heavyascent

On a recent SIN-NRT flight, I was extremely bummed to find that NH uses the same shell seats as CX in their Y product. The NH seats actually felt even narrower, if that's possible.

I, for one, can't wait to see the shell seats go.

percysmith

Oh no http://www.ana.co.jp/int/svc/w_en/y/

And I've just recommended an unhappy CX pax go on NH if he doesn't want to put up with CX any longer and not as suicidal to travel on a yank carrier!

What are the alternatives?
Dish a bit more out for PE, maybe? But it looks like it's not fully available yet!

klavkonz

Just flew CX for the first time from ORD to HKG. I also had some reservations about the comfort of the Y seats, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I was lucky enough to have an empty seat next to me, so I just took that seat's pillow and blanket to give me more back cushion. The seat doesn't have much cushion, so your butt does sort of get sore after sitting for a while. Just get up and walk around and it shouldn't be too big a deal. Granted, I didn't sleep the entire flight (I wanted to be dead tired when I arrived in KHH) so I can't say how comfortable it is to sleep in, but as long as you have enough cushion from extra pillows/blankets and perhaps your own jackets/coats, it should be bearable. I would also advise to put everything in the overhead bin since there actually isn't much legroom underneath the seat in front of you. I think it's the AV box that protrudes into the space, so I just placed everything in the overhead bin and it was fine. Service-wise, miles ahead of CI and BR which I normally take if I'm flying from California. Hopefully seat next to me will also stay empty on my flight back to ORD!

heavyascent

I recommend asking for an extra pillow to sit on. I'm on the skinny side and find that it helps my ... from falling asleep.

Also, as another poster suggested, not reclining/sliding the seat forward seems to help.

Can't wait until CX replaces these horrible, horrible contraptions.

ijm

Me too!

Anyone know when?

db1234db1234

I luv them shell seats! Way better than having the person in front of you recline for the entire 15 hour trip from YYZ to HKG and you're trying to watch tv with the set 2 inches from your nose. Gonna miss them.

Letitride3c

If 2 of you do not mind the back on CX's 77A (300ER) as currently configured, 66H & 66K as a pair is better as you do not have the restroom immediately behind you (only 1 instead of 2 - refer to seatguru) - right behind the seats being a closet used by FA instead. There will still be folks standing around, waiting for the restrooms especially after meal service & before landing to freshen up, a bit noisy but at least the smell/odor isn't a problem - FA does check & clean, etc. on a regular basis while in-flight.

Seatback power is 110v so 2 prong U.S. plug will easily hook up. Seat bottom padding is thin to non-existent, and one would need 2 airline pillows with 3 being better together to make it a solid enough cushion to sit on or for the small back. One tip is to take along a half-size pillow case for each of you, put the CX pillows inside, with the help of safety pin to keep it together - or, take a high density foam pillow & cut it in half to bring abroad - 1/2 size pillow for each of you (plus a soft flannel or cotton pillow case, hmmm .... just trying to make the best of that 14+ hours flight more bearable.)

Definitely agreed with storing your carryons on the overhead bin, maybe just keep a small pouch or nylon tote with your inflight essentials (eye shades, noise cancelling headsets, mini-flashlight, ipad/tablets, snacks, etc.) as you can reach for the carryons once at cruising altitude with the seatbelt signs off. You can also slide smaller items directly under your seat in addition in front of your feet (yeah, that's extra storage room, tiny but usable.)

It's "better" to rest & try to sleep in the upright position vs. sliding it forward - which result in even less or no support for the lower back, and far better than flying UA & other carriers when the person in front decided to keep her/his seat in the semi-recline position once airborne until final descent, most annoyingly even at meal-time. It still amused me that folks take their giant 17" laptop to do work or what not sitting in Y .... but, if one must, it's less awkward with CX's seat arrangement.

nightkhan

unfortunately flying CX Y long haul tonight. even getting exit row doesn't help too much. last time i discovered using the pillow as a cushion technique. I'll experiment around again tonight and see if i can find any other tips.

comcats

It's been a while since I've been on Cathay Y, but I think that the headrest is adjustable (or is it another one of my false memories?). The Cathay Pacific seat guide PDF claims it is adjustable, and shows the seat with the seat "reclined" and the headrest down closer to the seatback.

However, that does not help some other issues, such as the terrible lumbar support (which I do remember) and the angle of the headrest to the seatback when reclined. For that, there is not much, except for you to take some painkillers, put tons of pillows behind your back and hope it doesn't hurt too much. If you don't need you blanket, put that behind your back and put your pillow behind your head instead.

Good luck for your flight (and sorry if I was wrong)! ^

percysmith

You are correct. However it may not come down far enough (I noticed that...in fact when my seat is stretched out ("reclined") my head ended up in the cavity between the headrest and the back cushion. As I usually take the window seat and rest my head against the wall, it doesn't bother me too much.

tmr10001

Has anyone been on one of the 77-D that has the lavatory in front of row 33? We are flying in January 2012 from JFK to HKG. I am traveling with friends to Hong Kong and we are sitting in seats 31 A, B and C and I just wanted to know what to expect. Last time we flew CX in Y it was brutal but we thought that the extra leg room may help a bit! Does row 33 have more legroom due to the bulkhead?

Letitride3c

The headrest is "adjustable" & does moved when the clam shell slide forward, but it's just awkward and uncomfortable - unless your height matched the seat precisely ....
We took our microbead neck pillow for support instead, sling onto carryon backpack with a carabiner, and try to flatten out & away those CX headrest. Plus, stuffing the microbead pillow into our soft flannel pouch (used to hold portable electronics & cables, etc.) wrapped around cottonwear, made it into a firmer cushion as back pillow and/or to sit on (better cushion/padding than airline pillows) - not an ideal solution for flying in Y but, a bit of experimenting & deal with that 15 hours as one best can ....

A pair of eye shades & ear-bud style noise cancelling headset hooked into IFE, and, time will go by a little easier when not playing Angry Birds.

lightangel

have to agree there. The seat is as uncomfortable as it gets. My neck and my back were both out of support.

dkc192

I am also interested to see if anyone has flown on the retrofitted 77Ds in Y (B-KPB and KPD), as the seat map on CX.com seems very interesting. Is 31ABC still an exit row? What about row 33?

I'm on HKG-ORD in January and have 31A, but the CX agent told me at the time of booking that 31A was not an exit row. On the seat map, however, it says 31ABC is an exit row but not "extra legroom".

ak333

After my first flight in the shell seats this week, I agree with most of the negative comments above. I was OK for about seven hours, but on a 15 hour flight, that doesn't cut it. I was very glad for the AVOD since I didn't sleep very well.