startpacking

I have not travelled in BA business class long haul flights since the cabins have been redesigned and there are now forward and rear facing seats. I like window seats, but not rear facing seats (granted, I have never sat in a rear facing seat on a plane). I am flying a 747 and a 777 on a upcoming trip, I have looked at seating plans on seat guru and all the window seats are rear facing seats. I currently have window rear facing seats, but I am thinking of changing these. I have a few questions:-

Can you actually look out of the window from these seats (sometimes you can't look out of a A or K seat depending on how the seats are lined up with the windows).

Is there any disadvantage if travelling in a rear facing seat than a forward facing seat.

Any advice on this subject will be appreciated.

Lobengula

I love the window seats, especially upper deck 62K, 64K. In 64K you will get three windows for yourself. Ok it's rear facing but after takeoff you will not notice if you're forward or rear anyway.

I tried the 64K for the first time yesterday and it's a lovely seat. Very private and a good substitute if 62K is occupied. When the privacy screen is raised you have your own private cabin, better than some seats in F.

G*G

+1 on 64K or 64A - or in fact any rear facing upper deck seat.

I'm usually an aisle guy but actually prefer the rear facing window seats because of the privacy they provide. You're far more likely to have your sleep interrupted by crew or fellow passengers in any aisle seat.

You'll find quite a few threads with feedback on the CW seats and other opinions than the above. Good luck with your choice.

LeisureFirst

I would not worry at all about the fact the seats are rear-facing. When you're in the air you barely notice the difference (and obviously when cruising only notice when you look out the window). In the event of an accident or a bumpy landing they're actually safer.

On the whole, the window seats are most prized, not only for the view but also for the privacy. The best are those on the upper deck of a 747. If you are taller than about 6'1", you'd want a seat that doesn't have a seat in front of it (strictly, on the seat map, behind it, because they're rear-facing) so you can stick your feet out a bit beyond the foot-rest when sleeping. You can also get to the seat without stepping over another sleeping passenger, but unless you're a bit infirm that's not a big worry. There's a guide on here (see the Sticky for a link) about extra legroom seats. The most prized seats on a 747 are therefore 62 A/K and 64 A/K. There are endless threads on here comparing their relative merits, but I'd be happy with any one of those four seats - and it's a very long time since I sat in any other seat on a 747 (apart from 1K and 2K ).

As far are a view is concerned, the ones to beware of are on the 4-classs 777 (i.e. the version of the 777 which has a First Class, when CW is rows 10-15). Then quite a lot of the CW seats either have missing windows or a view of the wing. There is no really good seat in CW on those planes, but I think row 10 is the best for the view and row 15 best for a tall sleeper.

BingBongBoy

Stick with your window seats. I am a big fan of the rear facing seats. Obviously in my job, we tend to sit facing rearwards, and I always feel more secure and safe when sitting backwards.

Depending on the seats, yes, you can see straight out of the window, here are some pictures of my seating area in 10A on a 4 class 777 aircraft...


Windows in seat 10A

Leg room in seat 10A

View from 10A

Full details of the trip can be found at:

LHR-BOS-LHR Club World Trip Report

Best Regards,

BA5E

Welcome to FT the best place to get the most up to date information. I would aim for rear all the time, just think it is so cool, and definately try and go for upstairs, all the rear seats are great, although do prefer 64A, but as the guys say any of them are great, and they should definately know.^

aet24

startpacking, when you say you don't like rear facing seats, do you mean you don't like rear facing seats on trains / buses etc.? The reason is, my Mum is the same - she refuses to sit in rear facing seats on trains as they make her feel sick.

The first time she and I travelled together in Club World, I put her in a rear-facing window seat (as she likes looking at the view) but with a guarantee that I would swap my (forward-facing) aisle seat with her as soon as the seatbelt sign went off after take-off if she didn't like the sensation of flying backwards. I now never get to sit in the window seat with her! Basically, she found taking off and landing backwards felt a bit unusual, but nothing like the sensation she gets on trains. And, as others have said, once you're cruising you can't tell whether you're going backwards or forwards. So I would go for it!

[If you want to be really cautious, perhaps go for window on the way out and a forward seat on the way back. Then if you really don't like it, at least you've not committed yourself both ways. But I think you'll be ok!]

Sixth Freedom

Just try those backwards facing window seats at least once. I bet you like them.

Jimmie76

+1^

MilesCollector

The 'rear facing' aspect of the window seats in BA CW never even registered the first time I flew BA. I'm 100% a window seat person and get car/train/plane/sea-sick in an aisle seat (probably a pavlovian response to feeling dizzy once and having nothing to lean on) and would probably fly upside-down if said seat was by a window.

As others have said, after take off it won't feel like you're in a rear facing seat. I honestly forgot myself and thought I was in front of the cabin in 64K; I wondered why I was always served last.

startpacking

Yes, I don't like rear facing seats on buses or trains, not because I feel sick, I just don't like to concept of going "backwards".

Thanks for all the feedback and comments, I will try the window rear facing seat.

BA5211A

I flew 64K in Feb. LHR - SEA & it was indeed a private cabin.

Lobengula

Ah, but here's a dilemma with rear facing seats. When you put your seat into flat mode. Your head will be going "forward"

Capricorn70

Another vote for 64 A/K and other rear-facing seats.

As the plane flies at a slightly nose-up angle, rear-facing beds actually lie head slightly up, which I find better than feet up.

AGSF

Another vote for the window. I can't remember the last time I sat in an aisle seat in CW.

Exactly. If you think about it, once you begin to recline, the concept of "forward" and "backwards" becomes blurred, and is completely inconsequential (in my opinion) once you are completely flat.