I paid $975 for Amtrak's business-class and then a first-class roomette on a 32-hour trip. Only one upgrade was worth it.

I took Amtrak's business class and a private roomette on a 32-hour trip in June. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider Prolonged delays added 10 hours to my travel time during a recent New York to Chicago Amtrak trip. The perks of a first-class private roomette made the trip very enjoyable despite the delays. I found the business-class seat to be identical to a cheaper coach ticket. I'm no stranger to long-distance train travel aboard Amtrak. Recently, it has been my preferred mode of travel as jet fuel costs push airfares to unpredictable heights. During a recent trip from New York to Chicago in mid-June, I chose to book a two-leg Amtrak trip to compare the business-class seats from New York to Washington, DC, and the first-class private roomette from Washington, DC, to Chicago.