JIMCHI

Will be flying in business class on an A319. Seat Guru shows 2A & C as the best seats, but those have already been taken. All other seats in that cabin are available. Seat Guru also says that the D & F seats have less legroom. What are the next best seats such that we won't be one of the last for meal selection but not be cramped. Are 1 D&F undesirable for some reason? Thanks for any advice.

YUL_Around_The_World

Rouge or Mainline ?? ... I agree anything but the first row ! .... maybe also avoid the last row ... for economy class passengers kicking you in the back!

JIMCHI

Mainline. What's wrong with 1 D&F ? 2 A&C would be considered first row also but SeatGuru says they are the best.

Adam Smith

Bulkhead, so limited leg room.

There's typically a cubby in the wall in front of 2AC, meaning there's more leg room than 1DF.

It's subjective though - SeatGuru's opinion isn't the absolute truth. I don't particularly like 2AC and would take 2DF or 3AC over 2AC.

StuMcIlwain

Seat Guru is not a very good source of information. Some people like seats at the bulkhead, but I do not since I can't stretch out my legs underneath the seat in front of me. I'm not sure if there is a difference in pitch between the right and left sides of the aircraft, but even if there is you won't feel cramped on the right. I would pick the seat closest to the front but not in the first row.

JIMCHI

Is it true that the DF seats have less legroom than the AC seats? I'm a fussy eater, so would 2 DF choose the meal before 3 AC ?

Stranger

Meal choise is by status first anyway. So when coming to non-status, even if starting from the front, available choices may be less. Marginally worse in row 3 than row 2.

canadiancow

Yup.

I like 1DF. I don't find I have less room. I find there's actually more when you consider I never have to stand up to let 1F out.

And there's no one across the aisle from you, so there's marginally more privacy.

If the only stated requirement is meal priority, take 1DF.

If you like bulkhead, take 1DF.

Otherwise, take 2DF.

ksm06

I've been partial to 4D lately - for me I like to maximize the chance of an open seat and it seems like upgrades and last minute additions get filled from the front - and also the other side first. I also am not a large fan of people walking past me so theoretically in the last row of business other passengers shouldn't be passing you. With the aisle I can also get up when I want.

FlyingPizza

I generally avoid the 1st row and the 4th row if I can. 1st row because I like to sit by the window so I like to store one of my bags below the seat in front and you can't do that in the first row. I used to prefer the right side windows as well as I find upgrades are usually are assigned on the left first but the business cabin is usually full now anyways so it's rare that I get an empty seat beside me now. Meal selection won't help without status because the majority of the time they go by status. I've only had one instance where that went out the door and they took selection from front to back.

IluvSQ

Every plane I'm on my standard preference is for second row aisle.
I find bulkheads constricting for my legs, I prefer to be able to put my feet under the seat ahead.

Adam Smith

It can be a good source of factual information (e.g. seat pitch, seat width, missing windows). But the opinions (what's better or worse) are often to be taken with a grain of salt.

In general, the legroom is the same AC vs DF. The only differences are in the bulkhead row (i.e. 1DF or 2AC vs the rest of the J cabin). The bulkheads offer more knee room since the wall is farther away but you're not able to stretch your legs out under the seat in front of you.

What route are you flying and what time of day? Depending on the route, there will typically be two or four meal choices, and AC typically over-caters - more so than the US3 - so your chances of getting what you want, regardless of where you sit, are not terrible.

Let's be clear here, seat location is not irrelevant to meal choice. Yes, The SD will likely ask SE MMs first, then SEs, then E75K MMs, and so on, but generally the rest of the orders are taken front to back. So if OP is truly picky and that's the most important thing, then 1DF is the place to be.

Oh, and @FlyingPizza, welcome to FT!

You're like eight inches shorter than I am, so I disagree about the quantity of leg room, but I agree with the rest of your post

JIMCHI

Flying the 10:30 a.m. flight YYC-YUL. I presume this is going to be a lunch service.

roadracer

Also consider the IFE in bulkhead rows (if that's important to you). The screen is mounted on the wall, and shorter people may have trouble reaching the touchscreen when belted in.

Adam Smith

Yes. YYC-YUL is what AC designates internally as a "premium long-haul" ("PLH") route within North America. There will be four choices of main course: (1) beef, veal, or lamb (most commonly beef), (2) chicken, (3) fish, or (4) vegetarian, very often a pasta with lots of spinach. You'll get a salad to start and either (1) ice cream with cookies or (2) fruit for dessert. The PLH meals are discussed in more depth in this thread.

If you're really picky or have true dietary concerns (e.g. kosher, lactose intolerant, etc), AC also offers special meals ("SPML") that you can order in . There's quite a long list of them. There's a thread for that too.