Not OP, but as a simple physics exercise, the fact that it's cheaper to put a metal tube flying in the air instead of hurling it down a pair of low-friction steel rails firmly attached to the ground to get from the same point A to the same point B is mind-boggling. It becomes even more so when you consider that I was easily able to find a ~$500 first class flight for the same route that is non-stop for just 1.5 hours of flight time, so flying is going to be a much shorter door to door time for half the price and probably a better experience to boot.
I haven't ridden Amtrak in a long time, but I would be absolutely shocked if the first class experience on the Acella is as nice, much less worth a premium compared to flying. Regardless, there's pretty much nothing they could offer to make it worth the price premium.
Train travel tend to be much more comfortable than bus, car or plane. Especially if the plane takes as long time due to airports being located outside the city, security hazel, lots of stress at the airport and so on.
The train cost more, but you enter the train in the city centre, sit down and relax, go to the restaurant car and eat a nice dinner, relax som more and you arrive in the destination city.
This works better in continental Europe, where you have shorter distances and high speed trains between the capitols, often making the train faster from city centre to city centre than air travel. Traveling from Chicago to SF by train is pleasant, but take a couple days, not a couple of hours.
I'd pay extra to take the train for shorter trips. The entire experience is better, from not passing through a security theater production to the larger seats. I've never had a train sitting on the tarmac for hours, either, my plane trips frequently involve waits and delays.
I took the Amtrak a couple times from DC through WVA and have had several delays trying to get from VA to KY due to priority being given to the freight trains. I remember one trip having a one or two hour delay in the middle of no where while we were side tracked.
It is much, much more comfortable than a plane though.
I kinda knew I'd get called out on that, but, yeah, definitely more comfortable. You can even get up instead of, "everyone has to stay seated because any minute now we will be ready." Some trains have a food car. It's great.
I haven't ridden Amtrak in a long time, but I would be absolutely shocked if the first class experience on the Acella is as nice, much less worth a premium compared to flying. Regardless, there's pretty much nothing they could offer to make it worth the price premium.