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.

I chose the longer two-leg option over booking a direct trip so I could compare both the upgrades on a single trip.

My Amtrak ticket, priced at $975 total, included a business-class seat from New York to Washington, DC, and a private roomette for the longer 18-hour section of the trip from Washington, DC, to Chicago.

I found that one of the two upgrades was worth the extra cost, much more than the other.

See the best perks that came along with my nearly $1,000-ticket.

My journey to Chicago began bright and early in New York's Moynihan Penn Station.

Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider I started my travel morning in the sun-lit halls of New York Penn Station's Moynihan Train Hall.

My private roomette booking gave me access to the Amtrak Metropolitan Lounges.