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Old Apr 27, 2009 | 2:46 pm
  #1  
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WBC Width?

So I have a question about the width of the WBC seats on the 744 and the 332:

How would you compare them, width wise, to an E75, or a CR9. nwa.com, and seatguru.com publish that the width of all of these seats are 20" across and all of which seem to be "bulkhead style" in that there is no aisle armrest which can be moved. I've found that going from an E75 to a CR9, for whatever reason, is an entirely different experience in terms of comfort and having never been in WBC before, I'm not sure what to expect.

In addition, the 744 lists the width as 20" while the 332 is listed as 20.25 -- is there really that big of a difference? Seems like it wouldn't even be noticeable.

With my upcoming mileage run, I'm trying to get an idea if there is going to be any sort of comfort issue. If I've ever wanted extra room, I've always just thrown up the aisle armrest on the D9x, 757, A319, and the 320's that don't have those horrible "brick" type short-back seats.

If someone has an up close picture that they could link me to, i'd sincerely appreciate it.

Thanks.
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Old Apr 27, 2009 | 3:45 pm
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http://www.nwa.com/services/bustrav/wbc/seats.html

The A330-300 feels to have the same width as domestic F, and a bit larger then domestic/international Y. I had no problem with the width, the pitch is great (specifically if you sit in a bulkhead), and the width is also great (6 seats in WBC for the same airframe as 2-5-2 in Y)

If by "extra room" you mean "more personal space", WBC seems to work for me. With the headrest pods you have privacy for sleeping, I've never had issues with width, given the distance and privacy and the rather large armrest.

If you need more then 20" of width, I'm not sure how many carriers have that much extra space (except true lie-flats?).
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Old Apr 27, 2009 | 4:14 pm
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Originally Posted by sbagdon
If you need more then 20" of width, I'm not sure how many carriers have that much extra space (except true lie-flats?).
True lie-flats aren't always wide (cf. BA). A number of new-gen J seats seem unpleasantly narrow to me in fact (cf. CX). The really wide J seat is the SQ seat which is in a class by itself.
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Old Apr 27, 2009 | 9:42 pm
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Originally Posted by BearX220
A number of new-gen J seats seem unpleasantly narrow to me in fact (cf. CX).
Even the previous gen seats do. The classic "recliner" seats on the Delta 763ER/764ER, for example, are only 18.5" wide.
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Old Apr 27, 2009 | 10:09 pm
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It depends how big your butt is. 20 inches is plenty of space for most people, and me. Because of the 60 inch pitch and the big console between you and your seatmate, your overall comfort is great and not at all comparable to a seat on an RJ, even one that technically has the same width.

CO has 22 inch wide seats in its 777 BusinessFirst, and 21 inches on its 767s. But with only a 55 inch pitch, one can feel more cramped, especially when the person in front of you reclines. However, if your width corresponds better with what CO offers you may be more comfortable overall with them.

I also noticed no difference in the width of the WBC seats in the 744 and the 332.

And if you suspect you're not comfortable, just take a walk through Y during the flight, especially on the 744, and your WBC seat will feel a lot better.
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Old Apr 27, 2009 | 11:00 pm
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Originally Posted by StuartMI
If someone has an up close picture that they could link me to, i'd sincerely appreciate it.
Have a look at these photos, maybe they help?

http://www.airliners.net/photo/North...47-451/1285846

http://www.airliners.net/photo/North...30-223/0626198

http://www.airliners.net/photo/North...0-323X/0451437

Originally Posted by Stripe
It depends how big your butt is. 20 inches is plenty of space for most people, and me.
...
CO has 22 inch wide seats in its 777 BusinessFirst, and 21 inches on its 767s. But with only a 55 inch pitch, one can feel more cramped, especially when the person in front of you reclines. However, if your width corresponds better with what CO offers you may be more comfortable overall with them.
...
And if you suspect you're not comfortable, just take a walk through Y during the flight, especially on the 744, and your WBC seat will feel a lot better.
Agreed on all points. I'd take CO over NW (esp on the daytime flight) because the 777 BF seat is fantastic, until sleeping when the NW seat is better. But since OP is already booked on a MR, I would guess that ship has sailed.

Originally Posted by sbagdon
The A330-300 feels to have the same width as domestic F, and a bit larger then domestic/international Y. I had no problem with the width, the pitch is great (specifically if you sit in a bulkhead), and the width is also great (6 seats in WBC for the same airframe as 2-5-2 in Y).
Minor note, but the A330 fleet is 2-4-2 in Y (DC-10s were 2-5-2). However, your point is still valid: 6 abreast vs 8 abreast = wider seats.

////

StuartMI, I'll be honest. I'm not that crazy about NW's business seat, but it is a million miles better than economy. I do think the seat is a bit narrow and much prefer the width of the CO seat, plus I find the NW seat a bit hard, not at all plush. But I'm a big guy (6'1", 280 lb) and I still sit, eat, and sleep on my side on the NW with little problem.

Hope this helps.
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Old Apr 29, 2009 | 11:30 am
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Originally Posted by Stripe
And if you suspect you're not comfortable, just take a walk through Y during the flight, especially on the 744, and your WBC seat will feel a lot better.
Am I to understand that the seat width in Y on a 744 is the same as that of a CRJ !?!? If so, that's incredible.
Originally Posted by TrayflowInUK
StuartMI, I'll be honest. I'm not that crazy about NW's business seat, but it is a million miles better than economy. I do think the seat is a bit narrow and much prefer the width of the CO seat, plus I find the NW seat a bit hard, not at all plush. But I'm a big guy (6'1", 280 lb) and I still sit, eat, and sleep on my side on the NW with little problem.
Thanks for the comments. I wouldn't be doing the MR in the first place if I wasn't able to upgrade to WBC with my SWU certs. I am around the same dimensions as you, so I'm sure I'll be fine. Just a question of the unknown though however I suppose there is little I can do about it at this stage.

/////

Thanks for all the replies, folks. I'm sure I'll be fine. As I said, I'm quite comfortable on the 757, D9x, A320, A319, and E75 aircraft. The only oddity I've found is that the seats on the CR9 and the E75 (which are apparently the same width as WBC on the 744) feel completely different even though they're both listed at 20" across. For whatever reason, the E75 is significantly more comfortable than the CR9.
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Old Apr 29, 2009 | 12:44 pm
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Originally Posted by StuartMI
For whatever reason, the E75 is significantly more comfortable than the CR9.
I find the same, but not due to width. I find the upright position on the CR9 to be uncomfortably reclined. Like I'm slouching. Hard on my back. DL's CR9s don't seem to have this problem for me, just the Airlink ones.
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