Smiley90

You might get lucky and some F seats might be empty, in which case you can always ask if you can use both middle and window

Happy

Just booked an Aeroplan redemption ZRH-MIA on 77W. Reading this thread got me switched seats 2 times. lol.

The mini cabin has only one seat available, 2 are HON seats and the rest taken.

The main cabin is 100% open except we have no idea about HON seats. At first I chose the middle seats because of the space (each has a table), then I read about the AB side has better view of Alps, so changed to that - then realize AB is really cramped due to the sharing of one table versus DG, the window side got an additional "half" table - seems worth to take because the Alps would quickly be behind us...

So now we are on 9DG. So the consensus is, HON seats would not open even at T-24 while the Throne seat would open at T-48 ? The cramped foot well of the Throne seat sounds bothersome to us. We recently flew TAP's brand new A330-900 - the footwell is really tight, making it hard to fall in deep sleep as the restriction of the footwell greatly hampers the sleep position one could take.

olivier

I have upcoming flights to North America with an A330 in C. Seat 5 G is blocked on both flights. Any changes that this block will be removed when calling LX and requesting the specific seat?

zoechow

I really wish there was some consensus on what opens when and how to get it. But my sense is that the data we have doesn't really cohere into an overall sense, beyond just: check when you can and see. Last time for me I felt like I could get no throne at t-48, with the app. When I called, it turned out that certain thrones, even beyond the ones marked for HON, were still nonassignable, but only certain ones, and in a pattern that didn't make sense to me.

The Swiss seat is a really different design than the TAP one, I think -- the TAP looks like the UA Polaris style which seems designed to fit even more seats in, within the constraint of all aisle access, by having a stagger with staggered slant as well. I think the Swiss way, the Vantage something or other, increases the differences between the space of different seating choices. On Swiss it may be -- some think -- that seats with more space (thrones) have more restrictive footwell. So maybe, I can't recall, the double to the side seats actually have more space in the footwell? But the smallest Swiss footwells, while not exactly comfy, have not I think stopped me from sleeping (to whatever degree I can due to other things like turbulence). But definitely those bulkhead Swiss seats, whether in mini cabin or not, have a much bigger footwell, and I think also less of you is in the much bigger footwell.

Nick Art

No.

That seat is blocked for SEN and HON. It will be unlocked at T-23 for OLCI. Try to go for a throne at T-48 via the call center.

Yahtzee

I'm not HON/SEN but was able to book 14K on the A340. It seems to have a * on it in some of the maps in this thread? Is it unusual that I was able to do that?

Nick Art

No.

Happy

Thanks Zoechow for the detailed explanation.

TAP's footwell is horrible even for my husband whose height is only 5'10". He complained he could not make turn during sleep without getting his feet caught in the narrow space twisted. A friend who is 6'5" definitely has issues with the TAP seat. We are really disappointed on TAP's much touted A300-900, and would avoid using TAP on Star Alliance redemption. Even the old TK 2-3-2 on their 777-200 is more comfortable. No privacy but the foot area has no restriction whatsoever - just an ottoman instead of a "well".

While returning to US is day flight, since they always darken the cabin to make people go to sleep, you would eventually follow and lie down - therefore the space of footwell becomes important whenever there is a "sleep" period on the flight...

Wish the bulk row opens but right now both are either occupied or blocked.

zoechow

I think some hate this site, but there is this article right on your topic that I find interesting to think about:
https://onemileatatime.com/have-i-be...ats-all-along/

I think I myself would hate to have to climb over someone. My legs are small, and I'd worry about it, and it would be harder to sleep. The one time I've been on the aisle in that kind of setup, with someone else climbing over me, was not a night flight, and the other person was lovely, as people probably mostly are. But still I'd prefer privacy, I think, on a long flight. That TK openness does look pretty, though. But I guess if you take the spacious openness of that kind of ottoman seat, and you add privacy/all aisle access, what you have is pretty clearly ... a first class seat.

Let us know how the t-48 etc. search for the bulkhead goes, and what you think of the seats either way.

ExpatSomchai

Anyone booked to HKG in the near future may want to check their seats as we have been changed from a 777 to a 330 for the end of March

Nick Art

It actually changed to an A340, which isn't to bad, since they have refurbished cabins.

Happy

Indeed! We actually prefer QR's old 777-200 seats over their reverse herringbone on the 787 which is very restrictive due to 787 is so much narrower. We saw a large built gentleman 2 rows in front of our row, could not even lie flat on the flat bed because the width simply was not enough to accommodate his shoulders. He could only sleep on the side with a rather cramped footwell - the similar seats on both CX and BR 77w, are much better than QR's 787. You would not realize how a few inches could make a very big difference on an airplane!

Our flight is not until Mid May but I would report back on how the system behaves at T-48. Meanwhile if I remember it, will try to check the seat map once a week and see if there is any change on availability. Right now it is wide open in the main business cabin but of course half of them are blocked...

behuman

For your convenience may I suggest you put a free seat alert on with expertflyer.

Happy

Thanks for suggestion.
I dont have expertflyer subscription and no need to pay for one just for this purpose.

behuman

fyi seat alert is free on expertflyer https://www.expertflyer.com/free-program