Originally Posted by
GaryZ
Well, if their press report is accurate, they are apparently going to a 1-2-1 arrangement which seems particularly bizarre. Not only will most couples not be able to sit together, but vs. the current 2-2-2 it would mean the loss of 1/3 of the Envoy seats... a really bad idea. Maybe I'm missing something here?
The press release says 20 seats on the 332, which is the same as current. That would be five rows of 1-2-1. It's silent on the 333, but AC manages to get 27 beds in front of 2L/2R on its 333, in what I would call a 1-1-1 config, so it doesn't seem too far-fetched. US might also take the opportunity to drop some closet space and reconfig the front galley to gain space in Envoy.
If you look at the US 332, it currently achieves 20 seats with a 4 row, 60" pitch layout. If you can get 5 rows of suites into that space, then I think this suggests that the suites require about 48" of pitch. The 333 has 5 Envoy rows w/ approx 60" pitch, plus one row of sleeper at 96". Back of the envelope math suggests that this would be enough space for 8 rows at 48", which would give you 32 suites (a net gain of 2 seats).
As far as "sit together," US's proposed layout is actually the first herringbone design that enables companions to sit together--and half the cabin is available as such. All other designs are either aisle apart or adjacent in the column, but different rows.