Why do some people travel in 1A

Why do some people travel in 1A (first class) train instead of taking a flight, which has almost same or slightly more fare?

I don't know the 1A class, and have little experience with train travel in Asia (took a second class train in Thailand, once, which was just fine), but as a European: I haven't taken a plane in 6 years, and the only times I'd ever expect to fly again would be for a rare intercontinental trip lasting at least two months, and even then, I'll take a very hard look at alternatives. For short trips, I'll stay 'local', and for local, I'll travel by public transport whenever feasible, or by car when not. Anything else I consider unconscionable, given the climate impact. (I can't make up for the impact I had earlier in my life, other than by offsetting, but at least I can do better going forward.)

Besides this, train travel has many, many benefits - train stations are almost always closer to where you and and where you want to go than airports. Once at the train station, getting onto a train is a matter of minutes rather than hours. Security theater is minimal. The view from the train is far better. Leg space is incomparably superior. Etc, etc.

I realize this is a very European perspective, and that e.g. the current American rail network is nowhere near as good. But even on other continents, I'd say most of these benefits hold.

Some people may be afraid of flying and use a train.

Some may enjoy sitting and moving about while crossing long distances. They may be happy to explore the countryside from the train windows.

Then there are travelers with time constraints. For instance, I can fly from Boston or New York City to San Francisco in under 10 hours. By train over 3 days.

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Commuter trains in big cities - love it! Cheaper than taxis private transportation.

My mother said that traveling by plane was like a bus ride without the scenery

Well, first of all, the nearest Passenger Train Station to me is a roughly 5 hour drive away(or a 45 minute flight plus the taxi ride to the train station) just to get on the train. Second of all, only time I would train it would be in Europe, and I don't live there, only travel there. So There. Plane or car is my choice of travel.

The OP asked bout a specific type of train which has the same or slightly less price than a flight. It was assumed (by me) that the distance to get to the station or airport was approximately the same. The only question was one of price and time.

My distance to the closest train station is the same as the distance to the airport as there is a train station right next to the airport. . So why would I pick one over the other? People often say that flying is quicker. But is it? To go from Baltimore to NYC by train it takes 2.5 hours. By plane it is 1.5 hours. But to fly, you have to get to the airport at least an hour ahead, so it isn't really faster. (Plus when I look at it, there are no direct flights from BWI to JFK and all the flights I could get would in reality take over 4 hours)

Against the train is the fact that here in the USA, the trains are often late and are not really luxury travel. But you are not entombed in your seat - you can get up and walk around without crawling over another person. Also some train stations are (as you note) difficult to get to and not in a good area. But airports are also way out of the city and it may take a long drive to get there. My husband has told me that if I fly out of IAD again, I can't expect him to drive me there - he will divorce me first.

[ Edit: Edited on 30 Nov 2024, 13:38 GMT by greatgrandmaR ]

Unfortunately we don't know where the OP lives, so we also don't know if it is a country with good train-connections.
For us living in Europe some times the train is faster and cheaper then a flight. Here are train-stations in almost every town for the slower local trains, but with good connection to the really fast trains to all around in Europe. And for longer trips taking the train could be also more comfortable. You can walk around, there is no limit with bringing your own food and drinks, you can split the trip and do some sightseeing along the route, if you have time. And you can enjoy the scenery outside.
In a lot of asian countries it is about the same.

Sander mentioned trains in Asia, so I thought maybe that a 1A train would be from there.

Grandma, you could be right.

I believe 1A is a premium class on the Indian rail network - with separate compartments seating 2-4 people, lockable doors, etc. It looks like you could stretch out and sleep on longer trips. Certainly a big step up from cattle class on a plane.

The rail network in India is of course very comprehensive so for some travellers it may just be quicker to catch a train that stops in more remote stops.