I paid $168 for a 10-hour Amtrak business-class ride. Next time, I’ll stay in coach and save $100.

It’s a long ride from New York City to Niagara Falls, New York, on an Amtrak train — 10 hours in one seat.

I made the trip in 2022 and thought it would be worth upgrading to business class.

Since I was spending so much time on the train, I assumed a bigger seat with more legroom would make the $168 ticket worth it. Even though it was $100 more than riding in coach, I booked the premium class confidently.

Then, I ended up regretting it.

My journey began at NYC’s Penn Station.

I arrived at 6:45 a.m. for my 7:15 a.m. train to Niagara Falls, New York.

Penn Station’s Moynihan Train Hall has an exclusive lounge for Amtrak riders, but it’s only free for first-class passengers.

Other passengers may enter for a $50 fee.

I’d been in this lounge while traveling in first class and thought that while there was a variety of complimentary drinks and snacks, it wasn’t worth $50.

So I went to the main waiting area for all passengers with a train ticket that day.

There were benches in front of screens with train schedules in the regular waiting area.

It was crowded on a Sunday morning, but after a few minutes of standing around, I grabbed a seat.

On the train, I noticed the business-class car configuration had two seats on one side of the aisle and one on the other.

As a business-class ticket holder, I didn’t receive priority boarding, so I waited in line with business and coach passengers.

My seat was not assigned, but I snagged a spot in the single row.

Since the chairs looked larger than those in coach, I thought they’d be comfy and plush. However, once I sat down, they felt stiffer than expected.

But at least it reclined slightly, like on most trains I’ve taken.

Although the seat wasn’t as comfortable as I expected for a premium class, I was impressed with the amount of legroom.

An Amtrak representative told Business Insider that the business-class seats are about 20 inches wide with 42 inches of legroom.

Like other Amtrak trains, my seat also came with a tray table.

I could rest my laptop and phone on it in front of me, which made it easier to pass the time. I also had an outlet for charging devices.

On the way, a drink was included in the price of my business-class ticket, but a meal was not.

I got a Diet Coke and brought my own snacks, but a café car was also available to all passengers to purchase meals, drinks, and snacks.

I didn’t see attendants checking in with passengers or delivering meals or snacks during the trip.

I had to go to the café car to get my complimentary drink.

Business-class passengers had a private bathroom for the car.

I expected a nicer restroom in business class, but I didn’t think it differed from the lavatories I’ve experienced in other train classes.

After traveling for 10 hours in a train car without a clean bathroom, I thought the business-class experience was not worth the extra $100.

Aside from bigger seats and a free drink, business class didn’t feel very different from coach to me. Next time, I’ll save my money and ride economy.

“We are constantly evaluating ways to improve the customer experience, including further differentiating the classes of service across the network,” an Amtrak representative said in a statement to Business Insider.

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