spin88

I am going to second exactly what sincx said - it is aircraft specific. At this point, the seat width is as important, if not more inportant in my book, and a tape measure does not lie:The bottom line is that per seat, once the 19” standard aisles are taken out,
:-A380 (at 10x, lower deck) has 21.8”/seat (at 8x, upper deck) has 23.8"/seat
-777 (at 9x) has 21.3"/seat
-763 (at 7x) has 21.2”/seat
-A330/330neo (at 8x) has 20.8"/seat
- A350 (at 9x) has 20.3”/seat
-737/757 (at 6x) has 20”/seat

-787 (at 9x) has 19.8"/seat
-777 (at 10x, using 18” aisles as UA is, which is why they are so narrow) has 19.4”/seat

So ex-SFO (we get 772s and 787s ex-SFO) I am NOT going to fly UA in Y. period. Even with a 34" pitch, the super narrow seats are a non-starter . SQ flies either a A359 or a 773 (at 9x in Y) from SFO, and I would much rather take that with their standard 32" pitch than the narrow E+ seat on UA (and I can usually get an exit row). Ditto Asiana, which I actually recently took on the A359 in Y, which actually gives a 32-33" pitch (and has a E+ section) and the A380 is one of the best rides in Y in the upper deck in the sky.

ANA, however flies 10x 773s ex-SFO (they also have a 9x that is great), and since they started doing that, I have not flown them (except in J or PE), just not going to do it. but other than that one Aircraft, I would happily take ANA in Y over UA any day of the week.

CA is a crappy airline, and it has 10x on its 773, but if someone forced me to, I would probably prefer to fly on their A359 which has 32" pitch than on UA's 777 with 10 across seating in Y, even with the greater 34" pitch. Put another way, I would rather be on the A359 with 32" pitch than the UA 777 at 10x, even with a 34" pitch.

I have no experience on the rest of the airlines, but would not take NZ in Y, given that they have the 10x Y seating on the 773. I would however gladly take then in their PE product, which is one of the best around.

Bottom line is that outside of the 763s, which still have decent seat width, there is not a SINGLE UA long haul bird I would fly on in Y at this point, and that is just looking at the seat, not the crappy food, service, etc.