fhias

i will fly YYZ-SFO on an A320. at booking time i reserved seat 12A (first row of economy). however according to seatguru it has slightly reduced seat width. is that true? if so, why is it a preferred seat?

http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Air...bus_A320_B.php

(on seatexpert it moreover says "Unconfirmed reports indicate that rows 12-16 and 29-33 have slightly less pitch at 31 inches, and rows 19-28 are a little roomier at 32 inches.")

canadiancow

Are you taking about width, or pitch?
The width is likely reduced because the trays are in the armrests.

I'm not sure about pitch, but I usually prefer bulkhead unless it's a 319 and I can get one if the two special seats (17 AF I believe?)

superangrypenguin

on the 319 for row 17...limited recline though...I still prefer bulkhead on the 319..

fhias

thanks for your replies, and sorry on seatguru it says "slightly reduced legroom" (it does not mention width).

so bulkhead is a good seat on the 320?

karachi

on some of these planes the armrests have been removed if its the window seat next to the emergency exit.

Symmetre

Seats in row 12 of the A320 are sold as premium seats because as a bulkhead-facing row, they have more leg room that a standard seat offers.

The "gotcha" is that because there is no other seat in front of you, the tray for your meals must fold up and retract into the armrest. To accommodate it, the armrest is a bit wider, and intrudes into the seating area by about three-quarters of an inch or so.

The other "gotcha" with bulkhead seats is that with no seat in front of you, all of your carry-on bags must go into the overhead bin. There is no seat in front of you to stuff a bag under.

I never selected these seats. If you want more legroom, take seats in the exit row. In the A320, you want row 18 (row 17 is also an exit row with additional legroom, but with another exit row directly behind, these seats do not recline). Seats in row 18 have the extra legroom, as well as full recline. As karachi notes, A and F seats in exit rows do not have an outside armrest, due to the proximity of the emergency exit.

fin 645

Row 12 has no hard wall bulkhead in front, it is behind the last row of J seats (separated only by an upper curtain), so there is space under the seat in front. The reduced width is because of the trays in the armrests and the B and E seats have a pull-up IFE screen. 12D has always been my preferred seat in the A319/320/321. I do not find the width a problem, and even if the J seat is reclined, there is less restriction of personal space than with a Y seat in front. And you get served first in row 12.

fhias

thanks a lot! your replies are very helpful and much appreciated.

gtpdiddy

I agree. I flew the A320/A321/A319 often and if possible select Row 12 for the above reasons. You can slide your bags under the J seats in front of you with lots of leg rooms left. I prefer seat A and F b/c I wouldn't have other people climb over me to get to the lavatory, and I can snooze against the fusilage.

danapop

I am probably a minority on here but I hate most bulk heads, especially with a hard wall... 12 on A320 is OK because of the leg room, but I don't like the reduced seat width and the table trays in arm rests are absolute garbage and can barely support a laptop. I also find that the J seat comes quite a ways back into your personal space.

Just my two cents - FWIW

yul36

Agree on all points. If I have to select Row 12 its always a aisle. Exit if you can get it is a better bet.

aircanada_loyal

The backseat tv on row 12 is the widest if you are seating in window or aisle (same size as those immediately in front of you in J class). If you are in the middle, it's a bit claustrophobic. The other benefits of row 12 are: you are the first to select for onboard cafe, and the shortest walk to and from the aircraft in Y class. The downside are: you have to walk a longer distance to use the toilets which are in the back in the aircraft for Y passengers, and chances are rare that you will get an adjacent seat in row 12 that is empty.

NH2176

I fly on A320 tomorrow (Tango fare, domestic Canada).
I could choose row 12 without extra charge in online check-in.
Is it normal for *G or by accident?

fin 645

At OLCI, every open seat on the aircraft is up for grabs. Go for it.

CanadaDH

That reduced seat width was a cause of a flight delay and confusion for some maintenance staff on a flight I took to PHX last year. Upon boarding the A320, I went to take my seat in 12F, only to find the seat cushion was missing. What should have been a simple 5-minute fix took about an hour.

Three times, maintenance sent someone to the aircraft who tried unsuccessfully to cram a cushion meant for every other row in Y. Finally, after I had been standing in the galley with the crew for nearly an hour, on the 4th attempt, they actually sent one properly sized for row 12 and we could take off (flight was full, so they couldn't just re-seat me and get going). The crew was pissed at the maintenance staff, as the aircraft apparently spent the previous 12 hours in the hangar while nobody noticed it until I tried to sit down.

So, yeah, they're definitely slightly narrower.