&gt; <i>the airline flight took about two to three hours</i><p>Only if you assume that getting to and from the airport, and getting through security, and boarding, are all instant.<p>Megabus drop and pickup in Manhattan. Acela goes to and from 34th st. Neither require me to play strip tease or watch 45 minutes of idiotic bin-shoving pantomimes.<p>The nearest airport to Manhattan is LGA, it takes 30-40 minutes depending on traffic. JFK and EWR are 40-60 depending on traffic. None of them have direct subway or rail connections, so you have to either take a car or cobble together various public transportation options (subway then bus, subway then shuttle, subway then taxi, train then monorail) with frequently unsynchronised schedules.<p>The idea that air travel is more convenient than the Acela train in the NE corridor is just silly.