• I rode business class one way and coach the other on an Amtrak between New Jersey and Boston. • The seats themselves didn't have any noticeable differences and were both decently comfortable. • However, boarding was smoother in business class, and the ride felt more peaceful and private.

One day, I was sipping coffee and stretching my legs in Amtrak's business class. Two days later, I was touching knees with strangers and cleaning red wine off my pants in coach.

On a recent trip from New Jersey to Boston, I booked business class on the way there and coach on the way back.

The price gap was hard to ignore — $226 vs. $80, a $146 difference for the same five-hour ride on Amtrak's Northeast Regional.

It felt like a splurge, but I had just paid about that much to upgrade a recent flig

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