Frequently Asked Questions

• How will I know if I have a reserved seat?

  Your seat number is printed on your eTicket. Your seat number also appears on your Amtrak.com and Amtrak app booking confirmations.

  

  
• Can I choose a specific seat?

  Not while you're making a reservation. Your seat will be automatically designated when you complete your reservation. You may change your reserved seat and choose a different seat at any time after your booking is complete using interactive seat maps on the Amtrak app or on Amtrak.com. There is no fee to change your seat.

  

  
• I prefer sitting forward. How do I predict which direction my seat is facing?

  We will do our best to predict and display your direction of travel when you view your train's seat diagram on Amtrak.com or the app. You can view or change your seat at any time after booking, even onboard while your train is en route.

  A schedule change, equipment change or other unforeseen circumstance may cause the planned orientation of your train or seat  to change before departure. The conductor can also assist you with changing your seat onboard, subject to availability.

  On Acela

  Acela Business class consists of five cars on the six-car train. The Quiet Car is located in Car 2 and the Cafe Cafe is located in Car 4. Most of the seats are rotated to face forward, except for the seats at the conference tables and at the bulkhead.

  The Acela First class car is always either the first or the last car on the six-car train and is configured with both forward- and rear-facing seats. Some of the single seats are rotated by the train crew and are always forward facing.

  In Northeast Regional and Palmetto Business Class

  The Business class car is the last car on the train and is configured with forward-facing seats and two conference tables with four seats each. All the seats are rotated by the train crew to face forward, except for the seats at the conference tables, which means you could end up sitting in a rear-facing seat.

  A schedule change, equipment change, or other unforeseen circumstance may cause the planned location of the Business class car to change before departure.

  In Vermonter Business Class

  The Business class car on the Vermonter is adjacent to the Café Car. All the seats are rotated by the train crew to face forward.

• I use my corporation’s travel booking tool or someone else books my travel for me. How can I find my reservation in the Amtrak app or on Amtrak.com?

  Your reserved car and seat numbers will be displayed on your eTicket.

  Having trouble logging in or finding your reservation when you’re on business travel? Often, the email address or phone number associated with your reservation belongs to your travel agent or corporate travel agency.

  In the Amtrak app, all you need is your Reservation Number and Last Name and you can retrieve your reservation.

  Agents are available to assist you in the station or when you call 1-800-USA-RAIL. The conductor can also assist you with changing your seat onboard, subject to availability.

• I booked separately from my friends, family and colleagues. How do we sit together?

  If you book your reservation together, we will reserve your designated seats together, subject to availability. If you book separately, collaborate with your travel companions to find and change to seats next to one another.

• If I see an empty seat onboard, may I sit there?

  Before you move to an empty seat, you must change your reserved  seat in the Amtrak app or on Amtrak.com. Someone may have already reserved that seat but is boarding from a station down the line, or someone else could change to it en route. The conductor can also assist you  in checking whether an open seat is available between your origin and destination.

• How do I reserve a seat in the Quiet Car?

  If you wish to reserve your seat in the Quiet Car on Acela, use the interactive seat map on Amtrak.com or in the Amtrak app to change your reserved seat. The Quiet Car is always located in Car 2 on Acela and is indicated in the seat map.

  On Northeast Regional or other services, the Quiet Car does not yet have reserved seating; seats are first come first serviced.

• I’m traveling with a companion or group, how can we sit together when the aisle seats are blocked in the seat map?

  For your safety and to allow for physical distancing onboard, we are limiting bookings and capacity on our trains. Where there is reserved seating, aisle seats and rear-facing table seats will appear as blocked in the interactive seat maps. If you are traveling with a companion or group, your reserve seats will be auto-designated in separate rows, however you may sit next to one another in the adjacent aisle seats if you wish.