snack box and drink. I always get the California red wine.
@@ClassyWhale you’ve got to give business class on the Surfliner a shot next time you’re out here. Amtrak also usually has one car that’s an ex-Superliner coach, which I prefer to the standard Surfliner or Amtrak California cars.
Oh gosh, where to even start. As someone who does use the 5 and a half hours on the train to do some work multiple times a month, it can be a godsend of silence and a haven from weed smell. HOWEVER, since my route (Chicago to Carbondale) uses superliners, there is literally no difference in seating. Business class often faces backwards, and to add insult to injury, if the train is not sold out, they will often just seat coach passengers going to intermediate stops in business class to make it all easier I guess. And this is on top of the train usually having TWO sightseer lounges attached for axle count. You’d think maybe we could use them for business class, but no, they are just wasted space. That being said, I usually find the extra 20 or so dollars is justified.
I wonder if the unreliability of the Acela currently, could be making the prices equal to the regional
2:20 Darn it, Caleb.
Related note: Many times in the past Washington chartered Amtrak to travel to Philadelphia when they played the Eagles. Perhaps an idea for a future video.
I couldn't agree more, and I would never pay for NE Regional business class unless the price was almost the same as coach. I do, however, like to find a good price for Acela business class and then use my upgrade coupons to get into first class. Acela first class is always overpriced, in my opinion, for what you get, but it's a lot of fun if you can upgrade to it for free from a reasonably priced Acela business class ticket.
Seat reservation would be an easy way to add value across all routes across the country. Depending on the length of the trip a cafe food voucher could be included. I also wonder why they don't do a researved coach car on long haul/overnight runs.
I enthusiastically agree that the business class offering on the NE Corridor is way overpriced.
Business class on non-NEC trains like the DownEaster is MUCH better than anything available on the NE corridor, and doesn't cost much more. On the DownEaster, business class is half of a cafe car. It has VERY wide and comfortable seats with lots of legroom. The cafe attendant brings water, coffee or whatever. There is no limit on coffee, and I've never wanted more than one bottle of water. It's a three hour ride from Boston (North Station) to Brunswick ME.
I ride Amtrak frequently, and the experience has gotten MUCH worse in the past year.
The seats in the new Siemens midwest coaches seem to be more like a cheaper seat.
On some of the midwest routes like Lincoln or Borealis you do get a much better seat and they're 2-1.
My parents split when I was 11 and I alternated weeks with each parent. Mom in NNJ and Dad in Philly and I remember that I could basically sit wherever I wanted on whatever Amtrak line I was taking from 30th St to Penn NYC. Where I lived in NJ was way faster to go to NYC and take the A or C the 1 stop to PABT than to take the 76 Newark, that took FOREVER, and transfer to the Red & Tan Line. When I was old enough to go completely by myself, I soon realized I could pocket an extra $20 by taking Septa/NJT. And even more if the I avoided the conductor or he was slow. This was in the days of buying tickets on the train and Septa and NJT Trains would wait for each other in Trenton because 90% would get off 1 train and walk directly on to the other already with the doors open. If I remember correctly they were even on the same track. There wasn't a penalty for not having pre bought your ticket either. I think I have been upstairs in Trenton station a half a dozen times out of hundreds of trips
I thought that was a Miles face inserted into the vid. 👀
But thanks for the review. I’ve never used business class and have frankly never seen the point of it, given that I find Amtrak coach class itself more comfortable than any other form of transit. But now, I see it even more pointless for myself.
Sometimes Amtrak Business Class is not Worth it compared to Coach
*_ahem_*_ pennsylvanian_
@randomtransitadventures Also the Palmetto.
Okay that's a ripoff for business class. I flew Air Canada in business class to Washington DC (DCA) in a tiny CRJ. I was served a hot breakfast (omelette, potatoes, and sausage), drinks including a hot tea and juice, and snacks just before landing. All on a flight that was 90 minutes including takeoff and landing (when their cannot be any service). Their was a a water bottle waiting for me at my seat and I could have used the Transborder Maple Leaf Lounge and Air Canada Cafe at Toronto Lester B Pearson International Airport Terminal 1 (if only US Customs and Border Protection wasn't so fucking slow).
