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Everything You Wanted to Know About Where to Sit on a pmUA 3-Cabin 777 Version 2

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Old Feb 28, 2013, 10:59 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: onthesam
Note: There is a reasonable chance (increasing as this 3-class config is retrofitted to remove 3-class F) this configuration may be switch to Everything You Want to Know About Where to Sit on a 777-200 v5 / Polaris seats / 77J -- so United is often showing a weird seatmap for flights on these planes, reflecting the effort to convert to Polaris Business (without First Class), Premium Economy, and 10-across Y. A discussion of that seatmap is in this thread: Interim 772 seat map with Polaris & potentially Premium Economy (2018)

United has relabeled their site and Version 2 is now Version 1
This thread is about the 3 class 772 and there is only one version being used -- and it will be phased out with time.

Note: This Wiki and thread are devoted to the pmUA 3-Cabin 777 Version 2. There is a second thread, now locked, devoted to Version 1, with a shorter Wiki (this one addresses all questions, whereas that one addresses only Version 1-specific issues. This thread should be used for discussion of Version 2, although older posts may refer to Version 1 (they were split 8/30/14). Version 1 is no longer in service (12 Feb 2017).

If you are looking for information about the new 777-200 with Polaris configuration, that is available here: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...xperience.html

And, if you're looking for the thread about pmCO 777, it's here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ational-5.html

Here is the version 2 seat map:



Version 1 vs. Version 2
Until late 2016, there were two versions of the international 3-class pmUA airplane.
"Version 1" on the United website has 8 First, 40 Business, and 218 coach seats. (No longer in service)
"Version 21" has 8 First, 40 Business, and 221 coach seats. (formerly Version 2 is now Version 1).

Generally speaking, Version 1 was an "XD" configuration with a shorter range (777-200) that flew transatlantic routes (TATL). Version 2 has a longer range and are either an "XJ" or "XQ" configuration of the 777-200ER that flew transpacific routes (TPAC), as well as other longer routes, and now flies all international routes on which a pmUA 777 is used.

There are two noticeable differences between the two, but they are otherwise virtually indistinguishable to the typical passenger and the seating is essentially the same.
  1. Version 1 had crew rest seats towards the back of the economy plus cabin. Version 2 has crew rest below the main deck.
  2. In order to accommodate access to the crew rest area on Version 2, this version has one fewer lavatory in the mid-cabin (2 instead of 3). Yes, it is unfortunate that there is one less bathroom on a plane that typically flies some of the longest routes UA flies (6000+ miles).

Both Version 1 and Version 2 have virtually identical F and C cabins, and nearly identical Y cabins, so most information about seats applies to both versions.

Detailed seat maps are available at:
http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Uni...-200_3_New.php

AVOD (Audio Video On Demand) is available at every seat, the first UA plane to equipped this way. The first 777-200 in this configuration started flying in April 2010, and will probably take 18-24 months before the entire 777 international fleets are converted. The entire fleet of this plane is equipped with the AVOD system, although audio is no longer "on demand" and is instead a loop of songs in a playlist.

First Class (As UA has ceased selling 3-class F, this cabin will be treated as an extension of the Business cabin -- same service. Generally UA is allowing GS pre-select these seats prior to check-in)3-class First seats now considered Domestic F/Polaris Business & selectable by 1K/GSs
There are only eight First suites, instead of the 10 or 12 in the older 777 configurations. These suites are spacious, with a wide full-flat bed, and plenty of storage spaces. A big difference is the way the new seats are angled toward the aisle, as opposed to angling away. This makes couples traveling together have an awkward time if they take the middle pairs. For single travelers, for sure the individual suites along the side of the fuselage is better. Even for people traveling together, consider taking adjacent seats across the aisle, so you can see each other. Sharing of meals and quiet conversation would be difficult across the aisle would be difficult however.

The First glass galley is concentrated on the right side, so it is probably best to avoid the right aisle if given a choice, and consider seat 2A be the best on this configuration.

As for window view, all of the window suites have plenty of windows, but with the angling of the seats away from the window, it is much harder to look out of them.

Business Class
Equipped with full-flat 180-degree seats similar to the (now-familiar) ones on the 767-300 and 747-400. Divided into two cabins, front cabins has two rows, and three rows in the rear cabin, with the galley and lavatory between these two cabins.

