Upstairs, Downstairs
 

Assuming an equal class of service (e.g. United Business) do you prefer to sit upstairs or downstairs on a 747?

Downstairs. You get more flight attendants and you don't have to carry your bags upstairs.

Upstairs - Much Quieter - I Leave Bags in downstairs closet

I prefer downstairs because you have a place to put your bags. The problem with upstairs is overhead bins are smaller, the side bins only allow a briefcase to fit and most business class seats have no space to put anything underneath them.

As an aside. Why is it that Korean Airlines always puts me upstairs been I have confirmed business class seats downstairs? They say that business class passenger perfer upstairs but most heavy duty frequent flyers I have met prefer donwstairs.

Upstairs: I like to fill the side-bins with all the stuff I use during the flight, I get annoyed when people are jumping up every 5 minutes to get something out of the over-head locker.

However, I don't like to be too far towards the front, all the traffic to/from the flightdeck and the toliet can become very annoying.

I also think upstairs is quieter and people tend to sleep more upstairs. Another point is that because the windows are not as accessable upstairs (ie. the view is obscured) people don't tend to wake you up at 5.30 in the morning opening their window blinds.

I agree that I think the airlines think that everyone likes to be upstairs - I think some of the airlines specifically choose not to put children and large groups upstairs so it keep the noise down.

One more benefit of upstairs is that you do not get the 'tourists' from Economy just having a wander 'round.

One negative point, if the toilet fails upstairs or someone decides to go in there and read 'War and Peace' you are stuffed!

Of course with BA it is not an issue! You go up the pointy end, into the calm of the 'purple' zone and that is that.
MF

upstairs--so much quieter. Feels like a private plane...well, almost. An interesting bit of trivia--BA switches the upstairs of their planes (747-200s) between Club World and Coach--it takes them 4 hours to do so. (flew ORD/LHR a year and a half ago in coach and was put upstairs in coach--much nicer than being downstairs, had a good flight attendant that really helped)

UPSTAIRS -- much quieter and it seems like the air is fresher probably because there are much fewer people upstairs. Have you ever walked downstairs after being on a 10 hour flight? It smells terrible!

This is interesting. Last time I flew on a 747 was 200 years ago, and I can't even remember the airline. Upstairs was definitely the chioce -- primarily because there was a stand-up bar. It was still quiter and more comfortable - partly because of the features that have already been mentioned. I'd almost forgotten that there still are 747s. Thanks for the memories.

Oh Phil, you have brought it all flooding back to me. The days when upstairs was 'The' place to be - First was always upstairs.

A stand-up bar... I havn't seen one of those for years (Air France and Virgin excepted, but they don't count in my book).

I miss upstairs being the exclusive bit! It seems natural that that is where the Penthouse should be.
MF

I never really thought about the difference
but my first flights to Hawaii and to Australia I was upstairs and really enjoyed it. MOre room, fewer people and everyone went to sleep. I wondered if this is what first
class used to be (Merry Flyer and Philforest, I've only being doing this flying thing about ten years and ff programs for about 5!) I felt like I was in my own private airplane
and yes, the flight attendants were friendly
and it seemed the drinks flowed more readily.

I have to try upstairs B-A sometime. That
must be a real flying adventure! CATMAN

Catman, don't do upstairs BA (that is Club) go First (the "pointy-end").

On some of the older BA 747's upstairs is sometimes Ec.. Ec... Econ... Economy (sorry I choke on the word!), I'm not sure if they still have blue carpet in economy, I mean WorldTraveller(c), they may have a bit of old linolium and a park bench for all I care.

I can't wait until AirBus bring out the 370 (or whatever it is being called) a full upstairs deck - cool! I bet Virgin will have one converted into an on-board bowling alley?
I can just see it now "Big-Dick's Bowl-A-Rama in pink neon" luvvvvely..
MF

Merry Flyer When I go to London again and fly B-A I will use you as my travel consultant so I too can get the blue carpet treatment (blue's my favorite color!)

Maybe you can call B-A and do their T-V ads.

I don't think I can deal with Sir Dick's
upper deck Bowl O'Rama (and who knows what else!) Will the flight attendants wear those
50's satin bowling shirts and jeans?

It's tough for me to say cc...ccc.. coach.
or eec...eek... economy. I knew after the first time I flew First I never wanted to go back!

OMNI QUESTION: I wonder if Sir Richard reads what we say about Virgin? CATMAN

I prefer downstairs. I'm a bit claustrophobic and the low ceiling and small space (2-2 seating) make it feel like a narrow body up there. I prefer looking upon the spaciousness of a wide body on a long haul flight. And has been mentioned, really small overhead bins up there, and service downstairs always seems to be better. I always walk downstairs and they seem to get continual service. Upstairs is definitly the sleeping compartment, but since I NEVER sleep on a plane, downstairs is the place for me.
How many of you can remember the Piano Bar upstairs on Pan Am's LAX-JFK Transcontinental Service (I think I recall TWA having it too). Those were fun days to travel. When I think of all of us drunks up there singing around the piano...and the smoke!! Yech! How did we ever stand it?

A bit Off-Topic, but since I'm suddenly going down memory lane...does anyone remember the downstairs on TWA 747 First Class in the '70's? Just forward of the stairs, center section, they had 2 seats, then forward of that a table, and then forward of that, 2 more seats. After takeoff, the "stewardess" would bring a larger table top and attach it to the small table. The front 2 seats swiveled about and you had an actual table for 4! With the linen, china, flatware, flowers, and champange bucket...it truly was first class (and great for card games, too!)!