For a train ride that was a half hour longer and lacked the pain of international customs, takeoff, or landing, you got a can of soda not even in a glass!? That's worse than economy service on my flight!
Also, Adding a separate comment from my initial one for this - yeah, being seated in the back of the plane sucks (though I've done it so much that I am used to it by now). When you exit row by row (when you have competent fellow passengers) and you're in the second to last or last one near the far end bathroom -- it's rough, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. I will say, I don't think I've ever bought a business class or first class plane ticket, though. Speaking of airport lounge access, I need to do some more research on that and how I can go to/into one if I so desire.
For some, their work/business paying for them to not be in coach is worth it
Eh I mean the point of biz class on NEC is just for seat reservation. It' mostly for companies buying passes for their employees who will be taking the train many times a week (where cost doesn't matter).
In terms of ticket prices, if you aren't really picky, I completely agree you should shoot for Acela, then bid up you can figure out over time how much is needed to be accepted especially if u check how many first class seats are left before hand. Often you can get the bid up for just like 20 bucks and end up in first class for less than biz class would have been on the NEC. I would say Amtraks real issue is just their crazy pricing sometimes you can get a $70 acela ticket, bid up 20 bucks and eat your way through the difference in first class. Other times your only option is $450 coach NEC trip, but then you change your departure station from MET to NYP and the price drops to like $50 because the entire issue was capacity on the Philly to NYC side not the NYC to Boston side. etc etc.
I personally agree they should downgrade and perhaps upgrade at the same time. Taking 5 cars and turning them to 3x2 seating at much cheaper prices, increasing stops and travel time. Then take the remaining cars and bump them up to first class quality (1x1) but surcharge for any kind of service. Compare this with Kintetsu's Hinotori, where you will take a slower trip compared to a shinkansen, but it will be extremely comfortable, so many people just won't care about an extra hour. Basically, at the
IMO, the premium products in both NER and Acela are not worth it. NER Business has terrible perks, and even for longer trips (like the Maple Leaf) its still not worth the cost.
Acela is worse to me. Acela First Class is branded as an exclusive thing, and is 3x the price. The space, better service, and meal is not worth 3x the price. And when I took it from Washington to NYP, they didn't pack the special meal so my companion couldnt eat and they only offered one free alcoholic drink. The lounge in NY is good, but the one is Washington is not worth the 35.00 day pass. 50.00 is not worth the cost to get into the Moynihan one.
With a train, and a plane, you have to give a premium experience to justify the prince. A first class and business class passenger on an Acela train will get to their destination at the same time, at the same speed. Amtrak does not provide the experience to charge 2-3x the cost of a ticket on the NEC
I mean the Northeast Corridor has Amtrak's most profitable lines. So Amtrak really should improve the service it offers.
It’s quite frankly disappointing that Amtrak has taken a bad direction with their business class product. I have used to prefer taking business when I travel on their interstate trains, but nowadays I don’t think I’d ever do it for the foreseeable future.
A lot of interstate trains (especially in the Midwest don’t have reserved seating in business class like out east).
Further, on these state supported trains under the Midwest brand, the comfort and recline of the seats are arguably way more of a downgrade on their newer venture cars (the same family of coaches Brightline uses), than what you could expect the seats on the way older Amfleet and Horizon coaches to have, which despite their age I have found super comfortable for long trips. The venture cars are by no means bad cars, they’re alright for comfort, but having experienced the three, I wouldn’t opt for the new equipment. What I found very confusing is that they even end up using the venture cars meant for business class as regular coach cars, which I’ve found in the middle of all sorts of Midwest trains, especially on the Hiawatha which is a coach only train.
Amtrak’s choice to also discontinue metropolitan lounge access more than a year ago to business passengers was ultimately the final nail in the coffin for me and likely a lot of other people. The lounge is in fact very nice with free snacks and beverages (which I like to take some with me on my trips). Their argument to “reduce crowdedness” is something that confuses me as having taken their sleeper trains, with multiple being usually scheduled to leave Chicago Union Station around the same time, I’ve ultimately found the patronage to not be very busy.
