Which seats to choose?
 

My parents are traveling to Hawaii next March in FIRST CLASS for 1st time in their lives! Only available seats for Delta flight # 1196 (traveling back from Hawaii to LAX) are either Row 6 C&D or Row 1 C&D. Plane is a Delta 757 - can't tell what model. But Row 6 is across from a galley and Row 1 is behind a galley. Which row would be better for them. They are elderly, celebrating 65th wedding anniversary. Thank you for any wisdom you can provide!

Row 1 is said to be more likely to be bumped for air marshals.

Row 1 will not have under seat storage, if that's important to your parents.

By the way, welcome to Flyertalk, Halcyon Days!:)

Check out SeatGuru. That's the closest I could find.

Welcome to Flyer Talk!

This thread will probably be bumped over to the Delta Forum soon.

When given a choice, I avoid row 1. It usually has less legroom and no underseat storage in front.

People with experience develop likes or dislikes for the first and the last rows. (Proximity to lavatories or galleys, extra leg room, no storage in front of you, etc are some of the considerations.)

For everyone else, rows 3-5 might make a safe middle of the road choice.

You can consult Seatguru.com and Seatexpert.com. However, in the end, they don't know what your parents will like/dislike. :)

Please continue to follow this thread in the Delta Forum.
Thanks..
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

Welcome to Flyertalk, Halcyon Days. In my experience (most recently, this week), the aircraft is a 757-200. I believe I would opt for the first row as your parents will not have anyone reclining in front of them, and access and egress will be easier. Moreover, row 6 is the last row and may not offer as good a recline (but I am not certain of this). I would select Row 1. As time goes on, just check their itinerary on line and you may be pleasantly surprised that seats will open up in other rows and you will have the ability to change the seats online at the DL website.

Not sure if it would be as likely on this route, but for domestic 757 configurations there is a lot of swapping of equipment and since not all planes have the same number of rows you could run into problems with higher numbered rows in the event of a change... probably not likely, but should be considered. I'd probably go with row 1.

You should be safe from row 2-5.
The 757 uses the middle door, so row 5 will be closer to the exit.
Some 757 have 7 rows and some 6. The last row always has limited recline which will matter on the flight to HNL.

According to SeatGuru.com (and I have not personally seen one of these so cannot confirm or deny) there is at least 1 ex-NWA configuration of 757-200 with only 4 rows of FC, and these are numbered 1-4.

Doubtful one of these would be on a HI route but... just saying ;-)

These are the 75A birds. DL had them on the former PDX-HNL route at times.

Seat selection from Maui
 

It appears that the scheduled equipment (though the OP did not disclose date of travel) is an ex-NW 757.
Seat selection should obviously be based on personal preference...in this case the deciding factor should probably be bulkhead v. non bulkhead.
On this equipment, the OP's parents may appreciate the ease of the bulkhead entrance and exit, since there will be no passenger seated in front of them.
The galley area will be on the far side of the wall in front of their seats, and should not present too much of a problem.
Also, since the flight is even numbered, they should have first choice on meal selection,
Finally, they will have very easy access to the crew, should they require any special attention. Hope they have a great flight and trip!