The Jet vs. Amtrak: What is the best way to get between New York City and Washington, DC?
When planning a recent weekend trip from my home in New York City to Washington, D.C., I was delighted by the many transportation options to choose from. But the more I looked at the options, the more I began to wonder which option was the best. With many different ways to get between the two cities — planes, trains and automobiles — I decided to put two of them to the test.
I had seen some buzz surrounding The Jet, a luxury bus company, on social media and was intrigued enough to give it a try. I wanted to be able to compare it to the most popular way to get between the two cities: Amtrak. Especially considering the prices were incredibly similar, I decided to book The Jet for my trip to the nation's capital and Amtrak's Northeast Regional train for my journey back to New York City.
Here's how the two modes of transportation compare and which one I would opt to take in the future.
Booking The Jet
I started off by booking my seat on The Jet directly on the company website. During my search, a one-way ticket from Hudson Yards in New York City to Metro Center in downtown D.C. cost $169 on peak travel days and $149 on off-peak dates. There were two departure time options on the Friday I was traveling: 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. I chose the earlier of the two available times, which cost $169.
The booking process for The Jet was simple. After selecting my seat, I used my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card to complete my purchase since it offers 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases. Soon after, I received my confirmation and could begin packing for the four-hour ride.
For my return trip, I headed to the Amtrak website and began scrolling through the many train options. There were several options available every hour, starting just after 5 a.m. and ending a little before 10 p.m. The journeys ranged from just under three hours on the Acela train to around three-and-a-half hours on the Crescent route.
I opted for the Northeast Regional service. It's one of the most popular options and offers the most comparable price to The Jet. The one-way ticket from Union Station in D.C. to Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station in New York City, which I also paid for with my Capital One Venture X, cost me $212. (The average price when I searched for tickets was between $174 and $212.) The trip was scheduled to take three-and-a-half hours.
The Jet experience
Walking up to The Jet bus in Hudson Yards, I could immediately tell it would be an elevated experience. The bus was parked between Hudson Boulevard and 11th Avenue on West 33rd Street. Only half a block away from the 34 St-Hudson Yards subway station and surrounded by multiple city bus stops, it was an easy destination to get to.
From the outside, The Jet bus was the same size as a typical coach or Greyhound bus. However, the comparisons stop as soon as you take a look inside.
There are only 19 passenger seats on The Jet, and those seats are anything but typical. Each passenger is treated to 4 1/2 feet of legroom and can recline their seat up to 45 degrees. That's not even the best part.
The Jet's "HoverSeats" claim to be the most advanced passenger seat in the world, using motion-canceling technology to make bumps and traffic feel significantly less significant. Plus, it has a gel-foam seat with a memory-foam back, a power legrest and lumbar support to keep you comfortable on the long ride.
During my four-hour trip, I definitely noticed that the HoverSeats made a difference. I could still feel the general rumbling of the pavement beneath the tires and shifting when we went over bumps, but it felt more like a gentle rocking than a car going over a bump.
Aside from the modern technology, each seat also had a small tray table that was about the size of my 13-inch MacBook Pro. There were seatback pockets on the seat in front of me. The only downside of the 4 1/2 feet of legroom was that it was hard to reach those pockets, making them fairly obsolete.
Because of the HoverSeats, there is no under-the-seat storage. There are overhead bins, but they are small and can only fit jackets, purses or small backpacks. I had to keep my larger backpack on the ground in front of me since I needed to access it periodically and didn't want to put it under the bus. While this wasn't a huge bother, I would've preferred larger overhead bins so all personal items could fit.
In the single rows, there were power strips against the wall on the side of each seat; in the rows of two, the power strips were between the seats. The strips had three standard plugs and two USBs.
The windows of the bus were tinted to ensure the sunlight wasn't too harsh; there were also shades I could pull down if needed.
The Wi-Fi on the bus was fairly reliable, with fast download speeds for most of the ride — though it cut in and out a few times throughout the journey. Most passengers around me seemed to have downloaded shows or movies to watch, but I was able to work with minimal disruptions.
Like the elevated seat experience, the service was also elevated. There was an attendant on board who brought passengers a hot towel upon departure and continued in-seat service throughout the trip. She was friendly and knowledgeable, letting us know of any traffic delays along our route and updated arrival times.
There were snacks and soft drinks on board for purchase, though they were limited compared to what Amtrak offers. The best part was the two complimentary alcoholic beverages that were offered to each customer.
Each passenger also received a miniature water bottle and Biscoff cookies upon boarding. I tried the hummus and Stacy's pita chips for $6 and the salty caramel sharing popcorn for $8; both were great snack choices with generous portions for the journey.
The bathroom on board was spacious and clean. I even noticed the attendant going in to freshen it up between passengers to keep it looking nice.
Overall, the bus felt spacious and luxurious. The main downside was that, unlike trains and planes, buses are susceptible to traffic. So, when there was an accident on the New Jersey Turnpike, our whole journey was delayed by 30 minutes.
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The Amtrak experience
My Amtrak experience started at D.C.'s beautiful Union Station. It offers plenty of food options you can bring with you should you not want to buy anything on board.
Before I even started my journey, I was reminded of one of my least favorite parts of the train station experience: waiting for the train platform to be announced and making a mad dash to the platform in order to secure a seat.
I was taking a Sunday afternoon train back to New York City; despite my best efforts to get on the train early, I still had to walk three-quarters of the way down the platform before I found a car with open seats.
The seats themselves were fairly comfortable, though the leg space is limited, especially compared to The Jet.
The ride itself was smooth overall, and I rarely felt the train car moving (other than when it stopped and started at various stations along the route).
There were outlets on the side of the train car; however, if you were sitting in the aisle seat, it would be annoying to ask the person next to you to plug your item in. When I used the plug to charge my laptop, the plug stuck out into my leg space, and I kept bumping it when I shifted, which was irritating.
The dining car had a lot of options, beating out The Jet in this area. I purchased fresh crudites for $6 and a Sandy's Amazing Cookie for $3.50. Both were fine but nothing memorable.
While the Amtrak bathroom was spacious, it felt more sterile than inviting, and it never looked particularly clean the few times I walked by.
The most annoying part of the Amtrak experience was the constant stream of people coming up and down the aisles; they were either preparing to exit the train, coming on board and trying to find a seat, getting up to use the restroom or walking to the dining car. It would've been hard to get any sort of rest with all the noise and movement. If you are in the aisle, you often have to watch out for people's bags smacking your shoulder or arm as they walk by.
Bottom line
There was only a $43 price difference between the two, but The Jet bus was much more luxurious and relaxing than Amtrak. In my opinion, the only downside of The Jet was that it took 50 minutes longer than the Amtrak journey since we had to contend with traffic and a slightly longer route. The other potential downside would be for anyone who is prone to car sickness — The Jet ride is a bit bumpier than the Amtrak ride.
Currently, The Jet runs year-round service, but it's only available between D.C. and New York City. The Jet does have one other route called the Hamptons Streamliner coming soon through a partnership with Blade for those traveling between New York City and the Hamptons, but it will only be available this summer. Hopefully, the company will expand to other East Coast cities like Boston in the not-too-distant future.
Overall, based on the price and the onboard experience, I would definitely take The Jet bus again the next time I'm headed to our nation's capital.
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