New York to Boston

[AlanB]

If you want to cancel over the Internet, you probably need to make an account on amtrak.com rather than making the reservation without signing in. And to cancel over the Internet, you probably need to cancel 10 minutes or an hour or something before the scheduled departure time.

With a First Class seat, the cancellation must be more than one hour before departure. After that point you'll loose the FC upcharge, but can still get a refund on the railfare.

 

[Crescent ATN & TCL]

I am surprised to read Amtrak would offer unlimited alcohol beverages. That seems like a potential lawsuit.

We have commuter ops that serve alcohol on the train, where I'm sure a much higher percentage of riders then get into a car and drive home. Odds are that many more people riding in Acela FC are either taking a taxi, another train, or getting a ride. Yes I'm sure that a few do drive, but the vast majority don't.

I would expect that if one looked highly innebriated, that the attendants would cut someone off.

We had an unfortunate incident in Nov. 2006 where a man flying in to Albuquerque was served too much alcohol on the plane. Then he got in his vehicle and headed north toward Santa Fe, stopped at a convenience store on the way and got more beer, and got into an accident on the interstate killing 5 other people and himself.
Among other actions, the state denied US Airway's permit to serve alcohol in New Mexico airspace.

First and foremost, I can't imagine that's an enforcable rule. AFAIK it's Federal airspace, not New Mexico. And airlines fall under Federal rules, just like Amtrak, so I can't imagine how New Mexico expects to enforce such a law.

Second, I'm not even sure of the logic of blaming US Air, when the guy stopped for beer on the way home. One of two things happened in that store. Either they shouldn't have sold him the beer if he was visibly intoxicated, in which case it's really their fault. Or he wasn't drunk enough after his flight to have caused of problem. Either way, I don't see how anyone can really put the blame back on US Air in this case, unless there are more facts not in evidence here.

Isn't Amtrak required to follow the laws of dry states and counties, I thought I heard something about alcohol not being served continuously on Sundays but only in wet states/counties?

 

[jackal]

Isn't Amtrak required to follow the laws of dry states and counties, I thought I heard something about alcohol not being served continuously on Sundays but only in wet states/counties?

I'm not 100% sure, but IIRC what I've read here and elsewhere, Amtrak's participation in limiting alcohol sales was purely voluntary and a sign of respect for local customs, etc. I think they've since stopped following those policies...

 

[transit54]

If you want to over the Internet, you probably need to make an account on amtrak.com rather than making the reservation without signing in. And to cancel over the Internet, you probably need to cancel 10 minutes or an hour or something before the scheduled departure time. (For a sleeper reservation, you'd need to cancel a week in advance to get a refund, but there are no sleepers on the New York to Boston route these days.)

I can't speak for the first class aspect of the trip and if that changes the ability to cancel, but I've definitely had a friend who canceled online several hours after his train departed. Amtrak has some of the most liberal cancelation policies of any form of transit I've ever seen. And I hope they keep it at way, it will be a major incentive for me to travel by train once I'm out of the airline industry, as right now everyone's cancelation fees are around $100, which is just absurd.

 

[PRR 60]

Isn't Amtrak required to follow the laws of dry states and counties, I thought I heard something about alcohol not being served continuously on Sundays but only in wet states/counties?

In the olden days, that was true. Today, it is not. Amtrak obtains liquor licenses for each state in which it operates but does not follow the local regulations governing sales. Amtrak, along with the airlines, operates under the premise that interstate commerce is regulated by the Federal government and that Federal regulation takes precedent over state or local regulation. The nature and type of onboard service, including the serving on alcoholic beverages, is included within the area subject to Federal, not state, oversight. The states have tended to go along with that as long as they get their license fees.

 

[JimInVa]

If one is expecting an 8 course meal, well then I guess the meal served in first class is a "light" meal. I on the other hand usually walk away pretty full from the meals that I'm served on Acela.

It's been a few years, but my recollection of lunch aboard the Acela in F was a tasty warm sandwich and a bag of chips. Satisfying and fairly decent but far from, say, the dining car on the Empire Builder.

Acela F food is comparable probably to domestic airline first-class food (in its current dismal state, not like it was years ago).

What a difference a few years make -- Acela F food now is a choice of three hot main entrees developed by Citronelle chef Michel Rocard. Apps include a cheese plate with a really nice artichoke heart. A whole-grain roll. A salad. Regular beverages, plus a white or red wine. Coffee or tea to finish. And a little cocktail afterwards.

Genuinely good.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Was it ever not so good?

 

[AlanB]

Was it ever not so good?

Sadly, yes.

For a while right after Acela returned from the brake problems, the food qualify was way down in FC. Lunch was a comissary celephaned wrapped sandwich, tossed in a wicker basket with a bag of chips. Dinner was a bit better, but still inferior to the quality being served now or when Acela was first introduced. Wine came in a screwtop 187ML bottle with a plastic cup (much like you'd get in the lounge car), instead of in a 750ML corked bottle with a glass.

I didn't do any breakfast rides during thar period, but things weren't much better there either from what I heard.

 

[Sealink]

Well, that's me booked!!! Acela First Class. I thought I'd spoil myself.

