Leaving NYP and headed home

[Boxcar]

Many of you more experienced rail travelers have most likely used the services of a Red Cap before.We never had and after struggling with our luggage in Chicago, Penn station and over to the hotel and back, we decided to use a Red Cap reguardless of the cost. At Penn station we found several stationed at the entrance of the Acela Express lounge area.

We held coach tickets on the 125 Regional to Washington and didn't have access to any lounge area.(business class was $64 more) We told this one Red Cap our need of his service and were pleasantly surprised to be seated in the Acela Express lounge for our 2 hour wait on the train. He told us not to worry and he would take care of us. Not knowing what would be a proper tip, I asked the Amtrak attendent at the entrance to the lounge and was told, " If he takes very good care of you, $10 bucks and just good care, $5 bucks.

Well as busy as this man was, without ever asking again what train we were boarding, right on time he collected our luggage and us and had us preboarded way before the masses. I tried to get his name from his tag but was unsuccessful. He did earn the $20 buck tip and a job well done from me. I figured it this way, Business class for a 3 hour trip = $64 extra

Red Cap, use of lounge, preboarding = $20 .....well worth it.

Not much to comment about the Regional 125 except it was clean enough and not showing excessive wear. The downside of this segment of our trip

was a crying baby seated across from us. Lord....that kid could cry and did for over half the 3 hours... <_<

We did arrive in Washington D.C. only 4 minutes late...........BD

 

[AlanB]

BD,

Just to clarify, I'm assuming that he seated you in the open (read glass walls) Acela waiting area in the middle of the station. That as opposed to the fully enclosed Club Acela Lounge, where one has to walk through a gold colored door and cannot see the gates or the masses.

 

[Boxcar]

BD,
Just to clarify, I'm assuming that he seated you in the open (read glass walls) Acela waiting area in the middle of the station.  That as opposed to the fully enclosed Club Acela Lounge, where one has to walk through a gold colored door and cannot see the gates or the masses.

Thats correct Alan...This was an enclosed area reserved for the Acela Express riders only. I had thought we might have to sat on the floor in the lobby like countless others were.....BD

 

[AlanB]

BD,
Just to clarify, I'm assuming that he seated you in the open (read glass walls) Acela waiting area in the middle of the station.  That as opposed to the fully enclosed Club Acela Lounge, where one has to walk through a gold colored door and cannot see the gates or the masses.

Thats correct Alan...This was an enclosed area reserved for the Acela Express riders only. I had thought we might have to sat on the floor in the lobby like countless others were.....BD

One never has to sit on the floor if one doesn't want to. All Amtrak passengers can use the general seating area, right next to the Acela area and seperated by yet another glass partition. Anyone holding an Amtrak ticket is allowed into the general area, which does often make it far more crowded than the Acela seating area.

In fact, IMHO, they divided the space the wrong way, as the Acela side is never full, while the general side often is.

 

[Anthony]

The chairs on the Acela side have higher backs :lol:

Seriously, though, it wouldn't be so bad if the general area were only for Amtrak pax. I'd bet that most of the crowd is there for NJTransit trains...