747: Upper Deck vs. Lower Deck
 

I was just wondering what members thought about flying business class in either deck. Lower decks have larger cabins and more passengers. Upper decks are smaller with less passengers. Do you have a preference? If so, why?

If I am flying business class on a 747 I always prefer to sit on the upper deck.

Why?

OTOH, many 747 pax who fly on the main deck prefer to fly in "the Nose" because it is much more private and quiet.

I like the upper deck. It's much less of a crowd..most of the stink of an almost-over long haul remains downstairs where the bulk of people are.

Much discussed already in previous threads, general consensus is upper deck to it being quieter, more private and there are not that many passenger planes with an upper deck other than an A380.

Opps, sorry missed the Q in the op when I first read it.

Why? Mainly because the upper deck is quieter, that makes a big difference on a long haul flight.

I recently flew LHR to HKG and had a choice of several BA or CX flights (in terms of flight times and equipment), I was on a paid J ticket and I dilberately chose to fly on the 747 to sit upstairs.

I don't know if any airlines have still have Y cabins on the upper deck. I have been on two carriers where I sat in Y on the upper deck of a 747.

NZ has E+ in the upper deck of the 747.

I echo the sentiments of this thread --- I also prefer sitting in the upper deck of the 747. Have done so in UA, OZ, and NZ in C/J. It's just a much more intimate cabin (smaller FA to PAX ratio) and segregated from the crowds.

Have also flown in seats 1A/1K (with the Mrs) in the NZ 747 AKL-LAX. Yes, the nose is also a fantastic experience.

Upper deck for me. As above, it's quieter and more private, and I always feel, when in the lower-deck business-class area (at least if there's a first-class section up front) that I'm sitting in a corridor between the door and the back of the plane.

And anyway, the view out the window is naturally better from upstairs, because you're higher. :p

Upper deck because it feels more exclusive. There is something about going up a set of stairs on a plane.

And on a Virgin Atlantic flight, sneaking downstairs to the stand up bar which is meant for upper class passengers only (when upgraded from economy to premium economy about 10 years ago).

Definitely. When you are in business class downstairs it feels like you are on a big plane. When you are upstairs you feel like you are on small private jet.

I'm really going to miss the 747s when they are phased out.

I've only flown upper deck once. Loved it. There was no sense at all that you were on a large plane.

Depends on the airline and the configuration, of course. On UA, I flew in the upper deck because it was more private, less crowded, and much quieter than the lower deck business class cabin. I also like the storage bins by the windows. And it IS pretty cool going upstairs on a plane!

On LH, business class is the front quarter of the main deck. I sat in the nose section (row 2), which is somewhat separated from "main" business class section by a center lav and the exit rows. Again, felt much more private and was definitely quieter. Wasn't a big fan of the seats, but the front section itself was nice. Not as "cool" as going upstairs, though (where LH puts F).

I recently flew LHR to HKG and had a choice of several BA or CX flights (in terms of flight times and equipment), I was on a paid J ticket and I dilberately chose to fly on the 747 to sit upstairs.http://www.demama.info/g.php