I upgraded to first class on Amtrak. Here are 12 things that surprised me about the $273 trip.

Amtrak's first-class car on the Acela train surprised me with a limited food menu, stiff seats, and a high price, but I appreciated the lounge access.

Apr 2, 2025 - 18:59

I upgraded to first class on Amtrak. Here are 12 things that surprised me about the $273 trip.

Arrows point to orange juice and the author eating cantaloupe on an Amtrak Acela train — The author took a trip from NYC to Baltimore in a first-class Amtrak Acela car and was surprised by a few things.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I took a first-class train trip on an Amtrak Acela for the first time in 2022.
Some things surprised me about the cabin like the abundance of drink options yet limited food.
I was also surprised that only a handful of stations offer lounges for first-class travelers.

When I traveled from New York City to Baltimore by train in 2022, I wanted a slice of luxury. That's why I booked a first-class ticket on an Amtrak Acela train.

My ticket cost $273 and included meal service and access to the Metropolitan Lounge at NYC's Penn Station.

From booking my ticket to taking the journey, several things surprised me about the two-and-a-half-hour trip.

It didn't feel as luxurious as I thought it would, and ultimately, I thought the perks weren't worth the higher price tag.

Before I tell you what surprised me, you should know that although this was my first time in first class on an Amtrak Acela, I've previously traveled on multiple Amtrak trains.

side by side photos show amtrak bedroom and roomette selfies — The author in previous Amtrak accommodations.
Joey Hadden/ Business Insider

I've traveled on many Amtrak trains in coach and also spent 60 hours on overnight Amtrak trains between Miami and NYC in bedroom and roomette accommodations, which cost hundreds more than my Acela ticket.

Acela is an express option for regional trips around the Northeast with 14 stops in 12 cities, according to the train line's website.

This particular ride was 20 minutes faster on Acela than it would have been on a typical Amtrak.

During the booking process, I was surprised to learn that Amtrak Acela — an East Coast express train — only has two classes: business and first.

first class car on an Amtrak Acela — The first-class car of an Amtrak Acela.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Every Amtrak I'd been on before had coach seating, but Amtrak Acela trains only have business and first-class seating.

My ticket cost $273 because I booked a standard ticket (which on an Acela is actually business class) for $121 and then spent an extra $152 to upgrade to first class.

The fare I booked was about $100 cheaper than the same tickets in the coming weeks, according to a quick Amtrak search.

I knew a first-class ticket would be more expensive than a business-class ticket, but I didn't expect it to be more than double the price.

An Amtrak Acela car stopped in Baltimore — A car on an Amtrak Acela train in Baltimore.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The cost of upgrading to first class — $152 — was more expensive than the standard business-class ticket — $121.

"Much like our airline peers, Amtrak pricing strategy is influenced by several factors — demand, departure, seasonality, route, city pair, class of service, and other market conditions," a representative for Amtrak told Business Insider.

My journey started at New York's Penn Station, where I had access to an exclusive lounge with free snacks and drinks. I was shocked that this perk is available at less than half of the Amtrak Acela stations.

A view of the seating at the Metropolitan Lounge — Empty seats in Penn Station's Metropolitan Lounge.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

As a New Yorker, part of the allure of a first-class ticket was having access to Penn Station's Metropolitan Lounge, a quiet waiting area for select Amtrak customers with comfortable seats and free snacks.

First-class passengers get in for free on the day of their trip, while business-class passengers can pay $50 to access the club.

I thought the lounge was the best perk of my first-class ticket, so I was shocked to find that it is only available at some stations on the Amtrak Acela line.

Outside New York, anyone traveling from Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and Boston's South Station has access to a lounge, according to Amtrak. But there are many other stops on the Amtrak Acela that don't offer this perk.

Amtrak didn't respond to a request for comment from BI about this perk only being available at a few stations.

Since I was traveling from NYC's Penn Station, I enjoyed the lounge, and was pleasantly surprised by the variety of snacks available.

