Stubborn Travel

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Train travel in the United States is a bit of an oddity. Unlike Europe or Asia, where extensive rail networks connect cities efficiently and affordably, America largely abandoned the idea of rail travel long ago. Generally speaking, it’s highways and airlines people rely on to get around. And then there’s Amtrak—the country’s primary passenger rail service, with more or less a monopoly on most train routes.

Amtrak connects over 500 destinations across 46 states, but it can also be notoriously expensive, sometimes rivalling or exceeding the cost of flying.

If you know Stubborn Travel, you know I’ll always take the train when I can. I’ve taken Amtrak regularly in the last few decades, but never its premium, theoretically high-speed (more on that in the next section) brand, the Acela. Operating exclusively in the Northeast corridor, it connects Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C., with a few stops in between like Providence and Newark.

The trains themselves are sleek and modern, with two service classes: Business Class and First. It’s popular among business travelers, and the whole service is premium. That said, I did find many similarities to regular Amtrak trains.

In June 2025, I popped stateside for a cousin’s wedding. After a trip to Boston, I decided to give the Acela First Class a go and see if I thought it was worth the high price tag. This is my honest experience of taking Acela First Class from Boston to Newark (New Jersey). It is not sponsored or affiliated with Amtrak in any way.

Journey details: Boston, MA to Newark, NJ

• Route: Boston South Station to Newark Penn Station, New Jersey
• Date: Saturday, 7th June, 2025, 11:04am
• Journey time: 4 hours 10 minutes
• Journey length: ~230 miles (370 kilometres)

Alternatives to this route include:

• Driving, which takes the same amount of time (just over 4 hours). Factor in traffic, tolls, gas, and parking costs, which is high and tricky in cities like Boston and New York.
• Taking the regular Amtrak, which takes 5-5.5. hours.
• Taking a bus, which takes 4.5-5 hours.
• Flying, which takes around 1-1.5 hours + airport times.

As you can see from the alternatives, the Acela is not really high-speed, like France’s TGV, Japan’s bullet trains, or Italy’s Frecciarossa. Acela’s maximum speed is around 150 miles per hour (~260 km/h), which it covers only on limited stretches. This is why you actually won’t save much time taking the the Acela versus driving or taking the bus. The main differences are comfort, convenience, and of course, cost.

How much does Acela First Class cost?

Much like airlines, Acela pricing is dynamic. Booking well in advance or traveling during off-peak times can help you save significantly. That said, Acela First class is still expensive – unless you’re shopping with points, bid for an upgrade or claim an offer, a ticket will set you back a good $250-600 for a 4-hour journey.

Tickets will spike the days around departure, including the day of travel itself. In contrast, if you get them weeks or months in advance, they will be on the lower side of that scale. In contrast, regular Acela tickets start around $79 for the same journey.

Bidding for an Acela First Class Upgrade (via BidUp)

You can also do what I did – book a regular Acela ticket (with notice, I paid ~$80 for a flexible ticket), and bid for an upgrade closer to the date via BidUp (Amtrak’s upgrade bidding system). That made my total cost for an Acela First Class ticket was $208 for the 4-hour journey. More on bidding below.

Most people will get an email from Amtrak a few days or weeks before their trip inviting them to bid for an upgrade. Clicking through the link, you can make a minimum offer depending on the route. For me, the minimum offer was $110 to go from Business to First, for the ~4-hour journey from Boston to Newark.

If you do not get the email, you can check if one is available by plugging in your reservation number on Amtrak’s ‘My Trip’ tab. You’ll need the email you used to book too.

People have mixed luck getting upgrades. I bid $130 (classed as a Poor/Fair bid) a few days before the journey and got an email 30 minutes before the departure saying I’d been upgraded. Factoring in my initial $80 ticket, my total came to $208 for the trip.

There are several things you should consider when bidding for an Acela First Class upgrade:

• Because you will usually only know whether you’ve gotten the the upgrade last-minute, you won’t be able to make much use of the lounge
• You are able to choose your seat, but only after you get the upgrade, meaning you are last in line for choice. For me, there were two seats left to choose from. I was given an aisle seat and swapped to the equivalent window for the view. There were no single seats available
• Upgrades are based on availability, so if you are traveling a group, you may not be sitting together if you are upgraded

What does Acela First Class include?

• Seating: choice of plush leather seats with nice legroom. As seats are properly spaced out or have no one behind them, you can also recline guilt-free. Seats are arranged 2-1 across the car (the single ones are definitely the best in the house), so some passengers get single seats and you will never get a middle seat – although this is the case in regular Business Class too. Each seat has a power outlet and adjustable reading light.
• Lounges: access to Amtrak lounges at major stations (Boston – South Station, New York – Moynihan Train Hall, Philadelphia – William H Gray III 30th Street Station and Washington, DC – Union Station).
• Food and drinks: complimentary meal(s) service with a choice of entrees, plus snacks, drinks, and a selection of beer, wine, and spirits. The food is served on plates with real silverware.
• Wi-Fi: Free high-speed internet throughout the journey (though quality can vary depending on location). That said, this is not exclusive to First Class.

In theory, you’re supposed to board first and get priority assistance with luggage. I didn’t experience this when boarding, but I did when getting off the train.

