Eating in coach - Acela

[AudenHoggart]

Given the mask requirements on board, is this waived while eating? I know the trains do have snack bars. Do you have to eat in the snack bar, or can you take your items back to your seat? FWIW we'll be traveling in coach on Acela.

 

[SarahZ]

You can take your mask off while actively eating and drinking.

 

[joelkfla]

From the CDC order which is enforced by TSA and implemented by Amtrak:

 

[Acela150]

Given the mask requirements on board, is this waived while eating? I know the trains do have snack bars. Do you have to eat in the snack bar, or can you take your items back to your seat? FWIW we'll be traveling in coach on Acela.

I would certainly hope so. In all seriousness, you MUST be ACTIVELY eating and/or drinking. AFAIK, you have the option of eating in the bistro or at your seat. However, I may be wrong. Things change by the day out here and I haven't kept up on the "rules" back home on the NEC. I can encourage you to take your items back to your seat.

Enjoy the trip!

 

[BCL]

I thought that Acela didn't have coach.

 

[Danib62]

It has coach, they just call it business class for some reason.

 

[AudenHoggart]

Yes, it's officially "business class."

While I'm asking, am I correct that there are no "quiet cars" in Acela "Business Class."

 

[MARC Rider]

Yes, it's officially "business class."

While I'm asking, am I correct that there are no "quiet cars" in Acela "Business Class."

I think there's a Quiet car, and it's the one right next to the First Class car.

 

[truncated]

I think there's a Quiet car, and it's the one right next to the First Class car.

With assigned seating another advantage of the Quiet Car is the algorithm assigns seats there last (and most people don't bother changing their seats in the app) so it's often the emptiest of the BC cars. And since it's at the front of the train southbound and at the rear northbound it's always the closest BC car to Moynihan at NYP as well (but also the farthest from the station at BOS, but closest to the escalators at BBY)

 

[Acela150]

It has coach, they just call it business class for some reason.

The logic of Business Class was when the initial rollout of Acela occurred that the train was replacing the Metroliner's and was aimed at Business Travel.

While I'm asking, am I correct that there are no "quiet cars" in Acela "Business Class."

You're actually wrong. The quiet car is adjacent to the First Class car and is "Car 2" of the consist for those inquiring about the car number while looking for it on the seat assignment map.

For reference the Acela I Consist

South End (WAS)
Car 1 "First Class"
Car 2 "Business Class Quiet Car"
Car 3 "Business Class"
Car 4 "Cafe Acela"
Car 5 "Business Class"
Car 6 "End Business Class Car"
North End (PHL, NYP, BOS)

 

[BlackDiamond]

You can take your mask off while actively eating and drinking.

It can depend on the crew how this is interpreted. There are some that have the more narrow interpretation that one must wear the mask between sips and bites. As usual with Amtrak it varies.