armagebedar

Claims should be backed up by evidence, otherwise they are just rumors and will be treated as such. I have seen nothing published to back up his/her claim; that doesn't mean it's not true, but as we have no way to verify it or the source, it is simply a rumor, nothing more -- just like the information I posted about the 3-4-3 configuration for the 77W. I'm a "I'll believe it when I see it" person, so forgive my skepticism.

Rumors are of course perfectly welcome in this forum, however And personally I think he/she is probably right!

BigE

Our SEA-NRT flight last week was changed from 2-4-2 to 3-3-3 sometime shortly before departure. I don't know when exactly, but I had checked our seat assignments about two days before and it was looking good (I'm a bit paranoid about seats). Anyway, we discovered it at the check-in counter. On top of the small seats, my wife and I were separated (aisle-window). They said they couldn't do anything because E was full. The Japanese guy in-between turned down our offer of the window seat and chose to sit in the middle between us. Nice guy. He did kindly offer to take the aisle, but I get sort of claustrophobic without the aisle.

On the flight we discovered that PY was empty except for one person, while regular E was completely full. That's messed up because the original flight had no PY seats, so nobody could book them, and they didn't offer an upgrade or even mention the existence of PY at check-in. We are both *G.

The 10-hour flight was pretty miserable for me (6'1") physically. I ended up spending at least an hour walking around, sitting in the jump seat and visiting the bathroom more than I needed. This configuration is definitely to be avoided. I suppose ANA should be avoided in Y altogether (unless you're an elite with ANA), because you never know when you will get one of the small seats (some of the 767 and 777 seats are small also). Seems like most of my ANA flights lately. It's sad because I used to prefer ANA.

The check-in agent said that the change wasn't surprising because they are converting 787's to the 3-3-3 configuration. He initially denied that the seats were smaller until I confronted him with the math.

P.S. The flight was also very hot. Even though I accidentally wore shorts instead of pants, I was sweating in my seat. I pointed out to the FA's (who were lovely) that its really hot in E, yet very comfortable in the galley where we were talking, but they couldn't or wouldn't make any temperature adjustments.

dmodemd

I found it was Apr. 24th when the change was applied to the system and I lost my assigned seats (per email back from customer service on the issue). ANA claimed the change got backfed to UA and they should have notified me but my reservation there still showed the old seats up until departure. Since I lost my seats on a PVG-NRT flight (changed from 767 to 777 and back to 767) I asked to check the NRT-SEA and found the problem with the config change.

Good thing you check regularly but bad thing you got totally screwed. I guess I made enough of a fuss but our Y was oversold a bit, PY was full and I did hear a couple C upgrades handed out.

Even as an elite with ANA I would be scared of not getting PY. I can't believe they don't even offer a buy up...how sad.

I concur, definitely avoid ANA now but I would blame airlines like United who went with the 3-3-3 configuration as it really forced ANA into doing the same to compete.

I don't know who you can complain to (FTC? DOT?) but I see it like buying a "standard TV" on a store website which is advertised on the website as a 46" TV and then going to the store to pick it up and being told the "standard" TV is now 42" and that's what you are going to get when they are still selling a 46" TV but now calling it "deluxe". The store claims they have the right to switch the product in the same class at any time and you agreed to it....somewhere....

In the least, you should have been notified sufficiently in advance of the flight and given the option to cancel your order without penalty.

I was going to initiate a complaint but since I was given PY I was no longer inconvenienced and given more than I purchased.

evergrn

Anybody have experience with row 30 (second to the rearmost row that's actually 2-3-2 due to the narrowing cabin width in the back) in this new 3-3-3 config? I wonder if the outer 2 seats are spaced apart more since it's 2-3-2 instead of 3-3-3.

armagebedar

FYI, the 3-3-3 configuration for international intra-Asia configuration for the 788 is a 240-seat (C42Y198) one. No seat map is available yet.

sinohara

This config will be used on newer 787-8s (JA829A and JA831A)
It will enter the HND-MNL and HND-SIN in June,
and some HND-TSA in July.

seat configuration I just captured

http://i.imgur.com/spCscwm.png
http://i.imgur.com/q1opUU8.png

armagebedar

Thanks, sinohara. It looks like JA829A has gone into service, but it operated HND-CGK yesterday.

http://www.flightradar24.com/data/airplanes/ja829a/

sinohara

http://www.ana.co.jp/eng/int/infligh...s_e_140611.gif

It seems the new seatmap is rolling out,It have flew Taipei and Jakarta.

lovejapan

International configuration at 215 seats. I was just one seat off with the 214 figure... 395 in the Domestic version will be worse than the 777-300 at 514... No more Dreamliner I guess, at least not from a passenger point of view.

