New 717 interiors are here!
Mar 8, 2015, 12:50 pm
#16
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 436
I understand how some would not necessarily believe the Star-Advertiser, but the Associated Press is now reporting a one-inch reduction in legroom on HA's 717 fleet:
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/2...island-flights
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/2...island-flights
Publication of said specs would provide clarity, wouldn't it? My cynicism about this comes from the fact that if the specs were flattering, they almost certainly would have been published by HA. Of course, one does wonder how the AP and Star-Advertiser reached their conclusion. Better journalism would have provided some frame of reference.
AP is maybe right, maybe wrong. Garbage in, garbage out.
Mar 8, 2015, 2:17 pm
#17
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Kea'au, Hawaii
Programs: Recovering Delta SkyMiles Addict--Now Gold with AAdvantage
Posts: 586
And in the spirit of full disclosure, I should note that for 20 years I was an ATL based Delta hub slave. Thus, I come from a world where devaluations are called "enhancements" and announcements like this always mean that one will be paying more for the same or lesser level of comfort. At least I got my cynicism honestly . . . if there is such a thing.
Mar 8, 2015, 5:22 pm
#18
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,141
And in the spirit of full disclosure, I should note that for 20 years I was an ATL based Delta hub slave. Thus, I come from a world where devaluations are called "enhancements" and announcements like this always mean that one will be paying more for the same or lesser level of comfort. At least I got my cynicism honestly . . . if there is such a thing.
Mar 8, 2015, 6:07 pm
#19
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,171
I think it's likely that HA reduced the seat pitch with the new configuration. Seat pitch is defined as the distance from a point on one seat to the same point on the next seat in the row ahead or behind. But since the backs of these new seats are thinner, they could reduce the pitch but maintain the same overall legroom since the distance between the back of the seat to the front of the seat bottom cushion remains the same. I suspect the S-A misunderstood and confused seat pitch with "legroom", which doesn't have a precise, specific definition, but is as a generic concept is generally understood.
Mar 28, 2015, 12:33 pm
#20
Join Date: May 2012
Location: HNL
Programs: AS MVPG, HA Plat
Posts: 1,268
Impressions after flying the new seats in front and in back: the coach seats are actually pretty good, but first is awful. The coach seat is well-shaped for comfort and the padding is perfectly adequate for interisland. Pitch is tight but no worse than it was before, and getting rid of the recline is a plus. The first class seat has some kind of a structural piece under the thigh area that sticks up enough to be notably uncomfortable, at least for me.
Mar 28, 2015, 4:59 pm
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,576
Impressions after flying the new seats in front and in back: the coach seats are actually pretty good, but first is awful. The coach seat is well-shaped for comfort and the padding is perfectly adequate for interisland. Pitch is tight but no worse than it was before, and getting rid of the recline is a plus. The first class seat has some kind of a structural piece under the thigh area that sticks up enough to be notably uncomfortable, at least for me.
Mar 28, 2015, 7:06 pm
#22
Join Date: May 2012
Location: HNL
Programs: AS MVPG, HA Plat
Posts: 1,268
Strange. Maybe I just had a bad seat. I've sat in first on the 717s a number of times and never encountered that bump under the thighs before, and it was very pronounced (seat 2A, but I didn't pay attention to which aircraft).
Mar 28, 2015, 10:45 pm
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,576
I wonder if that bump is associated with the new padding? Or maybe something was askew.
Apr 6, 2015, 3:02 am
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2006
Programs: DL SkyClub Lifer
Posts: 10,000
Going from 118 or 123 seats to 128 seats? OMG! The sky is falling. But when you take a look at what's really going on, only a handful of planes were in the 118 configuration and had a closet and lavatory upfront. Removing those, frees up lots of space to add 2 rows, or 10 seats. The other planes are really only seeing one row added, with space made available by the thinner profile of the new seat.
Tail numbers?
Apr 6, 2015, 6:24 pm
#26
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,576
I flew in one again the other day and was happy with the pitch and cushion of the seat. IMO, they might be softer than the 330 seats! It seemed that the guests also enjoyed the new cabin remarking positively and taking pictures.