In order to fit eight Business Class seats across, these seats are narrower than the previous recliners that are only 7 across. Even with the arm-rest that can be lowered, these seats do feel relatively snug. The benefit is a full flat sleeping surface, albeit forcing the inside passengers to step over a sleeping neighbor in order to access the aisle. A taller, nimble person may be able to climb over a sleeping neighbor without disrupting them, but for anyone with less height, short legs, or less general flexibility this could be difficult.

The general view is that the preferred row is row 6, since it is the first row and relatively far away from the facilities. If boarding is via L2, you turn left and most of the rest of the passengers will turn right and resulted in much less traffic through your area.

Note that the 777 cabin is about 9 inches narrower than the 747 cabin, with the exact same number of seats, so you will most likely notice the difference, perhaps most so as you are going down the aisles.

Half of the seats are rear-facing. Once the plane levels out you are unlikely to notice this. Only during takeoff and landing is the sensation different than you are accustomed to. Some people express a preference for the rear-facing seats because the pitch of the plane during level flight means your head is slightly elevated relative to your feet.

All four of the middle block seats in each row faces the same direction, the same for all five rows. For what its worth, note that 7A and 7K are missing a window at the foot end of the seat, against the bulkhead (but there are still two windows).

Row 8 is probably the least desirable, since it is closest to the facilities. 8C and 8H most likely would notice the most traffic to the lavatories and galley, and light from the lavs will shine on these seats when the door is opened. The view out of windows in this second cabin is either back toward the wing, or partially being blocked. 10A and 10K also have a middle window next to the seat as well. 10B and 10J might notice FA traffic through the near-by curtain more so than others.

Economy Plus
With the reconfiguration into 3-3-3 vs 2-5-2, there are only four pairs of seats in coach, and all are located in the Economy Plus section.

20AB and 20JK are probably the best coach seats, fully shielded by the bulk-head in front of them, with good legroom as well. 19DEG are the bassinet positions, so beware of that. The curtain separating Business Class is in front of you, but probably is far enough away that it is not really a problem. Since the facilities are in the back, you have a long way to go to the lavatory, but it also meant very little passenger traffic passing by your seat. You also get to be the first Economy passengers to deplane and through immigration. A couple downsides are that your view out the window is mostly the wing, and there is no under-seat storage in front of you. The AVOD system folks up from below the armrest, which means it must be stored during takeoff and landing.

21C and 21H are interesting, since they have unlimited legroom with no seat in front of them. This mean no under-seat storage in front, and trays are in the arm-rest, making the seat feel slightly narrower, and your monitor is mounted on a swing arm. With your feet extended, just beware that people and carts passing through might occasionally bump you.

There is a missing window around row 23 and 24, so choose another row if you want a view looking mostly at the wings. However, while Row 24 is missing a window, there is still one window available.

The other two pairs of seats are the last row of this Economy Plus cabin, at 31AB and 31JK. Note that there is only one window for 31A and 31J (rather than 1.5 to 2), and this row is near the lavatories, so certainly more traffic. You are also just in front of the emergency exit, so people sometimes congregate in the area just behind you.

Best to avoid 30C and 30H, since there is no seat behind them, and their seatbacks could be used as hand-grabs by passengers passing through, or occasionally being bumped by carts.

Power ports are available in all of economy, one port for the seat-pairs, and two for each three seat cluster. The outlet is mounted just under the seat cushion edge, so a bit hard to access unless you know where to look.

33ABC and 33HJK are the exit row seats, near the lavatory, and subjected to people congregating in front of you. No under-seat storage in front, and trays and LCD screens are in arm-rest and swing-arms respectively, making the seat feel narrower. 33A and 33K do not have a window, although they are probably far enough away from the exit slide that legroom is not really an issue.

34DEG is the bulk-head row, video monitor on the wall, and this is also the bassinet position. Decent legroom, but again no under-seat storage.

Economy Class

The galley is in the back of the plane, as well as another two lavatories, so there will be more traffic through the back of the plane.

