I rode for 6 hours on Amtrak's coach and business class. Here's how they compared.

I’ve taken Amtrak up and down the Northeast Corridor for years, exclusively in coach.

Business class never seemed worth the upgrade for a few-hour ride.

But on a recent 6-hour train trip from New York to Vermont on Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express, I paid about $80 extra for a premium seat; my round-trip ticket was about $180.

I chose the train over a slightly shorter five-hour drive from my home in Connecticut so I could work both ways.

The business class splurge came with a few upgrades: a free non-alcoholic drink, a seat next to the café car, and half a dozen single “throne” seats without a neighbor.

After the full journey, I found the only notable perk of business class was the seating layout.

Coach class was just as comfortable and quiet for less.

Here’s what the experience felt like.