Genuinely impressed with how easy booking Amtrak Acela is, and thought I'd do a comparison with UK fares. I'm listing the key points that stood out to me - so sorry if I'm stating the obvious.

New York - Boston in Acela First Class is USD154.00. (USD 88.00 plus USD 66.00)

At todays exchange rate, that's approx. GBP 77.00.

- This fare is fully refundable (the caveat that this is before tickets are printed is totally fair and understandable)

- The fare gives me full access to the Club Acela lounge at New York

- The fare includes drink/meal on board.

The equivalent journey in the UK, would be from London to Leeds or Manchester.

From London to Leeds, the cheapest First Class, flexible fare would be GBP £148.50!!

I would still be charged £5 - £10 to cancel, and there's no free meals included, just tea, coffee and biscuits.

- Non refundable, non changeable fares start from £32.50, with no lounge access.

The journey time is approx. 2hrs 25 minutes.

From London to Manchester, the cheapest First Class, flexible fare would be GBP £180.00!!!

I would still be charged £5 - £10 to cancel, although lounge access and a "meal" is included - they're not always great.

- Non refundable, non changeable fares start from £31.00, which still includes lounge access and a "meal".

The only advantage is the journey time - approx. 2 hrs 10 minutes for a 180 mile journey.

In the UK, you can only book up to three months ahead, because the train operators have no idea what engineering works will be carried out beyond that.

 

[AlanB]

- The fare gives me full access to the Club Acela lounge at New York

I don't know that you'd have a reason to use it, but if you do go all the way to South Station, your ticket stub will also gain you entry to Boston's Club Acela lounge too. And if you do go to South, you might want to just go peek at the lounge anyhow, as it is the nicest lounge in Amtrak's system.

 

[Chris J.]

Well, that's me booked!!! Acela First Class. I thought I'd spoil myself.

Well worth doing - even if you only do it once. I took advantage of the good (for UK folks anyway) dollar / pound rate and treated myself on this run too.

As you say, the booking is a lot simpler than in the UK - it gives you a price, that's it. Not deciding if you want one of about 10 different ticket types (tho I hear they are meant to be simplifying them now).

Both NY and Boston lounges have coffee, soft drinks, nibbles of some sort and PCs you can use to get on the internet (tho I think it's only a few, so hogging them to use Web MSN and facebook may be frowned upon if others want to use them). I don't know what the London lounges have, and I'm pretty sure Leeds doesn't even have one.

Most of the Acela seats are what 'airline' style seats, but they have masses of room. Certainly a lot more than any UK train I've ever been on. You'll also be travelling over the 150mph zones - that's faster than any domestic UK train currently does (although the Eurostar does run at 186mph).

Enjoy your Acela trip - it's a great experience.

 

[Sealink]

Almost time. 2 weeks to be precise.

A few last minute questions... are the seats pre-assigned?

Should I sit on the left hand side of the train in the Boston direction for best view?

 

[PRR 60]

Almost time. 2 weeks to be precise.
A few last minute questions... are the seats pre-assigned?

Should I sit on the left hand side of the train in the Boston direction for best view?

Heading toward Boston, sit on the right hand side. This will be the water view of Long Island Sound.

 

[AlanB]

Almost time. 2 weeks to be precise.
A few last minute questions... are the seats pre-assigned?

Should I sit on the left hand side of the train in the Boston direction for best view?

Heading toward Boston, sit on the right hand side. This will be the water view of Long Island Sound.

But don't forget to watch out the left side about 5 minutes after leaving NYP for one of the best views of Manhattan from the Hell Gate Bridge.

 

[VentureForth]

Well, that's me booked!!! Acela First Class. I thought I'd spoil myself.
Genuinely impressed with how easy booking Amtrak Acela is, and thought I'd do a comparison with UK fares. I'm listing the key points that stood out to me - so sorry if I'm stating the obvious.

New York - Boston in Acela First Class is USD154.00. (USD 88.00 plus USD 66.00)

At todays exchange rate, that's approx. GBP 77.00.

- This fare is fully refundable (the caveat that this is before tickets are printed is totally fair and understandable)

- The fare gives me full access to the Club Acela lounge at New York

- The fare includes drink/meal on board.

The equivalent journey in the UK, would be from London to Leeds or Manchester.

From London to Leeds, the cheapest First Class, flexible fare would be GBP £148.50!!

I would still be charged £5 - £10 to cancel, and there's no free meals included, just tea, coffee and biscuits.

- Non refundable, non changeable fares start from £32.50, with no lounge access.

The journey time is approx. 2hrs 25 minutes.

From London to Manchester, the cheapest First Class, flexible fare would be GBP £180.00!!!

I would still be charged £5 - £10 to cancel, although lounge access and a "meal" is included - they're not always great.

- Non refundable, non changeable fares start from £31.00, which still includes lounge access and a "meal".

The only advantage is the journey time - approx. 2 hrs 10 minutes for a 180 mile journey.

In the UK, you can only book up to three months ahead, because the train operators have no idea what engineering works will be carried out beyond that.

Prices here are such a mixed bag. In some cases, I think that our fees are WAY underpriced. On the other hand, in some areas, I think they are way overpriced. I'm glad you'll get to come over and enjoy our bargains. Dollar is creeping back up, so enjoy!