mahasamatman

Forward facing seats have the exact same problem - it's just that one is on takeoff and one is on landing.

LizGross144

I read this thread and then logged in and changed our summer flight to 2 sets of Aisle/Window instead of the 4 middle seats, even though there are 4 of us traveling together.

iluv2fly

Reminds me of this from "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" (1987)

Neal Page: Where's your other hand?

Del Griffith: Between two pillows.

Neal Page: Those aren't pillows!

^

raehl311

I always choose the back-facing seats. The front-facing lieflats leave your head slightly below your feet when the plane is "level" (i.e. nose slightly up). I much prefer the head slightly above feet of the rear-facing seats.

Also, as a former frequent GPU user, I've done many many hours in the middle two of the 2-4-2 and can't say I've ever had physical contact with other passengers... maybe you're doing it wrong?

zombietooth

I too like the aft-facing seats and find the IPTE seat pretty comfortable. I also like the middle section sometimes.

As far as proximity to, and contact with, other pax, it doesn't bother me in the slightest-"It's no big deal."

leiserom

A few years ago while traveling to Rio on FF tickets we had paid for economy plus bulkhead seats(2-4-2). We were sitting there and some person came along and said I need those seats for me and my little girl. My reply was sure you can have them if you give me 500 cash/seat-no checks accepted. She complained to the FA which of course got her nowhere. Called me an a**.

CHOPCHOP767

As do I: rear facing seats have a better axis for sleeping, or not as the case often is with this configuration. As a former 1K who frequented the coffins on the
IAD -> DXB/KWI, I am hopeful that the Polaris configuration will improve the experience significantly. Given that these flights often went out full in F/J and empty in Y, I was half tempted to take an aisle of E+ myself

Lori_Q

This matter-of-fact rudeness and sense of entitlement makes my blood boil. It's a resentment left over from past episodes when I was asked/told to do things because I was woman, or young, or didn't appear to deserve what was rightfully mine. I'm glad your cousin defended her seat.

I was in the middle on a 2-4-2 recently. It seemed spacious enough, and there are wells around the head areas. Wouldn't a sleeping fellow passenger have to reach pretty far to whack someone else in the face or knees?

chavala

FT put this on their front page but changed the title to "Thanks to UA, I Slept Between This Couple". Should they just take over someone's thread and change it like that?

hughw

Hmm. Are there really those that prefer UA's 2-4-2 over PMCO's 2-2-2 regardless of smaller footwells or slightly shorter bed?

pindi

Guys,
My intent was not to trash PMUA - while I'm a CO to UA customer, I have no complaints with UA in general. Even as an EWR captive, UA works best for me.

This post was meant to be a facetious take on my experience - no more, no less. Please read it in that spirit.
Thanks!

hoopics

OP, don't you know UA's 2-4-2 configuration provides an unparalleled family flying experience? Last summer (pre-Polaris) I had these seats with my wife and kids. My wife took aisle 1, I took aisle 2, and our then 4-and-7-year-olds took the middles. We had ample space and found it blissfully roomy and quiet (thanks Bose!), except when the 4 year old decided sleeping at a 90 degree angle to her seat was more comfortable than sleeping length-wise, and managed to stick her feet in her brother's face. They squawked it out (or at least it looked like they did; again thanks Bose!). All the while, we were able to keep them contained in our row by extending our footrests and blocking their escape. Can you imagine the chaos if they'd had a direct route to the aisle, and unrestricted access to the snack basket in the galley?

I will say that when reserving those seats, I had a choice between the four we took in the middle and 8A-B/9A-B. While I toyed with getting each of the kids their own window, I took pity on whomever we'd end up bumping into middle-middle. It also let us avoid the inevitable scene with some hopped-up-on-Ambien 1K going all DYKWIA about his GPU finally clearing, and trying to evict the little people from the good seats as a result.

I'm just sad it was pre-Polaris, and that the kids didn't geat stuffed bears.

hughw

I took it the way it was meant...

tuolumne

Yes, I'm 6'2" and a back sleeper. I can't do that in any of the LFBF seats, especially the shorter variants on the 757 and 767 fleets. They are not ideal for me. Also, the IPTE seats have softer cushions. Obviously there are tradeoffs, it's been discussed for the last 6 years.

cricketer

Yes. Without hesitation. I take UA 2-4-2 over SQ as well, because I can sleep better in it. I find it astonishing that anyone would choose the other way - just shows, to each their own.

I'd prefer the 1-1 on EY F but that's not an option with a P fare or a GPU+W :-)

I will grant you though, that I've only once had to be in the middle of the 4 on a 772. And even then it was 6D, which is the best of the middles if, like me, you prefer to be rear-facing.