Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - Dragonair (KA) best seats

Hi all

Moderators please fell free to move this... or direct me please if this already exists!

Yesterday I was flying on Dragonair and tried to find information about the best seats... and nothing! Couldn't find a thing on either FT or via google. I did get a couple of links to seating websites but they either didn't feature KA or they just had a generic aircraft with 'some passengers like aisle seats' type stuff.

Anyways - I'm wondering if wwe could start a thread or, better still, add a section to the Cathay sticky about the best seats on Dragonair?

For my contribution I have the following (I'm using full text to help with future searches):

Dragonair A320 - economy

Good seats are in the bulkhead immediately behind business class. This is row 22.

The seats have fixed armrests but as they are the bassinet position they have lots of legroom. (I'm 6'3 and could almost stretch my legs out fully.) The seats in row 22 have two and a bit windows to themselves.

Seats to consider as second best include the exit rows which were still very very tight but maybe had a little additional legroom (if any - it was very hard to tell as it looked almost the same). There was certainly not lots of extra room like you get at the window exits on some other carriersd.

Otherwise all other seats in economy are a very tight 30 to 31 inches.

Dragonair A321 - economy

The seats to go for here are those at the emergency exit (which is a door). I can't remember the bulkhead row - maybe another poster can provide details?

Unfortunately every other seat in economy is very very tight at about 30". At 6'3 I had to eremove all the literature from the seat pocket just to fit in. Not good.

Regards

lme ff

This is probably very helpful. At least it was too me as i am flying KA soon. Thanks.

http://insideflights.com/Airbus_A320_200-Dragonair/Airbus_A320_200-Dragonair-Airline_Flight.html

A quick google search revealed lots of information how hard did you search ?

http://insideflights.com/Airbus_A320_200-Dragonair/Airbus_A320_200-Dragonair-Airline_Flight.html

A quick google search revealed lots of information how hard did you search ?

I searched very extensively.

I too found this link which as you will have noticed when you read it doesn't refer to an actual dragonair plane but is a generic A320.

For example Dragonair doesn't have First class on its A320s, nor does it even have 4 rows in the premium cabin - it only has 2 rows (8 seats total).

Thirdly, without row numbers its fairly hard to request seats.

Unfortunately the link to dragonair is purely there to beef up that sites references.

Regards

lme ff

http://insideflights.com/Airbus_A320_200-Dragonair/Airbus_A320_200-Dragonair-Airline_Flight.html

A quick google search revealed lots of information how hard did you search ?

First of all, I don't think this web is updated.I just randomly selected the seat map of CX744 and CX77W.The seat map of 744 is still in the old configuration.By the way, can you tell me how many percentage of the seat maps are correct? The 744 seat map in that web http://insideflights.com/Boeing_747_400-Cathay_Pacific_Airways/Boeing_747_400-Cathay_Pacific_Airways-Airline_Flight.htmlsays that CX has a 2-4-2 seat configuration in J, which is impossible.

The 77W seat map makes me even more confused at first.As mentioned by LHR/MEL/Europe FF, most of the seat maps in that web is more of a general seat map of the aircraft, not the seat map of the airline, or in my case CX.

What is the point of giving a website which consists either outdated information/wrong info of the seat map, or even a seat map which is only the seat map of a general aircraft, not the airline's.I don't understand how someone can criticize on sbd's laziness when he can't bother to just click inside to check the accuracy of the infos before posting the website.Please tell me if I am wrong. I would be more than happy to apologize.

Indeed, it would be great if anyone could point to a real source for KA seating. Seatguru does not have it.

Indeed, it would be great if anyone could point to a real source for KA seating. Seatguru does not have it.

http://www.dragonair.com/da/en_HK/whatonboard/fleet/a_330_300

http://www.dragonair.com/da/en_HK/whatonboard/fleet/a_330_300

Unfortunately, this map does not point all where good seats, bad seats are, the placement of the Airbus KID 110V AC SkyPower ports and accurately tell what sort of IFE the Dragonair aircraft has.

Does anyone know where those power ports are located in Y class since they are only on selected seats?

