Originally Posted by
MadProfessor
Hi folks,
We're a British couple travelling with our baby around the NE corridor for our vacation. We've got the following legs (NYP-BOS, BOS-PHL, PHL-WAS and WAS-NYP) in First on Acela Express and wondered if anybody had any tips on maximising the experience.
Thanks.
Hi MadProfessor,
I don't have very many tips, but here are a few that come to mind:
- Since you will be in Acela First, make sure to take full advantage of the Club Acela lounges in NYP, BOS and WAS. Boarding at WAS and BOS is much more civilized, but boarding in NYP can be chaotic to say the least.
I recommend checking in at the Club Acela and informing the agent that you would like a red cap (who will assist you with luggage and provide a 5 minute head start on boarding ahead of everyone else in the lounge and at least 15 minutes before general boarding). Especially since you have a baby, this will help to make the transition from lounge to train much less stressful.
- You will be served meals on each of the Acela First legs, but keep in mind that you are not required to accept the meals at a certain fixed time. When the attendant takes your order, you can specify that you'd like to wait an hour or until after you depart Philadelphia, etc.
- This isn't a tip per se, but just a general thought. I travel Acela First quite often and don't see very many babies. If your trip is during the week, there will be a lot of business people on cell phones and some sitting in groups looking over papers and trying to get work done. There is a chance you'll get some stares and possibly some dirty looks if your baby happens to cry loudly. I'm not taking sides and advocating that you do anything differently, just something to be aware of.
I hope these were helpful. Enjoy your trips!