Boarding Acela in Boston

Next month I'll be traveling from Boston on Acela. Is there any special boarding from Club Acela, or do you board with everyone else?

Ispolkom said:

Next month I'll be traveling from Boston on Acela. Is there any special boarding from Club Acela, or do you board with everyone else?

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Yes, there is early boarding, sort-of.

If you are in the Club Acela and you arrange for Red Cap assistance to the train, the Red Caps will call into the Club, and those who arranged for assistance will be taken to the train before the ropes are dropped for general boarding. Of course, you are then expected to tip the Red Cap for the service, so your early boarding will cost $5 or whatever you elect to tip.

What if you don't need a Red Cap? What if you have no baggage for a Red Cap to handle? Then (technically) you cannot board early from the Club Acela (unless you pay a Red Cap to walk with you to the train carrying nothing). You have to wait with the unwashed masses. Now, I know of someone who kind of sidestepped that issue. That person was in the Club Acela, and when the Red Caps called in for boarding, that person simply got up, walked out with the group, passed the ropes, and walked on the train.

If you are in First Class, I strongly suggest that you either use a Red Cap, or try the PRR 60 "look like you belong" method. Good seats are few and far between in First Class, so you want to get out there in time to avoid a rear-facing aisle seat facing someone else across a table. Most of the First Class passengers at BOS will board early and many are singles, so the good seats (and there are only about a dozen good seats in First) will be grabbed up. If you are in Business Class (using the lounge on status or with a pass), then I would not worry about early boarding at BOS. You'll have your choice of good seats in Business even when general boarding takes place.

Actually these days in Boston if you show your first class ticket to the gate attendant they usually let you through ahead of those in line with BC tickets. Once general boarding starts however, you're stuck in the line.

And for the record, I've grabbed a Red Cap once even without luggage to get me out there early. Yes, I still slipped him a couple of bucks for the favor, even though he did nothing more than escort me out to the train.

Thanks for the advice. We'll have one or two carry-on bags, which clearly will require red cap assistance. Five dollars seems well spent to get a facing pair in first, especially since we'll be traveling all the way to Washington.

When they're not working a train or assisting people to the curb for a taxi, the Red Caps generally hang out right near the Club Acela lounge. So you can hand over your bags to them, rather than dragging them up the stairs, and then they'll open the door to the lounge for you rather than you're needing to ring the bell.

What Alan said I love the redcaps in BOS, they are so nice! John is one of my favorites. I often give them a $5 tip just to walk me out to the train with early boarding.

Despite the presence of the club, do that many passengers board F at BOS? An attendant once mentioned that the majority of the Boston-bound passengers (2/3 or more) leave at BBY and RTE.

I imagine it's time of day dependent, with morning trains heavy with suburban boardings at RTE and afternoon trains taking more folks from their business meetings in BOS and BBY.

amamba said:

What Alan said I love the redcaps in BOS, they are so nice! John is one of my favorites. I often give them a $5 tip just to walk me out to the train with early boarding.

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I agree about John! I always try to get him to take my things out to the train. Over the years, he has always been consistently courteous and professional.

gatelouse said:

Despite the presence of the club, do that many passengers board F at BOS? An attendant once mentioned that the majority of the Boston-bound passengers (2/3 or more) leave at BBY and RTE.

I imagine it's time of day dependent, with morning trains heavy with suburban boardings at RTE and afternoon trains taking more folks from their business meetings in BOS and BBY.

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When I travel to the Boston area I detrain and board at RTE most of the time. Simply because it's easier access for my girlfriends family who lives about half hour away from there. If not then it's a hour fifteen minute drive to BOS or 60 minute train ride by Commuter Rail. I don't mind riding the T's trains for an hour but it's just hard to figure out where to detrain. They don't open all doors most of the time. But somehow I've gotten lucky everytime I've been on there and got on a car where the conductors open the doors.

But when I get off at RTE there are a good amount of passengers that get off there. But still BOS is the I believe the 6th busiest station on the NEC. RTE doesn't make the top 25 but it's close. Around 300,000+ riders a year. BOS gets about 1 Million a FY. Now the Red Caps at BOS are great! Last time I had a nice fellow by the name of Alan and he was great! Cracked a few jokes. My girlfriend who was sad to be returning to PHL after a great trip home to see her family during her school break got some laughs out of him. Great guy! IMO the BOS RC's are the BEST in the system!