Rows 43-46 probably are the last to be assigned, or often reserved for tour groups with no advance seat assignment. They might also be more likely to be unassigned on occasions, and therefore somewhat likely to have an adjacent seat open for you to gamble on. You would, however, be the last to deplane and through immigration, and the back of the plane does get a little more motion especially through turbulence.
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Everything You Wanted to Know About Where to Sit on a pmUA 3-Cabin 777 Version 2

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Old Jul 20, 2012, 9:16 pm
  #91  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: SFO, BDL
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Posts: 963
Originally Posted by asnovici
I am currently assigned 2A in GlobalFirst on 777 new configuration, and from the posts here it sounds like its always a crew rest area. Is that correct and should I change? I can only change to 1C at this point, and its check in time.

Should I stick to 2A and hope I wont get booted or switch to the inferior 1C and be content with that? I flew GF before but I dont recall if 2A was a pilot or not. Im flying SFO-LHR. Thanks
I believe it is. You might want to check the date of your flight as there is a equipment change coming up in the fall schedule for SFO-LHR.
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Old Jul 20, 2012, 9:19 pm
  #92  
 
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Originally Posted by USFdonWill
I believe it is. You might want to check the date of your flight as there is a equipment change coming up in the fall schedule for SFO-LHR.
Just switched to sucky 1C oh well.

If I were United I would not let people book 2A on these flights cause it just leads to dissapointment.
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Old Jul 31, 2012, 3:02 pm
  #93  
 
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Originally Posted by USFdonWill
My preference is 7K>7J>7H. 7K is a rear-facing, window seat and although you are facing the galley, i believe the wall will block some of the noise and light. 7J is the aisle, but not as private as 7K...more galley light and noise. 7H has less light from the galley, but I notice the difference between forward vs rear-facing.

The only situation I can see someone choosing 7J>7K is if they get up a lot during the flight and/or they do not have the flexibility to climb over the person in the aisle seat.
Originally Posted by drewguy
I've been in 7A (ie 7K on other side) happily a couple of times, and no complaints. Limited galley exposure. 7J will get more galley light. If you want to face foward, then 7H.

I don't have a problem climbing over seatmate, but I'm 6' and agile enough simply to step over. If I were short or had less good balance, I might feel differently.

So 7A or 7K are both satisfactory seats? I am in 7K at the moment, can switch to 7A. Also, never flown rear-facing BF before, intrigued to see what the experience is like. Thanks!!
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Old Jul 31, 2012, 3:26 pm
  #94  
 
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Originally Posted by thefiverivers
So 7A or 7K are both satisfactory seats? I am in 7K at the moment, can switch to 7A. Also, never flown rear-facing BF before, intrigued to see what the experience is like. Thanks!!
I have found the snack cart tends to be placed on the JK side of the plane, if that matters, and passengers usually enter on the AB side, so if you want a little more peace during the boarding process, 7K is your better choice. Which direction are you flying, and do you care whether you're on the sunny side of the plane? Do you like to pick up your glass with your right (7K) or left hand (7A)? As you can see, splitting hairs in my mind.
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Old Jul 31, 2012, 3:46 pm
  #95  
 
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Originally Posted by drewguy
I have found the snack cart tends to be placed on the JK side of the plane, if that matters, and passengers usually enter on the AB side, so if you want a little more peace during the boarding process, 7K is your better choice. Which direction are you flying, and do you care whether you're on the sunny side of the plane? Do you like to pick up your glass with your right (7K) or left hand (7A)? As you can see, splitting hairs in my mind.
I'm flying SFO-LHR. I guess it's just preferences at this point. And yeah never thought about the hand orientation since I'm facing backwards so prob will stay in 7K. Thanks for the info!
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Old Jul 31, 2012, 5:01 pm
  #96  
 
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Originally Posted by asnovici
Just switched to sucky 1C oh well.

