lall

Will be flying as a couple JFK -YVR on the 4-class 777 300ER (77H), business class.

Being OW Emerald, we can choose any seats in J class (the J section of the plane is completely empty at the moment except the two seats we have chosen) and have just reserved 11 D & G in the mini cabin just behind the F class. But i read that this row might possibly endure noise from the bin and traffic to and from the toilets.
So my question is: do we stick with 11 D&G or should we take the 12 D &G instead; or alternatively choose the middle seats in the main J cabin, something like 15 D&G?

Any guidance would be much appreciated.
thnks

SilverChris

IMHO the biggest downside of row 11 is that it's on the wrong side of the curtains when they're closed right in front of you

The linen bin has never been an issue to me, even on much longer flights. The J washrooms are behind you, and being the first row of J there should be no foot traffic by other in your cabin.

I'd stick with 11D/G

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

On the 4 class there's no real issue with rows 11 and 12 unlike the 3-class where these are right by the galley and WCs).

I wouldn't however choose the two middles. Rather, I'd go for two windows - 11A and 12 A. Talking between the two middle seats is not that easy, and conversation is going to be limited anyway. Two window seats will cut out a tiny bit of conversation, but you'll both have windows, and I find them better than being stuck in the middle.(bit more spacious, more interesting to see something out the window rather than just the bulkhead in front of you). If it was a day flight you'd want windows so you can control the shades as well (light can be an issue if you want to watch IFE for example).

cxfan1960

In 77H, the J LAVs are behind Row 12. The only LAVs in front of Row 11 are the F LAVs in front of Row 1. So Row 11 will have a little less traffic than Row 12.

There is no 15D/G. I suppose you meant 16D/G. Almost everyone in the main J cabin visiting the LAVs and the gallery will pass by. You have the highest amount of traffic in the entire J cabin.

kilgoretrout

Which is a better seat for J on the 777-300 HKG-ORD, 16K or 26A?
Those are the last two window seats in the cabin.

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

I would take 16K. 26A is right on top of the engines, plus potential for noise from the cabins behind. !6K does have proximity to the galley, but possibly comes out ahead of 26 in this case.

dkc192

+1 for 16K.

QRC3288

They're both good seats, I've sat in 16k a handful and 26A/K 20x, maybe more. My thoughts:

1) "Noise behind" is a far less likely event in 26A than "noise in front and around" in 16K, fyi. 26A is QUIET, not loud. 16K is definitely the louder seat. Presence of galley in front of 16K can make for some noise (you'll hear ovens whirring, muffled galley noise, etc), and random passenger requests during the flight. Although the seat is recessed farther back than 15A, which has it worse. I DONT choose 15A, whereas I will sit in 16K.

For mundane info, 26K is slightly worse than 26A because the PEY lav is behind on the K side, and very occasionally there is congregating and noise with the PEY lav shutting and closing. But not so with 26A. 26A is probably the quietest seat in the J cabin on 77H, fyi. It's not like people who sit in PEY are drunken hooligans or a nursery!! Ive been disturbed by fellow pax and their families in J far more than the once or twice I heard a baby crying in PEY. This is just luck of the draw but being close to PEY isn't a problem at all.

If we're really going to dig up history, this seat went from awful to very good with conversion from 77D to 77H -> if you recall, 77D was identical in J but had no PEY. And there was a Y lav there in the middle section behind 26A. Now THAT made 26A bad. Constant opening and closing (and that plastic slamming noise of the folding galley doors) right behind the J curtain, congregating, ruffling up against the curtain, people coming through if the line was too long, This was 77D, not 77H. The current 77H/A configs that galley got taken out with the addition of PEY. This was a blessing for row 26 in J!!

Once the lav went away on the A side, 26A because an excellent seat if you like quiet. Definitely quieter than 16K in terms of fellow pax and crew noise. As said above, in general row 26 is your quietest pax/crew row in J class. But I still like 16K.

Let me summarize: 26A is quieter than 16K. No question.

2) 16K has a narrower entrance/exit "corridor" than regular seats. The front "part" of the seat module (with the screen, magazine holder, etc.) is an inch or two closer to the pax than the rest of the seats in the cabin, to accommodate the crew cabinets in front of it. This makes the seat feel considerably cozier than the normal ones, but on the flip side it kinda makes your position a little more private, in an otherwise fairly "public" seat being so far forward near the galleys. I actually like this aspect of 16K it doesn't impact seat width at all.

3) 16K has a considerably wider footwell.

4) 26A has more engine noise as discussed above (16K has less).