My experience on Acela’s First Class service from Boston to Newark (June, 2025)

Basics, out of the way, here was my experience in terms of cost, boarding, seats and comfort, punctuality, seats and comfort, and general service.

Cost

I paid a total of $208 ($80 for a regular Business Class seat and $130 via Amtrak BidUp) for a 4-hour journey First Class. If buying a ticket outright, it will cost between $250 and 600. There are also occasional offers, and you can upgrade using points too.

Lounge (Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge at Boston South Station)

I visited the lounge at Boston’s South Station. If I’d had more time, it looked like an excellent place to work, with a quiet atmosphere (I did visit on a Saturday though) and plenty of seating, working areas and plugs. Food was limited (a few sad bananas and packaged snacks), but the basics were covered (soft drinks, coffee). I’ve read that other lounges have a much better selection.

The lounge had its own bathroom and water refill station, and there were only a few people there. I did visit on a Saturday mid-morning in June and am guessing during the week it’s busier. Then again, the lounge is large, so it would have to be very busy to feel crowded. There was only one staff member there, who checked my ticket but didn’t say anything else.

Boarding

There was no difference in boarding (that I know of), and in fact the First Class car (1) was the furthest one away. South Station in Boston only announces train platforms 10 minutes before they leave (even though the Acela starts there), so First Class passengers should be ready to make their way to the train as soon as the platform is announced. I understand that there may be direct access to the platform from the lounge – but if this was the case, no one mentioned it.

In Boston’s South Station, Acela trains tend to depart between platforms 4 and 10.

Seats and comfort

Seats are configured in a 1-2 set up. They’re comfortable, but they’re not a million miles away from other Amtrak services. First Class was pretty full, with only one seat empty.

The single seats are particularly spacious, and there is a wide arm rest in the double seats (which should not be taken for granted). The recline is also generous, and because the seats are spaced out or with the backs facing each other, you can recline without worrying about bothering your neighbors.

The seats with tables are comfortable for working, and larger than regular trains. The extra space means every person can have their laptop out without them banging against one another. There are plugs for every person, although these are both on the window side.

This comes in handy, as most First Class passengers seemed to be working – even on a Saturday.

Punctuality

I had gotten an email saying there may be delays, but the Acela hit every stop more or less on time (within 10 minutes of its scheduled arrival).

Food and drinks

The First Class service started strong. Within minutes of leaving, we were offered water and a food menu. Then staff came around with nuts and to collect drink orders, which included hot drinks, soft drinks and cocktails.

I ordered a Bloody Mary which was served within ten minutes, which was good. They took lunch orders around 12, and delivered them promptly. I ordered the ricotta ravioli, which came with a bread bun and desert.

The ravioli were OK – not amazing, but pretty good for a train.

That said, this was the only time staff came to collect orders for food or drinks for a 4-hour journey. 3.5 hours in, they came around with a hot towel, but that’s it. You can ask for extra food and drinks, but you have to actively seek them out. Staff are busy too, so aren’t always immediately available.

WiFi

I worked comfortably with good enough WiFi for the whole journey. However, this was not exclusive to First Class.

General service

There didn’t seem to be a different boarding experience between Business and First.

That said, staff was friendly and helpful, and they helped with baggage whenever someone needed it. Close to major stops, they came around and offered to help people put their bags overhead.

Is Acela First Class worth it? The Stubborn Travel opinion

Whether First Class is worth it depends on what you’re looking for. For me, it’s not worth it. While the seats are comfortable and staff was nice, I don’t find the perks (lounge, meal, drink, snack) worth the extra hundreds of dollars.

With offers or upgrades, it’s more appealing, but keep in mind if you BidUp you may be limited to which seat you receive and may not have time to use the lounge.

When people talk about upgrading to Acela First Class, some say it’s worth it for the open bar. Maybe you can get this if you ask for it, but you’d have to seek it out, unlike other First Class services. Plus, the atmosphere is pretty toned down – most people were on their laptops, with very few ordering alcoholic drinks.

I do think that the Acela in general can be worth the extra cash on top of a regional service: it’s (slightly) faster, comfortable, and importantly, the WiFi is reliable, allowing business travelers to work for most of the journey.

However, when you compare Acela First Class to other first class train services, in my opinion, it falls short of the hefty price tag.

I did take a Saturday service and First Class was completely full, so perhaps that affected how available staff was. Still, given that tickets will cost a good $250 without offers, it’s a no from me. Next time, I’ll go for the regular Acela or the regional service.

Frequently asked questions

Do you have a question around Acela’s First Class? Drop in the comments or email it to hello@stubborntravel.com and I’ll try my best to answer it below.

Do they let you choose seats when you bid for Acela First Class?

They do, but only after you get upgraded. This means you will be last in line and have limited seats to choose from. In my case, there were two seats to choose from after I got the upgrade.

What stops does the Acela make?

Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Newark, New York, Stamford, New Haven, Providence, Boston. Make sure you check the schedule in advance, as it doesn’t always make all of those stops. You can check the full schedule on https://www.amtrak.com/acela-train

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Have you tried Acela First Class on any routes? What was your experience compared to other train services? I’d love to know in the comments.