Could Delta be changing planes JFK-TLV?

I am flying TLV-JFK on Feb 21 and returning on March 6. Until yesterday, I could see the seat maps for both of these flights (as well as all of my other segments).

Both flights were on a 747-400 with angled Biz Elite seats. I was not overly thrilled by that as I prefer 777s (which has fewer passengers and lie flat seats).

As of yesterday, the seat maps for these two flights disappeared and a notice shows up saying, "The seat map for this flight is currently not available".

Is it possible that Delta is planning on putting 777s on this route (both Biz and Y were fairly empty)? If not, is there at least a chance that the 747s are being switched to ones with lie flat seats?

If not, what other reasons could there be for the seat maps to be unavailable for these flights?

There are a couple threads on issues with seat maps right now, particularly for 747 flights. The current report (coming over here to FT from airliners.net, FWIW) is that the refit 747s won't go into scheduled service until there are three of them out of mods. (The dramatic decline in number of J seats from the old to new config makes equipment swaps much harder to deal with than on the 767-300ER upgrades where there's no change in the number of J seats.)

That is what is making me hopeful that the 747s might be put on the JFK-TLV route, at least on a temporary basis.

February through mid-March have the emptiest planes on this route. Weather here is not conducive to touring and there are no religious holidays to serve as magnets. The seat maps on both of my flights showed Biz Elite about 80% empty and Y about 40%.

It may well be wishful thinking on my part, but it would seem sensible for Delta to use either 777s or the 747s with less Biz capacity on this route until Passover/Easter start packing the flights.

This would also free up the 747s with angled seats to be used for flights with greater demand.

The problem I see is that they're going to have issues if they take the 777 off a route and put an old 747 on the route, as passengers will have booked expecting flat beds and wind up with angled. Maybe if they take a route with few seats booked very far in advance but with significant close-in demand, they can make the change, toss some SkyPesos to those already booked as compensation for the equipment swap, and then sell further seats at a discount (since more seats to sell, but with worse product, especially if up against a better hard product)?

I am flying 747-400 from TYO to JFK in just a few days and noticed the same thing; "The seat map for this flight is currently not available".

That would not stop Delta -- and I speak from experience.

DL used to have a non-stop TLV-ATL flight (I wish it still did!) and for quite a while, when you made a reservation, you would get a seat map showing a 777 with lie-flat beds. On the several reservations that I made, all except the last one were changed to 777s with angled beds shortly before the flight.

Dovster - I'm flying TLV-JFK on March 2, returning March 8.

I get the same message as you - "The seat map for this flight is currently not available."

Keeping my fingers crossed that this means a positive change!

Bostonbali

I'm showing the same thing for a 3/14 - 3/20 trip. It still shows that I have the same seat in the summary, though (I'm sitting in the back, though).

Yes, mine also shows the same seat in the summary. I don't know if that actually means anything or not.

The ex-NRT arrival into JFK becomes the TLV departure, and vice versa.

I suspect the upgrade is for the premium TPAC traffic, and TLV gets it as a side effect.

I can now see my TLV-JFK and return seats again. Same ol' configuration...

Sadly, that is true.

I had trouble viewing seat maps all weekend long, but as of yesterday, all seems back to normal - - whatever that is, for DL.com!