dcutcher

And yet, either because C/F occupants simply don't touch the screen--how could they reach it, sitting at the pre-determined distance UA imposes?--or--even less likely, UA assiduously wipes the fingerprints off between flights? this pax has NOT noticed prints there.

So, despite the agreed-on stupidity, at least the screens DON'T seem to burdened with smears of whatever food has been consumed, or other contaminants, e.g. hand lotions, ink from newspapers, general filth...

And let's not even think about the disease vectors that the remotes and seat controls pose!

SFOTurtle

+1 and +1

schley

For the germaphobs out there these will either be on the screen or the remote period. Deal with it, if you have flown in your life you already have and are still living. Let's not over react here to an attempt at a new interface.

kevincrumbs

^

Always great to see UA making improvements, even though this thread has descended into the usual nitpicking and threats to fly other airlines. Seems UA is always in a damned if they do, damned if they don't scenario.

schley

It is FT in general, check out the other forums, people refuse to look at anything other than the negative aspects. Where is the sunshine people? Come on talk it up about NEW seats, avod, power, etc.

dreidel

At least, I think we can all agree that 3-3-3 is superior to 3-4-3 in coach on a 777.

CaptainBilly

OK, I just got off of the newly configured bird. It was a great flight SFo - IAD. I have very little time to report as I am transiting to Rome.

Mods, f this is the wrong thread or I break some posting rule please be lenient and clean it up for me. Thanks!

First some general comments.

- I didn't see much of first as I was seated in business. I was asked by a GA to "not delay the boarding process by taking pictures". So I tried to avoid delaying anyone.

- F looked much like the 747 pods which I have flown.

- The C seats seem to be very similar to if not identical to the C seats on 747 which have flown.

- The 3-3-3 configuration is throughout economy with just a few exceptions at the front and rear of the E sections.

- Yes, there are touch screens in E

- The screens in C and E both seemed to have good resolution of images

- The front facing / rear facing configuration in C results in lots of "almost facing each other" situations. It will be a matter of personal taste how much that bothers you. Having said that I don't see how UA could have squeezed 40 seats into the space they had in any other way.

- First impression is that 8 AB and 8 JK will be the best in C for me.

- I was in forward facing 9J. When fully reclined flat I had a very distinct feeling that my feet were well above my head. it seemed (subjective I know) that this was more pronounced than in 747. Different flight angle for 777 vs 747?

I'm running out of time so now I'm going to just post pics. If possible I'll add comments from Rome tomorrow.

#%$^$**!! I just discovered I don't know how to insert pics. I tried but it didn't work. I'll try to post them and insert a link.

5 minutes later...

I'm sorry folks. I must head to the gate. I will post photos from Rome.

CB

bniu

yes, the avg middle eastern man is narrower than N American men. 3-4-3 on a 777 to them would be like what 3-3-3 is to us width wise. Of course, they get a few more inches of legroom. I've sat in 3-4-3 on a 777 before when I was 12 (also my first ride on a 777) going PEK-Shenzhen on China Southern, it wasn't too bad at all. Of course, that was nowhere near as comfortable as my only other 777 ride 10 years later, 1-2-1 on UA's old intl F suite...

MatthewLAX

I like the touch-screen system on Virgin and TACA...

Five seats to myself when the flight went out with low loads.

You can always fly EK and enjoy their 3-4-3 seating on the 777.

I prefer the AVOD to the seating arrangement. AVOD helps a flight fly by quickly when trapped in Y.

Overall, I like the changes.

azureautumn

Thanks for the report! Waiting for your pictures.

mahasamatman

Did you have an eight-year-old behind you spending the whole flight poking the system (and apparently trying to see just how hard he could do it)?

It's not a new interface. Touch screens have been around for 25+ years. The back of an airplane seat is just not the right place for it.

gijoe24jp

I love 777 because of the 2-5-2 design as 17A/B are considered the best Y seats on a TPAC flight.

for changing to 3-3-3.

CThomp79

Works for so long as every passenger fits the "average..."

My issue -- as with a lot of people -- isn't room for the derriere, but rather the shoulders...so I'm never a fan of narrower seats.

Agreed. However, FWIW, on my VX and DL flights with the same Panasonic system I've generally noticed the touchscreen to be fairly responsive and the seatback not to transfer much motion from the taps of the user behind me. But that doesn't mean there aren't some people who still tap "with purpose."

The remote controls that operate the Panasonic system, like those in the new UA C/F, are definitely better from a non-tapping perspective.

But above all -- a touchscreen AVOD is better than the old looping system!

LNKed

Sounds good so far! Have a good flight to Rome...

jd2000

PEK-SZX isn't a long flight, though. I flew DPS-CGK on a 3-4-3 config DC10 (4" narrower cabin than a 777?), but that didn't seem so bad at the time either. I've put on a little weight, though (and Mrs. 2000 even more), so not sure how much I'd like it now.

I've never been on a 3-3-3 777, just a KLM MD11. Flying alone, which is most of my flights, I'm not sure how bad it is (and in fact, sometimes the 2 is annoying because the other person wants to talk; with 3 usually you can engineer the other two to talk and leave you alone). Flying with someone else, obviously the 2 is a lot better. I've personally observed a lot of families of 4 or 5 in the center of the 2-5-2, and they'll miss it. My family of 4 never does that, we always take two of the 2's so we get a couple of windows. I always feel bad for these little kids stuck in the middle section like they're in a church pew or something.