http://www.detnews.com/2001/business...ess-234108.htm

Wow. That is pretty sad. The cheap bas*tards should have simply removed coach seats to make room for more first-class seats (rather than removing a few seats and decreasing first-class pitch).

Of course, their program to cut costs by reducing liquor overstocks is yet another stupid plan. And there is the issue of the awful catering found in World Business Class. I could go on and on...

Their next bright idea will be to replace first class with five-abreast business class seating on domestic narrowbodies, like KLM.

[This message has been edited by TransWorldOne (edited 06-09-2001).]

Yesterday I heard from a NW 747 pilot stating NW was removing mucho B/C seats fom its to/from Japan 747 routes and replacing them with far more coach seats do to the "recent" demand for economy seating to/from Japan.

MisterNice

Actually, I wonder how much of this is accurate.

The article says NW increasing Biz class on DC-10s from 34 to 42 seats, and that they are losing about 9 inches. The article conveniently fails to mention exact seat pitch figures.

Looking at NW Web site, the DC-10-40s (apparently pre-reconfigure) are listed at 47-48" pitch, so losing nine inches still puts you at 38-39", about right for domestic FC. As for the 757s and A320s, the Web site lists pitch at 37" and 36", respectively. These seem to be the new configurations. Yeah, a bit tight when you get to 36".

I have been on a lot of NW DC-10 flights recently, and I have seen three different configurations:

One configuration had about five rows up front, and I had to get up out of my seat to reach the seat pocket in front of me. I assume this is the new WBC configuration, since it also had the little TV monitors in the armrest, though this was just a MSP-DTW flight. So, 60" pitch in this case, probably more than I would ever use.

Another configuration had about six rows up front, and clearly less than 60" pitch. Still, it was plenty of space, and certainly more than usual domestic F. The seats were the same as WBC, with the footrests, and while there were no inidividual TV monitors, the main video screen was the same nice bright LCD showing the plane's speed/position/altitude data. This must be the 34-seat 47-50" pitch configuration, and overall it seemed just about right.

Finally, there is the evil new (?) configuration. This one is apparently only present on three planes, but I've been hitting them on MSP-SFO and MSP-SEA routes at least. These have eight rows up front (42 seats), with the same pitch as all other F (38"), no footrests, and to the best of my recollection very few phones even. The video screen is the same crappy projection system as in back, so all of the window shades need to be closed in order for it to be visible. The first couple of outer rows are angled inward following the taper of the nose, and if the pitch in those aisle seats isn't less, it nevertheless feels like it.

To make room for the extra seats, they not only decreased the pitch, but apparently some closet space went as well. This wouldn't be so tragic but for the fact that there are no center overhead luggage bins. Yes, eight more seats and less than half as much luggage space than the previous configuration. The bins that do exist aren't even the deeper ones, so all of the roller bags need to be stored sideways. Oh, and the lone F lav wasn't working on my last MSP-SEA flight, so the 42 F pax got to share the two mid-cabin lavs with ~120 of the pax in back.

Overall, this new DC-10 configuration is just a mess. These are basically miserable aircraft in F; I don't know what they were thinking.

"Thinking?"

TransWorldOne, I disagree with your comment regarding the "awful catering" on WBC. I have travelled many times trans-Pac in WBC and the food has almost always been very good. If I have to complain about the food, it is because there is always too much food for me to eat. Maybe you were talking about trans-Atlantic WBC?

IMHO the modifications NW has made on their DC-10-40s, other than being really old, just put them on par with nearly every other domestic FC seat on 2 class aircraft on other airlines that I've been on. It was great when they offered lots of leg room and especially footrests, but it seems that NW has just made a good business decision: offer what everyone else is offering as far as the product is concerned, but make it more available to its elite fliers.

No, it was Trans-Pacific and bad (like the cabin service!). The midflight snack cart is nice, however.

TWO, I am sorry that you endured the bad food and service. I guess I have been very lucky these last three years and 400K+ miles on trans-pac...

No offense intended!

I flew two of these reconfigured DC-10s in the last two days and couldn't believe the difference. One did have center storage bins, but in the one that didn't fitting everyone's luggage in was impossible. Also, eja, I don't think you mentioned another "evil" difference--they removed the footrests!! I can't sleep with my feet on the ground, and really liked the recliner-like seats. Call me spoiled, but the DC-10s were the only thing I liked about NW first class and now they've ruined that too. I'm not complaining about no menus, no movie on a 5-hour flight, etc., but I draw the line at no comfort.