The snacks at Metropolitan Lounge — A portion of the snack selection at Penn Station's Metropolitan Lounge.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

When I approached the snack counter in the lounge, I was overwhelmed with choices. There were Kind bars, cookies, popcorn, candy, chips, and hummus.

I also spotted free beverages like coffee, iced tea, and citrus-infused water.

I ordered water, an iced coffee, and a Kind bar, and the server gave me an extra one.

Looking back on it, I wish I had asked for a few more treats to enjoy on my trip.

When reserving a ticket, I didn't realize that Amtrak automatically assigned my seat and that I could change it anytime after booking.

A person sits alone in an Amtrak Acela First class car — A first-class car in an Amtrak Acela.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Amtrak Acela automatically assigned my seat when I reserved a ticket. However, I later learned that it may be changed on the website anytime before departure.

Seat maps are available on Amtrak's website. They specify which direction each seat faces, as not all seats are forward-facing.

Luckily, I ended up in a seat positioned in the direction the train was headed.

I wasn't expecting to find a row of single seats in the first-class car, so I was thrilled to find my seat in one. I thought it provided a little more space.

The author sits in first class on an Amtrak Acela train — The author sits in her first-class seat.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

On most trains I've been on, each row had the same number of seats on either side of the aisle. In the Acela first-class car, however, there were two seats on one side and one seat on the other. The seats faced both directions.

I was lucky to find that my automatically assigned seat was a single one, which I thought gave me a bit more space since I was traveling alone.

The chairs looked big, so I thought they'd be comfy, but they felt stiffer than anticipated.

The author's first class seat on the Amtrak Acela train — The author's empty seat.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

In my opinion, the seats in first class were not as comfortable as they initially appeared to be based on their size.

I also didn't find them to be much more comfortable than the business-class seats I also experienced, which were slightly smaller and closer together.

Amtrak didn't respond to a request for comment from BI about the seats.

A nice perk in first class was a complimentary drink served after boarding. The drink menu was surprisingly large for a train, with 37 options.

A beverage menu on an Amtrak Acela First class car — The drink menu on an Amtrak Acela.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

At the beginning of the ride, I received a complimentary drink and could select from sodas, juices, teas, coffee drinks, and alcoholic beverages, ranging from beer and wine to liquor and cocktails. It came as part of the fare.

I ordered an orange juice, but my tray table alone couldn't keep it from falling while the train was moving.

Beverages on a tray table on Amtrak Acela First class car — The author's drink of choice on an Amtrak Acela.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

As soon as I poured my orange juice into the accompanying glass, I regretted it.

I was disappointed to see that there was no cup holder on my tray table and once we were moving, the ride was pretty bumpy.

I worried that the glass would fall off the table. Looking back on it, I should have just left the juice in the bottle.

Since the beverage menu had so many options, I was surprised that the food menu was so limited.

Menu on Amtrak Acela First class car — A menu on an Amtrak Acela.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I traveled during breakfast and had four options to choose from. However, for the cost of my ticket, the food choices were limited.

Amtrak didn't respond to a request for comment from BI about the menu.

I chose the fruit plate, which included a warm croissant. I was surprised by how quickly the food came out and how fresh it tasted.

The author's meal on an Amtrak Acela First class car — The author's meal on an Amtrak Acela.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Three minutes after ordering, my meal came out, and I was surprised to find that it included a croissant, too, because it was not listed on the menu.

The fruit tasted cold and fresh. Every piece was just as juicy and flavorful as the last, which I didn't expect since I was on a train. The croissant tasted a little less fresh to me, but it was still warm and tasty.

After my meal, I went to the first-class bathroom. It was similar to bathrooms I've seen in standard Amtrak cars.

The bathroom on an Amtrak Acela First class car — A bathroom in a first-class car on an Amtrak Acela.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

In my experience, the bathroom seemed to be quite typical of a train bathroom in other classes. I didn't notice any special, luxurious touches that would make it feel more akin to traveling in first class.

Now that I know all of these surprising details about traveling first class on an Amtrak Acela, I've decided the perks aren't worth the price.