If I were United I would not let people book 2A on these flights cause it just leads to dissapointment.
Normally the crew rest seats are blocked from the beginning. I thought both the 77I and 77Q had crew bunks up front.
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Old Jul 31, 2012, 8:31 pm
  #97  
 
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Originally Posted by C5Driver
Normally the crew rest seats are blocked from the beginning. I thought both the 77I and 77Q had crew bunks up front.
Crew bunks are for FAs. Only the 747 has pilot bunks, the 777 and 767 require at least one F seat to be blocked.
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Old Jul 31, 2012, 8:41 pm
  #98  
 
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So the bunks right behind the cockpit in the 777 are just for FAs? I'm fairly certain they are pilot bunks on some of the reconfigured planes as one lav was lost in the process.
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Old Jul 31, 2012, 9:13 pm
  #99  
 
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Originally Posted by C5Driver
So the bunks right behind the cockpit in the 777 are just for FAs? I'm fairly certain they are pilot bunks on some of the reconfigured planes as one lav was lost in the process.
Looks like a few do have something there, but the majority do not.
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Old Aug 1, 2012, 10:41 am
  #100  
 
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Originally Posted by USFdonWill
Looks like a few do have something there, but the majority do not.

On the 777Q, the mid-cabin lavs have a stairwell down to crew rest, hence the lost lav. The pilot gets a seat in FC for rest, I believe.
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Old Aug 1, 2012, 10:33 pm
  #101  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
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Originally Posted by C5Driver
So the bunks right behind the cockpit in the 777 are just for FAs? I'm fairly certain they are pilot bunks on some of the reconfigured planes as one lav was lost in the process.
Originally Posted by drewguy
On the 777Q, the mid-cabin lavs have a stairwell down to crew rest, hence the lost lav. The pilot gets a seat in FC for rest, I believe.
Not quite what we are discussing. We are talking about the lost lav in front of door 1L becoming a pilot rest...at least that is how I understand the conversation to be regarding.
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Old Aug 1, 2012, 10:56 pm
  #102  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
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Question about Y-class bulkhead seats in reconfigured 777s

In November 2010 I flew in seat 20A (bulkhead) on the reconfigured 777 from LHR-LAX. Was seriously annoyed that the tray table didn't extend out far enough for me to rest my head on it, and was also annoyed that it was self-supporting; that is, it just laid on my lap sort of. This was definitely NOT the case with the reconfigured 767s, and I'm wondering if a) this has been fixed, and b) if it is also the case for the E- bulkhead seats, which IIRC are in row 33?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can clear this up. I love the legroom but otherwise hate those new bulkhead seats!
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Old Aug 2, 2012, 12:17 am
  #103  
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Originally Posted by I Prefer the Red Eye
In November 2010 I flew in seat 20A (bulkhead) on the reconfigured 777 from LHR-LAX. Was seriously annoyed that the tray table didn't extend out far enough for me to rest my head on it, and was also annoyed that it was self-supporting; that is, it just laid on my lap sort of. This was definitely NOT the case with the reconfigured 767s, and I'm wondering if a) this has been fixed, and b) if it is also the case for the E- bulkhead seats, which IIRC are in row 33?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can clear this up. I love the legroom but otherwise hate those new bulkhead seats!
Every time I've been in row 20 on the newly configured 777s, the tray table has sat at an alarming angle - it's clearly a design fault. The problem is that (apart from eating) it makes work on a laptop difficult and uncomfortable. However, with the reduced E+ pitch in these aircraft, I find I can't sensibly work on my existing laptop elsewhere in E+, so it's Hobson's choice. I'm one of the few always hoping for a swap to old configuration.
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Old Aug 2, 2012, 7:44 am
  #104  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
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Originally Posted by lhrsfo
I'm one of the few always hoping for a swap to old configuration.
If seated in economy, you're not alone. Only the IFE systems (and perhaps power outlets) give the 77Q an advantage over the old. Well, perhaps if you're in the middle of the 5 seats then you'd prefer the new.
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Old Aug 3, 2012, 4:59 pm
  #105  
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 5
"Best" seat on UA 777 First Class - new config

Hello all,

I'm flying SFO-LHR on August 15, on a UA 777-200 with the new seating config. I was able to secure a first class seat and had initially selected 1A; I moved to 2K thinking that I will get less galley noise and also less traffic (since the restrooms are on the other side). Can someone confirm 2K is a quiet seat - I mean it's still supposed to be first class, but since I paid for my ticket I would like the best possible experience.

I saw a thread on the 777 seating that has been closed a while ago and somebody said seat 1K was best when traveling alone (with the new config). But that person also said 2K was reserved as a flight crew rest seat (nowadays it seems 2A is reserved for that purpose)... Did this mean that 2K, if available, would be the better seat?

Thank you for your help.
Regards,

Nicolas.
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