'Secret' good seats

[LuisT]

IMHO -YES!

Better food, service tend to be quite attentive as well (in fact the quality of the service may be better than that for J due to staffing structures).

Thanks serfty. I'll leave my upgrade request in there then...

Btw - can anyone check the availability of QF 31 on that date (9/9). I normally use this tool: Travel and Transport Class Availability Tool

But it doesn't seem to be working at the moment...

 

[RSD]

I'll take some help from people in choosing seats on an upcoming trip to the U.S. - all flights on Qantas.

767-300 or 300ER from Perth to Sydney
747-400 Sydney to JFK via LAX (what happened to the A380's?)
A330-200 from JFK to SYD via LAX (again what happened to the A380's?)
A330-200 from SYD to PER

Unfortunately it's not an upgradeable fare so I just have to find the best seats in economy.

 

[straitman]

RSD,

The A330 will only be from LAX-JFK and return. It will be a B747 or A380 across the pacific.

 

[RSD]

The A330 will only be from LAX-JFK and return. It will be a B747 or A380 across the pacific.

OK cheers - I thought the A330 bit for the trans-pacific leg sounded a bit odd. Unfortunately when selecting seats on the Qantas website it goes a bit screwy and treats JFK-LAX-SYD as one seat selection so I can't even see what aircraft I'm on for LAX-SYD - or book seats for it.

 

[mannej]

I'll take some help from people in choosing seats on an upcoming trip to the U.S. - all flights on Qantas.

767-300 or 300ER from Perth to Sydney
747-400 Sydney to JFK via LAX (what happened to the A380's?)
A330-200 from JFK to SYD via LAX (again what happened to the A380's?)
A330-200 from SYD to PER

Unfortunately it's not an upgradeable fare so I just have to find the best seats in economy.

You may want to provide dates, as all of those planes that you have mentioned have different seat plans. The 767 alone has 5(?) different seat set outs. By providing dates, someone may have access to the seat map for those flights

 

[Tooner]

For the 747, there are usually 2 configs, one with less Y than the other (v. technical). In any case, the best seats in Y are row 40 or 53 IMHO. The best seats are usually in front or above these ones

 

[serfty]

For the 747, there are usually 2 configs, one with less Y than the other (v. technical). In any case, the best seats in Y are row 40 or 53 IMHO. The best seats are usually in front or above these ones

This would relate to the "4 Class Versions".

One has more business class seating (and less economy seating) than the other.

"Higher J"/"Lower WHY" is referred to as the "Pacific configuration" as there's historically been more demand for business class transpacific than to/from Asia/Europe.

The higher WHY version is referred to as the "Kangaroo configuration" as it's traditionally used on the "Kangaroo Route" (Oz to/from Europe via Asia).

• Kangaroo Version

• Pacific Version

FWIW, all 744ER craft are of the "Pacific" configuration.

 

[danmancs]

My best option for my fairly frequent BNE-SIN trips is 23A/K on international (at least) A333s - the window bulkhead seats. The window side armrest folds up, giving enough extra side room to scrunch sideways a bit, and also change position during flight - makes a big difference after 7 hours or so! The bulkhead wall also makes a decent leg rest.

I completely disagree with you on this one, 23 A/B/J/K on the 330 are dreadful seats! They are so close to the bulkhead that you have your legs bent for the whole flight, I'd estimate you lose at least a foot of legroom compared to normal seats. I took this seat on a HKG-SYD flight a while back as the check-in lady told me it was a great seat with lots of legroom. Once I got on board I was so uncomfortable I complained to the CSM when he came around to say hello, but it was a full flight with no-where to move me to. To his credit though, my complaint has found it's way onto my profile and I have never got a bulkhead seat on any flight since then, I'm always at row 24.

A tip when flying on Dragon Air 330's - always take an aisle seat as the partition at your feet, between you and the person in front, is a good few inches further forward than on the window side.

 

[PineappleSkip]

rtyuiop, are you travelling alone? On a 744 (or 743 for that matter) I would plump for the last 3 rows if travelling duo. Although very noisy compared with up the front, prefer an intake noise to an exhaust noise any day.

Mr & Mrs P's 747 recommendations are 1A and 1K, although it cost a fair few points (and luck) to secure those seats. However if you did manage to get them on an e-deal you could stake your claim to 'incredible upgrade of the year'

Cheers skip

 

[Tooner]

This would relate to the "4 Class Versions".

One has more business class seating (and less economy seating) than the other.

