Angled flat seat vs. lie flat seat on international long haul
 

This is for ORD-SCL in J. Google flights reports: American 945 · Boeing 777 Angled flat seat. $1626.

Are the angled flat seats noticeably subpar for sleeping compared to flat? For $300 more round trip there is:

American 912 · Business Class · Boeing 767 Lie flat seat

You guys think the $300 extra is worth it?

Seems like it's the 767-300 retrofitted planes, as the older cabins in the 763 and 772 are all angled lie flats in J. It's definitely worth it just for the new J cabin and lie flat.

Is it worth it? How well do you sleep on planes? As long as I can stretch my legs out I'm OK - never had a problem w/ angled v. flat.

I have no issues with angled flat seats. Keep in mind a non-retrofit 767 (which has angled flat seats) could be substituted.

I think AA's angled lie-flats are comfortable - amongst the most comfortable angled lie flats I've flown on. That said, I still prefer lie-flat.

The other thing you get with the lie flat config is better IFE and proper AC power (important if you have a beefy laptop). Old C relies on tablets for IFE and uses the old cigarette lighter DC power, capped at 75w. So there are more factors than just the seat to consider.

If I were in your shoes, I'd pony up for the lie flats. However, if my choice were angled seats vs Y, I'd have no qualms about paying for old C.

I'd pay 300 any day for lie flats. Angled flats don't get you the same rest. I mean come on you've got your blood being pushed downwards.

However on day flights from Europe I prefer the Angled flats as they're better padded and I have a better position to work from. I don't sleep on the day flights.

Isn't the IFE on the 767 retrofit still a tablet? I thought they axed the proper screens for sake of less weight and the fact that the 767 will be replaced in the coming years.

With regard to OP, I agree with most that it is probably worth the extra $300 for the lie flat. Nice too if you are traveling alone to get aisle access without disturbing/being disturbed by neighbors.

Well, dang, you're right. Thanks for the correction.

Looks like that's at least one reason for the USB power port. At least for me, the AC power is still a big plus. I have a 180w laptop so it needs all it can get.

Seat looks like the newer *A throne seats. If they're indeed similar, they're quite comfortable.

Cool. Thanks for your help guys!

Sorry, not really related to OP's query, but it REALLY chaps me that AA subsidizes 945 so that it's $600 cheaper to tack on ORD-DFW.

AA knows it has a monopoly on that route in DFW... just how corporations do business -- no need to take it personally ;)

Hence, why when there are hidden city fares available, I don't even think twice before booking those (despite them being against the rules).

Flat ones are better but, at least for me, not $300 better. In the end a personal decision and your call.

Indeed, hopefully it's clear all we can sensibly do is give insight into the pros and cons and perhaps share how we weight those but each person will weight them differently.

In short: most people should sleep OK in the angled seat, though the flat seat is likely to be a more comfortable rest. Add in IFE differences and then it's just a case of how much do you value that.

I think of myself in both scenarios a day or two after to answer if an upgrade is worth it. Personally it's then a no brainer. I'd use the $300 on other things; if I'm arriving rested and without a cricked neck then nothing on a plane will beat what I could do with $300 on the ground.

Of course, if it isn't your money (or you can deduct it thru your business), why not? :)

*assuming it's within the org's rules, of course :)

Angled flat seats are flat. The correct word for what you're looking for is fully-horizontal flat seats. You still "lie flat" on an angled flat seat, ie, if the seat flat but at angle it's still flat.

Flat refers to lack of curvature or lack of bend.

(Not that airline sites or third-party sites use the correct terminology either!)

I've been on fully-horizontal seats that were not really flat (had a painful "bump" where the two parts joined!), on Air Canada CPH-YYZ, and that was way less comfortable than AA's angled flat seats. (Luckily it was a daytime flight, and I didn't need to actually sleep, I just tested out the sleeping position of the seat for future reference.) I'm sure AC's hype calls them "lie flat". (You have to read reviews to learn the truth. I've never seen another airline so criticized for their supposedly "lie flat" seats as when I searched for reviews of Air Canada.)

So be careful assuming that fully-horizontal seats are necessarily better than angled flat. Besides the sleeping angle, there are big quality differences between sleeper seats, and some "flat" seats are not really flat but have bumps :eek:!