Avoiding new config seats in J(!!!)
 

Hi,

Odd one this I know, but what would be the best strategy for avoiding getting the new config seats on CX?

Route would be LHR-HKG-PER//SYD-HKG-LHR in Dec '07/Jan '08.

I assume it would be best to try for the airbus flights to/from LHR, the PER flight would be fine as it's regional business class and the SYD leg is simply a case of hoping for the best as a search has shown nothing but uncertainty over what happens to the A330 refit...

Many thanks

Tony

Why are you looking to avoid the new seats?

We want to avoid the seats as we have a small child with us and I'm not too keen on the high partitions, especially when we're trying to keep a seatbelt fastened!

This whole thing may however be moot as the loads have swung around all over the place in the last few hours and our preferred flights are now sold out (well in I class anyway and the buy up to C multiplied by 5 is eye wateringly expensive...)

I don't know how VS and NZ get around the Baby seat thigny in their cabin, if I am u I wouldn't worry too much as I don't think the Aust routes will be getting any new seats soon.

Also there is a rumour that the Airbus will NOT be getting the new seats?

Cool.

It's really just the airbus that would pose the problem as I assume they have a privacy screen rather than fixed divider between the middle two seats on the 747, given the issues other carriers have had with this.

Thanks all for your advice - seats on 24hr hold right now so all pointing in the right direction!

Australia never seem to be on the top of any airlines new-seat list

I'm not sure what you mean by this, as it is F that has the fixed divider between the middle F seats -- J doesn't have this. F has an additional raisable partition screen; while J has a small screen by the head area, basically to block line of sight. Your description sounded like F and not J.

One of the drawbacks of the new J seats is for groups. LH tried to market their "open spacious cabin" against BA when BA introduced suites and partitions, but it didn't work (nobody was fooled). But your example is a good one of when the old less-private seating is actually desirable. I guess the premium airline market has evolved away from groups to single travel.

It's difficult as I can't find photos other than of single seats (it's the new seats i'm talking about)

VS had this same problem in the middle block and as I understood it evolved the product so the divider was moveable. That meant the two in the middle could at least see one another. I was thinking that given the logical nature of this move, CX would have gone down the same route - maybe not!

When CX rolled out the current Business class, HKG-SYD got it first.

It would be great if that happenned again, then. I really hope that they do.

Actually:

SYD seems to get new products MOST of the time from other airlines apart from QF:

SQ (Spacebed)
EK (New F Class on 345)
TG (New F and J Class)
BA (NCW - well after JFK)
CX (NBC and the First Class Sleeper seats - straight after LHR)

Dragging this thread broadly back on topic (it's not the BA board, you know ;) ), I asked on the Virgin board if anyone knew the score for young kids.

Apparently the seat only works for kids 4yrs and over. Below that they sit with their parents for takeoff & landing - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=665594