5) Unless you are a Cathay Diamond, and possibly OWE, you most likely will not have all meal choices available to you in 26A, it is last dibs back there. 16K you will get your first choice of meal. Due to service flow front to back.

6) 16K has a high amount of foot traffic; 26A has as low as it gets in the J cabin. Lavs are all forward between rows 12 and 15/16. So you have pax from 16-26 using the lavs. Snack basket also up there by the galley, on the K side.

7) 16K has 1.5 windows, whereas 26A has a full 2.

8) Service is much faster in 16K due to proximity to galley.

If you are a very sensitive sleeper to disturbance, 26A is your best bet by far. (Assuming the extra white noise from engine isn't a problem. I'm a very sensitive sleeper but engine noise doesn't bother me one bit). But 16K is very good too. And if you want to get the full experience, 16K is much better for food choices and speed of service.

I don't fly J class as much as I used to, but what I'm writing above is from maybe 3-5 very solid years of 20 or so segments annually on CX's 77D/H config (the one you're on, essentially), 80pct of it in J class. If all I wanted was to just sleep, I always picked 26A or 26K. 26K has less FA traffic coming up from PEY/Y than 26A or 26K, fyi since the ISM is by door L1. But this is a much smaller point. I still usually chose 26A.I'd get on board at say 1am in LAX and try to sleep the whole way until a few hours prior to lamding, skipping the first meal and snacks, and wake up for breakfast. I generally skip their main course anyway so I didn't care about meal choices, and breakfast never runs out of cereal, yogurt, fruit, etc.

If I wanted the first meal or snacks I aimed for rows 11-12, although I was always fine with 26 due to reduced noise levels (as a Diamond, I don't worry about the first meal choice as much, although it's still annoying back there given the slower service). And then my next choice if 11-12 and 26 were taken, or if I wanted to engage service / had a day flight, was 16K. I didn't prefer 15A because it's more in the galley than 26K, and has no windows.

I didnt choose 26A/K on day flights. Far from lavs, slow / last service, and I didn't care as much about the peace and quiet.

Hope this helps!

gpia

Already an extensive review above, but want to add that 26A has been my go to seat for past years, mainly due to the fact there is zero foot traffic. Also, the sourrounding seats are often not occupied if the cabin is not full (people apparently tend to choose other seats first if they have a choice), which adds even more privacy.

synthkeys

Recently flew on a 77H in seat 26K. Another plus of the back row is that the plane usually fills from front to back. If the cabin is not full there's a good chance of having the seat next to or in front of you empty. I'm very sensitive to crowding and even in an extremely spacious and private J seat on the 77H having an empty seat around me increases my comfort. Another benefit of 26K is popping back to the lav in PEY, although if I do, i can sense the ire coming from the pax in PEY.

Yemona

flyercity

When reserving seats, for some seats, the CX website notes that you may be reseated as those seats/rows are special assistance/access seats/rows, e.g. row 39, first Y-class row on this particular type of 777-300ER. Has anyone had experience with the likelihood of that happening? Is it worth choosing another seat, just in case? If yes, what's the next best row, 43?

lowfareair

Flying BOS-HKG in J this week on the 4 class 77W and debating sitting further to the rear of the cabin, like row 24 instead of row 20. Would I be wrong assuming the pros/cons are that the rear tend to be a little more private (fewer people facing forward towards you) and reduced foot traffic as the J lav/galley are all at the front of the cabin, but we may sacrifice a meal choice or two and may get off the plane a little later?

I wouldn't sit in rows 25/26 due to being close to the Bassinets at the front of PY; nothing further forward is available.

synthkeys

I think another pro that some have on sitting forward is being in front of the wings and having some reduced noise. Personally, I can't tell much of a difference if any. I like 26K right up against PE. On the 77H there's nothing in back of you but the PE lav. Bassinet seat is behind the lav, 32H. Not sure about the other side, but behind is the exit row with large space, don't think there's a bassinet on the exit row.

If I fly the 77H in J, I usually take the back of the cabin if I can't get the front mini cabin. Its generally pretty quiet back there. I don't fly the 77H that often as I'm mostly out of EWR (A359), but early last year had a few flights out of JFK sitting in the back (25/26) and had FA's offering me choice and I'm only GO. Flew a 77H in December and didn't get asked about choice until the cart came but J wasn't packed.

lowfareair

I will take reduced turbulence from being closer to the 'center' of the plane over reduced noise. Glad to hear it is private; for some reason I was thinking there were bassinets in the front parts of PY; I'm going to grab row 24 or 25 now. Thanks!