"Higher J"/"Lower WHY" is referred to as the "Pacific configuration" as there's historically been more demand for business class transpacific than to/from Asia/Europe.

The higher WHY version is referred to as the "Kangaroo configuration" as it's traditionally used on the "Kangaroo Route" (Oz to/from Europe via Asia).

• Kangaroo Version

• Pacific Version

FWIW, all 744ER craft are of the "Pacific" configuration.

So the first row of whY would be 40 on "Kangaroo" and Row 53 on "Pacific"?

 

[rtyuiop]

I completely disagree with you on this one, 23 A/B/J/K on the 330 are dreadful seats! They are so close to the bulkhead that you have your legs bent for the whole flight, I'd estimate you lose at least a foot of legroom compared to normal seats. I took this seat on a HKG-SYD flight a while back as the check-in lady told me it was a great seat with lots of legroom. Once I got on board I was so uncomfortable I complained to the CSM when he came around to say hello, but it was a full flight with no-where to move me to. To his credit though, my complaint has found it's way onto my profile and I have never got a bulkhead seat on any flight since then, I'm always at row 24.

Ah, interesting - I'm guessing you're a bit shorter than me (pretty much exactly 6 foot)? I always have my legs bent in a QF economy seat anyway...

 

[straitman]

Ah, interesting - I'm guessing you're a bit shorter than me (pretty much exactly 6 foot)? I always have my legs bent in a QF economy seat anyway...

Or a body of different proportions. ie a different ratio of upper to lower body.

 

[danmancs]

Ah, interesting - I'm guessing you're a bit shorter than me (pretty much exactly 6 foot)? I always have my legs bent in a QF economy seat anyway...

5'9"... I also have dodgy knees after years of playing front row rugby, so they start to ache if I have them bent too much for too long. It does make flying Y a very unpleasant experience in general, but the bulkhead makes it worse!

 

[medhead]

5'9"... I also have dodgy knees after years of playing front row rugby, so they start to ache if I have them bent too much for too long. It does make flying Y a very unpleasant experience in general, but the bulkhead makes it worse!

Of course it would appear that not all bulkheads are created equal. There has been some discussion of the relative merits of different bulkhead seats in various aircraft.

 

[rtyuiop]

Ah, that'll do it. Maybe that's why I often manage to grab those bulkhead seats if others find them uncomfortable!

Danny

 

[danmancs]

Of course it would appear that not all bulkheads are created equal. There has been some discussion of the relative merits of different bulkhead seats in various aircraft.

True that. But I'm taking the view of better to be safe than spend 10 hours in pain because I can't straighten my legs...

The type that have a gap at the bottom are the best. But, the other problem with the bulk head of course is that you are right next to the curtain that gets swished every 30 seconds, and often close to the kitchen or crew areas which are often noisy and brightly lit, or worse you get the woosh of the toilet flushing every few minutes and people pushing into you while they queue.

 

[drewbles]

Speaking of bulkhead seats, What's peoples experience on the 744's row 36 of Y+ being bulkhead/exit row (they call it exit row)? I'm allocated 36G for an upcoming flight, and can't remember what the leg room is like on the centre of row 36. I rang QF to be allocated 36B but they tried to flog me a charged exit row, despite this being a cabin re-definition (QF73 SYD-SFO) with Y+ sold as Y. They wouldn't budge and offered to charge me for it to have the seat.

Is the leg room on the 36D/E/F/G row reasonable, or should I go a row behind (I'm 6'2"ish so leg room is kind of important!)?

 

[PineappleSkip]

or worse you get the woosh of the toilet flushing every few minutes and people pushing into you while they queue.

We were in 19AB in an Air Pacific 767, an exit row with a bulkhead in front, However there was a toilet in front of us and a toilet beside us. Adjacent and slightly behind, bassinets with howling babies. But if you can cope with all that, they had mega legroom

Cheers skip

 

[Mr_Gimlet]

It's been a while since I flew international, but now I'm back on the tube with mrs_g on QF29 x 2 legs and QF2 x 2 legs. The 744 4 class config is new to me in Y.

a. Could anyone comment on the little cabin space that rows 40 and 41 make? Children or quiet? Is there a bassinet on DEFG?
b. In the old days, there was lots of discussion on whether 40 was better or 41 behind the crew seats?.. Has anything changed with the new config?

We are on elcheapos, so no chance of points upgrade, so need to settle in for the trip... can get 40 or 41 on all my flights except one, which is 40DEFG or any 41.

Help and comments greatly appreciated!