NW to BKK via NRT - experiences in WBC?
Jul 16, 2001, 4:00 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Miami Beach, FL, USA
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NW to BKK via NRT - experiences in WBC?
A friend will be flying next week to BKK via NRT on Northwest (WorldBusiness Class). Any suggestions, comments, observations regarding ideal seats, meals, service? Many thanks....
Jul 16, 2001, 8:32 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Homosassa, FL & Ringwood, NJ -UA-G(Lifetime); SPG-Plat (Lifetime)
Posts: 6,120
I did this trip about 8 months ago. The seats are pretty good for B/C seats and far superior to B/C in a 3 class aircraft. The recline and 60" pitch are very good. The food/service is subpar, in my opinion. But on long flights,I agree with my wife that the seat is the most important thing and on this trip, NW seats rate an 8 our of 10 for me. Food/service is about a 6.
Jul 16, 2001, 9:10 pm
#3
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It depends on one's frame of reference. Compared to Delta's Business Elite, pitch is the same but I believe recline is 150 degrees vs. 160. And the bulk of NW's headrests is greater, so the person behind you has less "toe room" when fully reclined and will be kicking your seatback more frequently. The NW seats also lack the adjustable lumbar and great electronic full sleep/full up controls on Delta... To Northwest's credit, the center seats in the 2-3-2 config. on main deck appear to be the last assigned.
All that said, I have had generous luck with operational upgrades to WBC on Asian routings in the past few months, a favor never extended me (as Plat or Gold) by Delta.
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All that said, I have had generous luck with operational upgrades to WBC on Asian routings in the past few months, a favor never extended me (as Plat or Gold) by Delta.
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Jul 16, 2001, 10:04 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Home
Posts: 2,707
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by JimAtTheBeach:
A friend will be flying next week to BKK via NRT on Northwest (WorldBusiness Class). Any suggestions, comments, observations regarding ideal seats, meals, service? Many thanks....</font>
A friend will be flying next week to BKK via NRT on Northwest (WorldBusiness Class). Any suggestions, comments, observations regarding ideal seats, meals, service? Many thanks....</font>
Jul 17, 2001, 9:36 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Miami Beach, FL, USA
Programs: AA EXP 2MM
Posts: 218
Thanks for the advice--greatly appreciated!
Jul 17, 2001, 11:37 am
#6
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Valley of the Sun, AZ, USA
Programs: AA Dirt, HHonors Silver
Posts: 495
Upper deck on the 747-200 (rows 85 - 87) has 72 inch pitch instead of 60, but those seats are now considered premuim and are reserved for elites - but you may be able to get one if you're not an elite too. I did the LAX/SFO to NRT runs quite a bit last year and always sat in row 85. Having no one in front of you to smash your feet when they recline helps when you're tall.
If you can get it, the lobster ravioli rocks, but I only managed to get it once. I'm not even sure if it's on the menu anymore.
Mike
If you can get it, the lobster ravioli rocks, but I only managed to get it once. I'm not even sure if it's on the menu anymore.
Mike
Jul 17, 2001, 3:15 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Miami Beach, FL, USA
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Posts: 218
Just called NW and tried to get rows 85-87 on the 742, and rows 1-4 on the 744. However, as noted earlier in this thread, those seats are indeed reserved for "elite" (or at least higher paid fares than my friend--he's on an award ticket!). He will try again at check in. Tks.
Jul 18, 2001, 3:39 pm
#8
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: YYZ
Posts: 647
How is WBC compared to CO's BF?
Jul 18, 2001, 4:09 pm
#9
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Home: Arlington, VA; Home airports: IAD/DCA/BWI
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Posts: 4,095
Here's a comparison. I wrote the original post.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum20/HTML/002205.html
[In summary, CO wins.]
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum20/HTML/002205.html
[In summary, CO wins.]
Jul 20, 2001, 2:36 pm
#10
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Bloomington,IL USA
Posts: 223
My niece and I flew WBC to Shanghai from Detroit last year - we sat upstairs - they have great little lockers along the windows - we could not have been more comfortable. I paid for coach fares, then used miles to upgrade to WBC. I wish your friend luck!!
Jul 20, 2001, 9:47 pm
#11
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: HHQ
Programs: AA-2MM Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 772
Okay, now there is conflicting information. Previously someone said row 86 was best because it had an extra foot of legroom over the other two rows, but now someone else says that isn't true.
For the 747-200 sitting upstairs, is the best row 85 (the bulkhead,) or row 86, (the middle row?)
For the 747-200 sitting upstairs, is the best row 85 (the bulkhead,) or row 86, (the middle row?)
Jul 23, 2001, 4:55 pm
#12
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Valley of the Sun, AZ, USA
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Posts: 495
Row 85 - bulkhead has more room becuase no one in fron of you reclines. Row 86 and 87 would have more room if the person in front of you does not recline, but that's pretty unlikely on a 10+ hour flight. In reality, they're all pretty rommy, but I found that my feet would get hit when the person in front of me reclined all the way when I sat in row 87. If you're not more than 6' tall, this probably won't be an issue for you anyway.