Is Overnight Business Class Better than Overnight Coach?

[NEPATrainTraveler]

Hello all,

I was just curious if, for trains such as the LSL or the Cardinal, riding in business class for an overnight trip would be better than overnight in coach?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Maglev]

I think coach might be better if you can get two seats for yourself, but there is no way to guarantee that.

 

[pennyk]

I would choose Business Class.

 

[SPGpax]

Biz class seating on the LSL is 1-2, part of the cafe car. Legroom and recline are better than coach. And the first alcoholic drink is complimentary, if that makes you more comfortable.

 

[tricia]

Biz class seating on the LSL is 1-2, part of the cafe car. Legroom and recline are better than coach. And the first alcoholic drink is complimentary, if that makes you more comfortable.

1-2 seating is a huge plus for single travelers overnight. The alternative, if you don't snag one of those single seats, is spending the night with a random stranger, without even an armrest between you.

 

[SPGpax]

There is an armrest between you. At least the last LSL train I was on. I believe they still use the same rolling stock. And you get Metropolitan Lounge access in Chicago if that's your origin or destination.

 

[Anderson]

Yeah...IIRC the two-seat sets in the 2-1 pairs have armrests. It's in coach you don't have an armrest.

 

[NEPATrainTraveler]

There is an armrest between you. At least the last LSL train I was on. I believe they still use the same rolling stock. And you get Metropolitan Lounge access in Chicago if that's your origin or destination.

Yes, Chicago would be my destination. I would love to see more of that city since I didn't get to do too much there last year. I'm not sure when my next my Amtrak trip will be, but I like coming up with trip ideas. I rode in coach last year NYP to CHI on the LSL and it wasn't the greatest, that's why I'm curious about business class.

Biz class seating on the LSL is 1-2, part of the cafe car. Legroom and recline are better than coach. And the first alcoholic drink is complimentary, if that makes you more comfortable.

That's good to hear, I'm tall so the more legroom and recline the better. The free alcoholic drink sounds nice too, maybe it would help me sleep on the train.

 

[LookingGlassTie]

I think this has been answered already in another thread, but is the legroom in an Amfleet I BC car equal to or greater than that in an Amfleet II coach?

 

[PVD]

Keep in mind that if you are going NYP-CHI on the LSL you would have to change in Albany for BC since it originates in BOS.

 

[SPGpax]

I don't know the answer to your question LookingGlassTie. There is so much different lingo going on for rolling stock. I wish Amtrak would publish their own seat maps with statistics.

I think I have been in just about every rolling stock possible at this point. And no seat on Amtrak has been uncomfortable to me.

 

[NEPATrainTraveler]

Keep in mind that if you are going NYP-CHI on the LSL you would have to change in Albany for BC since it originates in BOS.

If I'm on the westbound LSL I would either do it NYP-CHI like I did last year or SYR-CHI. I did a test booking on Amtrak's desktop site and I saw that if I selected multi-city I could book NYP-ALB on 49 in Coach and then ALB-CHI on 449 in BC. I remember that last year the system wouldn't let you ride 49 going NYP-ALB, I guess they must have changed the rules this year.

If I took the LSL eastbound I would probably either:

1) do a multi-city with 448 CHI-ALB and then 48 ALB-NYP. May require an overnight in NYC if I miss the 7 PM bus back to northeast PA.

2) Ride 448 all the way to BOS, stay overnight in Boston and then take a regional to NYP the next day followed by a bus back to NEPA.

 

[Skyline]

I would choose Business Class.

Agree. Fewer if any crying kids, stink from diapers or banana peels.

 

[F900ElCapitan]

So I haven’t seen this mentioned yet. But Amtrak has been cycling the business class for the Coast Starlight to Beech Grove for an upgrade. My wife and I recently rode business class from San Luis Obispo to Santa Barbara and were very impressed. The new seats have significantly more padding and are leather covered, upstairs and downstairs. We both found the new seats to be very comfortable.