The only benefit you get in business class is a single free beverage, which compared to a lot of the downgrades this class has gotten, by no means justifies the cost anymore. It’s a real shame, but I remain hopeful that they may take at least a little inspiration from exemplary services like Brightline to better improve what should be a premium product.
The NER business class defs doesn't seem like a good deal. I haven't ridden the NER (am Canadian) but have done Cascades on business in the old Talgo sets, which were super comfy, 2x1, although service was a coupon for the Cafe car. Looking elsewhere: Business class on VIA Corridor (Windsor/Toronto/Ottawa/MTL) is great though, the NER can learn a few things.... it has full meals, alcoholic drinks, etc and starts at $130 CAD.
Even then, looking to Europe, I've done DB ICE, which brings the buy on board to your seat; and Czech Railways, which the conductor comes and hands out bottles of water to first class passengers upon boarding. Small touches that could make the NER business better.
The Airos are gonna have 2+1 seating in business class
What even is business class, honestly? Like why would I use it over coach? I’m not a business person.
The Northeast Regional should just switch to single-class service like the Keystone. They're fundamentally the same sort of service. The Regional's just longer. The only amenity it needs that the Keystone doesn't is a cafe car for those longer trips. At most, there's potentially merit in having an optional seat reservation fee with regular coach seating, but that would be enough of a hassle to organize that unless the Airo sets have digital seat number displays that could indicate if a seat is reserved, it's not worth it. Having business class on the NER when there's a dedicated business class train on the same route and coach seats are already that comfortable just doesn't make sense. Honestly, even outside the NEC, there's pretty much never a reason to pay for Amtrak business class. The coach seats are already the most comfortable seating on any train out there (aside from the Ventures, but even then, once the Venture business class cars fully replace the Horizons and Amfleets, the only real difference is that the seats are a bit further apart, and the issue with the Venture seats is the seats themselves, not the spacing) and unlike the Acela, you're not paying to actually get there faster.
Dude, the main benefit of business class is seat selection m. I’m willing to pay extra if it means being able to choose a seat. My worst nightmare is having to sit in a backwards aisle seat.
See with business class for future High-Speed rail in this country we can look to.... Oh! Brightline! I was gonna look for something in Europe that could be a good model but Brightline shows how to have your trains.
You forgot to mention that business class cars also have window curtains over coach. Although that’s not much of an extra feature.
I haven't tried Business class on the Northeast Regional, but I did get a Coach class ticket on it and a business class ticket back on the Acela about 2 years now. I was wanting to go from Boston to New York but I didn't have time to go all the way to New York, so I only went as far as Rhode Island (Providence) and spent a little under 2 hours there before coming back to Boston when I was visiting MA again in the springtime.
I think personally if I did go for Business class on the Northeast Regional, it's a lot quieter, and less obnoxious (or at least supposed to be). My coach experience wasn't too bad - it was early evening and not a lot of people were boarding, or if they were, they already boarded, and I had access to a pretty decent seat.
I'm shocked you've had to sit in the Cafe Car before while booking Coach somewhere. I thought cafe car staff/attendants/whichever werent too keen on that? But I guess if its a 'if you have to you have to' situation.
Honestly - I know that Coach and Business both can be rough, and if it were me, I much rather book a roomette or a bedroom, but I know that most folk can't always afford that. I will say though, I wouldn't like being in Coach or even Business for 28+ hours!
I tale business class because there is less of a chamce annoying kids or people that listen to there phone out loud.
The more I think about NEC pricing the less it makes sense. I would love to read the business case for the Acela, if anyone knows where to find it.
I Like Option 2 the best
So true. Business Class is pointless!
Yeah paying $37 more for that is not worth it. They don't even give you alcohol 😒
2X2 seating in Business is unacceptable.
Business class shouldn't exist in the first place.
I wonder if the main perk they're offering for business class is segregation from the plebs. 😁