Always Flyin

It was always just a dream. It was never reality.

It's another tube with seats.

olouie

Do the seats recline? I flew the 77W and while it was nice to have more legroom the shell movement recline was worthless. Very hard to relax and I found UA's E+ seats better.

If these recline I would be tempted to give them a try since the SJC route is nice.

Karelia

Where does ANA use 787 with 9-abreast (3-3-3) seating?
What's the seat pitch & width?

Some of those seating guide websites are showing 17-inch width and 29-inch pitch. That can't be right, can it?

CPH-Flyer

The seat map you have linked is a regional configuration for Asia. The "old" 787 with fixed back style seats (2-4-2) have 34 inch pitch for long haul configuration, and 31 inch for regional configuration. The new with 3-3-3 and reclining rather than sliding seats have 31 inch pitch both for long haul and regional configuration.
I am not sure about 29 inch, but it may be on the domestic 787s, but for the international ones it is 31 or 34.
Munich and Düsseldorf is getting the long haul birds with the 3-3-3 configuration. The master thread that our excellent moderator updates, should give you more details on what config to expect where.

armagebedar

Merged into existing thread on the topic. Also, as CPH-Flyer (you're too kind) mentions, I recommend the poster check the Master Thread, where this information is available and generally accurate.

-armagebedar

nwflyboy

What's happening with the business class seats on NH 787s? Anything?

Last fall (October 2013), me and the wife came home from a trip to Australia and Thailand by way of NRT to SEA on NH1078, a B787-800, in their lovely C seats. The flight was wonderful and delightful.

So wonderful and delightful, in fact, that as soon as we got home, we made plans to take a trip to Japan in November 2014 - and we made those plans specifically because of the excellent flight experience. Yes, the flight experience is why we decided to go to Japan. Sure, there were other reasons we wanted to go, but the quality of the flight was actually the deciding factor. Knowing that we would be able to arrive rested, comfortable and happy (rather than exhausted, physically wrecked, and utterly miserable - as I have before on previous transpac flights) is what clinched the deal for us. So a trip to Japan is on our schedule in about 2 months from now. Because of the great seats and NH C experience.

We booked the tickets end of last year, in business class. I've been looking forward to it ever since.

Reading through this thread, I see with some concern that NH is changing their seating configurations on their 787s. I can see that there are some pretty unhappy campers who feel that the configuration changes are awful (and I don't disagree that it sounds like a significant downgrade) - although the details I've read all apply to economy. My question: Has their C cabin also been downgraded?

According to the ANA Master Thread, the SEA-NRT route is a "78R". That links to ANA's seatmap page, which shows 4 different seat maps for the 787-800. Two of them have a very different C cabin than what we experienced: designated on the ANA page as "240 seats" and "222 seats" respectively, they show 6-across C seats (2-2-2). I'm guessing that these are domestic or short-haul Asian international route cabins. Correct?

The last two shown on the ANA page - designated "169 seats" and "158 seats" - both appear to show the C cabin we enjoyed (which looks identical on these two variants) - with staggered seats in 3 across (1-1-1) alternating with 4 across (1-2-1) rows. I'm guessing (and hoping!) that this configuration is what's featured on longhaul international routes - specifically our SEA-NRT flights. Correct?

Is that what we can still expect on our flights between SEA and NRT in November?

Have there been any changes to the C cabin on the 787s in use on this route? Or is the only change what they did to squeeze in more seats back in Economy?

FWIW, when we flew last time on this route, although we were very much enjoying the comfort of Business class (boy, was I...), I did take a stroll back to the main cabin during the quiet mid-flight hours (I always do - it's a good reminder to myself of how lucky I am, and how thankful I should be, that I'm riding up front). The seats in back did not look very "dreamy" to me - and that was probably (if I'm reading this thread correctly) with the previous 8-across (2-4-2) configuration. Going to 9-across (3-3-3), on a 9+ hour flight, looks pretty unappealing to me. Those sitting in those seats have my sincere sympathy.

So, bottom line...have they done anything to change or downgrade the C cabin on this TPAC route...or is it unchanged, and can I look forward to the same bliss that I enjoyed last time (and the reason I booked this trip)?

Thanks!