mastergamindude

NoLaGent

Fingers crossed for you. Assuming you're up front, it's a nice ride. Just don't sit in Row 1!!!

mastergamindude

nearlysober

Just changed up my flight to ORD next month to try go get myself back on an Airbus F seat. My previously flight, the "Friday Night" red-eye (12:15AM Saturday departure) got converted over to a B739... as have all the SEA-ORD routes except for the 5:30PM departure which is still Airbus.

Hopefully it holds one more month as I've yet to fly in the old VX F seats and the opportunities to do so are drying up. I've just had no luck getting upgraded on Airbus flights and I generally on routes they're being flown buying straight up F fares is not attractive so this is my best chance. Although if they swap the hardware, it at least saved me a bit of money & I won't be dragging after a redeye on Saturday

If this one falls through maybe I'll try a quick mileage run in early 2020. Won't be cost effective for the miles, but a vanishing product to check off my list

mastergamindude

nearlysober

Yeah, in 2F currently.
Generally I try to avoid row 1 in F on any AS anyway as I like the option of keeping a bag at my feet during the whole flight if I want to get into it - although 99% of the time I chose to store it overhead if there's space

mastergamindude

sltlyamusd

As of now, 25% of the Airbus fleet is reconfigured. The time to reconfigure a plane does seem to be around three weeks or so at this point.

NoLaGent

Unless, of course, it gets swapped into the new config airbii, then rows 2 & 3 allow it. I'm also a fan of the new footrest on those.

jjmadison

Actually, on the non-reconfigured Airbii, the FAs always allow (and sometimes encourage) you to keep any backpack or briefcase in front of you. There is enough room to do that.

Edit for context: referring to row 2. Row 1 still requires stowage in overhead.

Flying for Fun

Really? I avoid Aribus if at all possible. I don't like the old configuration nor the seats nor how filthy they have been. Apparently some have been reupholstered, but it doesn't change the comfort. The dark interior and smaller windows make it feel claustrophobic. I am eager to fly a newly configured Airbus for comparison.

Loose items that can't be tucked away under a seat in front of you are potential hazardous flying objects during take off, landing & turbulence. It may have been OK for VX but AS was not happy when I commented on unsecured items in F and spoke specifically to it. That is why all items must be stowed overhead for row one and row 6 on Boeing aircraft. It was my understanding that the same held true for Row 1, 2 & 6 on Airbus aircraft. A blind eye is bad enough, but encouragement! Wow! Convenience over safety is appauling.

James

jjmadison

I don't think it's considered a loose item when a backpack or briefcase is partially tucked under seat in front of you and there is more than ample room (2x+ more than in coach) to evacuate in the event of an emergency. You still can't stow a bag in front of your seat in the bulkhead--in row 1 or 6. But in row 2 on airbus planes, you can stow the bag tucked partially under the seat, sticking out. That's been the SOP as long as Alaska has had airbus planes in the fleet and is what both ex-VX and pre-merger AS crews instruct.

RE: preference on seats, this is one of the few things I disagree with you on, James. Now that AS is again budgeting for F seat maintenance on the airbus fleet, I haven't had a dirty or malfunctioning seat in two months. Being 6', I appreciate the long leg rest, deep recline, and room enough to get out of the window seat without disturbing one's neighbor. I will never be able to use the flip down foot rest on the retrofitted airbus seats--anyone over 5'8" would be scrunched up. Lastly, I enjoy the in-seat back massager and adjustable lumbar support on the white leather seats. Many people don't realize they can completely adjust the position of the lumbar support with the buttons found inside the arm rest. Those adjustments make the seat comfortable for people of all sizes.

NoLaGent

I agree with all of what you've said here, with one tiny exception. I'm 6'1 and just flew RT in the new config airbii, row2, and enjoyed the new tiny footrest. It was actually comfortable for me, and no, my legs are not disproportionally short for my height.

jjmadison

Flying for Fun

It is good to hear that they are maintaining the seats and have reupholstered the leather on some frames but was it simply a "cover up?" Did they deep clean them inside and out and replace the filthy torn carpets too? My last Airbus flight was in March on a 3 1/2 year old frame. I used the blanket to cover it up, otherwise I wouldn't have sat in it. It truly was appauling.

In my correspondence with AS they said that all items in row 2 must be placed in the overhead bins. I don't know which policy is correct. Even if you can stow items partially under row 1 seating (the poster I replied to said in front of you, not partially tucked away under row 1 seating) you cannot do so without getting out of your seat, unless you have 55" arms. On my flight, the 2 pax in 2A & 2B had 6 bags strewn across the space in front of them and one was reclined, footrest up, during takeoff. After that I have booked away from Airbus service.

As far as the seat itself goes, I personally am not a fan. I found them particularly uncomfortable no matter how much I played with the control. I don't like to recline unless to 180% for sleeping. I also don't like the footrest in the recline position. I too prefer to stretch out my legs under the seat in front of me and don't like footrests attached to the forward seat so I never use them. I know the seats were/are popular and many like them. I am not one of them. I also don't like the purple plexiglass that mirrors a distored images of yourself. That left me with row 17 in a dark cabin with small windows. It felt very claustrophobic.

I wouldn't be disappointed to see the entire Airbus fleet disappear but realize that that really isn't possible now with the Boeing situation. AS probably couldn't hold out any longer and opted to maintain instead of waiting for a retrofit.

I do want to try a newly reconfigured Airbus, both in First & Main to compare but I will continue to avoid the old configuration for the above noted reasons. Piss poor attitude, disrespectful (with a smirky smile) ex-VX crew and blatant disregard for safety left a very poor taste in my mouth. Perhaps I am jaded but what I have shared is only the tip of the iceberg. If that had been my first flight under the AS banner, it most certainly would have been my last.

Cross fleeting has both been good and bad. I can usually tell who was first employed by who. If someone doesn't want to be onboard with their new employer then deplane.

James