Maybe it would be helpful somewhere to clear this up for friends who fly on KA once or twice a year. For those of us who fly KA a lot, I'd say my indifferent attitude is this: come on, get over it KA flights are short...and they don't utilize a large amount of aircraft. They basically fly A330s and A320s (or A321s?), but the bottom line is this:

You can strategize all you want, it probably won't too much good. Why? 1.) Planes are interchanged all the time, especially between the different configs of the same aircraft type, which leads to 2.) The biggest differences are, in my opinion, between the different A330 aircraft configs. A very small amount (I think A33L, or is it R?) of the two class planes have the equivalent of CX new J (flat bed). The rest have a regional config in premium which works fine. Some are three class, some are two. But they interchange them so often on the routes anyway (not to mention the flat beds often end up on the Xiamen routes, where you barely have 3 seconds at cruising altitude before putting your seatbelt back on for landing) so it's kinda a mute point.

If you are flying F class to say PEK or PVG, go search and read the multitude of other posts about it. It's basically like CX new J as well. There is no F on the smaller planes.

For IFE, the narrow-bodies have overhead TVs. Some of the A330s have seat-back TVs, most have overhead. No on-demand.

I fly in KA Y a lot. When I want more legroom, I choose an aisle seat. Because I like to get off quickly, I usually choose my seat towards the front of Y. If you want to look out the window instead, choose a window seat. If you want to make friends with a few neighbors, choose the middle.

You can see all of this just by making a dummy booking on KA and picking out a seat

I have gotten a bulkhead row in KA Y almost without exceptions, latest at check-in. Regarding the J cabin, the newer 2-class 330 tops my books.

Agree this isn't worth stressing about. Two main comments:

1. The front row in Y class on all KA aircraft is always Row 22, even if it is fact only the third row back on the plane (as on the A320).

2. As OW Emerald, I find that using OLCI will get me an aisle seat, but not using OLCI will allow the airport staff to assign me to a bulkhead seat, even where these show as full on OLCI. I therefore avoid using OLCI.

2. As OW Emerald, I find that using OLCI will get me an aisle seat, but not using OLCI will allow the airport staff to assign me to a bulkhead seat, even where these show as full on OLCI. I therefore avoid using OLCI.

The airport staff can still re-assign your seat after OLCI.

Hi all

Thanks for the input.

While I respect some posters' opinions that they belive its not worth worrying about KA flights because they are so short - it certainly DOES make a difference to me me and other FTers when they are very tall (well over 6 foot). When it gets to the point that I have to remove the inflight magazine just to fit into the seat it becomes an issue.

KA flights might be short, but even a HKG-PVG flight can add up... 20 mins before departure sitting on plane (get on early to stow baggage overhead), 10 mins taxi, flight time of 2hrs 27 mins and then 40 minutes waiting for H1N1 inspection. Total time 3hrs 52 minutes sitting in the seat.

There are lots of things 'not worth worrying about' but this is what FT is all about. We have a CX sticky for flights as short as three hours, why not add to that a few lines about Dragonair seating?

The reason for my post is that there was no way for me to tell whether an exit row or a bulkhead was going top give me more leg-room when I was offered the choice by the check-in agent. Even after I decided (on the bulkhead) I went and searched the web and found nothing.

Hence my post.

Would be helpful to know how to get the seats in row 22 assigned in advance of flight day? Are they always blocked until check-in? Cen they be requested by CX diamond? Oneworld elites? etc etc.

Regards

lme ff

The reason for my post is that there was no way for me to tell whether an exit row or a bulkhead was going top give me more leg-room when I was offered the choice by the check-in agent. Even after I decided (on the bulkhead) I went and searched the web and found nothing.

Hence my post.

Would be helpful to know how to get the seats in row 22 assigned in advance of flight day? Are they always blocked until check-in? Cen they be requested by CX diamond? Oneworld elites? etc etc.

Regards

lme ff

People have difference preference. I do not like bulkhead because my movement is limited, but many people feel the other way.

For your question, MPC DM, and perhaps others, can request a bulkhead seat. However, even if you get a bulkhead seat assignment, you can still lose your seat to a family with an infant, and get stuck in a middle seat somewhere instead.

Once I checked in at HKG, there was no aisle seat left except a bulkhead seat. The check-in agent told me she could give to me but I might still lose it when I boarded the flight. I asked for a window seat instead.