meFIRST
Jan 2, 02, 4:57 pm
I am a member of the Amtrak Guestrewards program, and routinely travel DCA-LGA on the shuttle, and sometimes I do take the train. Check out my trip report to compare Amtrak vs. The Shuttle
BOS-LGA on DL shuttle (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/002434.html)
The took the train because I had a LGA-DCA return on DL, and wanted to stop at Macy's on the way(which is right next to Penn station)
There is no tier prog on Amtrak Guestrewards, so everyone has the same privilages. Just miles (212 actual, with a total of 750 for this trip including a F class bonus, which I can exchange 1:1 to UA MP).
Though I have suggested to someone high up in Amtrak (hint : he was a former presidential candiate), so impliment a tier prog, with some priority services. Like an Amtrak gold line, at Penn Station NYC!!! and priority boarding. It's in the works I hear.
I took the 6:17 am , the Acela train #2153.
Ticket was in F, Boston to New York City
Travel time posted : 3 hours, 57 minutes
Travel time actual : 3 hours, 41 minutes
Top speed : 115~ mph?. I was told that the train can go faster (150 mph) but the tracks are so old they can't handle it.
F gets you to the Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge. Got to Boston South Station and asked for the lounge. They don't know where it is!. They paged someone and I was escorted to the lounge.
It looks impressive (left overs from the golden age of train travel), the decor was redone but there was no food, or bagels, just coffee. (Kind of like the United domestic RCC). There was someone manning the club. Plenty of conference room space, with plenty of phones and an internet terminal. Lots of space. So much potential. But I was the only one in the club!. The whole lounge was empty (well it was early)
Boarded the train. Now the train is simmilar to the Eurostar, french TGV, but smaller. The F car is the first one, to the front of the car.
The seats are not spactacular, in fact they are simmilar to the rest of the train, just with some additional leg room. All the seats have two standard power plugs, so I could power up my laptop+zip drive. There are overhead bins, just like an airplane, but smaller. The F car also has an F bathroom, which is so roomy, two people could fit in it easily (imagine the possibilities)
Seating is preassinged, and I asked if I could sit somewhere else, and the RA (rail attendants) moved me. (this would later unfold in to major drama, read on).
If you are in F car, ask for the seats at front of or the back most of the car (if you can). These are the single seats. Those are by far the best F seats on the train. You get (your own folding table, lots of privacy, and a personal rail phone attached to the seat). This is also the diabled seat. The galley is right behind you, so the RA's (rail attendants) will be able to serve you better. There were two RA's serving the F car, both were kind of cute.
Most of the F pax boarded at 128 Dedham Corp Center stop. After that the F car was almost full.
Breakfast was then served. Choice of a eggs benidt, pancakes or continental breakfast (creal, oatmeal, etc), all served with bread/toast, fresh coffee. Complimentary WSJ/USA today. There is also a magazine rack at the back of the F car. Looked at the Booze menu, standards available, including Bailey's irish cream which I had with my coffee. All complimentary.
The food was served on a tray with real china with the Amtrak logo, and silverware (no plastic knives here). The salt and pepper shakers were in the shape of the acela logo. Napkins and linen. With the RA's walking down with bread servings, butter. Food portions were simmilar to domestic F at UA.
Pretty soon we were in CT and rolling down to New York. Then at Greenwich, CT two men boarded the train and made a fuss, claiming that I stole their seats.
"This is first class, and we want our seats and I not going to ride facing backwards all the way to New York", said one the men. You don't need to go to NYC to see drama, just get on a vehicle that goes to the city.
RA's tried to calm the situation, I tried to save the RA's face and moved to another seat, still facing forward. Plenty of room in the F car, so I couldn't care.
The seat I moved to were table style (think a Gulfstream jet), 4 F style seats facing each other.
The train runs the fastest between MA and CT, and once you get to NJ it slows down.
I took a walk to the regular Business section of the train, and the seats are the same, just closer together. No RA service, and food if from the cafe car, limited and a little pricey for the food you're getting. There are no seats at the cafe car, euro style standing at the high table kind of thing.
Pretty soon we're in New York City and I'm off shopping.
Nice trip Downtown-Downtown, I still like flying. It's just a personal preferance. Going home on the DL shuttle.
