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Unrefitted 738 / 737 pre-Oasis, non-MAX MCE / Main Cabin + Extra Seats

Old Dec 24, 2012, 1:34 am
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AA Boeing 737-800, type 738D
(configured 16F, 144Y, including 30 MCE - including Exit rows). Current seats seem to be Zodiac 5751 slimline seats.

All aircraft have been converted to the type 738K Oasis/Kodiak configuration



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Under Project Oasis this type will ultimately be refitted to 737 MAX 8 Project Oasis standards, with 170 seats: 16 F / J seats with reduced pitch and recline, and 156 ultra-slimline Rockwell Collins (previously B/E Aerospace) Meridian seats with 30 pitch in Main Cabin, 33pitch in Main Cabin Extra and ultra-slimline lavs, onboard served WiFi IFE (no seatback) IFE, etc.

All 738s delivered prior to 10 Dec 2013 are equipped with center ceiling mounted drop down screens;

738s delivered on or after 10 Dec 2013 currently have seat-back AVOD and 110 VAC plus USB seat power. The IFE will ultimately be replaced by WiFi served IFE.

Link to AA fleet list - 737-800 configuration information by registration ("tail") numbers.

738s (until modified to 7M8 standards) are laid out:

First / Business rows 3-6 (no rows 1 or 2)

Economy from rows 7-30; MCE from rows 7-9, and MCE exit rows 14 and 15. Row 15 has full recline.

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Unrefitted 738 / 737 pre-Oasis, non-MAX MCE / Main Cabin + Extra Seats

Old Dec 19, 2012, 11:52 am
  #76  
 
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Originally Posted by ijgordon
1 FA in F for 16 pax during meal service is poor. I know AA used to do this but that's why I preferred CO back in the day.
One FA works the 16 pax F cabin on every AA MD-80 flight since those AC are staffed with three FAs.
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Old Dec 19, 2012, 1:31 pm
  #77  
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Originally Posted by aamilesslave
One FA works the 16 pax F cabin on every AA MD-80 flight since those AC are staffed with three FAs.
Ah, okay, I haven't been on an MD-80 in ages; I've gotten accustomed to 2 FAs on the 738s.

Originally Posted by ijgordon
IIRC the seats were marked blocked for elites and not available for purchase, though of course many other "standard" seats were as well.
Just checked an upcoming flight, and row 16 is elite/full Y only while row 17 is available for purchase. I suppose this could vary by market or change over time.

Really a tough call on MCE/Exit row for legroom, or European Business class for width. Argh! But at least AA is providing "Choices"!
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Old Dec 19, 2012, 1:37 pm
  #78  
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I'm not certain, but on transcon 738 flights, I believe that AA may continue to schedule four FAs due to the workload. Minimum staffing risks a grievance over excessive workload.
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Old Dec 22, 2012, 6:38 pm
  #79  
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They should have removed these 8 seats and added 4 more to FC .
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Old Dec 22, 2012, 11:24 pm
  #80  
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By the way, as always, expect aircraft swaps to be possible. My flight last night was originally showing the 738 with MCE and a handful of hours before (presumably when the inbound aircraft was assigned), the seat map switched. AFAIK, the only difference is the addition of row 7 and the middle seats in Euro Business class.
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Old Dec 26, 2012, 3:47 pm
  #81  
 
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Is there a consensus yet on MCE vs exit row on 737's? I ask because I'm flying DFW-SEA-DFW and am currently booked into 15D on both flights. The narrow seat width isn't much of an issue for me but I would like to raise up an arm rest if I've got an empty middle seat.
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Old Dec 26, 2012, 6:18 pm
  #82  
 
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My upcoming RT LGA-MIA flights in March will be 738 MCE.
I just changed my seats from row 9 to row 16 as I will be more comfortable with the blocking seat next to me
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Old Jan 5, 2013, 3:08 pm
  #83  
 
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Most of this thread seems to be devoted to a discussion of the blocked middle seats in rows 16 and 17...

Can anyone comment on the difference in legroom in rows 8-13, as well as perceived pros and cons vs. the exit rows?
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Old Jan 5, 2013, 3:56 pm
  #84  
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Originally Posted by pbjag
Most of this thread seems to be devoted to a discussion of the blocked middle seats in rows 16 and 17...