WOW! All the traveling experiences I've missed being born in 1965!!! You guys should get together and write a short novel of your adventures from the "Merry" singers at the Flying Piano bar to the drink service on Southwest (PhilForest, I think that was your story) and call the book "When Flying was
FUN."

I don't remember any flight being fun. I do remember the two or three special ladies I've met in my travels, but that's it!!! CATMAN

catman, tell me about it. I was born in Dec. '63 and obviously missed much of these goings-on. I was intrigued one of the last times I was on a UA 747-100 (2 class domestic/hawaii) from ORD to SEA and saw an dumbwaiter which was used to move trays of meals from the MAIN DECK up to the upper deck. Seemed really strange. I'd seen them from the lower deck to the main deck on other widebodies (L-1011 etc) but this was interesting. Apparently they didn't have ovens upstairs.

PremEx: Do you remember the sleeping compartments on Pan-Am's Intercontinetal flights?

What fun that was...
MF

Oh yes! Of course, I never....

Premex: I think what I was talking about was that piano bar. And it was delightful! Who cares how long the flight is if you enjoy it?

premex: Yes. I remember that downstairs table thing. Whre did it go? How old are we? I was flying intercontinental in the '70s and flown outside CONUS (except on vacation) since 1983!

QuietLion: If you check your bags, you don't have to carry them upstairs.

Catman: Yes, I think the Southwest story WAS my story, and I think something like, "When Flying Was Fun" might make a good book. I'm reading messages from all sorts of people on this thread who were born in the '60s (Including you). I was born in 1931 and I'm still flying. Did we even have airplanes then? Anyhow - I see in the people who frequent this site a recollection of their earlier days and a desire to keep telling others how it really is. There are obviously a couple of journalists who sign on regularly - my wife and I are thinking about becoming travel writers when she retires in another year or so - someone could surely do the job, and I think it would sell.

Phil, I actually started checking bags this year. I just turned 39 and I must be getting old.

Upstairs on SAA (South African Airways). It is a fourteen and a half to fifteen and a half hour flight. Upstairs is coach on SAA. There are three flight attendents (more per capita than the back of the plane). I have been lucky enough to get the exit row on most occaisions, oodles and oodles of space, like three meters. Like the side bins too. It is mostly a nighttime flight, both ways, so the lack of window is no big deal (on the exit row). You feel like you have your own little plane and not part of a cattle cart, like the back downstairs. Only issue is the carry-on luggage, cannot have "flight attendant" wheeled luggage.

Upstairs definitely. I like the side bins for
holding my stuff and for larger things, I'll usually sneak something into the closet near
the stairs. I agree with those here who have
said that they like upstairs because it's sort of "verboten territory" and you don't
have to worry about the kids tromping up and
down while you're trying to sleep.

Downstairs you have to worry about being stuck in front of the movie screen when you
just want to sleep or just plain not subjected to whatever's on.

Peeling the onion of my mind, I do recall years ago on a -100 going ORD->HNL, sneaking
up the stairs(spiral!) and hanging out for a while 'til the purser chased my brother and I out (We were like 11 or 12 at the time)
It was actually a lounge then w/ plastic molded tables and chairs....

Jetdillo -- in the "good ol' daze" when I was still young flying LAX/HNL every couple of weeks, the upstairs lounges were my realm. The fact that some geek discovered a way to put seats up there and maximize revenues still rates as one of my biggest disappointments...

Many a college tuition check was made playing backgammon in the upstairs lounge of an AA 747-100...

And please guys -- I don't need the drool cup yet!!!!!!!

I remember in the Mid 80s that Continental (before Business First) had their "pub" service in the DC-10s where it was a stand-up bar. I enjoyed that flying LAX/HNL on business when the last thing I wanted to do at 9 am was look at a movie in the dark with those nasty pointy headsets--you could go forward into the lounge, snack and get daylight.

Basically, I guess it depends on what type of aircraft and what airline you fly to know if
upstairs is better than down. I'm sorry I've
missed some of the upstairs attractions (like
the standing bar...) Maybe it's on other
aircraft, I have yet to see one.

Onefreeman... I've met you and you certainly
don't need a drool cup. You and Rae have more
youth in you than I do (especially after a long day trying to make lemonaides out of
Pineapple in the land of news... CATMAN)

When I flies on a 757 or DC-9, I prefer to sits in the upstairs places.

Roberto, when I'm on a 757 or DC-9, I do too!
I hate being in the hold! :)

onefreeman:
Maybe you could confirm this(taking you up on your remark about the drool cup):
Didn't the 707 at one point have a forward lounge area off to one side?

Far back in the mists of ancient memory, I seem to recall seeing photos of this in one of the many zillions of aircraft and aviation books I owned as a kid, but haven't been able to find any reference to it since.

I'm stumped. Flew lots of 707's and the old Western 720's but never saw a lounge on any of them. Maybe they had them on the PanAm transatlantic flights? There's a website some place out there with old PanAm stuff -- a former PanAm exec has it up. They might be able to confirm?

Roberto -- we all wonder about YOUR upstairs places...

mi upstairs has a stand-up bar, and ther is a lounj also. i liks it that wey.