Why is Amtrak DC to NYC so much more expensive than flying?

[Anonymous]

Acela is always more expensive. What about regular old Amtrak?

[Anonymous]

The 336 Acela rate is typically a first class seat or last 10 seats available in business. If the train is that full you don’t want to take it. Spent a few trips standing in cafe car on acrela. I typically pay 215-250 for accelerated ticket.

Honestly the best thing to do is take non Acela train and upgrade to business class. The business class car is typically empty and you get free non alcoholic beverages with business class ticket.

[Anonymous]

Because it's more comfortable and you go straight into the city.

[Anonymous]

It's an extra $30 each way getting from Laguardia into the city, so make sure you add that cost on.

[Anonymous]

I recently flew to NYC for business (overnight trip). Far easier for me than the train since I don't live near union station.

On my return flight, most of the people had been there on business and were commenting that they stopped taking the train since flying was cheaper, easier, and a way to accumulate miles. I flew in/out of Laguardia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's an extra $30 each way getting from Laguardia into the city, so make sure you add that cost on.

it's slightly more than that. don't forget tip.

and if you are flying into an airport other than LGA than you can expect $55 cab ride plus tip

plus all that time getting from airport to city and back. and getting to airport early etc... WAY easier to just roll into penn station in the middle of it all.

[Anonymous]

Oh but I hate the scrum at penn station waiting for your track.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does it have to be Acela? Take the regular train. Are you a snob?

This. It is cheaper to take the train vs. flying if you don't take Acela. We went in the fall, family of four for under $300 roundtrip for all four tickets- two adults and two children. Doing the same thing this spring and it's still under $300. It would have to be a heck of a deal on a flight for me to consider flying there. Train, arrive 20 - 30 minutes before departure and arrive in Manhattan. Plane, arrive two hours before departure and land in Queens or Newark and take a $60 cab ride into the city. Train is the easy choice for me. After that it would be driving, then bus...plane would be the very last option.

[Anonymous]

Also you can change your train tickets with no change fees. So no risk to booking way in advance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does it have to be Acela? Take the regular train. Are you a snob?

This. It is cheaper to take the train vs. flying if you don't take Acela. We went in the fall, family of four for under $300 roundtrip for all four tickets- two adults and two children. Doing the same thing this spring and it's still under $300. It would have to be a heck of a deal on a flight for me to consider flying there. Train, arrive 20 - 30 minutes before departure and arrive in Manhattan. Plane, arrive two hours before departure and land in Queens or Newark and take a $60 cab ride into the city. Train is the easy choice for me. After that it would be driving, then bus...plane would be the very last option.

Who arrives 2 hours before departure for a domestic flight?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recently flew to NYC for business (overnight trip). Far easier for me than the train since I don't live near union station.

On my return flight, most of the people had been there on business and were commenting that they stopped taking the train since flying was cheaper, easier, and a way to accumulate miles. I flew in/out of Laguardia.

You need a lot of flights between DC to Laguardia if you're trying to rack up miles. I'm close to BWI, so the train station there's convenient.

[Anonymous]

I have resorted to taking the bus. Soooooo much cheaper, goes right to Penn station.

Train is my last resort...most expensive, least convenient for my location.

A flight would be nice, since usually I'm going not far from LGA. But doesn't seem worth the extra cost since the time ends up almost being the same.

[Anonymous]

Because it subsidizes the Amtrak rail system in parts of the country that aren't as heavily traveled.

[Anonymous]

The federal government subsidizes Amtrak so their operations are inefficient. Thus the ticket is more $$$$$$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because it subsidizes the Amtrak rail system in parts of the country that aren't as heavily traveled.

No, the tax payers subsidized the lesser used lines.