A320 First Class Seats
 

I have noticed on two NW flights today that some of the A320s have seats with trays in the armrests, nonfunctional, audio controls, and some ashtrays while others have seatback trays and no audio. Any idea if this is simply differences in age, or aircraft provenance?

I thought the only seats with tray in arm was 1ABCD
And there is no IFE on domestic flights - so why would you expect the audio to work?

Maybe they are used to UA, where you get to head the radio chatter.

I think that there is a difference between the "SR" versions and the non "SR" versions. The SR, if I remember correctly are rated to fly over water.

Correct!

SR=Slide Raft. the slides can be used as rafts.

JIMC_Usa,

I wasn't expecting the audio to work--I was just wondering whether the audio / ashtray planes were simply older than the others, or if maybe Northwest had acquired some of its A320 from a competitor in the past, or if no one has any idea, which appears to be the case.

But that doesn't answer the question as to why the "SR" versions have the lower seat backs...

Late 80's/Early 90's seats
 

The seats you're talking about are of the same mold of the "lounge" seats many FT'ers talk about with fond memory of the DC-10-40 days and B747-200's.

On the A320's the seats you describe are found on the first 50 A320's delivered to Northwest - ship numbers 3201 through 3250. Deliveries ran from late '89 to '93 I believe. There is at least one aircraft within that sequence that has the newer Recaro first class seats on A320 ships 3251 through 3278 (delivered '97 and out) and all the A319's.

These "lounge" seats are big-time old. They were also on Northwest's B727-200 as first class seats.

Thanks for the detailed seat info.

These older seats then, I assume they are not 16g high-load items?

So was just on these A320 last week....old seats that need to be updated!

The seat does lean back quite a ways which is great if it's you leaning back...otherwise the person in the seat in front of you is basically in your lap...

Yes. And the in-seat tray tables are positioned too far forward. I was in 3A on a MEM-LGA last December when 2A reclined his seat right into my dinner. Red wine all over me and the seat. :mad:

One of the reasons why I don't drink red wine :p



I keed! Sorry to hear what happened to you =)

passenger etiquette
 

One of the reasons why I practice good passenger etiquette and ALWAYS recline my seat very slowly - so as to give the passenger behind me ample warning (and just because I believe that abruptness is akin to rudeness).

;)
basic

I think I may have only had SR, but the older "lounge" seats are the ones where the middle of the back seems pretty thinly padded, almost like a flat wood board?