(edited for typos)
[This message has been edited by meFIRST (edited 01-02-2002).]
BOS-LGA on DL shuttle (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/002434.html)
The took the train because I had a LGA-DCA return on DL, and wanted to stop at Macy's on the way(which is right next to Penn station)
There is no tier prog on Amtrak Guestrewards, so everyone has the same privilages. Just miles (212 actual, with a total of 750 for this trip including a F class bonus, which I can exchange 1:1 to UA MP).
Though I have suggested to someone high up in Amtrak (hint : he was a former presidential candiate), so impliment a tier prog, with some priority services. Like an Amtrak gold line, at Penn Station NYC!!! and priority boarding. It's in the works I hear.
I took the 6:17 am , the Acela train #2153.
Ticket was in F, Boston to New York City
Travel time posted : 3 hours, 57 minutes
Travel time actual : 3 hours, 41 minutes
Top speed : 115~ mph?. I was told that the train can go faster (150 mph) but the tracks are so old they can't handle it.
F gets you to the Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge. Got to Boston South Station and asked for the lounge. They don't know where it is!. They paged someone and I was escorted to the lounge.
It looks impressive (left overs from the golden age of train travel), the decor was redone but there was no food, or bagels, just coffee. (Kind of like the United domestic RCC). There was someone manning the club. Plenty of conference room space, with plenty of phones and an internet terminal. Lots of space. So much potential. But I was the only one in the club!. The whole lounge was empty (well it was early)
Boarded the train. Now the train is simmilar to the Eurostar, french TGV, but smaller. The F car is the first one, to the front of the car.
The seats are not spactacular, in fact they are simmilar to the rest of the train, just with some additional leg room. All the seats have two standard power plugs, so I could power up my laptop+zip drive. There are overhead bins, just like an airplane, but smaller. The F car also has an F bathroom, which is so roomy, two people could fit in it easily (imagine the possibilities)
Seating is preassinged, and I asked if I could sit somewhere else, and the RA (rail attendants) moved me. (this would later unfold in to major drama, read on).
If you are in F car, ask for the seats at front of or the back most of the car (if you can). These are the single seats. Those are by far the best F seats on the train. You get (your own folding table, lots of privacy, and a personal rail phone attached to the seat). This is also the diabled seat. The galley is right behind you, so the RA's (rail attendants) will be able to serve you better. There were two RA's serving the F car, both were kind of cute.
Most of the F pax boarded at 128 Dedham Corp Center stop. After that the F car was almost full.
Breakfast was then served. Choice of a eggs benidt, pancakes or continental breakfast (creal, oatmeal, etc), all served with bread/toast, fresh coffee. Complimentary WSJ/USA today. There is also a magazine rack at the back of the F car. Looked at the Booze menu, standards available, including Bailey's irish cream which I had with my coffee. All complimentary.
The food was served on a tray with real china with the Amtrak logo, and silverware (no plastic knives here). The salt and pepper shakers were in the shape of the acela logo. Napkins and linen. With the RA's walking down with bread servings, butter. Food portions were simmilar to domestic F at UA.
Pretty soon we were in CT and rolling down to New York. Then at Greenwich, CT two men boarded the train and made a fuss, claiming that I stole their seats.
"This is first class, and we want our seats and I not going to ride facing backwards all the way to New York", said one the men. You don't need to go to NYC to see drama, just get on a vehicle that goes to the city.
RA's tried to calm the situation, I tried to save the RA's face and moved to another seat, still facing forward. Plenty of room in the F car, so I couldn't care.
The seat I moved to were table style (think a Gulfstream jet), 4 F style seats facing each other.
The train runs the fastest between MA and CT, and once you get to NJ it slows down.
I took a walk to the regular Business section of the train, and the seats are the same, just closer together. No RA service, and food if from the cafe car, limited and a little pricey for the food you're getting. There are no seats at the cafe car, euro style standing at the high table kind of thing.
Pretty soon we're in New York City and I'm off shopping.
Nice trip Downtown-Downtown, I still like flying. It's just a personal preferance. Going home on the DL shuttle.
(edited for typos)
[This message has been edited by meFIRST (edited 01-02-2002).]