G-MIDS Different type of Convertible Seating
 

Flew EDI-LHR-EDI yesterday on ex-BMI aircraft G-MIDS. This has been reprinted into BA colours and the seats have been recovered in BA dark blue leather.

However they are the Lufty/BMI convertible seats where a little switch under the middle arm rest makes the two centre arm rests go into the centre seat and a drinks table drops down from the middle seat. (In fact on the return flight the guy sat in the E seat looked very cramped - he said how narrow the seat was - I said allow me an flicked the arm rests back to Y width).

So now we have A320s with non-convertible space savers, ones with old style BA convertibles, and ex-BMI ones with different converter seats.

I sat in 5F on the way down and the seat pitch felt much tighter than the BA seats - but the number of rows appears to be the same following the refit.

I found the seats quite hard and uncomfortable - the "bum" bit seems much shorter than BA seats and I kept thinking I would slide off.

I can't find mention of G-MIDS on thebasource.

There is actually one more row on the BMI aircraft which is why they feel cramped.

We are getting a lot of our regular passengers complaining about this. Card holders that choose the front on domestics and all our CE passengers are noticing.

The best row is row 1 which is actually more roomy than BA aircraft.

I hope BA think about this and remove the extra row because the CE cabin feels much more cramped on these aircraft.

I did wonder Littlegirl - though I lost count because I don't think there is a row 13....

Another weird thing about these seats is that the middle seat actually looks wider than the aisle and window ones.....

That would be a plus. That way, people won't hate the middle seat so much!

The ex-BD A319 are even less appealing.

I'm preparing myself to 'get used to it'.

BMI 319s - 144 config / BA 319s - 132 config

BMI 320s - 168 config / BA 320s - 162 config


Doesn't take a genius to figure out where this is headed...


Those BA 321s and their extra toilet and wardrobe at the front... Prime candidates for a couple of extra rows too I'd say.

I have also travelled on the ex-bmi repainted aircraft, and found them to be fresher, cleaner, and feeling airier than BA aircraft, despite the seating being closer. I am tall as well, but it certainly did not feel like Monarch cramped seating.

One of my fellow passengers was not happy when he was told there was no wardrobe area to hang up his suit!

Good thing about this aircraft is that if you found yourself on a domestic an tree was no one in the middle seat - it's easy to find the switch to move the armrests into C Config. Would only be fair to put them back on leaving otherwise someone might find it a bit of a squeeze - as my seat mate found out yesterday.

I like the tray table in the middle. The adjustable armrests and table should have been fitted to the BA aircraft that don't have convertible seating.

I know the reason some aircraft don't have convertible seating is that BA went through a phase where all they did in CE was block the middle seat and not actually convert the seating even when the mechanism was there. After a while they reverted to converting the seats but kept the E seat blocked.

The convertible seating on the ex-bmi A320's is the same as that on the ex-bmi A319's. Drop down tables at the B & E seats & moveable armrests (if they're moved!)

The ex-bmi A319's & A320's have a small wardrobe adjacent to the L1 door, just big enough for coats of customers in row 1. BA have however used this as a storage area for bar tops & therefore can't be used as such. Every other row has a coat hook on the back of the seat in front. OK not a wardrobe but still somewhere to hang it.

Very true! Considering some of the ex-bmi A320's are as old as the oldest BA A319's you'd never tell!

BA A319 = 319, Ex-bmi A319 = 31B
BA A320 = 32A, Ex-bmi A320 = 32C

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but for this type of plane, having found the button to move the armrests, does anyone know how to release the catch to allow the centre table to come down?

There's a small catch that you have to release right at the top where the table sits into the seat. A bit of a faff though as you can only just get your finger nail in.