davidsc111

So they have power? Were you provided an entertainment tablet or anything?
Thanks!

bloxomo

Just did PHX-LIH that was swapped from new configuration to the old. A lot of unhappy flyers displaced from MCE. The most miserable flight of my life, and I've flown on Ryanair.

aa.com shows the old configuration today and the new Jan 3 and beyond. What's the deal? Has PHX-LIH been the new configuration but one went tech? Or was AA too optimistic about when new new configuration frames would be ready?

Fanjet

I think the bad weather this past week and the thousands of flights affected have caused several equipment to not follow their intended dispatch. Your flight may have been one of them. IIRC, all but one of the 14F/176Y 757s are set to be retired this month. And that one exception, I believe, is a 757 which was originally built for ATA or North American early last decade and acquired by US about 9 or 10 years ago. However, I'm not sure if that one has alreaday been converted to the 12 (domestic) F version.

bloxomo

Seems very possible...but don't the Hawaii 757s just go back and forth between the mainland and Hawaii? It would be good for me and Mrs. Bloxomo if that is the reason, since they should have things back to normal by our return (barring more bad weather). Just noticed the Jan 3 flight has been switched to the old 14F/176Y config. Still a few days after that to get things straightened out for us.

aztimm

No, they do other routes as well. It is quite common to get a 757 on PHX-DCA.

infamousdx

That's the same config I see. So are there true MCE seats here or no?

Fanjet

Yes. The pmUS domestic 757s were 14F/176Y. These reconfigured former intl) pmUS 757s are 12F/176Y. However, I'm not sure how many MCE seats there are exactly.

1lyndihop

Can anyone tell me what kind of 757 I'm flying to LIH at the end of the month? I see that AA has changed aircraft. I did try calling AA today to ask what the pitch, etc. was in the new aircraft. She said she didn't have that info, (WHAT)..just that we were still in 1st class and it was a 757. This configuration has 3 rows. We're flying PHX/LIH.

davidsc111

Definitely the new one (unless AA changes metal at the last minute). Still waiting on a good trip report of the F cabin...please fill in the blanks after your flight.

Fanjet

Not necessarily. If there are 3 rows of Y seats on one side and 4 rows of Y on the opposite side before the 2L/R exits, then it is the new configuration with 12 domestic F seats. If it's just 1 row on one side and 2 rows on the opposite side, then it is the one with the 12 old Envoy seats (and yet to be reconfigured).

bloxomo

Just looked at an arbitrarily chosen date next week. PHX to CUN, LIH, KOA, OGG, and HNL (x2) are all showing the new configuration. But there are only 2 aircraft in the new configuration so far. I don't know how AA decides which routes get the new configuration, but the ones that don't seem to get updated seat maps around midnight CST the day of the flight. flightradar24.com seems to be about a day ahead of that. If you see N205UW or N937UW then you're getting the new configuration (unless AA decides to change things up again, which it seems they have no qualms doing). Otherwise, it is one of the tired old planes and you'll have to see what they do to your seat assignments. I guess the silver lining to getting the old configuration is two more F seats for upgrades to clear into.

Why would AA choose to list these flights as all new configuration? Doesn't it cause more frustration to switch from a configuration with more good coach seats to one with fewer than the other way around?

Fanjet

Probably not. As aircraft swaps can work both ways. A flight listed in the old configuration can be swapped out at the last minute for one in the new configuration. They both have 176 Y seats (although the new configuration has MCE seats). But the old one has 14 F seats versus 12. So listing it as a new configuration and then swapping last-minute to an old one doesn't mean you have to downgrade 2 people from F versus the other way around. Either way, someone is going to be unhappy (someone seated in F; someone seated in MCE). Also, it could be that other aircraft are currently in the process of being reconfigured. And I don't think this process takes up too much time. IIRC, nothing more is being done to them than taking out the old J seats and replacing them with a few rows of F and Y seats.

1lyndihop

Our seat chart shows on fl. 684 3 rows on each side. The previous aircraft we were on had 4 on one and 3 on the other. Strange that AA can't give me any info.

bloxomo

They could not sell the two extra F seats. They could also do a better job of reassigning seats when the swap is made to preserve exit row seats. If they switch from old to new then a bunch of people are happy about an unexpected switch to MCE.

But I guess they've done the math and decided that the chance to sell the 2 extra F seats plus MCE outweighs the cost of annoyed passengers and processing MCE refunds. And also that it is not worth the time to come up with a better seat reassignment algorithm.

formeraa

When they are in the process of reconfiguring aircraft, they have to pick something. It is better to go with the 12F version, so they don't end up downgrading any F passengers. As far as the computer is concerned, there are the same number of Y seats on both configs.

What you are pointing out is only a downside for passengers flying during this time. From a purely operational perspective, AA has done this sort of thing for years. We discuss this on FT everytime there is a major reconfig.