I paid $226 to ride Amtrak's business class for the first time. My trip had surprising perks and disappointments.

"As someone who usually flies for travel, I'm all about saving time and avoiding long hours on the road. Given the choice, I'll take a quick flight over a slower journey by land any day. Recently, though, I decided to switch things up when heading from New Jersey to Boston and booked an Amtrak ticket for a five-hour train ride instead of a seat on an hour-and-a-half-long flight."

"I felt tempted by the idea that I could skip TSA lines, not have to follow the strict liquid rule when packing toiletries in my carry-on, and avoid airport crowds. For a little extra comfort, I upgraded to Amtrak's business class for my Sunday morning ride on the Northeast Regional out of Newark-Penn Station. The ticket cost $226, almost triple the $80 I would've paid for a coach seat, and more expensive than a $150 flight to Boston."

The traveler chose a five-hour Amtrak Northeast Regional ride from New Jersey to Boston instead of a 90-minute flight to avoid TSA lines, liquid restrictions, and airport crowds. The rider upgraded to business class for $226 on a Sunday morning departure from Newark-Penn Station. The fare cost nearly three times a coach ticket and exceeded a comparable flight. The upgrade delivered noticeably more legroom and a generous recline, but the tray table remained small and seat spacing felt limited given the price. The traveler remained curious about the overall value and noted eight surprising aspects of the trip.

Read at Business Insider