Can anyone comment on the difference in legroom in rows 8-13, as well as perceived pros and cons vs. the exit rows?
The extra legroom is noticeable. Also note that the MCE rows don't have the slightly reduced seat width. Due to the tray tables being in the armrest, the exit rows do have slightly reduced width, but it makes a bigger difference than you might think to have that extra width in the MCE rows. The seats also feel slightly more padded than the exit rows. Almost all of my upcoming 737 flights (I have none through ORD, all BOS-DFW and BOS-LAX and reverse of both) have switched to the row 8 MCE seat map. I'm still staying in the exit row, until the gate anyway, in case of an equipment change. I would prefer the open middle to the extra legroom as a general rule, but getting stuck in 16 or 17 with someone next to me, when I could avoid it with ease, prevents me from changing out of the exit rows for those either, again, at least not until the gate.
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Old Jan 6, 2013, 3:17 am
  #85  
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Originally Posted by TheBOSman
Almost all of my upcoming 737 flights (I have none through ORD, all BOS-DFW and BOS-LAX and reverse of both) have switched to the row 8 MCE seat map. I'm still staying in the exit row, until the gate anyway, in case of an equipment change. I would prefer the open middle to the extra legroom as a general rule, but getting stuck in 16 or 17 with someone next to me, when I could avoid it with ease, prevents me from changing out of the exit rows for those either, again, at least not until the gate.
I spoke with a friend of mine who has done a lot of flying with the "new" seat map, and he told me that most of the flights actually did not have MCE equipped; it would seem they are changing the maps to the one most generous to avoid having to bump people out of seats or rows that don't exist, but not marketing the seats as MCE yet since many 738s don't yet have it fitted. My suggestion to everyone at this point is that the seat map is not a good indicator of whether you'll have MCE for the moment, which will of course change when more MCE-fitted 738s see service.
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Old Jan 6, 2013, 3:27 am
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Originally Posted by Microwave
My suggestion to everyone at this point is that the seat map is not a good indicator of whether you'll have MCE for the moment...
I have a couple of flights like this in March, the seat map would indicate that it is MCE configured, but no seats are actually being sold as MCE.

Makes it rather tricky to get the best seat unfortunately, I'll probably be upgraded anyway, but it would have been good to know for sure what the coach configuration really was.
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Old Jan 6, 2013, 5:53 am
  #87  
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Originally Posted by Microwave
I spoke with a friend of mine who has done a lot of flying with the "new" seat map, and he told me that most of the flights actually did not have MCE equipped; it would seem they are changing the maps to the one most generous to avoid having to bump people out of seats or rows that don't exist, but not marketing the seats as MCE yet since many 738s don't yet have it fitted. My suggestion to everyone at this point is that the seat map is not a good indicator of whether you'll have MCE for the moment, which will of course change when more MCE-fitted 738s see service.
That wouldn't surprise me, probably the best course of action to take. Before MCE, I recall once last year having a BOS-LAX 160-seater subbed out for the 148-seater sometime within 12 hours of the flight, as the original plane wasn't going to make it, so AA took a plane that had arrived from ORD and subbed it in for our scheduled plane. Your friend's observations do back up my approach of staying in the exit row until within airport control, as AA is unlikely to change the plane once it is parked at the gate, and if they have to, there will be a bigger mess than simply a reworked seat chart. I have an MCE flight this upcoming Saturday, but F is completely full already (F0 on EF, and all seats assigned) so my upgrade chance doesn't look good.
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Old Jan 6, 2013, 8:44 pm
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Originally Posted by TheBOSman
The extra legroom is noticeable. Also note that the MCE rows don't have the slightly reduced seat width. Due to the tray tables being in the armrest, the exit rows do have slightly reduced width, but it makes a bigger difference than you might think to have that extra width in the MCE rows. The seats also feel slightly more padded than the exit rows. Almost all of my upcoming 737 flights (I have none through ORD, all BOS-DFW and BOS-LAX and reverse of both) have switched to the row 8 MCE seat map. I'm still staying in the exit row, until the gate anyway, in case of an equipment change. I would prefer the open middle to the extra legroom as a general rule, but getting stuck in 16 or 17 with someone next to me, when I could avoid it with ease, prevents me from changing out of the exit rows for those either, again, at least not until the gate.
Thanks for these observations, very helpful!
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Old Jan 15, 2013, 12:52 pm
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Plastic Seat Saver -

I don't fly coach often, book it most of the time. Yesterday was one of the rare times when an upgrade didn't come through for either myself or wife - both EP. No big deal. Aircraft 737 - ORD - LAX. When we got to our row, found a plastic tray type table on top of the middle seat (as did the row across from us and the entire row in front) Rows 16 and 17.
The FA said it was so they could sell at high price coach seats last minute (made no sense to me) and have a place for FA's who were in transit.

Questions: Is this common? Always Row 16 and 17 on the 737?

Fantastic having the middle seat empty on a FULL flight.
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Old Jan 15, 2013, 12:55 pm
  #90  
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Common enough,apparently, to have been reported a while ago toward the end of the thread on the 737

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...solidated.html

(Search term, oddly enough {"737"})

Cheers.
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