[QUOTE]
Originally Posted by Shareholder
Seating
"B*****ing session about Y+" Maybe to you, Parnel, but a lot of us still do fly in the back and we were having a frank and full exchange with the man responsible for aircraft interiors, raising issues that many FFers believe to be rather important as their companies and clients force them into lowest fare, non-upgradable situations. If AC makes the back cabin more comfortable for its elites, it takes the pressure off clawbacks like raising upgradeable fares and treating elites with some respect in the air. [I have heard the software explanation to why AC cannot block off centre seats for three years now, and take it as a clear corporate attitude that these customers are not worth the investment.]
Seat comfort was a major issue, and there was a mea culpa and admission that the new J seat on the A345s and the ones earlier introduced on the A321s are not what AC will be refurbishing their entire wide and narrow body fleet with if the Board passes the plan on Tuesday. The new J widebody seat is claimed to be as close to the F seats of BA, SQ and CX as practical, but no other hints as to arrangements was given, but the cabin pattern was not going to be similar to BA's C cabin. [Further reinforcing the idea it may be as NZ is going.]
The issue of Y+ was one thing but the constant whining about UA,etc went on too long and took valuable time away from other issues that other participants wanted to bring up. When a long laborious discussion is warranted it could have been done between the interested parties and the AC person(s) in charge. There were 30 other people in the room with things to ask and concerns to be registered with the idea being to give AC as much feedback on as many subjects as possible in the short time frame we had.
Simon's tongue in cheek comment about people hogging the floor in front of him was dead on.