Last edit by: ssh
From SAT Lawyer's First Post:
Please also see: http://seatexpert.com/seatmap/320/Un..._First_&_Biz)/ and http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Uni...747-400_B.php]
What follows is my assessment of where to sit on the 744, which I sampled on a recent flight from SYD-SFO. I sat in E+ for three hours before a flight cancellation on Tuesday and in 15K in the upper deck in business for 13 hours the following day, so I feel sufficiently well-informed to dispense advice for those cabins. I cannot, however, make a recommendation for business class seating on the lower deck or the E- minus cabin, so with that caveat, here is my feedback on the upper deck . . .
Where should I sit in the upper deck? Any seats better than others?
Unlike the old configuration of the upper deck where certain seats especially the exit row seats in row 15 are appreciably better, on the new configuration, there is not really much to distinguish between the upper deck seats except for the limited caveats noted below.
What seats should I try to avoid?
There are only five seats that are nominally less attractive than the rest. 12 J & K are close to the forward lavatories and the flight deck so you can expect increased foot traffic and noise during the flight. The shell for 14K protrudes backward into the exit door area and partially overlaps with the exit door causing a nominal reduction in the view and a possible cold spot due to airflow penetrating the door seal. 17 J & K lose a good deal of privacy because they are visible from the top of the stairs and suffer from increased noise and light from the galley and traffic to and from the galley.
Window or aisle?
Window, definitely. And I say this as someone who is typically an aisle guy. You get the side bins for storage, the view, a little more peace and privacy being further removed from the aisle, and avoid the possibility of being disrupted by a seatmate climbing over you. Climbing over a seatmate in the aisle seat who is in the sleeping configuration requires a little bit of dexterity, but certainly is not terribly difficult for anyone who is at least 6 feet tall. Those who are substantially shorter than 6 feet may want to avoid the window, however.
Forward or backward?
Doesnt really matter. Due to the pitch of the aircraft, those facing backwards will have their feet slightly below their heads in the sleeping configuration, but we are really splitting hairs here. Personally, I prefer the backward-facing view from the upper deck because you can see the wing and the engines.
What if Im traveling with more than two people?
You will not be able to see or converse with the passengers whose feet oppose yours behind the wall adjoining the foot pocket and video panel. In other words, to give one example, the passengers in 15 J & K are fully walled-off from the passengers in 16 J & K. The shell of the seat also provides full privacy from behind. So, if you want to keep an eye on travel companions, you should try to sit diagonally across the aisle from one other. Passengers in 15 J & K, for example, will have a good view of passengers in 16 A & B, and vice versa. Actually, if you are travelling in a group of more than two and being able to chat is important to you, you'll probably want to sit in the middle section of the lower deck.
What happened to the exit row?
For all intents and purposes, it doesnt exist. The seats in both rows 14 and 15 both back up to the exit area creating something more akin to an exit corridor. No extra legroom or particular advantage to these seats.
How is the seat for sleeping?
Its a true, parallel-to-the-ground lie-flat seat, which is the big improvement. The arm rests on both sides can be manually lowered so that they dont extend above the seat in bed configuration, which further increases arm and shoulder room. Unfortunately, for window seaters, there will be a healthy gap between the lowered arm rest and the side bins which means that the extra room on one side isnt particularly useful since if you stick your arm far enough off the seat, it will essentially drop off a cliff with nothing to prop it up. As a 6-footer, my left foot was a little bit cramped due to the curvature of the foot-pocket, although this was not terribly bothersome. Both my seatmate and I felt that the seat lacked sufficient padding in the lumbar region of the back so we both woke up with sore lower backs.
What is the audio and video on-demand like?
For United and in comparison to the old configuration, great. The video screens are positively huge. There arent as many movies as one may find on airlines like Singapore, but still, there should be enough features to keep all but the most demanding and fickle passengers entertained.
As for the E+ cabin . . .
Seat pitch seems indistinguishable throughout, the bulkhead row 19 excepted. I don't care for the seats in row 19 myself because the hard bulkhead without cutouts effectively prevents all but the shortest traveler from stretching out his or her feet. This is true of both the outside seats as well as the middle section.
