Seating question 747

[akenne21]

hi all, flying on the 747 to LAX from SYD this Tues... owing to a change in my schedule it was a late booking, and even at T-80 not much has opened up. I basically have 46E (bulkhead, seats either side taken) or 73 J/K. I want to do some work during the flight and probably won’t sleep much. I seem to recall leg room very limited in 46E plus having pax either side might be irritating...am tempted to go with 73 J or K... as a gold ff would I get a shadow?

I’ve got plenty of time in LAX before next flight so being last off not a huge drama...

Any thoughts appreciated...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

hi all, flying on the 747 to LAX from SYD this Tues... owing to a change in my schedule it was a late booking, and even at T-80 not much has opened up. I basically have 46E (bulkhead, seats either side taken) or 73 J/K. I want to do some work during the flight and probably won’t sleep much. I seem to recall leg room very limited in 46E plus having pax either side might be irritating...am tempted to go with 73 J or K... as a gold ff would I get a shadow?

I’ve got plenty of time in LAX before next flight so being last off not a huge drama...

Any thoughts appreciated...

According to the QF seat map is says 73A/K are to be 'allocated last', presumably meaning they are undesirable even by QF standards! So maybe the chances of getting a shadow are slightly higher... although if the flight is full and I was a passenger faced with the choice of a middle seat or 73A/K I'd probably take one of those.

Tough choice. The bulkhead will mean no one reclining if you want to do work.

 

[akenne21]

Thanks - do you mean you’d go with 73a/k over the bulkhead?

although if the flight is full and I was a passenger faced with the choice of a middle seat or 73A/K I'd probably take one of those.

Tough choice. The bulkhead will mean no one reclining if you want to do work.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks - do you mean you’d go with 73a/k over the bulkhead?

You are able to select your seat in advance. For those who can't, and perhaps faced with limited choice such as a random middle seat somewhere in the aircraft or 73A/K, they'd probably select 73A/K before taking a middle seat. This significantly diminishes your chance of having a shadow on the day of travel.

In your situation I don't think I'd proactively choose a seat in between two others (your bulkhead E seat). But it's a tough choice. Bulkhead = no one to recline in to you. But neighbours on either side for a long flight. 73J will give you more personal space, but with someone reclining on you.

 

[akenne21]

Thanks- as it happens, someone up there was smiling on me and 43A has just opened up... so I can have my window and no one reclining on me and the cutout. Phew!

You are able to select your seat in advance. For those who can't, and perhaps faced with limited choice such as a random middle seat somewhere in the aircraft or 73A/K, they'd probably select 73A/K before taking a middle seat. This significantly diminishes your chance of having a shadow on the day of travel.

In your situation I don't think I'd proactively choose a seat in between two others (your bulkhead E seat). But it's a tough choice. Bulkhead = no one to recline in to you. But neighbours on either side for a long flight. 73J will give you more personal space, but with someone reclining on you.

 

[serfty]

Probably 43A an upgrade ...

 

[akenne21]

Probably 43A an upgrade ...

Hi Serfty, curious about what you mean by upgrade? Do you mean the aircraft? It was showing the same config before, but all of row 43 was blocked even at T-80. But then when I rechecked again about T-70, I could choose 73 ABC...

 

[serfty]

P1 or WP had the seat at preallocated on booking but had also put in a points upgrade request.

Conjecture that this was approved today.

(Could be one of a few other reasons as well.)

 

[coriander]

Just snaffled couple of J award seats on QF73/74 in J (SYD-SFO on B747).
QF have allocated us 2J / 2K.
I haven't been on a 747 in 15-20 years and never in J. Are these good seats?

 

[serfty]

3E/F are best seats for a couple then the exit row pairs upstairs.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Just snaffled couple of J award seats on QF73/74 in J (SYD-SFO on B747).
QF have allocated us 2J / 2K.
I haven't been on a 747 in 15-20 years and never in J. Are these good seats?

Agree with serfty 3EF are a good pick. But if you want a window... I'd go for 2JK (or indeed any other window pairs on the front zone in the lower deck). If you are desperate to take the upper deck perhaps try it one way.

 

[Flying mermaid]

2JK are fine - 3EF gives you both an aisle, but I find the seats a bit close to the other people. Row 2 gives you a bit more space between the pairs of seats.

We actually did Syd-Sfo in 2JK a few weeks ago and we had a really good flight. Heaps of room and much more comfortable than the 787 coming back from Lax

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

For Coriander, I have flown the 747 twice, one in J and the other in whY, J was from BNE to SYD as a domestic passenger on an international flight, and whY was PER - SYD red eye.
Can't remember what I which aircraft I flew with to Aust with family when I migrated here many years back in the 1980s, (!), maybe it was a QF 747 too SIN - PER (fuel stop for a while) - then ADL.
Both were quite a while back.
As you are in J with row 2, personally, others will probably not agree, but if you have the choice, I would do again as i did BNE - SYD, is to go upstairs.
Its like a little bubble up there, and its a good thing too, as its a small space only a small group of 12 give or take have access to, as to loo and galley.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I did the 747 upstairs quite a few times on the Joburg run. Did seem to be less of a queue for toilets than downstairs. However I have come to prefer the nose - with only 14 in there it feels quite cosy. Have to be more than 12 upstairs surely? EDIT - just looked at seat guru and 24 upstairs.

One possible negative, is that families often end up in the nose. Kids don’t worry me, but if they are an issue then upstairs is probably better.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I did the 747 upstairs quite a few times on the Joburg run. Did seem to be less of a queue for toilets than downstairs. However I have come to prefer the nose - with only 14 in there it feels quite cosy. Have to be more than 12 upstairs surely? EDIT - just looked at seat guru and 24 upstairs.

You're both half right - there's actually 18 seats on the upper deck on the version flying to the USA

 

[Flying mermaid]

You're both half right - there's actually 18 seats on the upper deck on the version flying to the USA

thanks I just looked at seat guru and it seemed to show 24, but that’s the old version I just remembered it as being a fair number and more than the nose

 

[coriander]

Hmmm....

Mrs C doesn't like to clamber over or be clambered upon - recent trips in J on CX, AY, EK and F in QF, EK have spoiled her for "her own space" with window and aisle. So that only leaves 3E / 3F or 5B / 5J (we don't need to sit side-by-side) as the only seats with aisle access.

So I fiddled with trying to select 5B/J - site told me I couldn't select those seats (am I too old?). So I selected 3E / 3F. I should be grateful - QF granted my request to release two J award seats to/from SFO: the best advantage of WP thus far.

 

[serfty]

Taken new years eve from over the shoulder of 3F:





Locker:

 

[coriander]

Thanks, serfty, I think 3E/F will be fine.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks, serfty, I think 3E/F will be fine.

For solo flyers 5BJ are ok seats. For a couple I'd take 3EF if you both require aisle access. 5B isn't a particularly good seat during boarding.