I would strongly advise against any D seat -- the aisle seats on the port side of the middle section -- because the audio boxes are beneath those seats and inhibit leg room for the left foot. There still should be enough room to place both feet, but only at a fairly sharp and uncomfortable angle.
As an aisle guy, I would go with one of the G seats. No audio box inhibiting leg room and landlocked middle seat passengers can access the aisle in either direction cutting in half your chance of getting bumped or bothered while you are trying to sleep.
There are still no individual seat-back video screens, unfortunately, so you are stuck with whatever programming UA runs on the main screens. Fortunately, the main screens have been upgraded to LCD screens. Sit at least a few rows back from row 19 to avoid being uncomfortably close to the screens.
Everything You Want to Know About Where to Sit on a United 747
#2956
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We were dumped (likely FAM) from 14A/B. UA put us in 9J/K. 12 J/K are also open. I've flown the UD many times but never forced into a choice like this one. Anyone have input on which pair is less bad?
#2957
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: SFO
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Do you have a preference for forward or rear facing seats? I've never sat in 9, but have been in 12J before. I didn't find the foot traffic or noise from the lav to be too bad.
#2958
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No preference front vs. rear. I'm thinking we grab row 12, as I think the galley lights and noise in 9 will be worse than the lav traffic in 12. Don't think I've ever seen anyone say anything good about row 9.
#2960
Join Date: Nov 2016
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Personally I like 13B but the enjoyment of the flight can come down to how good looking the person is in 14J cause your literally facing each other.
#2961
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: San Fransisco, CA
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Just boarded in HKG, sitting in 19G since it was the only Y+ aisle/window available. The legroom seems atrocious, and I'm not tall. The bulkhead extends too far to really stretch out in the aisle. 👎🏻
#2962
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: San Francisco
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Flying SFO FRA in June. UD seating wide open. Debating between 13 JK and 15 JK. Prefer the rear facing seats. Any advantage of row 15 over 13? Don't have time to search the 160 plus pages of this thread. Will probably be our last trip in the UD before United retires these birds.
#2963
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Flying SFO FRA in June. UD seating wide open. Debating between 13 JK and 15 JK. Prefer the rear facing seats. Any advantage of row 15 over 13? Don't have time to search the 160 plus pages of this thread. Will probably be our last trip in the UD before United retires these birds.
#2964
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: dark side of the moon
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Flying SFO FRA in June. UD seating wide open. Debating between 13 JK and 15 JK. Prefer the rear facing seats. Any advantage of row 15 over 13? Don't have time to search the 160 plus pages of this thread. Will probably be our last trip in the UD before United retires these birds.
#2965
Join Date: Oct 2005
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15 Is better as you are further away from the forward lav.
#2966
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The escape / aircraft config.
There is some historical discussion in this thread about differences in aircraft configurations and possibility of 'pommel horse' escape from 14A/K & 15A/K. Is 15K ever limited by exit slide or other configuration features? Is it known which aircraft have which configuration?
#2967
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There is some historical discussion in this thread about differences in aircraft configurations and possibility of 'pommel horse' escape from 14A/K & 15A/K. Is 15K ever limited by exit slide or other configuration features? Is it known which aircraft have which configuration?
You can also exit out the back of 16A, which is an overall excellent (and underrated) seat.
#2968
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My recollection is a bit hazy, but I don't think I've seen a configuration that blocks 15A/K (subject to what I said in earlier posts when my recollection was sharper). Not aware of any listing by tail number, wish I had kept one.
You can also exit out the back of 16A, which is an overall excellent (and underrated) seat.
You can also exit out the back of 16A, which is an overall excellent (and underrated) seat.
(Also, re: 16A—not on my flight! I.e. occupied.)
I guess all of this information will be obsolete soon, but I'll try to get one data point at least.
#2969
Join Date: Dec 2010
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With the upper deck full, how do you guys rank the pairs (2 people traveling together) in rows 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10? Any difference left and right side?
#2970
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The seats and service left and right are basically the same; sometimes the A side gets slightly (30s-1m) earlier service. The only significance I ascribe to left and right is the direction of travel—left side going east and right side going west is my preference.